Six Degrees of Separation - From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to the Twilight Series

This is a monthly link-up hosted by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best, and I came across it on The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog last summer.  I thought this would be a great thing to do for my blog ahead challenge.  Also, this is supposed to be the first Saturday of the month thing, but I fit it into a little later in my month. Still thought it would be fun to do.

Anyway:  Each month a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the other books on the list, only to the one next to it in the chain.

This month we start with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll:

So, I think at some point in my childhood I read part if not all of this book, but I of course know the story well either way, having seen the cartoon that I think Disney made when I was younger.  And of course, the very first book I thought of to jump to from this was:

Splintered by A.G. Howard is the first in one of my all time favorite series that is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, and actually made me want to go back and make sure I had read the original. Not that I ever found the time to do that.  The book that I jumped to next was:

Now The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is not a retelling per se, but it did make me go back and read a book I'd never read because of how it featured in the story.  I'd never read Jane Eyre, until after this book.  This is also the time when I decided I needed to try to go back and start reading the classics that I felt I probably should have read when I was in school.  So of course, what book will I jump to next:

 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one that I'd always heard a lot about, but had no idea exactly what the story was until the book above, and then I read it.  It was okay I guess, nothing that I got overly excited about.  Now, when we're talking about the classics I decided to read, I chose one that I'd heard was one of the greatest romances of all time:

I can honestly tell you that I pretty much HATED Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.  They all deserved the way things ended for them because they did it to themselves!  But of course this book really inspired so many other books, and one of those is the book that inspired me with my second tattoo:

The characters in this book, After by Anna Todd, love, hate, re-read the book Wuthering Heights over and over.  I can forgive them that, since the relationship is so similar in a way of how they keep messing it up.  But I couldn't put this book down, this whole series really. Even though I knew it was a totally toxic relationship, I liked how the author ended up getting them together in the end, with some realistic things to be done.  And of course that book will lead into the book that inspired me to get my first tattoo.

Say what you will about Twilight and the whole series, but I loved it.  It sucked me in and I couldn't put it down.  It connected me and my 11 year younger sister in such a wonderful way that we both got tattoos based on the covers of the books.  It got so many of my middle school students at the time hooked on reading, and that to me is more of what makes it so awesome!  Now I guess there is a lot

So that was fun!  Interesting to see what I think of as each new book in the chain.  Have you read these?  Honestly, other than two of them, I read and reviewed these so long before I started blogging I can't share my review. 

If you want to participate, the link above will take you to the host's site and you should totally join in!

Review: Insanity by Cameron Jace

Thanks to Xpresso Tours for allowing me to read a part of this as part of a tour.  As I've mentioned many times on here I am really a fan of fairy tale or other classic story retellings.  Honestly though, Alice in Wonderland was never one that I had really read all the way through.  My interest in the story though changed once I read Splintered by AG Howard.  I love her series.  While this book doesn't quite live up to what I loved about that series, it still had a very unique new look at this classic story, as well as the author and his history and other stories.

The main character is a girl named Alice, and she is in an asylum.  She's in an asylum because supposedly she killed  a whole school bus full of her classmates and friends, and all of it because she said there were creatures from Wonderland who had actually been there and caused the bus to crash.  But Alice can't remember most of this.  In large part she can't remember because of all the shock therapy she's been subjected to while in the asylum.  There's another person in the asylum, Professor Caterpillar, who goes by Pillar, who also claims to be from Wonderland.  And he is a serial killer.  And doesn't pretend not to be.  He also has his ways of escaping the asylum with no one being the wiser until they discover he's gone.  What's even weirder about it is that he always returns, and lets them "lock" him up in his cell again.

Outside the asylum there have been murders of young girls.  All the girls have been left with huge "Cheshire Cat" grins on their faces.  Very unnatural grins.  Pillar believes that it is the work of the actual Cheshire Cat, and he believes that Alice is "the" Alice from the stories.  And he thinks she can help catch the cat before he gets whatever he is after. While Pillar doesn't necessarily care about saving the girls, Alice does, especially with the first girl she saves, Constance.  Together Alice will work with Pillar to try to catch the Cheshire Cat and end not only these murders, but also stop him from causing the end to all humankind.

What I liked was all the ways the mythology of the original story was related back to things from Lewis Carroll's life.  The history of Carroll's life and writings, all of that was fascinating, and I wonder how much was real, and how much was embellished.  It makes me want to learn even more about the author.  I also liked the character that was kind of thrown in as a love interest, Jack Diamond.  I hope to see more of him in the next story in the series, and I hope he does turn out to be a real love interest.  I will read on some day in this series I'm sure.

