Jack
Written on May 20, 2016
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole. She was crowned Queen of the Red Court and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the boy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly appealing Morpheus. Now all she has to do is graduate high school. 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. Could she leave Jeb and her parents behind again, for the sake of a man she knows has manipulated her before? Will her mother and Jeb trust her to do what’s right? Readers will swoon over the satisfying return to Howard’s bold, sensual reimagining of Carroll’s classic. Read all the books in the New York Times bestselling Splintered series: Splintered (Book 1), Unhinged (Book 2), Ensnared (Book 3), and Untamed (The Companion Novel). Get books 1 through 3 in the Splintered boxed set, available now!Praise for Unhinged "I really enjoyed the first book of this series, but Unhinged cranks the Wonderland experience up to 11. It's just ... WOW! The last few scenes dangle Alyssa's next adventure with shockers enough that I found my jaw needing a bit of assistance in coming off the floor. Write quickly, A.G. Howard! I need that next book!" --USA Today "Howard excels in sensory and sensuous descriptions." --Kirkus Reviews "As intense, dark, and weird as the first volume, this worthy sequel creates a parallel narrative that brings the action out of Wonderland and into Alyssa’s hometown." --The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books "A dark beauty fills the novel's pages, which will mesmerize teens with a taste for magic, romance or suspense. Unhinged lays the groundwork for a third book where anything could happen--it is Wonderland, after all." --Shelf AwarenessPraise for Splintered:STARRED REVIEW "Fans of dark fantasy, as well as of Carroll’s Alice in all her revisionings (especially Tim Burton’s), will find a lot to love in this compelling and imaginative novel." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Alyssa is one of the most unique protagonists I've come across in a while. Splintered is dark, twisted, entirely riveting, and a truly romantic tale." —USA Today "Brilliant, because it is ambitious, inventive, and often surprising — a contemporary reworking of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’’ with a deep bow toward Tim Burton’s 2010 film version." —The Boston Globe "It’s a deft, complex metamorphosis of this children’s fantasy made more enticing by competing romantic interests, a psychedelic setting, and more mad violence than its original." —Booklist " Protagonist Alyssa...is an original. Howard's visual imagination is superior. The story's creepiness is intriguing as horror, and its hypnotic tone and setting, at the intersection of madness and creativity, should sweep readers down the rabbit hole." —Publishers Weekly "While readers will delight in such recognizable scenes as Alyssa drinking from a bottle to shrink, the richly detailed scenes that stray from the original will entice the imagination. These adventures are indeed wonderful." —BookPage "Attention to costume and setting render this a visually rich read..." —Kirkus Reviews "Wonderland is filled with much that is not as wonderful as might be expected, and yet, it is in Wonderland that Alyssa accepts her true nature. The cover with its swirling tendrils and insects surrounding Alyssa will surely attract teen readers who will not disappointed with this magical, edgy tale." —Reading Today Online "Creepy, descriptive read with a generous dollop of romance." —School Library Journal
- ISBN13 9781419709715
- Publish Date 7 January 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 16 December 2021
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Abrams
- Imprint Amulet Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 400
- Language English
Reviews
Sam@WLABB
Written on Mar 15, 2016
Katie King
Written on Sep 22, 2015
Let us go back a year and a half ago. Picture me sitting on my bed in my parent's house with my Kindle in my hands. With a sigh, I set it down and pick up my laptop lying next to me. My fingers were poised above the keys, ready to let the world know my opinion. But something was stopping me. What had I just read? Would I ever really be the same anymore?
Fortunately I gathered my life together long enough to review that first book in this series, Splintered. It definitely had its flaws, as evidenced by my semi-poorly written first review. However, I did enjoy it (I think) and I had planned on reading the second book, Unhinged. That was written in April of 2014, so you can only imagine what I still remembered when I actually got around to reading the second book. So before I read Unhinged, I reread a.k.a. skimmed Splintered, and boy, was it ugly. I don't know how critically I was looking at things a year and a half ago, but my impressions of the book back then were pretty misguided.
For instance, I had thought Alyssa was really torn between Jeb and Morpheus. During my reread I discovered that she was FIRMLY PLANTED in the Jeb camp. Stuff like that was everywhere. Everything I thought I knew was a lie! But while I'm not quite sure I stand by my old review (I do, but I don't agree with it), this review is really about Unhinged.
