With just 4 days until the theater premier of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I thought that my book choices for this week was quite appropo! Frank Beddor wrote a fantastic books series back in 2007. Being a huge fan of Lewis Carroll's Alice, although I should say the Disney version of his book. (I am honestly ashamed to admit I have never READ the original!!! Yikes must remedy that!!!) So anyways when Beddor's Looking Glass Wars came out I jumped and ordered it right away. I read the entire book the day it arrived! I initally suggested it to friends as a "retelling" of Carroll's book, but reading Beddor's website just now, well Beddor calls it a "what if?" look at Alice in Wonderland. So what exactly is his "what if?", well Alice; rather Alyss, is actually the princess of Wonderland, her mother Genevieve the queen. The story opens on Alyss's 7th birthday, with a horrible bloody coup, by Genevieve's disowned sister Redd. For her safety Alyss is sent through a looking glass and through a series of unfortunate events (great series btw! ;-D) Alyss ends up alone in 1859' London. This first books chronicles the time while Alyss is in London and meets Lewis Carroll who twists her memories of her homeworld into the non-sensical version we know and love. It's so hard for me to tell you about the book without giving away too much of the book. BUT if you love Alice in Wonderland I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy. Now I will say that this is not your cartoon version, it's not sugary sweet; honestly it's rather dark and gritty, within the 1st few chapters, both of Alyss's parents are murdered by her aunt, whom before her banishment also murdered her own mother! The card soldiers are actually robotic killing machines, and the Mad Hatter is actually the queen's top bodyguard. I recommend this for folks atleast 12. Looking Glass Wars in actually the 1st of 3 books, and there are also 2 Graphic Novels in the series as well. I hope you will give it a read! =D
Sounds a bit like Wicked, the book. I tried reading it as there is a sort of cult following of the play among some of the women at my church but I couldn't get beyond the very 'gritty' as you aptly say, hermaphrodite descriptives of the green witch. I put the book away and I am by no stretch of the imagination a 'prude' or straight-laced. It was just disturbing. Also, I find distorted characters like exaggerated clowns somehow disturbing so am not sure I can manage the new Alice movie! But I would simply love to read anything--haven't read a book in over a year I'm ashamed to say!
ReplyDeleteJody
I am putting this book on my list- sounds really interesting!
ReplyDeleteJody I have heard of Wicked, but never read it...and going off your 'review' I probably won't either. Disturbing sounds about right, and not my thing really. My sister is taking my 15yr old out Friday to see the Alice movie (they are both HUGE Tim Burton fans) so I will wait to see what they say about it.
ReplyDeleteKim, I really really like the LGW series and hope you will too! =D Now I just need to remember where I put book 2 so I can read it again before book 3 arrives!!!