What I didn't like are just a few things.  I feel a lot of time was spent in the story just telling us all the history and other background things.  While they were important to the story, definitely, and yes they were interesting, sometimes it felt like there were too many "info dumps."  I also saw a few grammar and spelling errors, that I don't know if my copy I got was maybe pre-editing, or else hopefully those types of things were looked at closer in the 2nd and 3rd books in the series.  For the most part these errors didn't interfere with the story, and that is really all that matters.

If you are a fan of the Alice in Wonderland stories, or other stories/poems by Lewis Carroll, then I think you could really enjoy this.  Also fans of retellings like I am, or people who enjoy very unique takes on stories and themes, should probably pick this series up and give it a shot.

Review: Ensnared (Splintered #3) by A.G. Howard (Series Ender Challenge #1)

I got an ARC of this from trading through the YA Book Exchange with Jane from Much Ado About Books.  I didn't get around to reading it last weekend though, about a week after I got it.  But once I picked it up, it was all I could do to put it down in order to do things like sleep, work, drive, etc.  This review is going to be soooooo hard!  I loved it so much, but a lot of what I loved would be spoilers for other people, and I really don't want to ruin it for anyone.  So I'll do my best to be unspoilery.  Of course, if you haven't read the first two, I won't be able to help you with that, there will be things from those books.

We begin where the last one had left off.  Alyssa is on the train on her way to try to get the entrances to Wonderland opened back up.  Her dad has learned that all of the things that made her and her mother "crazy" are true.  And that at one time he was a part of all of it.  Alyssa's heart feels messed up thanks to when Red had been sharing her body.  Her mom is stuck in Wonderland, and Jeb and Morpheus are trapped in AnyElsewhere where they landed with Red.  There is an iron dome over AnyElsewhere that keeps magic from being used.  And Alyssa is so worried for Jeb, afraid that Morpheus either won't protect him, or will do something to keep Alyssa from ever getting to spend time with Jeb.  We learned in the last book that Alyssa and Morpheus's child will be what is needed to save Wonderland, to help with the imagination and dreams.  But Alyssa wants a life with Jeb as well.

Alyssa's father comes from a family that protects the two entrances of AnyElsewhere to keep things living there from getting out.  With her newly met Uncle, she and her father go in to try to save Jeb.  Only Jeb has changed.  Something about going into the world at the same time as Morpheus and Red has changed him, and he is cold to Alyssa.  He seems to be unable to forgive her.  While Morpheus has done his best to protect Jeb, Morpheus has lost his magic to Jeb it seems.  And along with that, he has told Jeb everything detail of the things that he and Alyssa have, making Jeb so unforgiving as he doesn't hear the whole truths, only what Morpheus chooses to tell him.

To save the world, they must capture Red, get through to Wonderland, and recreate all that has been destroyed.  But in the end everything will come with sacrifices. Some that may seem too great to survive, will in the end be just what is needed and even make their lives better in their own ways.

Can I just say, wow. The heartbreak, the sadness, the wonderful world, the beautiful imagery, the layer upon layer upon layer of story.  Things may turn out the way we want, but not in the way we think.  As I mentioned above, everyone has to give things up.  Even to a point, Morpheus.  One thing that I loved the most, I can't really even share, because I don't want to spoil that part about the ending for those of you who haven't read it yet!  And what is even more exciting is that the author posted today that there is a possibility of a follow up novella, here is the evidence from Twitter:

If I hadn't been at work on Wednesday when I saw this, there would have been some yelling and screaming going on!!  I need more of this world!  One thing that tells you how much I loved this, everyone knows that I never have time to re-read anything anymore.  But I want so much to go back and re-read all three of these books because I know I missed out on beautiful images from the land of Wonderland because I was in such a hurry to read and know what would happen.  The way the author writes is so wonderful, so beautiful, such an imaginative wonderful world.  Better even than the original stories that inspired her.

