ARC Review: Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard)

Unhinged

Author: A.G Howard

Series: Splintered

Pages: 384

Publisher: Amulet

Amazon pre-order

Release date: 7^th January 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved Splintered by A.G. Howard so I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advance copy of Unhinged through Netgalley/Amulet Books. I literally devoured this amazing book and can't wait to read the next installment, Ensnared. 

As we know Alyssa Gardner is a descendant of Alice Liddell, different to everyone else and connected to an unusual sect of magical creatures called netherlings. I absolutely loved Alyssa’s character progression, she was gun ho and determined in this book and not easily swayed, she didn’t rush into anything which I appreciated. In saying this she still questioned where she truly belonged.

Jeb is still completely fabulous but we begin to see a bit of strain in their relationship, Jeb has no recollection of his time in wonderland but being there has left a stain; he had to endure a lot in Unhinged but I admired the way he protected and adored Alyssa, what he did was all for her despite her questioning his loyalty.

Morpheus is still a big question mark for me and because of my adoration for Jeb I find myself worrying over a certain few aspects when it comes to a future with Alyssa; he is still eccentric and unscrupulous but you can see he adores her despite his often questionable actions.  

Unhinged’s world-building is strong and the multi-layered, complex plot is solid and absorbing, I was eager from the onset to see which direction the author would take the story and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. The magic, mayhem, twists and turns kept the pacing consistent and me flipping the pages wanting to know what would happen. I was mesmerised by the storytelling and the setting and despite not being in Wonderland it was still great reading the descriptive details about the world and the creatures.

A.G Howard’s writing is perfection, creative and flows well, I found myself really enjoying the details no matter how small they were; her characters are all fabulous! there seemed to be danger, confrontation and ongoing challenges but they were all written extremely well, I’m eager to see the outcome and learn more about AnyElsewhere, the land of the exiled and gruesome.

This series also has the most amazing covers! I am so eager to see the next instalment’s just as much as what I am to read the book, they are beautiful.

Overall, Unhinged has a nice blend of romance, mystery, intrigue and fantasy and is a great addition to the Splintered series.

Thank-you kindly to Amulet Books/Netgalley for the opportunity to read Unhinged.

 

About the author: A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. Her pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Her debut YA fantasy, SPLINTERED, a dark Alice in Wonderland spinoff, is now available from Amulet Books. The sequel, UNHINGED, is due to launch January 2014.