by A.G. Howard
Expected publication: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Amulet
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.
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.
As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.
If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.
My review:
A.G. Howard is a freaking genius. Unhinged is amazing! This may be the second book of a series, but it is definitely not a "filler" book. While Splintered could have very well been a stand-alone book, we find out so much more about Alyssa, her family, and her ties to Wonderland in Unhinged, and we also understand Morpheus and his relationship with Alyssa a lot more.
I don't want to say too much in this review so I don't give spoilers for it or Splintered, in case you haven't already read that one. Before you pick up Unhinged, you will definitely need to read Splintered. If you have already read Splintered, you may want to pick it up again and re-read it before you dive in to Unhinged. Don't expect this to be just like Splintered and think you will be exploring Wonderland again. Instead of Alyssa going down the rabbit hole again, Wonderland comes to her. This is a continuation of Alyssa's story and what happens after she comes back from Wonderland.
I think I enjoyed Unhinged even more than Splintered, if that's even possible. This is fantasy writing at its best. The characters and setting are painted with great detail, and you are completely drawn into the world described. I love A.G. Howard's dark mind, and I am very much looking forward to the third book in the series, Ensnared, and would most likely snatch up anything she writes.
(Check out my review of Splintered.)
A copy was provided by the author, but I was not required to write a review.
About the author:
A.G. Howard lives in the Texas panhandle, and is most at home
weaving the melancholy and macabre into settings and scenes, twisting
the expected into the unexpected. She’s inspired by all things flawed,
utilizing the complex loveliness of human conditions and raw emotions to
give her characters life, then turning their world upside down so the
reader’s blood will race.Married and mother of two teens (as well as surrogate mom to two Labrador retrievers), Anita divides her days between spending time with her family and plodding along or plotting on her next book.
When she’s not writing, Anita enjoys rollerblading, biking, snow skiing, gardening, and family vacations that at any given time might include an impromptu side trip to an 18th century graveyard or a condemned schoolhouse for photo ops.
Be sure to drop by her Twitter or Face Book Author Page and say "Hi." She's always up for meeting new friends!
Find out more at AGHoward.com.
I was very pleased to be asked to organize and run a traveling ARC tour for UNHINGED. A very big thank you to all of the following bloggers for participating. Please stop by and check out their reviews as well.
WinterHaven Books
Millie D's Words
The Busy Bibliophile
Ensconsed in YA (link coming soon)
Lisa Loves Literature
I loved this book. Like you I might have loved it more than the first. Although I don't know, they are both pretty awesome! Great review!
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