Splintered
By A.G. Howard
January 1, 2013

My first rating was 4 stars but as I’m reviewing this book (I know allllll these years later) I’d have to re-rate it down to a 3, or even 2 sorry. * I realize that this review may not be all that nice, again, sorry. *

Splintered was a remix of Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland is not one of my favorite stories anyways.
This was a quirky book that was for sure. The main character was odd, and unusual. Alyssa can hear bugs and flowers. I didn’t really like any of the guys in the book, Jeb was a jerk and Morpheus was a dud who was obsessed with Alyssa.

Thank you to ABRAMS and NetGalley for this review copy.

SPLINTERED is one book you definitely do not want to miss out on.It will make you see Alice In Wonderland from a whole new aspect and who knows?Maybe it might make you pick up the unabridged version all over again,and this time not because it is included in your school curriculum.

I'm sorry I was not able to read and review this book before it was archived due to serious health issues.

Ever wondered what happened to Alice after she left Wonderland? What kind of mark she left? Splintered is a beautifully told novel that follows Alyssa, descent of Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. All of the women in the Liddell family that have come before Alyssa have gone crazy; including her mother. Alyssa never thought that she would follow in their footsteps, until now. She has been hearing the thoughts and whispers of bugs and plants around her - but she's always been able to shut them out by using them in her mosaics. When her mother takes a turn for the worst and the only way to help her is to find a way back into wonderland, Alyssa has no choice but to embark on a journey that is not for the light-hearted. Thankfully, she's not going alone. With the help from her best friend and secret crush, Jeb, the two must correct all of Alice's mistakes... and make it out alive.

Beware, my fellow readers! This real Wonderland is much darker and more terrifying that Lewis Carroll's version! A. G. Howard whisks you away to a magical land full of danger and plot twists. Be prepared to fall into the mind of Alice Liddell's descendant, Alyssa, while she takes on an unimaginable quest with dangerous and daring tasks to complete.

The book starts off fairly normal... apart from the fact that our protagonist can hear the voices of plants and insects... but yes, fairly normal. That is, until that fantasy kicks in and we are yanked into Wonderland; full of familiar characters from Carroll's tale, unforgettable action, and a gorgeous romance that you won't be able to get enough of. Splintered is a mind-blowing and completely engrossing book that is perfect for all those readers out there who love falling head first into an unpredictable fantasy land.

I loved Alyssa! She was courageous, daring, and would do anything for those she loves. She took on so many challenges and did not consider stepping down until they were completed. I admired her strength and her bravery all the way through. Another character I loved was Jeb. Sigh, such a swoon-worthy guy; prepared to protect Alyssa and keep her safe. All scenes were automatically more interesting when his name appeared.

And of course Alyssa wouldn't be able to get through Wonderland without a guide, right? Thanks to the mysterious Morpheus, Alyssa is able to find a starting point and also guidance to what she actually has to do while she's in Wonderland. I thought Morpheus was a pretty cool guy. We don't really get to know him until the last half of the book where we actually learn about his past, etc.

I could not get enough of the action and the tension. Nothing is what it seems in Wonderland and there was always that thought at the back of my head saying: Somethings going to jump and kill everyone; I just know it!

I've heard that there is a sequel planned for 2014 and I can't help but wonder what Howard could possibly deliver this time. After all, Lewis Carroll never wrote a second wonderland story, so Howard's new creation should be completely unique!

I read this book when I downloaded, but unfortunately forgot to leave a review at that time and no longer remember enough details to give a proper review.

I loved the concept, but was less enamored with the execution. The writing wasn't bad, but I get a little bored with love triangles, and (as many have mentioned) the portrayal of metal illness let much to be desired.

