Splintered (Splintered Series #1)
4.6
173
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781419709708 |
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| Publisher: | ABRAMS |
| Publication date: | 02/18/2014 |
| Series: | Splintered Series , #1 |
| Pages: | 400 |
| Sales rank: | 68,267 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.48(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.15(d) |
| Age Range: | 14 - 17 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
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Splintered
4.6 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
173 reviews.
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I've always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland. When I heard SPLINTERED was Wonderland, only darker and a lot more delicious, I was dying to get my hands on it.
Lucky for me, SPLINTERED is just as good as I expected. No, not just as good. It exceeded my expectations and topped my list of requirements. It was incredibly good. Dark and delicious. Totally awesome.
Yes. That good.
A.G. Howard knows how to keep the words flowing, the world growing, and the characters living. I'm not normally a fan of pony-tailed guys, but Jebediah Holt is an exception. I mean, come on, isn't his name hot enough? And then there's Alyssa Gardener - daughter of a madwoman who sips pot roast from a tea cup. She's a skateboarder, a bug artist, and an all around unique protagonist you won't find anywhere else.
And then there's Morpheus - the bad guy with a soft side and an amazing accent and fashion sense. He also happens to be a moth. I especially loved him in the end.
SPLINTERED is a whirlwind of fun. Dangerously thrilling tea parties, flesh-eating flowers, walrus eating clams (no, it isn't the other way around) - SPLINTERED has the whole shebang. Including a story that will make you feel all the feels and end with your heart racing. In a good way.
Rest assured, there isn't a cliff hanger ending, though I would love to see more of Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus. In fact, the ending is perfect. From start to finish, SPLINTERED is a must-read. Trust me when I say it's as gorgeous inside as it is on the outside. A.G. Howard is an author to watch.
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This is the greatest young adult fairy tale story I've ever read! I hope there will be a part two!! I fell in love with Morpheous he is tricky and wicked but also amazing and loving. I love how Alice is both dark & light/ good & bad. I love what she looks like when she's in Wonderland, truly amazing and more than beautiful! This is my top 5 favorite book! A total must read no matter how old you are!
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Sometimes a book comes along that grabs hold of you with every quirky, wonderful thing it has and doesn't let go. You become completely engrossed in the author's world and when you have to come back down from your cloud it's completely disorienting. Splintered is that book. Like many of you I grew up loving Alice In Wonderland. I'll admit it gave me some pretty interesting nightmares as a kid but mostly I fell in love with curious Alice, the goofy Mad Hatter and especially that clever albeit creepy Cheshire Cat. So, with that being said, I'm always apprehensive when a re-telling or continuation comes along. Luckily Splintered does real justice to our Alice. Howard pays tribute to Carroll's story while at the same time creating her own version. The mixture of Carrollian nonsense and whimsy mixed with real emotion and depth of character make this the perfect companion to the original tale. I think Mr. Carroll would be proud.
LIKES:
Wonderfully dark - Howard definitely does not shy away from the unsettling and morbid. That's part of what makes this such a cool reading experience. Alyssa, our heroine, is an artist. Her medium: dead bugs. This could be considered just gross until you find out that she can speak to bugs. Just as a little taste here's the first couple of lines of Splintered:
"I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick."
And we're off to a running start. Wow. Now, I admit that I have an aversion to bugs so I feel no sympathy for them. Had this been a sentence about puppies I would have shut the book immediately. However, bugs are fair game and this line is just so raw and full of angst and ick that it sucked me right in. This darkness follows throughout the whole story. One of the best parts about this book is Alyssa having to face her own darkness. It really enhances the story and makes it a lot of fun to read.
I actually like the (sort of) love triangle - Okay, so I don't know if this can actually be considered a love triangle, but that's probably why I enjoyed it. Alyssa loves Jeb. They are obviously meant to be together. He's sweet, trustworthy, fun and super duper hot, also human. Then there's Mothra *cough* I mean Morpheus. Also hot, and snarky, amazing and magical. But her love for Morpheus seems more platonic. They have a mutual admiration for one another and an unbreakable bond. Even if he wants more. Still, I loved the back and forth between the guys. It added a lot of humor to the story.
MORPHEUS!!! - Three things you need to know about this guy: he is the ultimate bad boy, he has an adorable British accent, and he has an insurrection hat. I'm sold. The only problem was that I couldn't picture him as he was described. I adore Once Upon a Time and all I could picture when reading this was Jefferson. But I'm cool with that.
I mean seriously how can I not? Good grief.
