Splintered
by A.G. Howard
Published by Amulet Books
Date to be published: January 1st 2013
Source: gifted
Rating: 4.8
AMAZON // BOOKDEPO
Synopsis: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
My thoughts
Expectations I encountered Splintered early 2012 during a frequent Goodreads browsing. The synopsis was the only thing that got my attention. Keep in mind that the cover was not presented to us yet. The mention of a skater girl got me hooked. A family curse and the mention of madder darker version of wonderland made me fingers clicking happy.I forgot about it (stupid me). Thank goodness I saw the cover on Goodreads months later
Cover: That’s almost how I pictured Alyssa. A cross between the cover and Emily Osment. There is so much detail. Every time I looked at I noticed new details. Easily in the top covers of 2013.
Book: Close to a hundred years or more years ago a young girl named Alice dreamed about a wacky place and was published by a family friend. Ever since then her female descendants have gone insane and died as a result. Alyssa Gardner is her great-great-granddaughter. She too can hear the normally inaudible voices of plants and bugs and is next inline. A chain reacting occurrence happens. ‘’Wonderland exists and Al can save her mom, herself and break the curse but is it really a curse or something else. Nothing is what it seems and maybe Alyssa as well. I WELCOME you TO THE REAL WONDERLAND folks.
Miss Howard’s writing style in splintered is equally part sensual ,dark and mysterious. So dark its sexy,.HAHA. You want to resist but you want more and more. To fly across the pages but take it slow ( I hardly did) and let the enjoyment engross you. I will get madder trough out this review. It was an orgasmic event but of words, places and scenery constructed with those words and many feelings. A wonderful 400 page book.
I read the original Alice and through the looking glass when I was younger. It was a Dutch translations but that does not take away that I loved seeing their dark and altered macabre versions. A lot made sense in a nonsensical way in the end. But every true Netherling knows it takes balance between a raging storm and calm clear water to be ‘’sane’.
The plot was interesting. Mad even. I have to admit some parts might be confusing to some people. Maybe.
.'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I loved how parts of the Jabberwoc(k) poem is used in the beginning and a portal available through clues, keys and a mirror [anypony knows The Looking Glass, so what if I’m a brony. Broohoof. /)*(\ ]. Smashing. You get twist and turns after turns. Some were predictable and some weren’t. You have the chance to meet hideously beautiful and beautifully hideous characters, creatures and Queens. And Morpheus but more of him later ( if you want to know).
So you wanna be a master. Do you have to skills to be #1. Oops. Sorry I was listening POKe Themes [ ^^] I meant to say do you want to know more about Morpheous. For starters he has blue hair that covers half his face. Has dark or dark grey angelic wings. I admit he was a jerk at multiple times and admits he’s one. He is netherling as kind and charming as Cheshire is cute and adorable.** possible spoiler [But he still needs loving and hopefully someone will love him someday and he will truth fully love that person too.]end spoiler**Despite him being a jerk sometimes , he is a being you want to have on your team.
Jebediah or Jeb is her best friend. I like him a lot . Roro gives Jeb a dude hug [ oowee I have to steady myself to stop these naughty thoughts]. He’s a sk8terboi. Do you remember this song Jeb is very artistic and paints like tim burton directs movies.
Page 127 Al’s narration
‘I think of his watercolor paintings; darkly beautiful worlds and gothic fairies weeping black tears above human corpses, these depictions of misery and loss are so poignant and surreal they break the heart’’.
If that is not artistic I don’t know what is. Jeb is a labret wearing skater dude who listens to punk/alternative rock and paints hauntingly beautiful [ his art pieces are breathtaking in my imagination]. Jeb opens up and finds up and find comfort in the end.
Now the spotlight or rather scribbles of ink are on Alyssa Gardner. She too has artistic abilities. Although she is one of the coolest female main characters she undergoes character growth and development and proud of who she is in the end.
The romance is steamy but still age appropriate [ wish it wasn’t, lil naughty me] I liked the spark between the characters. Every kind of spark there was
My trip is on this journey is over. I wish I could stay longer. Maddening wasn’t it [ eye twitch twitching ]. I hope you fall in love with all the characters that need to be loved and find peace and tranquility between the line of madness. Well guys here are your victims … ahem visitors [ they don’t get a lot of tourist you know]. Enjoy the wonderful mad [ W]underland. [ eye twitch twitching]
Remarks:I only have a minor complaint. There was very little screen time with not a lot of screen time [sad face
songs that fits perfectly with this book and do generate a atmosphere
Alyssa's secret song to Jeb Jeb's secret song to Al <3
Alyssa and Jeb stepping into the heart of Wonderland and seeing all the strange sights
Alyssa to Morpheus; torn between her mistrust of him and her attraction to the darkness and power he brings out in her Morpheus's theme song
Alyssa at book’s end; embracing who she is and facing her future
