Review: Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles

Ｔｉｔｌｅ：Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles

Ａｕｔｈｏｒ：J.M. Sullivan

Ｓｅｒｉｅｓ： Book 1 (With that ending, this is definitely having a sequel)

Ｒａｔｉｎｇ： ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

＊Ｎｏｔｅ：Many thanks to NetGalley and J.M. Sullivan for the arc! ❤

Ｓｙｎｏｐｓｉｓ

“Always protect your queen.”

Ever since the outbreak of the Plague, life hasn’t been easy, and for seventeen-year-old Alice Carroll, it just got worse. Her sister, Dinah, has contracted the ‘un-deadly’ Momerath Virus and without a cure, will soon be worse than dead. She’ll be momerath.

Alice must leave the safety of the Sector and venture into Momerath Territory to find the antidote – if it exists. Chasing a rumor about a mysterious doctor with the cure, Alice falls down the rabbit hole into Wanderland, where ravenous momerath aren’t the only danger lurking.

Ｆａｖｏｒｉｔｅ Ｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｓ

 

Okay, so I really have to say that I enjoyed The Queen. Her strong, cruel, and mysterious personality fit perfectly for the book. She was petulant but also really cold and calculating. I loved the concept for her Jokers and camp.

Another character (besides Alice) that I really enjoyed was Dr. Hatta. I know it’s weird to say I liked the bad guys, haha, but I just enjoyed their concept and that they were well written. Hatta was definitely crazy but he had a reason for it. However selfish it was.

Ｆａｖｏｒｉｔｅ Ｓｃｅｎｅｓ

► I thought this was definitely a strong opening for the book. Caught my attention, haha.

His head exploded. I’d never seen someone’s head explode. I never thought I would. Maybe in the movies, but not in real life.

► Alice was interesting enough. I thought her little quirk about talking to herself was a nice touch. And I also enjoyed her relationship with her sister.

“Whatever. I only talkto myself because I don’t have anyone else to talk to. It’s a coping mechanism.”

Dinah slapped her hand across an imaginary wound on her chest.

► It’s sad we didn’t get see too much of Alice and Dinah before the virus hit, but I think the author described their life before pretty well.

Curious how a memory can make you happy and sad all at the same time, she thought, looking wistfully at the picture. “Maybe those are the best memories of all,” she said, then realized she was talking to herself again.

► Chess was a kinda spotty friend, but I’m glad his absences were explained at the end of the book. In a way that really made sense actually.

The boy flashed a sly grin and tightened his grip on the door. “I’m Chess,” he said. “Welcome to Wanderland.”

► Haha, and of course Alice had an attitude that I could appreciate (I love sassy characters).

She appreciated she hadn’t lost her penchant for sarcasm. At least some things are sacred, she thought as she advanced on the doctor.

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Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles was a refreshing retelling of Alice in Wonderland with a bit of zombies (and a whole lot of blood). What set this apart from other Alice-zombie retellings I’ve read is that the references to Alice in Wonderland flowed seamlessly in the story. The characters were reimagined to fit perfectly with their Wanderland post-apocalyptic/dystopian counterparts from J.M. Sulivan’s world.

Chess plays the mysterious and elusive Chesire Cat. In Wanderland, he’s the guide and knows all the players. He constantly attempts to coax Alice into avoiding danger in her journey–however futile it may be.

One of my personal favorites, however, (and one most readers will be dying to meet) is the infamous Queen. She’s the self-imposed ruler of Wanderland, and nothing gets past her. She has her own hidden agenda that drives her harsh and often shocking decisions. She’s more than willing to sacrifice a few pawns (or Jokers as it may be) in order to get what she wants.

Throughout her journey and quest to save her sister, Alice learns more about herself and just exactly what she’s made of. If caught between running and fighting, Alice is definitely a fighter. And when her journey, at last, brings her to the doors of Borogrove Industries she’s ready to do whatever it takes to find a cure. Even if it means facing some truths about her past.

This was a book that I had fun reading, and it went by pretty quickly. This is a book you should consider picking up if you’re into retellings, Alice in Wonderland, or if you like zombies. I’m going to be keeping my eye out for a sequel because I’m dying to know what becomes of these characters ❤ Also, props for the cover. It’s really simple, but I love the rose pattern with the heart and dagger. It gives it a nice creepy feel.