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

 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

Amazon/Barnes & Noble

The Cover Contessa's Review:

I want to thank Amulet/Abrahms publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. Once I heard ARCs would be available for review for a blog tour, I jumped on it, all limbs in because I knew I just had to read this one as soon as possible! Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.

Blurb from 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.

Of course I must start with the cover of this book. When it was released I squeed VERY loudly. I think my whole office and then some heard me. This cover is just perfectly gorgeous and goes along so well with the first book of this series. I love colors for sure. They are dark and mysterious, as is Morpheus, who appears on the cover. And the small touches: Morpheus's tie is a moth, there's an ant on the collar of his shirt, the blue light radiating from his hair. They all fit in so perfectly with the story. I love those little touches.

As with the first book, this one is told from Alyssa's perspective and her voice is just perfect. Howard has a knack of really making me like Alyssa, even makes me want to be Alyssa despite all the craziness she encounters. At the same time, I want to smack her around! She drives me nuts with her indecisiveness. I just want her to choose the Wonderland (NO!) or human (YES!) realm and stick with it! Ok, so I'm partial to wanting her to stay in our world and keep her relationship with Jeb. BUT, I do understand her pull to Morpheus's world, as well. AFter all, she is half Netherling, so it makes sense that she would be somewhat torn. And where would the story be if that tension did not exist?

And Morpheus, oh gosh, he's one I just love to hate. He's totally infuriating. One minute I feel for him, I want him to win Alyssa's heart and turn her towards Wonderland. The next I want to flick him across the room while he's in his moth state and watch him splatter against the wall. He's snarky and so unbelievably cocky, but at the same time he has this caring side that you can tell is itching to get through. He has those moments when you think for sure the light will click, he'll understand what it is Alyssa needs and forget about putting himself first. But it never turns out that way and he just makes me mad!

Jeb, well, he's loyal and swoony. He's like the perfect guy all rolled up in this nice little package. He fights for what he wants, which I love about him. And he's SO forgiving. I mean, after what he's been through you would think he would just crack and walk away from it all. But he doesn't. He stays and he fights and he loves and he keeps coming back. It's like watching a crazy pinball game where you keep thinking the ball is definitely going to go down the hole but hits just the right spot to bounce back and make another round about the board!

And Howard's writing is so unbelievable. It's fluid and haunting and dark and encompasses all the elements of madness you saw in Spilintered. She makes the creepiest things jump of the page and throw themselves in your face. The most amazing descriptions that pull you right into Alyssa's world. You see the bugs, the flowers, the sky, the scenery. You see how things move and progress and change. Her words pull at your heart. They make you laugh, smile, cry, screen and kick your feet. I am pretty sure I felt every emotion possible as I read through this book and all of them were evoked through Howard's seamless writing.

The plot, well, I can say that I had a harder time getting into this book than the first one. The story takes place a year after the events of Splintered. At first, I really wasn't sure why. I got frustrated because I wanted so much to like this book as much as the first. Howard needed to do a lot of world building at the beginning so we would understand where the story was going by the middle. Because despite having been introduced to all the characters and the world of Wonderland, Howard chooses to keep this story mostly in the human realm. So I can see where she needed lay it all out before us and bring us to a pinnacle, a breaking point. Once I got to where she needed to have me, I totally understood the build up and it didn't detract from the story. It was like that slow climb up the first hill of the roller coaster. You have all this anticipation, all this build up as it slowly makes it way to the top. Then you reach the top and you get pulled over so fast the your heart races. Yeah, I would pretty much say that's how this book should be summed up.

And the ending???? Well, of course I don't want to spoil it, but you will want to read Ensnared RIGHT THEN AND THERE! I am not happy that I have to wait so long to see how Alyssa resolves her latest predicament!

If you're ready to settle into a new side of Alyssa's world, then sit back and hold on to your seat, because this book takes you there. The ride is exhilarating and incredible and just unbelievably delightful. If you love Wonderland, you're going to love the Netherlings coming to our world and wreaking their havoc! GO, READ, LOVE, I know I did!

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s 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.

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