Splintered by A.G. Howard is the first of a four book urban Alice in Wonderland twist story. The four books in the series are Splintered, Unhinged, Ensnared, and Untamed.
Splintered is her first book, and apparently she got the idea for this book and series while working in a school library. Go school libraries!
I read Splintered for book club; it was actually the book I suggested. I love book clubs and I love when you read books everyone chooses. That will usually allow you to read a wide variety of books. We've read 18th century settings as well as urban fairy tale settings. I think the variety is good.
I give Splintered 3 out of 5 stars. Now to be honest I wish I could've given it 4.5 of 5 stars; it's always fun to suggest an awesome book for book club. :) If you are looking for a great book for your book club just click on the "5 Stars" tag.
I feel this book was just blah. It dragged on and was incredibly cheesy, and I do not plan to read the others in the series. There were several lines Alyssa and Jeb said in their little romance that was a bit dorky and childish (though I guess middle school or high school kids wouldn't mind). I also felt the obvious characterization lacked originality; there are too many books with the main character in love with the handsome guy who's dating the mean rich and beautiful girl.
Now, I am all for fairy tale retellings or fairy tales with a twist; I love them. However, I was disappointed with Splintered. If you love modern day fairy tale retellings give Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce a read; his Fairytale Retelling series is fun.
Splintered is a mostly clean read. There was no sex, drug use, or language that I can recall. However, there were some adult ideas and sex and virgnity was talked about. As we discussed in book club, the writing is geared towards middle school girls, but some of those adult topics make it inappropriate for some parents to allow their children to read.
Though, there were things I liked. I think the setting and it's descriptions were fascinating, and the idea of it would make a great movie with a lot of action. I also think this book would drag a little less if you enjoyed it as an audiobook. I also think Morpheus, the most interesting character, was written well. During the reading I found myself going back and forth with him being a good guy or a bad guy.
All in all, it's okay. If you love Alice in Wonderland or you are looking for an audiobook series to enjoy give this one a read.
Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal:
"This darker, modern update of Alice in Wonderland is more likely to please fans of Tim Burton's film adaptation than those of Lewis Carroll's novel. Alyssa, 16, is a descendant of Alice Liddell, the girl who was Carroll's inspiration for Alice. Her mother lives in a mental institution, and she herself struggles with hearing voices from insects and flowers. Do the women in her family suffer from a curse that can somehow be traced back to the original Alice? The opening chapters drag a bit, but the action picks up when Alyssa finds herself in Wonderland, fighting for her survival-and for her mother's sanity. Howard maintains a lush atmosphere throughout, reintroducing Carroll's characters as truly nightmarish monsters. Though Alyssa's ongoing quests can sometimes seem aimless and the requisite love triangle forced, teens looking for a creepy, descriptive read with a generous dollop of romance will gravitate toward this title."
Have you read Splintered? What did you think?
Happy Fun Modern Alice in Wonderland Fairy Tale Twist Reading!
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