*This review can also be found on my
Goodreads' account.
Teapots, flamingos, whimsy, and chaos... it's all in this book that is a
kind of retelling of the classic Alice in Wonderland but with many
differences that assist in making it it's own story. All of the beloved
characters make an appearance in some form or fashion and Alice is
recreated to be a strong heroine that is intelligent and resourceful,
but makes mistakes.
This is a story of adventure, love lost,
hope, redemption, love found, and of course, madness. And it's backdrop
is that of steampunk London. I loved that the elements of steampunk were
woven throughout without being the focal point. And the wonderland that
was created was just as whimsical as the original telling yet given
many realism's that made me feel as if I could step right into that
world and feel at home.
The only reason I wasn't able to give
this a full 5-star treatment was the style of writing this story was
told in. It was too jarring for me and actually detracted from the flow
of the narrative. This might turn some people off and others may not
have a problem with it. But I believe I would have enjoyed this even
more if the flow of narration had been a lot smoother.
Overall, a
great book for fans of the classic as there are a lot of nods to the
Lewis Carroll original (including a lot of head rolling thanks to the
villainous Queen ;)). But it's also a great read for those that love a
good steampunk setting and a bit of whimsy in their fantasy worlds!
