Splintered

I bought this book solely on the cover, it was stunning and the following novels with the two guys... yeah.

These are actually some of my favorite covers ever. They are dark, gritty, and again, the guys are very easy on the eyes.

Then when I started reading this book... my mind was just blown away. Usually when I pick a book for the cover it sucks. Sad but true. I've often found that books with ugly covers have amazing stories hidden within. This was so not the case! I was so very surprised by how good this debut novel was! It had lots of romance, action, creepy weird stuff, and it feels my love of the paranormal/supernatural quite well.

This novel follows young Alyssa, whose mother is mentally insane with a father who loves them both so much, but is pretty much at his wits end trying to get his wife back to normal. Alyssa starts to worry when she hears bugs talk to her but tries to push it away, not wanting to end up like her mother. The illness that has plagued her family since Alice told her story to Lewis Carroll.

On top of the crazy family stuff, she is losing her best friend, who she actually likes, to someone else. Jeb, he's going to move across the country with his girlfriend leaving Alyssa alone in Texas. Everything changes when she visits her mother and then the mirror...

It's a great book, it's even more amazing that this is seriously a debut! I've already purchased the other two and plan to preorder the companion very soon. Read this book, you will have an amazing time!

SPLINTERED is wonderfully unique, highly creative, and cleverly executed. The story isn’t a straight copy of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and uses it only as backup. Alyssa takes us to an entirely new place, full of dark and terrifying creatures. The writing is stunning and the imagination is incredible.

SPLINTERED is packed with mad adventure. The twists are unexpected and really interesting.

The beautiful writing style reminds me of Melissa Marr’s WICKED LOVELY series, so if you enjoyed WICKED LOVELY, I’d certainly recommend SPLINTERED. The breath-taking imagery and eccentric characters will appeal to Tim Burton fans.

I loved everything about SPLINTERED and highly recommend this deliciously creepy debut.

Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!! It was an amazing modern rendition of Alice in Wonderland with a lot of new twists and turns!! Definitely worth a read! I cannot wait to start the second book!

As a child I never really liked the Lewis Carroll version of Alice in Wonderland. Nor did I like the Disney version. However, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was dark, mysterious and intriguing. I went back to the Lewis Carroll version and to the Disney version as an adult and this time, I loved the magic that was in it.

Imagine, if you will, that Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton made a baby. That baby is Splintered. A.G. Howard managed to keep the magic of the story that Lewis Carroll first told children and mixed it in with the dark and zany qualities of Tim Burton's version.

Yet, despite the similarities to both Lewis Carroll's version and Tim Burton's version, A.G. Howard still manages to write an amazing story with her own imagination. I am normally a pretty fast reader, but this took my speed reading abilities to new heights. I had to know what was going to happen and when. So I had a really hard time putting the book down at any point.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous and if writing could be swoon-worthy, this writing would be.A.G. Howard managed to create a beautiful and mysterious Wonderland through her writing. The text was in purple which I thought was awesome, It still was readable but it brought in yet another magical element to the story. I cannot gush about the cover enough. I have a serious cover crush right now. The pictures absolutely do not do this book cover justice.

I loved that this book was so character driven. From Alyssa to her dad, to her mom and then of course to Jeb & Morpheus.Most of the people I've spoken to are Team Morpheus. I wish I could say definitively which team I am on but I can't. Because I love both Jeb and Morpheus. Jeb for his loyalty and devotion to Alyssa and Morpheus because he's quite funny despite being somewhat deceptive.

I just can't get over how much I loved this book. It was amazing and I need to read Unhinged, right now.I am so anxious to find out what the future holds for Alyssa and her family as well as Jeb & Morpheus.It should shock no one that I am giving this book 5 stars.

Absolutely gripping from start to finish, Howard has woven a whimsical and magical tale that has left me both thrilled and enchanted! Splintered’s evocative imagery brought Wonderland and its inhabitants to life, lyrical prose had me dancing along its pages, while complex characterization gave the story depth and meaning.