With enough twists and turns to keep you captivated, Splintered is a grotesque continuation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Splintered is a perfectly creepy take on Carroll's Alice. In fact, the main character Alyssa Gardner is the great, great, great, great granddaughter of Lewis Carroll's inspiration for Alice, Alice Liddell. Alyssa has grown up being mostly raised by her father and scared of ending up like her mother, who resides at Souls' Asylum. She hears flowers and insects talking to her already, it's only a matter of time before she goes full-blown crazy like her mother. Events unfold until Alyssa finds herself seeking out the rabbit hole to fix all of Alice's mistakes to get rid of the curse on her family that has left her mom in her current state.

I found Howard's take on Alice incredible. She did a beautiful job of world building, as well as, building the backgrounds of many characters. The weaving of the traditional characters into these new, kind of demented, twisted characters was brilliant. I really enjoyed how everything turned out in the end. Alyssa was a very interesting heroine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Publishing for a chance to read this galley.

I do not usually amend my reviews, but sometimes discussions with others cause me to rethink my original impressions. That is certainly the case with Splintered. After telling two co-workers about the book and describing it to them (they each bought a copy, BTW, because they thought it sounded interesting), I realized that what originally made me complacent about the book didn't have a huge affect when it came time to recommend it to others. So... I thought that warranted an update. (New thoughts are in pink.)

If I could rate a book based solely on its cover, Splintered would have a solid 5 stars. Tell me this cover is not stunning? I dare you to disagree.

I was only mildly interested in the characters in this one. Yes, it was a great retelling of a classic with a new twist-- but that was about it for me. I wasn't really all that impressed with the characters. True, Alyssa wasn't your expected Alice. She actually had a firm control of her purpose; unlike Alice who seemed to bumble around having a grand ol' time in Wonderland. Of course, if you read Splintered, you'll realize Alice's grand adventures really mucked things up a bit. After more thought, I have realized that my lack of connection with the characters is solely due to my own life experiences. I could not relate to Alyssa because I don't have much experience with teens like her. I am extremely empathetic, but I am not emo. I am artistic, but not "artsy." That was really the problem-- I could not relate to her character, so it was hard for me at times.

Which brings me to what I did enjoy about Splintered: the minor characters. The Wunderland that Alyssa experiences is nothing like her ancestor's Wonderland. In fact, the creatures she encounters are down right nightmarish. The White Rabbit that was so cute with his ticking clock is described like some kind of freak-tastic jackalope with rotting flesh and a bad case of the mange. There were others as well that were represented in a brand new way. For that, I thought the story was top notch. It isn't just the minor characters that were so different, either. The entire setting of Wunderland was unique. As far as settings go, this one deserves an A. After talking with the author at a recent convention, (I had to ask how she came up with this story) the setting and certain elements really made sense. She said that she was partially inspired by the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. Let me say, that made complete sense because you get that vibe from Splintered.

However, the main characters were just bleh for me. I really didn't connect with any of them, nor did I really like them. I guess I couldn't buy into the fairy tale aspect with some of the characters, which made the love triangle not very believable for me. Yes, I know this wasn't meant to be realistic in any way, but the characters just didn't do it for me. They felt flat and one-sided. Sorry. I'm sure many other people will disagree with me on this point. I have thought more on this one and I am still having trouble with Morpheus. I can't put my finger on what exactly gave me trouble with this character, but there is something. I think it might be his extreme shadiness. I just can't figure out if he's the "bad guy" or not. It's worth mentioning though, that if there is a character that so obviously blurs those stereotypical boundaries in a book, he (or she) must be a pretty interesting character. I am curious to see how the storyline with Morpheus develops in the second book, Unhinged.

If you're a fan of retellings, go for it. You'll probably enjoy something in Splintered. If you get giddy over Alice in Wonderland stories, you're probably going to love this one. If you enjoy pretty covers lining your shelves, this one is a must. I still argue that the cover is one of the best I've seen. It's beautiful in person-- the colors just pop.

My co-blogger just reviewed my copy of this on Nov. 9, 2016, because I gave it to her because I never had time to read and review it...and I bought them all in hardcover!

The link:

http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-splintered-by-ag-howard.html

The review:

“Tearing down the rest of the world won't make you happy. Look inside yourself. Because finding who you were meant to be? What you were put into this world to do? That's what fills the emptiness. It's the only things that can.”