What of Unhinged? Well, it's a sequel, and it falls into that sequel trap of I-need-to-bridge-a-first-and-third-book-so-nothing-important-is-really-going-to-happen. It suffers from this BAD. A lot of the dramatic stuff happens to Jeb, who I literally couldn't care less about, so in essence there was no plot.
First of all, I was extremely disappointed that this took place in our world. I don't really care what happens in Texas or what it looks like, I LIVE in this world, I think I understand it pretty well. I wanted the amazing, crazy wilds of Wonderland. I wanted to see something EXCITING AND NEW THAT I CAN'T GET TO WITH A QUICK FLIGHT. Without that, it's just this weird punk girl going on fantasy adventures...in a world we live in everyday. NO. STOP.
Second, the plot is pretty boring. It's pretty much an entire book of clashes between two axes in a love triangle and how the girl axis keeps switching between the two, breaking both of their hearts in the process. I don't like Jeb (does anyone?) but even I could respect her sticking by his side the entire time AND THEN SHE KISSES MORPHEUS. Nope. Get your ass out of here, Alyssa! Other than that there's some forced tension with Alyssa's parents and her mom is a huge liar and also Sister Two from the first book is randomly 1,000% more evil than the main antagonist, for some reason. I still don't understand why she's so upset after all this time to the point where this whole book is about her and not the bloodthirsty murderer from the first book.
Speaking of the main antagonist, we do see Red eventually, at the very end, but she's literally A FLOWER IN A POT and can't really do anything. Alyssa just kinda walks away while Red is shouting stuff at her but Alyssa just laughs like "lol you're in a flower pot" and then tells everyone to go handle Red because she's dangerous. She's dangerous??? She doesn't even have legs! She literally has to drag herself across the floor by her leaf-hands. If I wanted revenge and could possess any living thing, I would have at least possessed something with legs. Like the bandersnatch! That would've been a GREAT conduit for your revenge, Red!
Third, is the cover supposed to be Morpheus? Please tell me that's NOT Morpheus. I know that this series is completely smothered with Myspace-punk culture but he really deserves better than that. I was picturing something much easier on the eyes. If that's how I'm supposed to have been imagining him this whole time, I don't even want to finish this series. Considering some of the rumors I've heard about the last book, Ensnared, I actually don't want to finish this series.
Overall, I'm just really disappointed. I can't even express how disappointed I am. I was so bored while reading this entire book. All this random drama with Alyssa's mom AND NOW HER DAD is really wearing on me. Things are already thrown at you with few clues, so I'm having a hard enough time trying to figure out all the "secrets" as it is. Why not just throw the dad in?? And some best friend drama? I went from really liking this series, to rereading Splintered and realizing it wasn't that great, to reading this and deciding that maybe, just maybe this isn't for me.
celinenyx
Written on Nov 10, 2014
After returning from Wonderland, Alyssa thinks she's done with anything netherworld - until Morpheus shows up again, and she discovers that Red is trying to destroy Wonderland. Alyssa has to choose which is more important to her: her netherling side, or her normal side?
Jezus Christ did this story drag. I don't know if it's just the writing style or the story itself, but I was incredibly bored. We can't get through one simple scene without Alyssa angsting over life, the universe, and everything. I'm a frequent reader of young-adult books, and I'm quite used to their teenage meanderings, but Alyssa is the Queen of All Angst.
And maybe I could have handled Alyssa - but in Unhinged my already low esteem of Morpheus and Jeb get even lower. Jeb is inconsiderate and just plain weird. Morpheus is the same self-centered asshole he has always been. And somehow Alyssa is attracted to both of them, even though they do nothing at all to deserve her attention.
As always, Alyssa kind of ping-pongs through the story like a bumper car, running after the facts. Almost all plot points in Unhinged are told in dialogue. Alyssa bickers with Morpheus. Wonderland creature shows up, tells news. Alyssa and Morpheus bicker some more. End scene. Rinse and repeat. Again, Alyssa is so incredibly passive - she just lets everything happen to her, and watching her taking hundreds of pages to get to a conclusion she could have gotten to in two good conversations with key characters is just tedious.