A companion novel to Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Splintered uses the Alice story as background in order to tell a new story – and Howard manages to perform this feat without disrespecting the original text. Everything from Alice is present – the white rabbit, the mad hatter, the smiling cheshire cat – yet it’s tweaked in a way that makes sense, resulting in a darker and more twisted Wonderland for a slightly older audience.

Both beautiful and terrifying, Howard’s Wonderland oozed magic and intrigue, leaving me begging for more while the slight, yet clever, modifications to classic staples from the original Alice tale held me captive as I eagerly awaited the next character. Add in absolutely stunning descriptions of Wonderland’s many landscapes, brought to life with Howard’s lyrical prose, and I was completely and irrevocably hooked.

The characters in Splintered were fantastic – Alyssa was self-conscious, yet confident and immediately relatable because of it. Her courage and selflessness when it came to protecting her family was so endearing, and she handled the teasingly slow reveal of family secrets with much more patience and understanding then I would have been able to muster. Jeb was a little overbearing in his protectiveness, but it also showed how deeply he cared for Alyssa in spite of the obstacles keeping them apart. Considering his harsh upbringing and resulting angst, it also made his softer, vulnerable moments that much sweeter, especially considering he never resorted to douchery to get his point across.

And then there’s Morpheus: a mischievously deceptive netherling with a Cockney accent, he spent the entirety of Splintered breaking my heart with his betrayal, only to mend it whole with a whispered explanation that painted him in a less selfish light. It frustrated me that I couldn’t pin point his motives, but it made Howard’s sneaky twist ending that much more shocking.

I just can’t even begin to do Splintered justice. Easily one of the most imaginative reads of the year, Splintered has left an aching desire in my heart to get lost amongst its magical pages, transported into a Wonderland that both thrills and terrifies me. Surprisingly unique, Splintered is creative fantasy at its absolute best!

Holy crap! How do I explain how amazing this book was?! This is definitely my favorite book of 2013 so far! I never wanted the story to end!

Alyssa Gardener is a strange girl. She can hear insects and flowers talking! Since this is not a normal situation she has to silence them right; so why no use them as…. ART PIECES?! I was immediately drawn to this. I LOVE art! Alyssa sees them as more than just bugs; she seems them as inspiration.

Things become even more intriguing when you find out she is related to the Alice that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is based off of, not to mention insanity supposedly runs in her family. Alyssa has found ways to deal with all this; she skateboards.

Alyssa is struggling with her attraction to Jeb, her mom being in a loony bin, and the voices that never seem to disappear.

Jebediah and her have known each other since sixth grade. I was drawn to their burning attraction for each other. It is so obvious that he is head over heels for her by how protective he is. I think it is kind of hot! I mean, having a guy fawn all over you… sign me right up!

I was devastated by the fact that Alyssa had to go without her mother.I could not imagine having to go each day to see my mom in a loony bin. She knows that her mom is not completely insane. She can hear the voices too. Alyssa just hates seeing her father suffer through it all. He has been through a lot the past couple of years. I definitely could not imagine seeing the person I love go through something like that. Alyssa knows she only has one choice to right the wrongs; she has to jump down the rabbit hole and follow in her great-great-great grandmothers footsteps.

But Alyssa is not alone on this crazy journey; Jeb jumps in after Alyssa and joins her on her quest to right the wrongs. I was so so happy with the vivid detail and structure this story had. I have to give A.G. Howard a huge round of applause! This book is so AMAZING! I literally sat there in a daze for about five minutes after I finished it. This book is a more-than-one-time read!



Wonderland is not what you read or watched as a child in this book. It is a place full of death, fear, and misfortune. This is a world where your darkest nightmares come true, and quite frankly I was extremely enthralled!

The characters, the scenes, the discoveries; they were all well thought out. I could not put this book down! I was so eager to continue on this magnificent journey with Alyssa and Jeb, but I was sad to see it all end. OMG and MORPHEUS! What a dream!



