[Review: Ensnared by A.G. Howard]

"Ensnared"
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered #3
Pages: 384
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retellings
Date Published: January 6th, 2015
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format Read: Purchased hardback

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Summary:

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Ensnared:

Parting is always such sweet sorrow and leaving you behind is kind of like that. I have loved the books that fill your series and even though some of your plot points bugged me. We can't love everything about each other. That's what makes a real friendship and you, book, seem to be a good way to end ours. That is until I decide to read all of you and your companions again. Thanks for doing you and all the creepiness that that implies. 

-The White Unicorn

I've had this weird, uncontrollable love for A.G. Howard's Splintered series from the beginning. The imagery is some of the best that I've read in a long time, and you get pulled into the dark, twisted world that she builds, without even realizing it. That being said I've also had issues with the whole series, namely a dude named Jeb, but I have to admit that I might have felt something like love for him in the last installment of this series. All in all I have to say that this has been a fun ride and I'm pretty bummed that it's over. I'm totally okay if Howard wants to write a few more novellas to go along with this series, that's all I'm saying. 

Ensnared is full up of all the adventure of the last two novels in the series. This time Al has to sneak through the cracks in a mirror to see if she can save the people most important to her, with the help of her father. Howard uses this chance to examine a different realm of Wonderland. This time we are in AnyElsewhere. It's where all the broken creatures of Wonderland come to play, so the creatures held within will make your skin crawl. The world building is once again top notch, and I love that Howard gives us a different view of her Wonderland. It really does play out well. 

I also adored the fact that we get to see more of Al and her father interacting. The family aspect of these books has always been something that I admire and Ensnared delivered on that front. It was also awesome to see what the whole story behind Al's father's family was. Howard even introduced us to a few new characters this way. And of course, getting Al's mother back was all a part of the plot. I do wish that we would have gotten to know Al's mom better in the scheme of things, but this is a small complaint. 

Of course there were also many of the original characters in play. Chessie has a rather large role and I love this version of him, so it's always delightful to see him out and about. We had a new fairy bouncing around by the name of Nikki and Rabid shows his face a few times as well. Throw in the evil Queens that we've come to know so well and the whole cast (plus some) were there. 

The reason why this book isn't getting 5 unicorns comes from the conclusion of the love triangle that Al has been in the middle of all this time. As a story teller I think that Howard was really clever with the conclusion. From a story telling POV, I can't really fault her with her choices and I think they fit well with the story that she has established. That being said, I selfishly wanted a different conclusion. I wanted something more definitive to happen. Al has always seemed a bit weak in her relationships to me and the end game didn't make her feel any stronger. I wish I felt differently, but I do not. 

I'm so glad that I delved into this world that Howard created and that I got to meet Morpheus, who still wins, out of all the characters she pinned, in my book anyway. He was perfect in this final chapter and I couldn't have asked for more. I mean except the one thing I wish would have happened for him in a nicer way. But what am I saying. I'm just showing favoritism, which I think he would approve of.

If you have ever been a fan of Alice in Wonderland, you need to read this series. The books are beautiful even if they are a bit flawed. But isn't that how all the best things in life are?

Rating: 

4 Unicorns = Close to Perfect!

[Waiting On Wednesday: Ensnared]

Waiting On Wednesday happens every week on Wednesdays (hence the name) and is hosted by Breaking The Spine.  It's were people talk about the books they want to read about that aren't out yet.

My pick this week is...

"Ensnared"
Author: A.G. Howard
Release Date: January 6th, 2015

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Summary:

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—-a parallel dimension filled with mutated and sadistic netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But even if everyone succeeds and comes out alive, can they all truly have their happily ever after?

-Goodreads
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What are you waiting on this week?  I wanna know! 

[Review: Unhinged by A.G. Howard]

"Unhinged"
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered #2
Pages: 384
Genre: YA, Retellings, Fairytales, Fantasy
Date Published: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Amulet
Format Read: ARC provided by publisher for honest review

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

Let me tell you one thing, I was so excited to dive back into Howard's colorful and freaky re-imagining of Wonderland.  There is something so beautiful and strange about the way she brings this world that is so familiar to life.  She does it in a way that you've never seen before, a way that just pulls you right into the world that she's created.  I missed this Wonderland and the characters that inhabit it and it was awesome to be able to go back and see what all these twisted characters were up to.

Unhinged starts off a year after the happenings of Splintered.  I thought this was great call, as it gives us a glimpse into Alyssa's life when she's a little more mature and a little less in the dark about everything.  It also brings all of the weirdness of Wonderland into the real world.  Sure there are times where you get moments in Wonderland, but most of the action and story takes place in Al's hometown.  It makes things both more and less strange, but overall, I thought it was a good call to pull us back into a normal setting with flashes of Wonderland's oddities.  

