Splintered

This book review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Splintered

Alyssa's mother was put into an asylum because the bugs and flowers began to talk to her. Now they are whispering into Alyssa's ear as well. She's afraid to tell anyone, but when she visits her mother and they both hear the cut flower's words, things start to change. Alyssa will find that her mother hasn't been raving about Wonderland. It's all true. Her family is cursed and to free her mother, she must journey to Wonderland and undo the mistakes of her ancestor Alice.

Splintered is a macabre retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Everything you've come to know and love from the story has been twisted. The white rabbit is a skeleton with a flesh eating disease, and wait until you see what they do at a feast. The word twinkle will never mean the same thing to me again. But the story is just as beautiful as it is brutal and I loved every single minute of it.

If you don't have a taste for morbid or grisly tales, steer clear of this story. It is darkly seductive and will keep you on your toes with each new introduction to the ever increasing world-building. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rebecca Gibel and she brought a whole new level to the characters with her wonderful voice acting.

The descriptions and scene setting are so well detailed, heightening the overall darkness and tone of Splintered. There is also a nice subplot of romance woven into the dark depths. While I generally don't like reading about love triangles, this was one I enjoyed. There's magic, mystery, and a lure of personalities I couldn't ignore. Definitely a series I will be continuing.