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
Unhinged is another awesomely macabre addition to the series! It's a year after Alyssa's previous adventure with the creatures of Wonderland, but now her second home needs her help. It's falling to ruin since the evil ex-queen Red is loose, set to destroy everything and win back her crown. Alyssa is the only one who can stop her, but she's desperately trying to live a human life with her boyfriend, especially with prom coming up again. However, that's just not in the cards, since Morpheus is determined to get Alyssa back to Wonderland.
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!
