Unhinged by A.G. Howard | website | twitter |
Read by: Rebecca Gibel |goodreads profile|
Publisher/Year: Amulet Books | December 17, 2013
Pages: 387
Audiobook Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Time: 13 hours 12 min
Series: Splintered Book 2
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Format: Audiobook
Source: Cincinnati Library Overdrive
Warning: If you haven’t read the first book, there will be spoilers.
Summary (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.
Shannan’s Summary
Alyssa has returned to the human realm, and has settled into a mostly normal life. Her mother is now living at home and Jeb is talking about the two of them starting their art careers together in London. The only problem is the dreams Alyssa can’t escape and the Paintings that show a foreboding future.
Then one day Morpheus shows up and starts a series of events that will make Prom a night to remember.
First Off…
I loved the first one and couldn’t wait to start this one, and since I started the series as an audiobook, I decided to continue on that route.
Thoughts:
Oh man. I loved this book. I tried to listen to this book as I was doing other things around the house and wound up sitting there listening most of the time. The story was a little slow at first, but picked up quickly and further developed all the characters in the book. You get to find out more of the backstory of Alyssa’s mom. Morpheus is typical morpheus, and yet deeper in this book. Jeb has no memory of what happened in wonderland, and Alyss is struggling with how to tell him.
I saw a couple things coming, especially with Alyssa and her mom and dad, but not in a way where I was crazy confident in them. I also was intrigued by seeing the wonderland people outside of wonderland and how they fold into human life. One thing I absolutely loved is how the Title got woven into the story. It gave me goose bumps when it happened. I don’t remember Splintered being woven into the book, or at least it wasn’t as obvious.
My only issue with the book was that it felt like a second book. Even though I liked it more than other second books, it still was heavy in character development and lacking in balanced action. Granted I loved the build up and the mystery but the fact that you know it’s going to leave you hanging always seems to spoil it a little. Not that it is really a fault anyone. It’s just a personal thing.
In the End
Great second book. Can’t wait to see how it all ends.
10 Second Summary:
- Great character development: You get to know more about what drives all the characters in this book, and find out a lot more about Alyssa’s mom.
- There’s more magic: You start seeing more magic in this one. I find the rules for magic in this series intriguing and hope there’s a little more in the next book.
- Started book three right away: This one’s a cliffhanger with no closure. You’ll want to start book three immediately
Hardback. I love the look of all the covers, can’t wait to get all three.