Plenty of Wonderland for purists - One of the things I was most worried about was how Wonderland would be portrayed. Would it be recognizable? Gladly, Splintered is filled with allusions to the original book. One of the most fun parts of reading this book was finding all of the little Alice Easter eggs hidden inside its pages. Although all of the characters have been changed in some way, they are still recognizable and Howard ties the stories together brilliantly.
DISLIKES:
Sometimes Alyssa makes me shake my head - Okay so it's not like Alyssa is stupid by any means but some of her decisions can be filed under "things that make me go 'hmm'". A great example is when she decides to get a forged passport and fly to England by herself. Apparently our heroine has never seen Locked Up Abroad.
Too much explanation of things we should be able to figure out on our own - this is probably the only thing that really bothered me about this book. Although they were relatively few, there were several instances where the author explained too much about the plot, when it would have been more fun to figure it out on my own. Luckily this didn't happen too often and it didn't really damage the reading experience.
Even with the couple of flaws that I found I have to give this book five stars. I was completely captivated by Alyssa, Jeb and all of the netherlings. Howard has managed to create a new version of Wonderland that is just as exciting, enticing and mad as the original. I know it may only be January but I would be surprised if this one doesn't end up on my best of 2013 list. It was just that good. I can't wait to see what else A.G. Howard does with her writing. I'll certainly be first in line to read her next book.
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One of the best novels I've read in a long time...
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This is a wonderful book. It has a fun and exciting story line. If you are wondering if this book is any good, dont wonder anymore. You will be pleased.
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Well this is what I was looking for! If you have every read Alice and Wonderland and enjoyed it, then I highly recommend that you read this book. It's every bit as crazy as the original!
I particularly enjoyed the fact that Alyssa is trying so hard to be normal. It can't be easy when you are the relative of Alice Liddell and everything is joke in reference to the original story. She's in love with her best friend who happens to be dating the queen bee of Alyssa's tormentors. It's no wonder she doesn't want people to think she might be following the family tradition. But, when she discovers that Wonderland might actually be real, she stops at nothing to figure out how to get there. She has to find a way to save her family from the curse they are under.
The minute she enters Wonderland is when the really awesome part of the story starts. If you've read Alice in Wonderland, you know that the story is nothing like the Disney version. Take the original and add to it and you might have an idea of what the read Wonderland might be like. There were so many aspects of this story that I just latched on to. I loved how Alyssa has to correct the mistakes that Alice made that the characters have been living with. It never dawned on me that havoc Alice's visit might have created. I was completely taken with our wise caterpillar, despite that agenda he might have had. He was a surprising complex character.
The journey to correct those mistakes was interesting. I had forgotten how Wonderland is a little bit of a twisted place and nothing is as it seems. I loved how the author was able to incorporate those idiosyncrasies and add her own twist to the story. Everything seemed to be a riddle and need to be solved in a way the fit Wonderland and not the world we know.
This was really so close to a 5 star book for me. But, the end kind of lost me. I know what Alyssa was trying to do, but it was really too much. It felt like too much happened it just a couple pages and I was left to process it all. It was one of the instances were I had to go back and reread to make sure I had understood what had really just happened. I'm not sure there was another way to solve it though.
Overall, a fantastic add on to the story of Alice in Wonderland. If you've never read the original, you might be surprised by how dark Wonderland really is. I however, loved it!
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One day I went into Barnes and Noble to look for a good book to buy and read. I went to the teen fantasy section and saw Splintered. I thought that the cover looked so hypnotic and I immediately picked it up from the shelf and started to skimmed through the book. First off, I loved the font color. I know most people don't really care about that, but it was unique to see a different color. I love the chemistry between Alyssa and Morpheus. I know she's not a fan of him in this book, but you can still feel it. I honestly love this series and I now own all of the books. I could read this book all day long.
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I love alice in wonderland stories. This is a very good book, and I thought it was a novel. Its not, its a series, and I'm looking forward to book two :)
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Dark, twisted Alice in Wonderland! 297 pages of nonstop twists. I could not stop reading. Loved this book, highly recommend to everyone!
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Absolutely loved it! Ms. Howard is off to a brilliant start. This is the best adaptation of Carroll's Wonderland I have ever read.
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Deliciously mad!!! Is the only words I can think of to describe this book. Pick it up and read A.G. Howard will net fail you I promise :D
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I love Splintered!!!!!!!!! I finished in within two days. my friend's, Taylor Barnett, dad's cousin is A. G. Howard and i want to meet her so bad
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First things first my name is Alison curran. I love your book.This book feels like I'm actually in the real Wonderland. The part I like the most is at the end when Alyssa Gardner told Tealor what she can't do. I have read this book3 times already.
