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
Oh goodness! Where to begin? Should I start with the screaming professions of love or should I save that for the end? I’ll just go ahead and get it out of the way. I ADORE this series! The first one was really good but this one, oh god this one was just amazing! *hugs book to chest and dances frantically* Okay…I think I got it out of my system.
Unhinged picks up some time after Splintered and Alyssa is focused on her school’s upcoming prom as well as Jeb and his budding career as an artist. Wonderland is far from forgotten though since Morpheus won’t stay out of her dreams and her art is becoming more disturbing. Unhinged starts out at a brisk pace and by the end of the book it felt like I just attempted to sprint farther than my lazy legs could carry me. It’s full of ups and down and true to Wonderland style parts of it will send your heart and head reeling. Plus the ending…oh god the ending…I need the third book so badly it feels like I might die.
Most of this one takes place in the real world, but don’t let that disappoint you because there is no shortage of Wonderland-y goodness or Morpheus, and for all of you Team Jeb fans out there he’s in fine form as well. Alyssa is still struggling to find balance in her life and Morpheus and Jeb are physical manifestations of the two lives she can lead. Jeb is her anchor to normal and the life she’s always wanted, and even though I’m not a Jeb fan I really think their relationship is strong and sweet. Morpheus is her wild and untamed (not to mention attractive) link to Wonderland, and he’s one that she desperately tries to distance herself from but can’t. I can’t believe I’m saying this but this is one love triangle I actually enjoy. I can’t get enough of these two guys. One person I hadn’t counted on becoming such a big part of the book was Alyssa’s mother, who is so much different than I thought she would be. I enjoyed getting to see more of her past and learning more about her connection to Wonderland.
Unhinged takes on a wild ride without sending us down the rabbit hole, from the curious beginning to the heart stopping end. I can honestly say that A.G. Howard has a real talent for creating fantastical and twisted creatures, and this series has become a favorite of mine.
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31 December, 2013:
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31 December, 2013:
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