Alyssa Gardner is a descendent of Alice Liddell, inspiration for Lewis Carol's classic tale. Alas, along with their dubious claim to fame, the women of the family also have an unfortunate tendency to, upon reaching puberty, hear the bugs and flowers talking to them. Thanks to this curse and an incident from Alyssa's childhood, her mother has been institutionalized for a decade; now that nature's creatures have decided to grace her with their communication as well, Alyssa fears she will be the next one locked away.
When her mother is signed up for a treatment plan that the girl finds abhorrent, the only hope to save the family is a trip to Wonderland itself so she can set things right. She unwittingly brings along her long-time crush - the literal boy-next-door - and together they help us to explore a re-imagined version of the land we all think we know so well.
I so wanted to love this book, and it didn't disappoint. With its dark fantasy, budding romance, and bizarre ideas that will make you question what you think about Carroll's old tale, Howard has created a world that I want to visit again and again.
- Beth Ho
Publisher - Amulet Books
Date of Publication - January 16, 2013