Epub file on my kindle corrupted (lost old one and had to redownload everything from Amazon) so am unable to access - thank you for the opportunity.

I loved this spin/retelling of a queer Mad Hatter. This book was truly ahead of its time. I loved that there wasn't too much going on to the point of confusion, but also that it was not boring either. I appreciated that this also doesn't fetishize the m/m romance part, which is all too common in books especially in romance and erotica.

It’s been a few years, so not interested in reading this at this point. Thanks to the publisher though

When I got this book I was thinking woohoo a great new adaptation on the alice in wonderland story . I like that it was Alice's brother that went to Neverland this time . Henry is sent there while the red queen is on a rampage. The only clue he has is the mad hatter . The mad hatter is suppose to take him to the Red Queen . Along the way they find out they have more then friendship going on . They find out more about themselves and the feelings they have for each other .
The story was ok but I felt that it was just lacking in some ways . The twists and turns just sometimes lead us nowhere . Over all there were some really good aspects to the story and I did love the romance between Henry and the Hatter . If you like m/m romance this is a good book for you

This is a really fun, quirky take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and I was really pleasantly surprised to throughly enjoy this. I loved the character of Hatter, and I really felt this oddities and even the way he talked and interacted with Henry was a great homage to the character Carroll originally created.

The different parts of Wonderland in this book from the Neutral Woods to the backwards lands were so entertaining and reminded me a little bit of The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I loved seeing the different parts of Wonderland Henry and Hatter would travel to and the kooky explanations Hatter would give about them. I also throughly enjoyed Hatter’s reactions to some things in our world when he made the trip.

The romance in this was also wonderful, and it was one I wanted to happen from the very start! I also enjoyed seeing a grown-up Alice and her twins Carol and Louis which I felt was a nice little thing put in by the author.

FULL REVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED.
I received this book sometime ago, but because of my dear, sweet computer, the file got lost in the depths of the unknown with many other files. It wasn’t until recently that I could recover some of them, including “Mad About the Hatter,” by Dakota Chase, one of the best things that have happened to me these days.
By the way, there were so many different evironments that made me fall in love with this world again that I think I’d even read the book again a couple of times. There are many dangerous as well, but with Hatter as a guide, I know I’d end up pretty much in one piece, just as Henry did.
Many, many thanks to the publisher for sending this copy, and my deepest apologies for taking way too much time to read this book.

*I never got around to reading and reviewing this book. I may do so in the future*

I was super excited about Mad About the Hatter because of the idea that it would be Alice's brother Henry going to the Wonderland, and of course, about the possibility of romance between Henry and Hatter. While the writing was good, the story itself fell a little flat. I felt like it focused on all the wrong things, and that's why I couldn't connect with the story as much as I wanted. It's more like a description of all the madness in Wonderland rather than romance between Henry and Hatter, or even any sort of self-discovery journey. It was more like a walk through Wonderland where so much stuff happened that it became predictable and boring. The best part of the book was when they were actually in England; that was the part I enjoyed the most. Otherwise, I feel like the title should be 'Mad About the Wonderland' because that's what the story focused on.

The focus on scenery and the madness in Wonderland left a little place for actual character development. Or even a character study in the first place. There was always something happening or somewhere to go, which meant that the story didn't take a breather and focus on the characters even a bit. I like character driven stories, and while I don't mind action at all, I mind quite a bit when there seems to be all the action and no character development. That's why I felt a little distanced from the story, and I never became too invested on the characters fates. The story was okay, but it wasted the huge potential it had.

I can recommend this to those who want to read pages after pages of description of everything that goes on in the Wonderland, and who don't mind the romance - or the characters - being side tracked by that. But if you want passionate romance, then this might not be for you.

I loved this book and would definitely recommend it as a purchase to a library. I love that it was an LGBQT novel and that it was so full of acceptance as I often find that in LGBQT novels the idea of "is it wrong to be gay" is almost always explored and I feel that that often takes away some of the essence of the book. This would be a great addition to a Young Adult section in a library as it tackles social issues as well. Definitely a favourite

Alice is no longer the girl who fell through the looking glass; she is a young adult, married with two small children, who are cleverly named Louis and Carol. Her younger brother, Henry, is a Wonderland “nonbeliever”...until he finds himself in some strange place after dinner one night at Alice’s house. In this strange place, Caterpillar’s lair, Henry, also known as “Boy Alice,” adamantly and stubbornly defies acknowledging that he has dropped into Wonderland, the strange place that Alice talks of having visited so long ago. He is certain that he is dreaming, until it is pretty clear that this is no hallucination. Grasping at aspects of Alice’s stories that he remembers, Henry mentions the Mad Hatter. Hatter, who is currently imprisoned in the Red Queen’s dungeon awaiting his imminent beheading, is instead directed to find and retrieve “Boy Alice” so that the Red Queen may decapitate him instead.

Hatter and Henry meet up and (reluctantly) embark on their journey together at Caterpillar’s lair. Henry, having been tricked into eating of the mushroom in ‘Pillar’s lair, is shrunken down to no larger than a tiny speck and promptly carried away by monstrous ants. Hatter rescues him, but Henry is none too pleased with the series of events. He begins walking off alone to find his way home, only to be convinced that his lack of Wonderland knowledge would sooner lead to death than the path home.

Over the course of this quick, short read, we encounter various unique Wonderland terrains, travel through the looking glass back to “Alice’s world,” and resolve all tensions between the Red Queen and Wonderland, the mysterious Uncle Leonard character and his true identity, and, of course, the budding relationship between Henry and Hatter.

When they begin, Henry seems to almost passionately detest Hatter (displaced anger for his father? Teen angst?), whereas Hatter amusedly tolerates Henry. This dynamic seems to shift very suddenly while in the Confection Mountains. The romance is mostly subtle throughout the story...until they kiss and “instalove” begins. At this turning point, the story seems to shift its focus to be more about the budding romance (lust?) between Hatter and Henry rather than the adventure through Wonderland; perhaps it’s a metaphor? I appreciate the presence of an LGBTQ couple, especially one where both characters are sure of themselves in their sexuality, however I wish that there had been more time, pages, build up to their feelings for one another. As it is, their “instalove” seems to appear out of nowhere and just feels too rushed to fully enjoy or truly appreciate.

Additional issues I had with the writing were the general repetitiveness (this often makes the reader feel talked down to), the tedious nature of at least the first chapter and some subsequent descriptions (well written, but a bit too much narration and not enough dialogue), and the general anticlimactic demise of the Red Queen and other “action” scenes. In other words, and in general, it feels as though this story is compressed into less than 200 pages when it easily, and more justifiably, could have been more.

Overall, Chase’s writing adds some creativity to a well-known world of literary fantasy. It is nice to have a refreshing revival of Wonderland, especially as viewed through new eyes. Though I had issues with some of the more technical aspects of the writing, I generally enjoyed the story and would still recommend it as a light, quick read. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the “About the Author” section; very clever!