Unhinged (Splintered #2) by AG Howard

Once again, totally in love with this series!  But before I talk about the book, I must first thank Abrams Amulet Group and Netgalley, for allowing me to read an e-galley of it.  I am also a part of the Unhinged ARC tour, but since I had this e-galley, I let them skip sending me the ARC so everyone else could get a chance to read it on the tour.  Plus, it would have been really hard to let that slip out of my hands if I had an actual copy of it, because my copy of Splintered is an ARC, so it would be nice to have a matching set.  If you don't remember how much I loved Splintered, go read my review HERE.  The first book kind of left off that there wasn't a sequel needed.  You could tell that it was possible for the story to go on, many reasons for it to, but it didn't have to.  This book however, yeah, cliffhanger in a way.  It HAS to go on now!  And so while I was excited to read Unhinged, I'm now very impatiently awaiting the 3rd book in the series.  Which I know there must be. 
Without spoiling too much, we still have the bit of a love triangle as in the first book, Alyssa with Jeb and Morpheus.  Now, it is Morpheus on the beautiful cover of this book.  But as wonderful as he is, and of course I haven't seen Jeb, I'm still Team Jeb.  I've just never been into that type of "androgynous" guy, as he is described in the story.  I'm more of the boy next door, although things about Jeb make him not quite that way, I have been into a little bit more of the tattooed "bad boy" that Jeb has kind of become.  Jeb has come home from London, where he has been working on getting a place set up for himself and Alyssa to go after she graduates.  He's come back in time to go to prom with her.  His sister Jenara is so excited that she got Alyssa to go, mainly because Alyssa found a dress from a movie about zombies I think, that she wanted to wear.  Of course Alyssa has been getting dreams from Morpheus again, about how horrible things are in Wonderland, and how Red is loose and wreaking havoc.  And Alyssa's paintings come to life with just a drop of her blood, and it turns out that they are prophetic, predicting what is going to happen in this fight with Red to save Wonderland.  Finally Morpheus comes back to try to convince Alyssa to return to Wonderland to help defeat Red.
We learn so many things about the past in this one though, really interesting things!  Alyssa's mom Allison was able to come home at the end of the last book, and we learn what her life might have been like, and how she might have known Morpheus, and what her time in Wonderland did to affect Alyssa.  We also learn that there is something about Alyssa's dad that makes him more than just another "human."  There are also some mysterious characters around.  Like Ivy, the art agent that is trying to help Jeb succeed.  At first Alyssa is jealous of her, until she begins to have premonitions that something might not be quite right about this situation.   And then in Alyssa's mosaics there is a shadowy unknown woman in them, and when they find out who it is, well let's just say it is one more dangerous obstacle in their way to not only save Wonderland, but to go on living.
The tension between Morpheus and Alyssa is there, but she knows she loves Jeb.  To the point that she even sees how much she hurts Morpheus when she tells him that she is in love with Jeb.  But she knows that her netherling side does want to be free, and does want Morpheus.  And while I said that I didn't think I would find Morpheus "hot" right off the bat, he is very sarcastic, and can be quite amusing.  So I can see the attraction in that way. 
This book does not suffer from what I will call the "sophomore syndrome".  Not sure if I heard that somewhere, or what, but 2nd books often are not that great, you can tell they are only a bridge in a way to get to the 3rd.  This book is just as exciting as the first one, although we don't really spend any time in Wonderland proper.  We do get many flashbacks to times in the world, as well as get to experience many of the creatures as they come over to our world.
So, yeah, lots of gushing on my part, but I feel this was kind of an all over the place review, I didn't want to spoil anything, but had to talk about some of the story!  Now, if you still haven't read the first one, Splintered, or have, but would just like to own your own copy, I'm having a giveaway right HERE.  I'm also having a giveaway for a book of your choice up to $18 from when I reached 1800 followers, so go enter that HERE if you are a follower.
Now, off to start harassing Ms. Howard for how long I'll have to wait to read what happens to Jeb and Alyssa and Morpheus and her mom, and her dad, etc.  

November is for Novellas Challenge #5: The Moth in the Mirror (Splintered 1.5) by A.G. Howard

I loved Splintered when I read it at the end of last year, and when I saw on Goodreads that there was a novella, one that kind of would help me last till the 2nd book came out, I had to have it, and so bought it with my birthday Barnes and Noble gift card for my Nook.  I would say this is definitely another novella that adds to the story.

We get Jeb's side of the story, things that were happening to him while Morpheus had Alyssa out passing his tests, to see if she could be the next rightful queen of Wonderland.  But, really, it is kind of through Morpheus's point of view.  You see Morpheus is able to get into Jeb's memories thanks to some good old fashioned magic.  So we get to also see how Morpheus reacts to what happened to Jeb when he wasn't around, and since he is in Jeb's head in a way, how Morpheus deals with Jeb's emotions as well.
I won't go much into the story, we know the basics as told through Alyssa's eyes in Splintered, this just fills in some missing pieces.  At only about 40 pages, it is another quick read, but, like the original novel, there is so much beautiful detail and description, that while it seems to be over fast, because you're so involved, it still is a lasting impression that you just get so involved in, thanks to that wonderful scene setting and character development.
Of course now I'm just ready to go ahead and read my e-galley of Unhinged, but it's not the next one I need to read, so I have to wait.  This was definitely worth the $1.99 it cost me for the e-book.