The story itself is a twisted one.  Howard weaves the tangled threads of her story masterfully.  She connects all of the loose ends of the mysteries that she presents, even if she doesn't tie them off.  Where Splintered had some surprises hidden in it's pages, the mysteries are what really propel the story in Unhinged.  Nothing is ever as it seems and everything is connected in ways that you can't even imagine.  Sure, I guessed a few of the things, but mostly I was just along for the ride.  I also liked how Alyssa's parents were a huge part of the plot this time around.  It gave us this sense of family that added a new flavor in the tale.

Once again, I'm not a huge fan of the love triangle that Alyssa is in the middle of.  The whole "have this now, cause you get to have this later" thing is not one of my favorite love story tropes.  Of course this is just my personal opinion, which is probably brought on by the fact that I just want Al and Morpheus together already!

Oh Morpheus!  Now I get to talk about one of my favorite anti-heroes!  I've always been a fan of the anti-hero and Morpheus takes the cake for me.  Yes, I appreciate the rest of Howard's cast, but it's all about the conflicted moth for me.  There were so many amazing moments, where he really got to shine and you got to know him better in the pages of Unhinged.  He became even more layered and confusing, while also being more open, if that is even possible.  Plus, there are some heart warming and heart wrenching moments that are wrapped around him and Al's blooming love story.  

Shockingly, I wasn't driven as nut's by Jeb this time around, but I'll let you know that he's still not my favorite character ever.  Chessie got some more screen time and it was fun to see him in a different element then I'm used to.  Also Rabid White popped up in all of his creepy glory.  Don't worry lots more Wonderlanders showed up too and it was awesome to see them.

All in all, I have to say that I was really impressed with Unhinged.  I feel like it was even better then the first novel.  And with that cliff hanger of an ending, I can't wait to see what Howard has up her sleeve for the third book.  I see things getting even more messy then they already are and that excites me!  

If you were a fan of the first book, have a love for all things weird and love a retelling of Alice in Wonderland then these books are for you.  I'll see you on the other end of the rabbit hole!

Rating:

  4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Blog Tour: Unhinged by A.G. Howard / Guest Post / Giveaway]

I'm super excited to be a part of Rockstar Book Tours and Amulet Book blog tour for A.G. Howard's newest Wonderland adventure.  A.G. is a class lady and a fantastic author and it's a pleasure to host her and her new book "Unhinged" today.  As a fan of The Moth himself, I'm also stoked for this post!  So get ready for the details people!

Summary:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Book Links:

... Goodreads ... Amazon ... B&N ...

About The Author:

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Stalk A.G. At These Links:

... Website ... Blog ... Twitter ... Facebook ... Tumblr ... Pinterest ... Goodreads ...

Guest Post:

Welcome to the third stop!

Today’s post, and the remaining nine that follow, will be celebrating one of fall’s most anticipated nights: Halloween.

To kick off the thrills and chills, Morpheus dropped off a creepy excerpt from Unhinged to share with you. If you’re Coulrophobic, you might want to grab your blanky. And if you’re not, at least you’ll know what the term means by the end of this post.

 

*****

Sunlight dapples the floor through the hopper window, but the bathroom is gray and still. Today the bugs have been relentless in their whispers, as if the cricket from last night is leading them on a revolt:

They’re here, Alyssa. They don’t belong . . . send them back.

I lean against the sink. “Who?” I whisper aloud, frustrated with the obscure warnings.
As I’m waiting for a response, I hear a rustle inside one of the half-closed stalls. I inhale a startled breath and lean down to look under the metal door, careful not to let my hair touch the damp floor.

“Is someone there?”

No answer. Steeling myself, I swing the door open.

A gurgling hiss greets me along with the distorted face of the clown. It’s toy size again and standing on the toilet lid. I screech and stumble back, tripping over my backpack. My elbow knocks the paper towel dispenser open. Squares of brown paper flutter down all around me.

Hopping to the floor, the demented toy scurries after me, razor-sharp teeth bared and snapping. One of its shoes slips on the paper towels and it falls. It crawls toward me instead, never slowing. Heart pounding, I look around for something to use as a weapon—to protect myself from that snarling mouth…
(Picture attribution: Wes Bryant http://tinyurl.com/nxx6klz)

*****

Want to know what happens next? Click here for Unhinged ordering information.

Also, we’d love to hear what you’re most afraid of. Leave us a comment!

And be sure to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of 12 UNHINGED ARCs.

Tomorrow on the fourth stop, we’ll be giving away some free recipes, costume, and decorating ideas when one of Morpheus’s sprites and her pal the Door Mouse drop by to showcase a Halloween party, Wonderland style.

Hope to see you there!

