Author: H.J. Ramsay
Year of Release: 2019
Publisher: Red Rogue Press
Genres: SC-FI, Fantasy, YA, Fiction, Retelling
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Synopsis:
Alice’s stories of Wonderland did more than raise a few eyebrows—it landed her in an asylum. Now at 15 years of age, she’s willing to do anything to leave, which includes agreeing to an experimental procedure. When Alice decides at the last minute not to go through with it, she escapes with the White Rabbit to Wonderland and trades one mad house for another: the court of the Queen of Hearts. Only this time, she is under orders to take out the Queen. When love, scandal, and intrigue begin to muddle her mission, Alice finds herself on the wrong side of the chopping block.
** spoiler alert ** Ever wonder what happened once Alice Liddell who woke up beside the riverbank after her trip down the rabbit hole? In 1888, in Oxford London, we once again met Alice, not daydreaming her school day away, but in Warneford Asylum. Turns out taking a trip to Wonderland isn’t on everyone’s bucket list.
In this jam packed retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s adventure in Wonderland, H.J. Ramsay has done a great deal to keep Wonderland intact where everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. I think this made for a read worthy of shutting the world out for. I didn’t know it was possible to travel back down the rabbit hole or even want to visit Ralph the White Rabbit, turns out I did, and you can too.
Upon return to Wonderland you’re required to visit the House of Hearts for a special mission presented to you by the White Rabbit, you can’t say no to the White Rabbit, that would be most unwelcome, especially when he asks you to kill the Queen. In exchange he will assist you in returning home to live with your mother, papa and Dinah versus getting experimented on in the asylum. I know who I’d rather see, even if it meant she had a one track mind when it comes to beheadings.
Throughout this retelling you the reader feel a story within a story. You have all the original characters, language and setting, but rather than just follow along the stories original path, you are able to explore the world a lot deeper. I believe this is one of the book’s biggest strengths. I have not read a retelling before, I’m usually happy with the original, especially in the case of the wonderful world of Disney, but thanks to Ever Alice’s cover art and synopsis, I just couldn’t say no.
I will admit at times this story did seem to drag on, not for lack of something not happening in the story’s main plotline, but because it felt there was also stuff happening behind the scenes. This seemed like a lot for a writer to reveal, but the task was aided with some new and exciting characters to help along the way, including Thomas Prince of Hearts; I never would’ve even thought Rosamund (The Queen of Hearts) had a son but I am glad she does. With these new characters involved, and so much happening at once, some details felt glossed over or unfinished in the end. This was a little disappointing as I needed confirmation.
What were some of the laws Alice enforced as a Queen?
Did she and Thomas ever become more?
What happened to Alices family? She seemed so attached to them in the beginning, and by the end, they felt brushed off.
The characters didn’t feel real as they do in other novels, but I don’t think this hinders Ever Alice. think this is Wonderland in all her glory, it’s how it’s meant to be.
A story suited well to late teens, but don’t let this stop you if you’re a fan of the original, you should enjoy your time here I believe this standalone could’ve done with a trilogy boxset -though I’m just a reader who didn’t want to leave Wonderland.
With thanks to Netgalley and Red Rogue Press for this ARC, expected August 1st 2019.