~Alyssa Gardner, SPLINTERED



Have you ever read a book, hungry for a twisted retelling of a familiar tale and thought, this just isn't twisted enough? I know that I have, and if you're like me I'll tell you that SPLINTERED by A. G. Howard will fill that deep set need inside of you. It's a vibrant snap crackle pop of darkly creative narration, and disturbingly colorful scenery. Alyssa Gardner lives a somewhat normal life; sure she hears the bugs and flowers around her whispering, and sure she uses dead bugs as an art aesthetic, but she also attends high school, falls of her skateboard when she messes up a jump, and harbors a painfully secret crush on her best friend, Jeb. She worries about her father, and for the mother lives in sedated torture at an insane asylum, and she fears that she is going to wind up just like her.

Okay, so there's actually some very abnormal stuff about Alyssa. Especially when she learns that the "insanity" prevalent among the women in her family is actually a curse. Out of love for her mother Alyssa has to put together clues and fight to get into Wonderland, which is not at all the Wonderland from Lewis Carrol's stories. It's gruesome, dangerous, with hungry creatures that can be friend one moment and foe the next. Jeb is accidentally brought along with her, and as her quest is weaved and reweaved and goes through several metamorphosis Alyssa must struggle to right the wrongs of her late ancestor Alice and get herself and Jeb home safely.

I've got to talk about the narrative style first and foremost. I love that it's in first person narration, because it adds a special sort of intimacy between the reader and Alyssa. We feel directly tapped into her thoughts and feelings, like we took a sip from the Drink Me bottle and shrank to a size small enough to be slipped into her pocket and taken along to Wonderland. As a character she is fiery, smart, and passionate, ostracized by things beyond her control, but still fragile and very very easy to relate to, and the narration really brings out her personality in very layered chunks. The imagery in this book is dark and otherworldly, making sure this new Wonderland jumps off the page and stabs you through the heart. And the snarky banter between the characters makes you laugh and shudder at the same time, which is a hard combination to pull off.

What I love is the gruesome way Howard reimagines Wonderland. The White Rabbit is not actually so rabbit-like at all, instead appearing as a semi humanoid creature with antlers, and it's body half eaten away till it is noting but skeleton. Those pretty talking flowers you remember from the Disney movie? Yeah they have more eyes than a spider, and teeth that want to eat you up. That line OFF WITH HER HEAD, has a much more literal meaning and terrible consequences. Everything Alyssa thought to expect from this world is twisted and maimed, and if that wasn't intriguing enough, the plot shifts and gathers layers and surprises both her and the reader. And if you're looking for a nice balance of high dark fantasy with a twist of romantic tension that doesn't overshadow the meat of the plot, this book is perfect. There's a bit of a love triangle between Alyssa, Jeb, and the darkly seductive Morpheus who serves as Alyssa's guide to Wonderland. It's an underlying point of tension, but it's not the only one, instead a cog in a well oiled machine that gives you a little bit of everything.

If you're ready to fall down the rabbit hole with a strong, intriguing female lead, this book is for you. If you want to tremble with delirious admiration of how the author rebuilds the familiar childhood tale into something more sinister and grown up, this book is for you. It's part of a trilogy, and I can tell you from personal experience that you will want to dive into the second book as soon as you're finished SPLINTERED. This fractured tale will puncture your mind and haunt your dreams in the best of ways.

This has such a spooky, creepy ambiance that lends itself perfectly to the Alice in Wonderland story. Added to that there's this delightful romantic tension that keeps you hanging onto A.G. Howards' every word.

I'm actually not that big of a fan of Alice in Wonderland, but oh boy, am I enjoying some of the retellings about Alice and this world that I've been reading lately. Notably, Splintered, in which everything feels a little bit twisted and more creepy and dangerous and uncertain. Sadly, I didn't review this book after I read it last year, but it is a story that has stayed with me and I think a twisted Wonderland would make for very interesting viewing!