This was such a fun twist on Alice in Wonderland. I love seeing the new perspectives and the new antics that occur with familiar characters. Seeing Alice older and in a "regular" setting with fantastical twists was so much fun to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this book for review purposes.

For me, I love Alice in Wonderland just as much as the next person and to read the after story of what happens when Alice turns 18 and is thrust back into the world of Wonderland is amazing to me.

What we get to see is a more dark and crazy.
I mean the concept of Wonderland itself was still very mindboggling as a child but when it's been so many years and you start to lose your memories of the place, the last thing you want to see is these creatures from the world you once were in, hidden in the new photographs that your taking.

The Red Queen has become more fierce and evil than ever, who knew that would happen, seriously....

Thank you Liz For an amazing and twisted new take on this old story, it was very much needed!

One would think that at my age I would have had enough of fairy tales or classics such as Alice in Wonderland but each time I see a new book tackling an old tale like this I get all excited inside. Unbirthday by Liz Braswell is a new take on the Alice in Wonderland saga in which Alice is now *gasp* grown but that doesn’t stop Wonderland from needing her to cross back over and save the day.

Unbirthday is actually the tenth book in Liz Braswell’s Twisted Tales series in which each book takes on an old classic. With each book of the series being a new version of a different classic story there isn’t a need to read in order as they all can read fine as a standalone or enjoyed in any order one chooses.

Going into this I was hesitant as usual thinking is this going to be different or the same old story I’ve read many times before or would it be so totally different that one wouldn’t be able to recognize the original. Once getting into it though it actually grabbed my attention and I began to enjoy this new version of Alice after she has aged. The time spent in Wonderland was just and wacky and wonderous which held the feel of the original while giving it a new twist. Definitely felt this was a fun book and will definitely put any others from this author onto my TBR.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What an interesting concept and spin-off of the classical story of Alice in Wonderland. This is a great read full of fun and intrigue as you dive back into the world of Wonderland and follow Alice again on another journey.

Wonderland is in trouble, Alice is the one who is late this time. Can she save Wonderland? She is older and living in the real world, but when pictures from the real world start giving her glimpses of Wonderland she learns that she has to return.

Great story, a lot of fun to read.
5 Stars!

As if Alice in Wonderland isn't crazy enough, Liz Braswell brings the insanity to our world in the Twisted Tale of Unbirthday.

Alice loves taking pictures about town, but realizes that some of the subjects in the photos aren't supposed to be there, she begins to worry. Add in a girl who desperately needs her help and potentially the Queen of Hearts making an entrance into this side of the curtain, well, Alice has her hands full.

Wonderfully fun and quirky, Unbirthday is for anyone who loves Alice's tale and her great ability to find logic in a most unlogical situation.

I featured this book on my TV book segment on San Antonio Living:
https://news4sanantonio.com/sa-living/spooky-reads-to-get-in-the-halloween-spirit

*I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

I love Liz Braswell’s take on traditional Fairy Tales. These books are of interest to all ages but particularly teens and tweeting who like twisted tales with a little something different

The Disney Twisted Tale series is a great concept of asking a question and having the entire fairytale as we know it change. In this case, the question is "What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very, very, late?" This book follows Alice when she is 18, long after the story we all know and love happened. She now finds herself retuning to Wonderland to help save Wonderland form the Queen of Hearts, as well as her own world. Overall, I gave this book a 3 star rating because although I enjoyed reading it, I feel like there were some plot holes and slow points in the book.

I am a sucker for a fairytale retelling so I was excited to pick this book and read it. I always liked the story of Alice in Wonderland when I was a kid so it was interesting to read what happened afterwards and see what Alice has gotten up to in that time. I like that she still has a curious mind, looking for a bit of Wonderland in the regular world. Liz Braswell did a good job of describing Wonderland and keeping it the same as I remember as I kid. Sometimes it is hard to properly describe and build the setting but she kept the same nonsense and childish nature that is present in Wonderland.

It was interesting to see the underlying issues and talk about nationalism and discrimination against minorities and immigrants. I was surprised there was such a topic in a book aimed to tweens and teens. I also didn't expect the book to be switching between Wonderland and the real world. It was great to see Alice go on this adventure and save both her world and Wonderland and see her grow as a character and gain courage.

There were some parts of the book I found myself skimming because it was a bit slow or I started to lose interest. I feel like the book didn't need to be as long as it was. I enjoyed reading it but I don't think I would pick it up again, but will check out the other books in this series. I would recommend this if you are a fan of fairytale retelling or a fan of Alice in Wonderland.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me access to this book.