I could not stop picturing Brandon Lee from The Crow! Which is one of my favorite movies and a fantastic visual interpretation for Morpheus’ part!



I was not really sure how I felt about the whole love triangle. I was rooting for Jeb thoughout the whole story! Although having a love affair with a netherling character is very appealing, I felt that Morpheus did not care for Alyssa with the same intensity that Jeb did. Their first kiss was quite a revelation! And the burning attraction they have for one another was earth shattering.

Alyssa stumbles upon information that answers all her unknown secrets. I was quite shocked and pleased when this information surfaced! The book just keeps getting better and better, but all good things must come to an end. Alyssa must face her darkest desires or drown in her own denials.

The ending to this book is…. WOW! IDK how to put into words how perfectly everything fell into place. I just feel like I lost a really good friend. This book is a MUST read! A.G. Howard has just become an all time favorite of mine. GO GET THIS BOOK!

I have stepped into Wonderland a few times. Once in a book, Once through Disney and Once through Tim Burton/Disney again. But never have I read a version of this story quite like this. I must give credit that even though this is Lewis Carrolls story. A.G. Howard made it her own and what it would be like if Wonderland was real. Wow, the characters, the setting and the story were all so colorful. The words jumped off the page and gave such a detail of the craziness it played like a movie in my head. The main character Alyssa a great character to follow through this adventure she was such a quiet kind of let people tell her what to do but by the end of the book you can see such an awesome change in her. I wasn't a fan of Jeb (her best friend) I really prefer the bad boy Morpheus only because Jeb was so clingy and pretty much did everything for Alyssa (I hate when people tell me what to do I can't imagine how she felt LOL he was like controlling it was physically irritating) Now Morpheus (my sexy moth man) was a fantastic character I LOVED him. So mysterious & a little psychotic. He really had a softness to him that would make any girl melt. I can even hear his sexy voice in my head while reading (***taking a cold shower*** now lets move on) This book was such a crazy read. I loved every minute of it. I can't tell you to much about the story besides what the synopsis says cause there is so much to it I would be sure to give away something I don't want to. Its better to go in not know what happens and be surprise like I was. I loved all the twists and turns and I loved the modern twists to all the characters. I would love for someone to make this into a movie. I would be the first one in line to see it.
Do I Recommend?
Certainly. Take a trip down the rabbit hole to an Alice in Wonderland you will never forget!!! FYI Morpheus is hot!!!

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Splintered is officially my new favorite Alice in Wonderland spinoff/retelling. I loved the Tim Burton/Disney rendition and the Syfy Alice special and Splintered is kind of like an awesome mish-mash of both. The bright colors and creepy setting of the Burton retelling combine with the awesome story and characters of Alice to create one amazingly fantastic book.

Though I compare Splintered to other renditions, it completely stands on its own. The story is totally new while still drawing similarities from the original and putting a creepy twist on them. There are certainly no fluffy pocket-watch carrying rabbits here. There are, however, boys. Yes, plural, but I think it works (then again, I'm not an adamant love triangle hater). I'm not one to think romance makes everything better, but it really adds to the story. I certainly wouldn't have cried had there been no romance...

Alyssa reflects Alice with her stubbornness and curiosity, but is definitely her own character. She takes the fate of her life in her hands and literally jumps down the rabbit hole headfirst. And when she's faced with a tough decision (be it who to trust, what to do when a walrus-octopus wants to eat you, or which guy to choose) she makes one. Of course, she's not always right, but we wouldn't want it that way, now would we?
Shall we talk about the boys?
First we have Jeb, the cute, scruffy skater guy who happens to be Alyssa's best friend. He's pretty overprotective, but he always has Alyssa's best interests at heart. Jeb is my favorite of the two, hands down with his sweetness towards Alyssa and their teasing banter.
Then we have our bad boy: Morpheus. He's dark, obsessive, and mischievous. Of course, he also has an irresistible and romantic side, but only for Alyssa. The tortured soul thing does something going on for it, though which made me almost sway towards Team Morpheus a few times.

