Ghost in the H.A.T.B.O.X. - Frank Beddor... I was Lucky enough to be a beta reader for this book.

First of all it was great to get back to the Wonderland that Frank Beddor introduced us to in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy.

The only character from the trilogy was a young Hatter Madigan, here we get to see a different side to the Hatter we all knew has the Queens bodyguard.
This was a a fast paced tale of who Hatter Madigan was and how he became the man who saved Queen Alyss.

This Hatter was not like his older self, he was more emotional, and cared more then his older self, the fact that he didn't want to be a heart makes the story all the better, considering what such a great bodyguard he did become.

The introduction of the HATBOX and what it really was gave the story that little side adventure instead of it just being about Hatter's younger years in the academy.

We see Hatter grow and evolve from bully to the down trodden, who is excepted by those he once bullied. He by the end started to become the Hatter we all know and love.

Not much ch of Wonderland is seen in this novel, it all takes place within the academy.
This was a fun book and very engaging.

**An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I've always loved The Looking Glass Wars, and pretty much anything having to do with Alice in Wonderland, but I wasn't a fan of Hatter M. Thankfully, this was a whole lot better. Not only was the art somewhat better (still not very good), but the story was so much more cohesive. It is a continuation of the LGW (after 7 years!!), with a big cast of characters that were really great to revisit.

I'll definitely be around for Vol 2!!

Due to various things happening, I have decided to finish this horrendous piece of poo today. Thank Lord this is over.

I was quite looking forward to this book, sadly it was not meant to be. I normally love reading Alice in Wonderland retellings but this one is one I would never recommend to anyone.

This was for various reasons. The characters, the POVs, the story, the way they just turned Lewis Carroll in a dimwit and a horrendous man, the ending. There was just too much wrong with this.

Let's start with POVs and characters. We got quite a few characters and if they would get a bit more backstory it would have been fine, but no. The only one truly getting backstory is Alice/Alyss. The rest: Bibwit, Hatter, Cat, Redd, Dodge, Döppelganger were mostly just boring characters, cut-outs from paper and I had zero interest in them.
The POVs switch every chapter, however, sometimes they also like to change in one chapter which makes it all terribly confusing. I don't mind 3 or more POVs, but keep it per chapter, or let us know when the switch is. Not just add it willy-nilly.

Alyss is my favourite character from all of it. Even she had flaws and that is why I don't like her that much, but if I had to pick out of all the characters she is at the top (and that says a lot about the story and the book).
I liked her in Wonderland and also in London. I felt sorry for her, being ripped away from her home, ripped away from her parents and people she knows to be thrown into some weird country with people who never heard about Wonderland and think she is just imagining things.
I really liked how she got stronger when she got back to Wonderland, how she didn't just sit down and cried or was confused. No, instead she went ahead with what she had to do, no matter how bad it looked for her and her friends.

Then we have the story which was utterly boring and not something I would want to read again. I really had to struggle through the 4 chapters a day (and today, through the rest of the ~20 chapters). At times it picked up and it was interesting, but a lot of times I was just rolling my eyes and being bored. Maybe if the story had only focussed on one character, and her adventures, but now it was just boring and it had characters I couldn't give a damn about.

I also didn't like the portrayal of Lewis Carroll. He is portrayed as one who is a dimwit, a bad man who just uses Alyss' stories for his own, creating something that she thought would make everything better but is instead a total trainwreck and a total lie.

Then we have the ending, which I could have expected considering this is a series of books and not a standalone. Still I am very disappointed in it and I had hoped for something better.

I wouldn't recommend this to people. Are you looking for an Alice in Wonderland retelling? Pick up something else, there are quite a few good Alice in Wonderland retellings, and this one isn't one of them.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

Everyone knows the beloved story of Alice and Wonderland. The caterpillars, singing flowers, and a certain smiling cat make this mysterious land even more wonderful. But, we heard the wrong story.

 

Alyss Heart, as her name is truly spelled, is the adored princess of Wonderland. She is almost the complete opposite of her lunatic aunt, Redd Heart. Alyss has been safely living the glamorous life of a young princess in Wonderland, while her scheming aunt is locked away. Alyss' potential as a queen is growing, as is her pure imagination. But another Heart is anxiously awaiting her chance to rise to the throne, and her intentions are far from innocent.

 

Alyss is about to find out that the wonderful land of singing flowers and limitless imagination is anything but safe. She is forced to flee into a drab and dreary world, where the queen is Victoria, not herself.

 

As Wonderland struggles to fend without their only princess, Alyss must fight to keep her imagination in a world that will quench everything that is unique.

 

Alice and Wonderland as always fascinated me, even as a child, except for the Cheshire Cat, because he was just creepy. Anyway, I have wondered what it would like to live in Wonderland. Now that I have read The Looking Glass Wars, I know exactly what it would be like.

 

This is one of my favorite retellings. I only like retellings when they are done well and avoid all of the cliches in the genres. Personally, this sounds more intriguing to me than Splintered and Alice in Zombieland. Honestly, just the titles of those books make me cringe. Why would someone take a world so magical as Wonderland and make it into a zombie apocalypse?

 

This book shows the reality of Wonderland (if that makes any sense at all). I feel like I really understand Alyss and her world now. It actually seems feasible that this world can coexist with ours, now that I have read the book. Beddor took a story that is acclaimed as a classic, but made it even more wonderful.

 

My favorite part of the book is the world-building. You are thrown down the rabbit hole with your only protection being your limited (and questionable) knowledge from the classic tale. The characters are not two-dimensional (even the card soldiers have personality). But, of course, the spotlight was on Alyss. As it turns out, she is not the innocent and naive girl that we know from the original tale.

 

The only thing that bothered me was how quickly time passed in the book. Sometimes I was left wanting more during a scene. Also, I was left to fend for myself in figuring out what happened in the time in between the jumps. But, if you like fast-paced books, then this will not bother you as much.

 

If you have ever wondered why the Red Queen decided to be evil, or if the mad hatter really is mad, then this is little wonder is the perfect book for you.

 

 

P.S. If you were not counting, I made four Wonderland puns. :)

 

This review and many others are posted on my blog, Crazy for YA

I must admit, I have never been a fan of the traditional Alice in Wonderland story. However, Frank Beddor changes up this classic story with a futuristic twist. Alyss Heart, the rightful ruler of Wonderland, is forced to flee the place she loves most when Redd, her aunt, goes on a murderous rampage in order to become queen.

With the help of her palace guards and the Mad Hatter, she manages to escape through the Pool of Tears and is magically transported to Victorian London. While there, she is adopted into a family with two horrible sisters. Her life becomes less than glamorous, until she befriends an aspiring author.

Alyss retells her amazing story, finally feeling like someone truly understands her. That is, until she reads a copy of what her friend has written and discovers that he has turned her story into a laughable children's book. Outraged, Alyss longs to return to the life that she knew and doesn't have to wait long to get her chance...

This is a wonderful read that will have you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy action and suspense, this is the book for you.