Rating: 2.5/5
The take of Alice with a camera and being more modern was pretty interesting. I guess I was hoping for more differences in characters, not just a photocopy of the original Lewis Carroll.
I wasn't very impressed with the pacing and felt like this wasn't one of Braswell's best stories.
What it lacks in pacing it does make up for in adventure. The side characters and stories seem to be the focal point while the main story of Alice saving Wonderland was on the back burner.

Overall I think this was my least favorite out of the Twisted Tales books.

Book Status: Disappointing

Aww mannnnn! I was so excited to read a book in the Twisted Tales series. I love fairytale re-tellings (I was obsessed with the Lunar Chronicles). But unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me.
It was so damn slow to start and didn't pick up speed at any point. It wasn't even a slow burn.. it waas just slow and soooo long. Some of the author's descriptive writing just got to be too much, especially in the beginning which annoyed me. There were just SO MANY ADJECTIVES!!!!! First Alice felt one way, then she felt a different way, then three sentences later there was another feeling- it was quite boring to be frank ("Breathless...excited... dizzy" all in one sentence??? Like Whyyy??). I'm by no means a great writer but it was just too much. There was potential if it was maybe half as long. Seems like Bradwell's writing style just isn't for me.
I also I found that I couldn't relate to Alice at all. She was supposedly 18 years old in the book but acted like she was 12. She whined all the time and acted like a little girl- not really heroine material.
Could have had potential had it been
Sucks that this was my intro to the Twisted Tales Series- I'll try and give one of the other books a shot.

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There’s just something about all of the Twisted Tales books that make them absolute MUST READS for this Disney lover! This one was extra special to me, releasing during my birthday month - so I got to read the book AT the parks and that just made it extra fun for me!

I was particularly excited about the premise behind this title, with the focus on Alice if she was running really, really late & how that could affect everything about her story. A bit darker than I feel like some of the other twisted tales have been, my only complaint was how incredibly long the book was - it definitely lost me at times. 3.5 stars for me.

It’s interesting how much better some fairy tale/Disney retellings tend to work compared to others. Alice in Wonderland is one that hasn’t seemed to work particularly well for anyone except Frank Beddor (whether Lewis Carroll or Disney based), and Unbirthday was mostly no exception.

One of the biggest problems with this one is that it’s too long. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a fairly short book, and there’s a good reason for that: Absurdist stuff is best in small doses. In fact, it’s really only tolerable in small doses. Braswell did a decent job of toning down the crazy a bit, but shes also attempting to be true to the spirit of the original, which meant the book needed to be much, much shorter.

While the author made a valiant effort toward creating a more linear plot than the original book or movie had and included some clever turns of phrase, her Wonderland interpretation isn’t particularly unique or interesting.

And, ugh! Yet another book with a “protagonist as secretly talented amateur photographer” backstory. It’s an incredibly shopworn take and has never been an especially good one anyway.

Points for trying, I suppose, since a lot of the problems with this book are due to the difficulty of working with the source material itself, but if you want a really good Alice retelling, Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars is the only way to go.

This is the first Twisted Tale I have ever read and I was ecstatic to see Alice in Wonderland as it is one of my favorite Disney movies. My biggest problem was how hard it was to get involved in the story for me. It took me about 100 pages to actually start enjoying it. Liz Braswell did manage to capture Alice in a favorable way along with inventing several new characters who seem to fit the story well. I just wish in the Wonderland scenes she wouldn't have pushed the nonsense aspect so hard.

Great addition to The Twisted Tales collection. I love these books so much and need to add this to my collection.

This was the first book I've read in the Twisted Tales series (and I'm already reading a second one) - I love the idea of the classic Disney tales retold with a twist. I love the original Alice in Wonderland books and movie, so I was looking forward to this. It takes place 11 years after the original book when Alice is 18 so I do like that it was more mature, but with many of the same characters. I also like that there was a touch on political and immigration issues, so there was definitely a touch of real world issues as well. I did find the pacing of the story a little mixed and overall a little slow. I was also a little thrown off by the in-and-out of Wonderland, but it was a fun little story overall.

I have found that I kind have mixed feelings on each Twisted Tales book I've read (except for "Reflection". Elizabeth Lim can do no wrong in my mind😌) and "Unbirthday" finally helped me realize what that is. Liz Braswell has a very dark writing style and tone. This was actually the lightest book I've read from her, which was interesting considering how dark Alice in Wonderland can go easily. I think a lot of my mixed feelings stem from the tones not working together.

For example, in "Part of Your World" it was hard to shift from Scuttle making a joke to Ursula using a blood sacrifice to summon the ancient gods. It's an attempt to age up the Disney stories we know and love, but it doesn't always work well.

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, this one actually worked decently well. Shifting from seeing a death in a photograph to characters speaking in whimsical jokes and riddles worked well for the overall madness of Wonderland.

