Book Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered (Splintered #1)

A.G. Howard

Publication Date: January 1st 2013

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 371

Genre:  Adventure, Romance, Young Adult

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. 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.

I'm rather up in arms about this book. On one-hand I adored the writing. Howard was able to entrance me with the prose. On the other hand I didn't enjoy the triangle and some of the ways the romantic interests were. On one-hand I was heads over heels for the world created here, and on the other, something would be just off with the plot to keep me from falling in love completely.

I guess I should rewind and start this review from the beginning.

Splintered is a fantastic, unique take on the world of Alice in Wonderland. It follows a girl whose long ago ancestor was the famous Alice Liddell, inspiration for Carroll's book, and every girl in their line had gone crazy. So pretty much, Alyssa, our main character, is terrified of ending up in an asylum like her mother. She already hears bugs and flowers talking, she's sure eventually she'll just break.

As a character, I was two ways about Alyssa (my obvious theme for this book). There were some points where I really liked her and other times where I would be practically pleading out loud with her to stop making certain choices (usually when Jeb was involved). The quirks that Howard established for her in the beginning, however, were brilliant.

The world of Wonderland... I really enjoyed this interpretation. I enjoyed how Howard re-imagined the major players of the original story, giving a grotesque and creepy vibe to everything. There were some things (such as the somewhat forced-feeling reference to them as netherlings) that sat weird and unnatural. But, when it comes down to it I am more than ready to revisit this world.

And... there is a love triangle. I personally could have done without it in all honesty.

To expand upon what I just said about this love triangle... seriously, Jeb was unnecessary as a character. I think this should have been a love story between Morpheus and Alyssa, but ending about the same way with the perceived betrayal and death of our caterpillar. Even though I wouldn't trust Morpheus with a hair on my head, he is way more interesting, they have more chemistry and less of an asshole. And Jeb so often felt... added on, like Howard kept forgetting he was there and that he needed to be utilize.

Okay, I'm sure many people will argue this with me, but I also found Jeb to be a jerk and really not compatible with Alyssa. She's spontaneous and needs to just do things and learn her own lessons (as shown by her affinity to skateboarding and her decision to go to Wonderland in the first place). Jeb, on the other hand, won't let her do anything. I saw this from their first argument in the very beginning and then he became unbearable in Wonderland.

It's sad when I believe the main character will be happier with the manipulative, untrustworthy Morpheus over this guy.

That whole rant aside. The other major issue is the ending. I liked most everything that happened within it, but when I had finished I felt like it had gone by a bit too fast. I also kind of wish she didn't know Morpheus was alive and that was the start of the second book, but oh well, I was just happy he was okay.

I recommend this book to people who want to read a very fantastical (and grotesque in the best way) re-imagining of Wonderland. If you don't dig love triangles, I think the world and plot overshadow the one in here, but I guess tread lightly just in case. I happened to enjoy this book a lot despite it, however. 

4 Bookmarks

Extra Note:I was wondering if any of my readers/other bloggers classify Alice in Wonderland as a fairy tale or not. I, personally, do not, and probably won't ever. It's a classic book for me, but I think the way that it is adapted so often (and in the common domain) makes it easy to lump it in our minds as one.

Of course that's only my opinion on the subject.