I can't even explain to you all the ways in which I loved the first book in this series, Splintered. It was dark and twisted and absolutely fascinating. Every plot twist and event all came together to end with a huge mind-blowing awesome-ness that I was completely in love with. I was bummed to learn it was a stand-alone novel, but also at peace because A.G. Howard did such a fabulous job wrapping it all up.
But then a sequel was announced, since all of us grabby Splintered fans were begging for more. And I was both overjoyed and a little hesitant. What would it be about when Splintered was already amazingly wound up?
Unhinged had the same sense of darkness and skeletal visions of Wonderland that I love. In Unhinged, Red is back, and wants revenge on Alyssa, but Morpheus is determined she claim her rightful place on the throne and get rid of Red once and for all. It was really amazing to get to catch up with Jeb and Alyssa, and even though his character was as muddy and confusing as ever, I also liked getting to hear from Morpheus again. (Team Jeb!) I tore through the book, and hoped that the epic battle that early hints seemed to be pointing towards would be as detailed and perfectly plotted as what I was used to - but, it just fell a little flat for me. I love the characters, I love the world, I love the relationships between them and the way that Alyssa is so torn between the two sides of who she is; and yet, Unhinged lacked some of the brilliant tie-ins and mind-bends that really made Splintered stand above all others for me in 2012.
Don't get me wrong, it was a great read. It was exciting and interesting, and the creatures that A.G. Howard comes up with in this Wonderland will give you some totally-worth-it nightmares for days. But it was missing the wow-factor that really put Splintered on a pedestal for me. The way that Unhinged ended hinted at another book for the series, and that really excites me. I think now that the story has been taken down another track, with future books and story lines starting to be structured from it, we've still got a lot more amazing stuff heading our way from this series. It just had to get through a few growing pains in Unhinged.
But then a sequel was announced, since all of us grabby Splintered fans were begging for more. And I was both overjoyed and a little hesitant. What would it be about when Splintered was already amazingly wound up?
Unhinged had the same sense of darkness and skeletal visions of Wonderland that I love. In Unhinged, Red is back, and wants revenge on Alyssa, but Morpheus is determined she claim her rightful place on the throne and get rid of Red once and for all. It was really amazing to get to catch up with Jeb and Alyssa, and even though his character was as muddy and confusing as ever, I also liked getting to hear from Morpheus again. (Team Jeb!) I tore through the book, and hoped that the epic battle that early hints seemed to be pointing towards would be as detailed and perfectly plotted as what I was used to - but, it just fell a little flat for me. I love the characters, I love the world, I love the relationships between them and the way that Alyssa is so torn between the two sides of who she is; and yet, Unhinged lacked some of the brilliant tie-ins and mind-bends that really made Splintered stand above all others for me in 2012.
Don't get me wrong, it was a great read. It was exciting and interesting, and the creatures that A.G. Howard comes up with in this Wonderland will give you some totally-worth-it nightmares for days. But it was missing the wow-factor that really put Splintered on a pedestal for me. The way that Unhinged ended hinted at another book for the series, and that really excites me. I think now that the story has been taken down another track, with future books and story lines starting to be structured from it, we've still got a lot more amazing stuff heading our way from this series. It just had to get through a few growing pains in Unhinged.
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. 
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. 