However, still gave it three stars. Which is no way a bad rating. I didn't have a bad time reading it, there were no major flaws that left me wanting to slam my head into a wall, most of the characters seemed quite themselves, and there were several things that amused me. However, that was the best it got.

There were never any moments I felt emotionally attached to any of the characters. Never had that connection where I found myself even lightly hoping things would turn out okay. There was nothing that set this story apart in my head. The second I finished, I nodded and set it down and that was it. I didn't think about it again until I remembered I needed to review it lol.

Maybe that's a me problem. Maybe if I'd read it at another point in time, I'd feel differently. But pairing my apathy with the fact this book is probably 200 pages longer than it needs to be, I can't give it higher than 3 stars.

It exists. It was enjoyable. I don't regret reading it. But I will probably forget I read it in a week.

If you really, really love Alice in Wonderland, you might really like this. Or you might hate it. It can be hard to predict how people will feel seeing characters they really love in someone else's hands.

But if you're like me and feel quite 'middle of the line' when it comes to Alice in Wonderland, I can't see you feeling much more than boredom when it comes to this book.

Fans of Disney remixes will love this take on Alice. It’s a darker take, and it ties the Alice story to xenophobia in London. Alice is a fierce fighter and staunch feminist. This book is best for older fans - grades 8 and up.

I have been wanting to read one of Liz Braswell's Twisted Tales for years, and I am so glad I finally had a chance.

Poor Alice is all grown up now, but she still dreams of returning to Wonderland, she just cannot seem to figure out how to get back. Then one day, out of nowhere, the residents of Wonderland start appearing in Alice's world begging her to come back to help them. Wonderland has gone off the rails, and not in the typical silly way. Can Alice find a way to balance the practicalities of being a grown-up with the nonsense of Wonderland in order to save all of her friends?

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love diving into the continuation of the stories or discovering another angle to them. I will absolutely be reading more of Liz Braswell's stories.

I had so much fun reading this book. She wasn’t excited about returning to Wonderland at first, especially when people said it was up to her to save this strange place. At first she doubts there is much that she can do, but when the stakes get higher Alice decides to give it a shot. As this story comes to a close, we see Alice get her happily ever after in a truly satisfying way.

I got this book from Netgalley for a read and review.

I for one did not realize that this came out so soon after I received my ARC and was in the middle of maybe two different books and so I didn't get to this book as soon as I should have and waited until I finished 'So This is Love' which is another book in the same series of retellings.

Do I think that Alice in Wonderland really deserves a 'Twisted Tale' retelling as it in itself is a twisted tale? I don't think so, but it's a big part of Disney and the culture and so it got a book and it's sort of carved a spot in YA Lit as a trope. "You're going to do an Alice in Wonderland story? Well, good job everyone loves that! How are you going to tell the story?"

One that stands out to me from other retellings is that instead of a nudge to the original author of Alice, Lewis Carrol, she mentions her sister and that hatters used to drink mercury. Knowing a lot of history about the original content makes it interesting when people don't automatically mention him.when the book ends. That for me is something that I love to see.

Of all the books in the series, this is the one that speaks the closest to the world we live in now; racism and the world of politics and conflict with family and art. Loving someone who you know your family would have problems with and living in a world that's killing kids and innocent people...but, for me, I get a lot of that now and we're still seeing it every single day, and it's depressing. It's supposed to make you sad and to think about these things more than you're already thinking about it. She's achieved her goal in that.

Some very distinct notes that I put in here that I liked to point out:

I feel like Alice can be identified as an autistic woman and there's nothing that really points this out but something in my mind tells me that she is and I like it. Maybe it's the hyper-fixation on Wonderland and photography and having to get something done but Autistic Alice feels right to this story.

Alice said you had no right to assume she was a girl and I liked that about her as well. The casual throw away of 'Don't assume you know what I am just because of what I look like on the outside' is very Classic Wonderland to me compared to all the other Alice things I've seen out there

Words like 'Fwipped' made me giggle because it was just so unique that you wouldn't find it anywhere but here.

This ARC was given to me by Netgalley and Disney for my honest review. I'm gonna be honest I didn't love it. Spoilers below
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Honestly we go through this whole story and all this strife with Alice only to find out it was for nothing. They make her whole experience in Wonderland this terrifying ordeal that ultimately doesn't matter.

I did enjoy the story plot when she was in Angleland though. I was constantly waiting for her to get out of wonderland to go back to that plot. The dueling plots was the only thing that saves the book.

There were frequently used words that I suppose we supposed to land to the uniqueness of Wonderland. I am grateful I had it on my nook so I could look them up. Great vocabulary builder.

Ultimately the story fell flat on one side. I would've liked to know more about her Aunt. But the adventures in Wonderland could've not happened as far as I was concerned.