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| Splintered by A.G.Howard |
I learned about this month somewhere around the middle of last year and was very disappointed to find out that it didn't come out until January. That being said, it took me until February to finally purchase the book and until May to finally read it. But, once I started it, it took me a mere two days to finish it (and only that because I fell asleep while reading).
Alyssa Gardner has been hiding a secret for years. Desperate to avoid landing in a mental hospital like her mother, she hides the fact that she can hear bugs and plants talk. The women in her family have been afflicted with this curse all the way back to Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
However, as her mother's mental health begins a rapid downward spiral, Alyssa learns that there is far more to her family's history than Carroll's story lets on. Not only is Wonderland a real place visited by the first Alice, it is a dark and twisted world filled with mortal danger and disturbing mystical creatures. Alyssa must enter Wonderland and fix the problems Alice left behind in order to save her family before it's too late. Along the way, Alyssa must also choose between Jeb, her best friend and secret crush, and Morpheus, her gorgeous and suspicious guide through Wonderland.
This story was a captivating mix of intrigue and romance. Howard twisted the elements of Carroll's original story, making for a much darker version of Wonderland. At the same time, I ended up enthralled by the complicated relationship between Jeb and Alyssa. The two ended up saving one another, creating an entrancing romance neither saw coming.
In the end, I also couldn't hate the darker character of Morpheus. Although he always has his own motives for what he does, I believe he cares for Alyssa in his own twisted way. His character is responsible for much of the growth we see in Alyssa throughout the story. I thoroughly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy. romance, and twists on old classics.