Alice in Wonderland is awesome, but I'm done with this rendition of it. I never knew one could make such a rich and interesting world so boring.
cornerfolds
Written on Jul 13, 2014
Me, throughout the first 90% of this book:
I read some mixed reviews for Unhinged before I started reading and I have to tell you I was a little scared that I might be let down. I was not. This book is just as good as the first, albeit a little different. I would have loved to have seen more of Wonderland, but the setting is still fantastic and A.G. Howard's descriptions remain impressive. I love reading about the outfits each character wears. I am not a very fashion savvy person, but even I can appreciate Alyssa's fashion sense!
My dedication to Team Morpheus is more concrete than ever - Jeb is far too self-absorbed for my liking, not taking Alyssa's wants and needs into account. Morpheus is more of the same: mysterious and sexy as ever! My favorite Morpheus quote was his speech at location 3499 on my Kindle:
"One day and one night...That's the price...Fair warning, I intend to make good use of that time. I will be gentle, but I will not be a gentleman. You will be the center of my world. I'll show you the wonders of Wonderland, and when you're drunk on the beauty and chaos that your heart so yearns to know, I will take you under my wings and make you forget the human realm ever existed. You'll never want to leave Wonderland or me again."
Ohmygod I'm literally melting. Team Jeb people... I just don't know about you.
The end wasn't anything like what I was expecting! I was thrown completely off guard, did not expect it, almost fell out of my chair, etc.
Me at the end of this book:
All said and done, I CANNOT WAIT for Ensnared next January! Read this book! READ IT!
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Apr 15, 2014
RE-READ!!!! (This is what happens around the holidays, when I've beyond spent all my money on gifts & have none left for books
Kelly
Written on Mar 29, 2014
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/03/unhinged-by-g-howard.html
It goes without saying that the Splintered series has the most stunning covers readers are likely to find, but I would expect nothing less from a series so utterly brilliant. Unhinged begins with Alyssa's life carefully being repaired. Her mother is home, Jeb is an incredibly devoted boyfriend and in a matter of days, Alyssa will graduate. But when you're a descendant of Alice from the original children's tale told by Lewis Carroll, you can expect life to throw a few surprises your way.
Author A. G Howard is an incredible storyteller with an amazing imagination. Creating not only an epic fantasy series, but beautifully written and a world in which readers can immerse themselves. Where Alyssa was previously unwavering in her loyalty towards Jeb, in Unhinged we see her darker side wanting to break free and her attraction towards Morpheus becoming too strong to deny. I'm team Morpheus all the way, he's eccentric, charismatic and Jeb is barely noticeable in his shadow. I really don't understand Jeb's character at all, besides being the anchor and love interest in Alyssa's human world. He reminds me of Adam from Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. He's there as an option, but surely his lackluster and self centered personality is no match for the great and powerful Morpheus.
I'm not generally a fan of fantasy novels, but this series is incredible. You don't need to be mad to enjoy Unhinged, but it sure helps.
Angie
Written on Feb 14, 2014
I didn't love Unhinged as much as Splintered, but it was still pretty fantastic. Nothing actually takes place in Wonderland, to my disappointed. Although it was fun to see how characters from Wonderland can wreck havoc upon the real world! Yep, things are seeping out of Wonderland and Alyssa just can't catch a break from them. The only part I really didn't like was the resurrected toys and that damn clown. I do not do clowns, especially creepy ass stalker clowns. I just don't. No no no!
What I did really love about Unhinged was all of the family history and truths that finally came out. Alyssa's mother may not have been as crazy as she appeared to be. Of course we know that what she was seeing and hearing were real, but there's a bit more to it than that. I honestly didn't see all that coming at all. There's so much more to this family legacy.
Morpheus! I was kind of mad at him for most of Unhinged. I know he's super manipulative, but he goes really far this time! He is the ultimate puppet master! Although it is obvious that he cares for Alyssa a great deal, and would do anything for her. But he's so frustrating! He does have some great lines throughout though that made it hard to stay mad at him.