Part of the ending felt a little rushed to me, but not all of it. More like the intro the climax and ending. That's really the only negative thing I have to say, though.

The Nutshell: If you're a fan of Alice in Wonderland retellings/spinoffs then I can almost guarantee you'll like Splintered. However, if you're not a fan of dark and creepy or simply refuse to read any love triangles at all it might not be the book for you. Splintered does a fantastic job of standing on its own and it kept me flipping pages as fast as I could right to the end.

Direct Hit

Splintered by AG Howard
eARC received by Amulet Books via Netgalley
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Sinister, Surreal, and Seductive

I’m just going to go ahead and brand this one of the BEST OF 2013, before 2013 even starts! Splintered is that good! I’ve never before wanted to jump down a rabbit hole so whole-heartedly! A.G. Howard morphs Lewis Carrol’s classic into something new and deadly—a place where the macabre and morbid rule the world, where reality and fiction are juxtaposed in a tangle of webs, and where love and betrayal go hand in hand. So close your eyes and take a leap down the rabbit hole—when you open them again, you will be in a world of wonder and chaos.

“Now, stop thinking like a human Nethering logic resides in the hazy border between sense and nonsense.” ARC, location 1891-1892

I was never a huge fan of the original classic, but this re-telling just blew me away. I love how A.G. took parts of the old story and interwove them to create something new and modern. Her world was captivating and creepy—and I could just see this playing across the big screen. Seriously, if I had to choose any book to be a movie, this would be it! It’s got the madness that would make it part horror and the sexiness that would bring teeny-boppers, twenty-somethings, and older YA readers straight to the movie lines. A.G. took the setting of Wonderland and turned it into a macabre dance---the flowers have become killers, the white rabbit has become a humanoid/rabbit type skeleton, and the cards are vicious monsters. Take Carol’s Wonderland and throw it off kilter—somewhere between psychotic killer and mushroom hallucinations—and then you have A.G.’s world. Terrifying and beautiful sprinkled with a dash of insanity and a pinch of sex.

I really loved Alyssa—Alice’s great, great, great granddaughter. She is tasked with going down the rabbit hole to fix Alice’s mistakes. She’s strong and confident, with a morbid fascination with bugs. I loved the attention to her clothes—a punk style that fits the strangeness of Wonderland perfectly. She was always getting new “costumes,” and I really enjoyed seeing her personality show through each of them. Plus, they added to the setting and the surrealism of the world. Alyssa is smart and witty, and even those she is vulnerable in some aspects of her life, she doesn’t let that waiver her conviction. She presses forward, no matter how unnerving or creepy the creatures or her tasks may seem.

And
The
Guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh the guys! The guys in this one are great! There’s Jeb, Alyssa’s best friend from the mortal realm (who she has a complete crush on), and then there’s Morpheus, her estranged friend from her childhood who is now her guide through Wonderland. Jeb is your typical best friend with a crush—he is a little shy and doesn’t know how to say what he wants. That part of him is endearing, but unfortunately, I found him a bit boring. He was predictable and plain compared to Morpheus.

I think many readers will like Jeb better than me, but what can I say, I like the macabre Morpheus. He says it best himself: “Mysterious. Rebellious. Troubled. All those qualities women find irresistible.” ARC, location 3982-3983 He hit the nail on the head with that one! Those are the YA guys I tend to fall head of heels for! A.G. describes Morpheus as similar to The Crow (you know the old 80s movie with the guy in leather and a white-painted face?)—and I loved The Crow!!! “He’s a contradiction: taut magic coiled to strike, gentleness at war with severity, a tongue as sharp as a whip’s edge, yet skin so soft he could be swathed in clouds.” ARC, location 1837-1838 Morpheus is full of charisma and is extremely skilled in seduction. I found myself wishing that Alyssa would just throw herself on him so they could have a hot and steamy, make you sweat scene. He is what happens when you make the macabre sexy. Long dark hair that falls into his face, dark smoky eyes that pierce your soul, black tipped wings that will sweep you off your feet, and the heart that is always too hard to read. Yum! I couldn’t get enough of Morpheus, and I am hoping beyond all belief that A.G will write a sequel just so I can have more of him.