Waiting on Wednesday: Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  I wasn't sure what I was going to pick this week until I remembered a recent cover reveal that reminded me of a book I read at the end of last year that I just loved, Splintered.  Now the sequel, Unhinged, won't be released until January of 2014, but still, it is definitely one that I'm very eager for, and maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get another e-galley or ARC of it to enjoy before then!  And so, here is the blurb from Goodreads.com:

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.
Now, if  you haven't read the first one yet, you need to get it.  It was such a new, unique story that I have been recommending it left and right, and really, I've not ever been a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. But this book made me interested in the whole story behind the author and the person it was supposedly written about. 
 So, what book or books are you waiting on this week?

Splintered by A.G. Howard

The first thing I HAVE to say about this book is that I LOVED it!!!!  Such a creative, engrossing, awesome story!  I'm not the biggest Alice in Wonderland fan, and don't hate me, but I'm not really that big of a Tim Burton fan, so I never saw the new movie.  I read the book, a long time ago, and have seen the cartoons, and other things about it, so it's not an unknown story.  But it was just not one I really ever got into.  As I got into it though, and the story included some "facts" about the author and the little girl that he kind of based the story on, I got interested enough to do some internet research.  And for some reason I felt I'd seen a movie about the true story. But then when I couldn't find a movie like that, I realized that it was actually a movie about the author of Peter Pan.  I wish they would make a movie now about Lewis Carroll.  

Okay, here's my brief synopsis of Splintered:  Our main character is Alyssa, who is a distant relative of THE Alice that the story was based on.  Her mother is in an asylum, as she seems to believe that she has been to Wonderland, and even hurt her daughter one time because of what she heard the insects saying.  And actually, Alyssa has been hearing the insects and plants talk to her for awhile.  But she's tried really hard not to let anyone know, and to ignore it.  In fact, to help deal with it, she took up collecting insects, and using them in art.  Which of course required them to be killed, which meant silence for Alyssa.  She does decide to admit something to her mother about it, when the things going on with the insects begin to grow strangely predictive.  But telling her mother about it leads to her mother having a bit of a breakdown. To the point where her father decides that electric shock therapy may be the only choice left.  But Alyssa has learned of the curse on her family, and now wants nothing more to get to London, and in turn into Wonderland, to fix the original Alice's mistakes and save her family.  She figures out how to get there from clues both off the internet as well as from her mother.  Unfortunately when she gets the "looking glass" to work for her with the keys her mother left hidden for her, Jeb, her next door neighbor, best-friend, and secret crush, gets sucked in after her when he tries to save her.  But of course, once they get to Wonderland, they have to deal with all the familiar things in the story, the shrinking with drinking the "drink me" and then growing back with the "eat me" cake.  And, as with any good story, what Alyssa believes she is there to do, is not actually what she's going to be doing, or why she'll do it.  Not to mention the fact that Alyssa herself isn't who or what she's always believed she was.  Such a good story, with twists and turns to keep you on your feet and making it hard to put the book down, even if you have to work!!

Okay, now, things I loved, that all the women in the line of the family were named a version of the name Alice.  Any story that makes me want to research into a true story is a great story in my opinion.  While there is a bit of a love triangle, and I do get tired of those, the way it works, well, it just works, and isn't as much of a triangle as could be.  And, I am not a fan of comic books really, or graphic novels, but I must admit how much I wanted to see each of the outfits that Alyssa wore in the book.  The author described them so colorfully I could almost see them in my head. But I'd love to see a graphic novel, or illustrations within just a regular novel of them.  And I want her to look just like the cover, no cartoony-ness or manga-ish, anime-ish, etc.  And this would be a colorful, wonderful movie, one I'd be there at midnight to see, even though I've said no more midnight premieres unless they are in the summer, because I'm too old for that during the school year when I have to teach all day.  I love, love, love this book!  If you like fairy tale retellings, or other story retellings, then you have to read this.  What are you waiting for?  Oh yeah, it won't be published till January.  But put it on your TBR list, you'll want to read it!