Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard + Giveaway

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Release Date: Jan 1st, 2013 by Amulet (today!)
Details: 384 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Retelling > Alice in Wonderland
Source: Publisher (Thank you Amulet!)
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads
Summary:

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. 

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. 

There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Splintered follows Alyssa Gardner (ironic last name if you ask me) as she tries to break the spell that has cursed the female line of her family for years since Alice stumbled into Wonderland and ruined its balance. She's met with a childhood "friend" who visited her through her dreams named Morpheus in Wonderland and she accidentally dragged her actual childhood friend Jeb in for the ride.

Splintered is captivating. Within the first 12% of the book I was hooked. I'm sure if my Kindle had not died on me I would had finished it literally in one sitting. It absolutely grabs you and pulls you into Wonderland with it. The world that Howard has built is a very haunting one. Nothing is what you think it is, every creature is morbid and looks like they're harboring flesh eating viruses. The characters that we've grown to know aren't exactly who they are either. I enjoyed the twist Howard put on these well loved characters. My only complaint is that Cheshire Cat was absent for most of the adventure. I did love the sisters and the job they were meant to do. Everything was deliciously twisted just like Wonderland should be!

The three main characters; Alyssa, Morpheus and Jeb were all relate-able characters and they were likable! Alyssa is strong, even if it is her teenage angst that makes it so but she doesn't give herself enough credit for it. I suppose losing your mother to a mental hospital, having a dad who's constantly walking on eggshells and a very over protective best friend who you're in love with but is dating someone else can make a teenager very very angry but also very passionate and very loyal to those she cares the most about. While Alyssa didn't make the best decisions, who would being in the position she was in? I would do the same thing, save people, get out. Morpheus was very vague. Then again what do you expect from someone who lives in Wonderland? He was mysterious and dangerous. And like Jeb, I didn't trust him. But like every dark and mysterious boy in YA, he did have his redeeming qualities and I think those were overshadowed by him being an asshole most of the time. Such a shame! Okay, I liked Jeb from the beginning. He's always saving Alyssa and even though he IS super over protective, I can see why. And why it took Alyssa so long to see it is beyond me! But his dedication to keeping her safe and their moments just *siiiiiigh*. I was right there with Jeb, move over moth brains!

I LOVED this read. This is exactly what an Alice in Wonderland retelling should be! The world building and the features on the characters were sometimes hard to follow but the adventure Alyssa went on was epic enough to include all the main Wonderland characters and put use to them which is fantastic. It deals with yearning for your best friend to be more and trying to prove you're old enough to take care of yourself. The ending left me a little sad because it isn't everything I wanted it to be but this is still definitely a debut you don't want to miss!

The guests look like they're hovering in place on a striped background. I feel lost yet strangely at home, like a flea who has taken up residence on a zebra.

All these years I've been killing bus, and now karma's here to make me pay, in spades.

"No one knows what he or she is capable of until things are their darkest. This is why the key to opening the box is the essence of the heart. Therein lies the world's most potent power."

---- All quotes were taken from the ARC copy

G i V E A W A Y

I'm giving away an ARC copy of Splintered! All you have to do is follow the instructions on the thingie thang thang to be entered to win. This giveaway will run from Jan 1st 2013 - Jan 8th 2013!

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