This could be a stand-alone novel, but it was also left a little open where a sequel can be written if A.G. Howard decides to in the future. (Please, Please, Please!)

Splintered: Astounding. Morbid. Sexy. Unpredictable. Enchanting.
I could go on and on, but I won’t! Instead, I will urge you to buy this book when it comes out in January! If you’re looking for something different, and are a fan of dark, gothic-like novels, then this will be perfect for you!

I’ll leave you with a final quote I loved:
“He’ll come for you. He’ll step through your dreams. Or the looking glass…stay away from the glass, Allie!” ARC, location 481-482

To see my guest post with the author and to enter for a chance to win a signed hardcover + swag(INTL),follow this link: http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-insight-of-characters-world-guest.html

Review also cross-posted at my blog: http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/

**I received an ARC (Uncorrected Proof) of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**

SPLINTERED is probably one of my best 2012 reads.And I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say that.A.G. Howard's version of the world on the other side of the looking glass that Lewis Carroll had created for us so long ago is one that you'll keep wanting to relive over and over again until you have every nook and corner memorized in your head.I have read this book from the start to the finish THREE times and every time I read it,I still find new things that I haven't noticed or haven't thought of before.Remember when you look for a book to buy in hardcover that you'll re-read again and again whenever you've got spare time?Well SPLINTERED is definitely that type of book.It has the right amount of action,adventure,fantasy and yes,as I dare say it,romance.Though there is a slight love triangle alert.But then again,what YA novel is complete without a love triangle?Us teenagers devour those things along with hot guys. ;)

I also loved the author's new concepts of wonderland.The rabbit,the caterpillar,Cheshire Cat...all of the characters which we were familiar with from Alice In Wonderland are brought to a new light and given a new voice.It truly was absolutely fascinating getting to know them all over again.

And last,but not least,the best thing about SPLINTERED is probably its main characters which Carroll definitely should have included in his version of Wonderland.Their roles were set wonderfully to fit in with the story and all of their dialogues were really fun to read.Here's a bit more about them:

Alyssa: Descendant of Alice Liddell,the Alice from Alice In Wonderland.But she's totally different from the Alice we are familiar with.I bet Alice wouldn't dare step on a skateboard or get dreadlocks for her hair.*snickers* If Lewis Carroll was alive right now,he'd probably have a heart attack if he saw Alice's descendant.

"I have this character flaw?Called dignity?"
-Alyssa,Splintered

Jeb: Alyssa's long-time crush.Hot guy alert!This guy's absolutely awesome(and the first fictional crush I've ever had who ISN'T a bad boy) but he's got a piercing on his lip so I'm not sure if my mum would approve of him.But he's totally swoonworthy.He's protective of Alyssa and is an artist too. Alyssa's quite lucky to have a guy like that by her side.To be frank,I'm jealous!

“I go where Al goes, dances-with-bugs. And just so you know, if anything happens to her,
I'll pin you by your wings to a corkboard and use you for dart practice.”
-Jeb,Splintered

Morpheus: A mysterious character in Wonderland who gets Alyssa's heart racing.In other words,he's the bad boy of this story.Anything more than that would be counted as spoilers.

"Mysterious. Rebellious. Troubled. All those qualities women find irresistible."
-Morpheus,Splintered


SPLINTERED is one book you definitely do not want to miss out on.It will make you see Alice In Wonderland from a whole new aspect and who knows?Maybe it might make you pick up the unabridged version all over again,and this time not because it is included in your school curriculum.