Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered by A.G. Howard is not a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, but an extension of the story.  What if Alice Liddell really did go beyond the looking glass?  What if what she experienced was not told correctly in Lewis Caroll’s book?  Splintered is the story of Alyssa Gardner, a descendant of Alice.  Because of Alice’s visit to Wonderland and everything she did there, a curse has been placed on her family that affects the women.  Each descendant is touched with madness, being able to speak and hear nature and being hunted down by Him. 

Alyssa is dealing with her mother being locked away in an asylum because of what occurred 12 years earlier.  Was she trying to kill Alyssa, and who made her do it?  Not only is Alyssa dealing with her mother’s sanity issues but she has also been dealing with her slip in reality since she turned 14.  What lies ahead is a journey down a rabbit hole in order to fix Alice’s mistakes and save the rest of the women in her family, including her.

Armed with small glimpses into her memory, items hidden from the past, her ultimate crush and a strangely familiar guy’s advice Alyssa dives down the rabbit hole.  Here she encounters a Wonderland like no one ever imagined.  To say that Wonderland was already a dark fantasy is an understatement after reading the descriptions in this novel.  On top of the disturbing differences, Alyssa must fulfill her destiny to save Jeb, her crush, and ultimately her blood line.  What really is amazing is the clever twist at the end, the twist that explains the true motives behind the characters of Wonderland.   A very haunting and deceptive tale—much like fairy tales—Splintered is a genuinely good read.