Giveaway:

Now it's your chance to win one of those 12 ARCs that A.G. was talking about.  Fill out the Rafflecopter below, but remember that it's only open to domestic readers.  Sorry to the rest of you.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check Out The Rest Of The Tour:
10/21/2013         Pages From My Thoughts            
10/22/2013         Fiction Freak      
10/23/2013         The White Unicorn
10/24/2013         Icey Books- Character Naming Contest          
10/25/2013         The Cover Contessa        
10/26/2013         Book Hounds      Extra Giveaway
10/28/2013         Reading Teen     
10/29/2013         Book Haven Extraordaire   Extra Giveaway
10/30/2013         The Lifelong Bookworm                
10/31/2013         Two Chicks on Books       Extra Giveaway
11/1/2013            Fiktshun               
11/2/2013            I am a Reader     Extra Giveaway
 

[Waiting On Wednesday: Unhinged]

Waiting On Wednesday happens every week on Wednesdays (hence the name) and is hosted by Breaking The Spine.  It's were people talk about the books they want to read about that aren't out yet.

My pick this week is...

"Unhinged"
Author: A.G. Howard
Release Date: January 7th, 2014

-------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

-Goodreads 

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I need more Morpheus in my life!  Splintered was such a well imagined book and I can't wait to see what A.G. Howard has up her sleeve with the next book in the series!  It sounds awesome.  I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to get my hands on a copy.  This book and I need to have a good little sit down with each other!

What are you waiting on this week?  I wanna know!

[Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard]

"Splintered"
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered #1
Pages: 371
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fairytale Retellings
Date Published: January 1st, 2013
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format Read: Bought Hardcover

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Summary:

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.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

I seriously loved so many things about this book!  I mean first just look at that cover!  It's so beautiful!  So, the world of Alice in Wonderland has always fascinated me, even though the actual story has never been a favorite.  But I love to soak in recreations and retellings of the classic tale.  A.G. Howard gives us a modern day twist on the story that is filled with its own twists and turns.  She sucks you down that rabbit hole and gives you new information about everything that you thought you already knew.  Here's the thing guys, you don't know everything yet...

Howard's imagery is wonderful!  Taking you from a grunge inspired modern world.  Full of things that include references to "The Crow" (remember that epicness?) to the lush landscapes of Wonderland.  Things about the modern setting reminded me of my youth and the recreation of Wonderland made my jaw drop on multiple occasions.  Wonderland is made into an extremely epic world of color and contrasting darkness.  How those two things mold together is a wonder to me but they do.  It's a tale that's much darker than the one you might have heard before, including man eating flowers!  

Alyssa Gardner is our new version of Alice.  In fact she's Alice's great great great granddaughter.  I enjoyed her character.  How she deals with her mother's supposed mental illness and her growing crush on the boy next door show just how young she is.  But when she falls into Wonderland she learns to stand on her own two feet and I really liked watching her personal journey during the novel.  She was good fun and yet her thoughts were sometimes perfectly mixed up.  The girl who ends the novel is not the same one who starts it, but she never really changes either.

Now this is were I have an issue with the book.  It has one 3 letter name and that name is Jeb.

...Spoilers Ahead...
...No, really I mean it...

That's right folks.  I couldn't stand the man.  In fact he infuriated me so much that I enjoyed the book more when he wasn't in it.  Not to say that it wasn't just as spectacular when he was in it, but you know what I mean.  I just didn't get why he ended up going down the rabbit hole with Alyssa to begin with.  He decided to randomly break up with his mean girlfriend and come hang out with Al on the night of prom.  And this was after he took time and effort to convince her dad to not let her go to London, just because he was moving there with his girlfriend and he didn't want to have to tell Al.  I mean, grow some backbone man.  I really wanted to like him, but I just couldn't stand him or the way he thought Al was weak while they were in Wonderland.  Though I have to admit that he was worked really well into the story.  The things he did over in Wonderland helped the plot along, even though he did them in a way that bugged me.  I did like him in the end of the book, when he was clueless about what Al had been through and was actually honest with her.  So, in a way I have a love/hate thing for him.  Though it leaned more towards the later.

...End Rant/Spoilers...       

But let's talk about Morpheus!  His character was one of the most compelling out of all of the cast members of Splintered.  He was mysterious and without question extremely flawed.  He had an agenda and was full of lies, but he never once led you to believe that he was a knight in shining armor.  For all the half truths that came out of his mouth, he never once lied about the fact that he couldn't always be trusted.  He was your well developed anti-hero and you've got to love that!  If you were to ask me who my favorite character in the book was, he would take the cake.  You know the ones that say "eat me"?

I also had so much fun seeing the reinvented original Alice characters.  Howard breathed an interestingly different amount of life into all of them.  Leaving them familiar and flipping them on their heads at the same time.  Some of them gave me the creeps and I liked them that way.  None of your favorites are missing, they just might not be what you expect!

So, even though I had my issues with this book.  I have to say that Howard's writing, storytelling and imagery leave me yearning for more of her tales of Wonderland.  Which is awesome because there will be a new book, titled Unhinged!  I can't wait to get my hands on it and get transported back into her very unsettling yet awesome Wonderland! 

Rating:

   3 Unicorns = I liked it a lot but it had it's issues!