Unhinged was great. It's imaginative and fun, and beyond creative. I loved how Alyssa was struggling to balance her human life and her netherling life (without much success, really). I am torn on this love triangle! I think Alyssa and Jeb are adorable together, but Alyssa and Morpheus have so much tension and a connection that can't be matched! I just don't know! But that ending....woah. Those last few pages are amazing and I need to get my hands on Ensnared ASAP!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Nessa Luna
Written on Feb 6, 2014
Let me start of by saying that I liked Unhinged a bit more than Splintered. I really liked Splintered (even though I gave it only three stars), but Unhinged was even more perfect.
There was a lot of action in this book, action that got Alyssa into trouble multiple times. From Alyssa nearly drowning to the school’s gym being on fire. I loved reading all the action parts, though my favourite has got to be the one near the end of the book. I just loved the setting so much!
Basically all the same characters from the previous book, only this time Alyssa’s mum has a bigger role. She’s back home from the asylum and we find out a lot about her past and her time with Morpheus. Awesome!
I was very thrilled when I read that Alyssa and Jeb got together, until of course Morpheus showed up. I am still not a fan of the whole love-triangle in this book, and I just thought Morpheus was an ass throughout the entire book.
Personally, I was a tiny bit disappointed that Alyssa didn’t go to Wonderland in this book, the entire story happened in the ‘real’ world. Yes of course, it shows us a bit more of Alyssa’s life, but I had really hoped for some Wonderland action. I loved reading about all the creepy Wonderland stuff in Splintered, and I had hoped for some more in Unhinged. Alas.
The writing was phenomenal, just like with Splintered. I have to admit, I found it a bit hard to imagine Alyssa in her clothes, and I just imagined her as a sort of Gothic clown, every time her outfits were described, but that’s just me probably. I just really think this story is written very well, and I can’t wait to read more from A.G. Howard
There was a sort-off cliffhanger at the end of the book, and that just makes me really exciting for the third book, which comes out in 2015. If you’ve read Splintered, but not sure if you should read Unhinged, just do it. If you haven’t read Splintered, go and read it asap!
ellieroth
Written on Jan 13, 2014
Cuando terminé Susurros (nombre de su versión en español) quedé tan encantada con la historia que tenía TERROR de leer Unhinged, a veces las continuaciones no tienden a igualar, o mucho menos, superar la experiencia de leer el primer libro. Pero Unhinged, oh, vaca, Unhinged...
No tengo idea por dónde empezar.
Cuando la persona que me prestó su copia de Unhinged me la ofreció, básicamente la taclee para que me diera el libro (#SorryNotSorry), la cosa es un poco curiosa, he participado en TODOS los concursos que se hicieron para ganar el ARC... y no gané ninguno. NINGUNO. ¿Saben lo que fue eso? Tratando de sobornar a A.G. Howard para que me diera el libro y nada. Fue horrible.
Empezando por la maquetación del libro, es preciosa, muy bien cuidada, los detalles de inicio de capítulo, muy bonitos.
Si en Susurros estuve confundida por escoger un "Team" o al menos quién me gustaba más, con Unhinged ya no hay duda, mi amor por Morfeo no tiene límite. Es que la escritora me lo puso muy fácil, la historia que nos trajo esta vez, si bien Jeb tiene un importante rol, más maduro, podría decirse, con cierta bomba que soltó Howard, no tuvo oportunidad conmigo. Y en cuanto a la bomba, no es tanto lo qué es, sino cómo eso afecta al desarrollo de los personajes. Al menos de dos. ¿Cómo una escritora puede derretir y romper tu corazón al mismo tiempo?
Tengo un conflicto con Al porque no sé si me cae del todo bien, quizá sea el hecho que si a mí me dieran la entrada a Wonderland, no miraría atrás y sería feliz en la locura de su mundo.
Me encantó cada palabra puesta en este libro, cada giro de trama, cada maldita palabra que decía Morfeo (lo adoro, lo siento si canso con esto). Y por la **** ¡qué final! Y quieren que espere hasta 2015 para el siguiente libro. JA, NO. Si ya antes acosaba por twitter a Anita, ahora me tendrá que bloquear si quiere estar en paz (?)
My feels ♥ AME ESTE LIBRO, PUNTO
Reseña completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento