Unhinged (Splintered #2) - A.G. Howard
Book Synopsis: 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.
Okay, so the journey to Wonderland continues in this twisted retelling of Alyssa in Wonderland, not Alice, Alyssa. As you have seen in my previous review, I did not like the first book in the series that much.
Alyssa and Jeb and Morpheus are characters that don't excite me in any way. I mean, they are interesting from afar, but I don't think that I feel like continuing with this series, even though I already am.
Currently, I'm reading the next book which is Ensnared.
Am I enjoying the reading experience? Um, not really, but it is something to do when I grow bored.
Honestly, this book could use some work, I do love the font and the color of the type, (it's a reddish brown shade) and it's gorgeous, but the cover of the book creeps me out. There is no dustjacket for the book, meaning that the book is a hardback *the copy I read* and the image is printed directly on it. It's pretty creepy, not going to lie, most likely it is Morpheus on the front and he just gives me strange eerie vibes.
I'm not really a quitter, unless I feel like the book is really bad and even then, I do like to stick it out and then write a review here on the blog. These books gave me that feeling, I was dreading reading them, but excited at first - my emotions changed when I realized it wasn't what I was expecting. Even though the series has been for the most part unique, I just was hoping for more of a story, the plot is intriguing, but A.G. Howard just didn't click with a lot of readers.
2014 is the year the book was published, and for it's time, I think it was a good novel to read, but as time progressed forward, the value of the words had greatly decreased *for me*.
Alyssa, I found to be annoying as per usual, but even I admit that her adventures were almost worth reading about, though I do slightly regret picking up this series. Maybe my feelings about this series will blossom into something close to love rather than wither to hate.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3/5 Stars