Unbirthday

September 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Braswell puts a darker spin on Disney's Alice In Wonderland. Alice is now 18, an adventurous and aspiring photographer. As she takes her photos, some familiar Wonderland faces appear, old friends beckoning her to help them. Alice must navigate both family drama and a burning desire to return to Wonderland through her sister's annoying desires for marriage and expectations to become a proper lady in society. Along the way, Alice meets a misunderstood young lawyer, who is outside the proper social circle, just as she is. This book hits on racial and social injustice in 19th-century England, allowing Alice, who is white, and readers to explore the subjective reality of right and wrong. Through trials and tears, Alice finds herself in and out of Wonderland, trying to save her friends from the Queen of Hearts. The Queen has one objective-to win, whatever the cost. Even though the original story is twisted and strange, this retelling is dark, grim, and grotesque at times. Wonderland isn't tea parties and delicious tiny cakes, but scary and dangerous. It'll take a unique reader and true Alice fan to appreciate this almost horrorlike adaptation. VERDICT A strange reimagining of Wonderland for dark fantasy and horror fans.-Paige Kostelyk, DeMotte Christian Grade School, IN

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