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I love love love this book!! Its great and Jeb is sooooooo HOT!
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This book consumed me, I just couldn't get enough. I loved it beginning to end! Poor Alyssa, she hears flowers and bugs talking and she's afraid she'll turn up like her mother. She tries hard to act sane so she doesn't end up in an asylum like Alison. Alison tells her it's the family curse that Alice created when she went to Wonderland. In order to break it Alyssa decides to go to fix it. Jeb her hot neighbor/friend/crush stumbles upon the journey also. So together they accomplish the tasks. We can't forget the mysterious Morpheus. He's her guide and ally down there, but he has his own motives.
Wonderland is completely different from the Disney version. It's more dark and creepy. If you like Alice in Wonderland re-tellings then you will definitely enjoy this.
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(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Abrams and Netgalley.)
Alyssa is hiding a secret. For the past six years, ever since she got her first period she has been able to hear plants and bugs talking, sometimes to her and sometimes to each other. As mad as this sounds, what scares Alyssa most is that her mother has been in an asylum for years for exactly the same reason. That’s why she doesn’t let anyone know what she can hear for fear of being locked up too.
Alyssa has a legacy to uphold though, her ancestor was the real-life ‘Alice’ from the Alice in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll, and now it seems that it is up to her to break the curse on her family, caused by the original Alice’s actions.
Desperate to save her mother more pain and unnecessary treatments, Alyssa searches desperately for a way back to Wonderland to break the curse, and eventually finds herself down the rabbit hole with her secret crush Jeb.
Alyssa doesn’t understand how things work in Wonderland though, and the man who guided her there – Morpheus may not be as trustworthy as he originally seemed.
Can Alyssa possibly break the curse? Can she right Alice’s wrongs and set Wonderland to rights? Or will she find herself tangled up in an even bigger mess?
This was a total fairy-tale, filled with evil queens and helpless flowers! Alyssa was a fantastic ‘Alice’, and Wonderland was just so utterly strange and intoxicating.
Wonderland was a work of art in its own right, with no attention to detail spared. I don’t remember ‘Alice in Wonderland’ all that well, but each event in this book seemed to echo Alice’s original adventures, just with the twist that Alyssa was trying to put Alice’s wrongs to rights. The world building was elaborate and imaginative, and the storyline was new. There were also plenty of extra little touches to take this story from a copy, to a complex story in its own right.
I really liked Alyssa, and her fashion sense made me an instant fan! Love the gothic fairy look! (Imagine the girl on the cover with a bit more black eye makeup and some blue dreds among the golden locks and that’s the Alyssa in the story). She obviously wanted to help her mom, but she wasn’t a martyr either, and she did make mistakes. She was sort-of unprepared for what Wonderland would throw at her, and there was an on-going theme throughout the book that in Wonderland nobody can be trusted, and nothing is what it seems.
Jeb was a welcome addition to the story, with his continuous jokes and name-calling at Morpheus’ expense, and a hidden alpha-male protectiveness of Alyssa. The little touch of romance was good too, although I wasn’t overly impressed by the Alyssa-Jeb-Morpheus love triangle.
On the negative side, I did get quite confused towards the end. I found all the different things that were going on, and all the different ideas and prophecy stuff hard to follow, and I’m still not sure I really get it now. The storyline was quite complex, especially towards the end, and trying to work out exactly who said what, when, where, and why and what effect that had upon Alyssa’s present day situation was a bit difficult to follow, I think I’d need a pen and paper to try and work it out.
Overall though, this was an interesting spin on the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ story, with depth and character of its own, and if you like fairy tales, you’ll like this.
7 out of 10.
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Read Nov. 19th 2012
Splintered was enchanting and eerily dark. It took me a bit to get into it at the beginning, but it ended up pretty amazing. It's definitely not an everyday read, the details and descriptions are awesome and the dark insidious tale integrated into it makes the tale its own stand-alone story with Alice in Wonderland just a basis of it. I loved it!
Alyssa’s metamorphosis from grungy Goth teen to full blown Wonderland Netherling Queen was a painstaking journey, riddled with confusion, twists, scary characters and a world so different from Carroll’s classic tale, it can stand hauntingly on its own. The gruesome landscapes to the wondrous places Alyssa visits on her quest to free her family from the ‘Liddell Curse’ amplifies her hidden powers, suppressed memories and true self−bringing her to the conclusion that she and Queen Red are more similar than she ever would have thought.
I enjoyed how the author took this tale and spun it into her own. It had the right amount of darkness, turns and riddles to keep me wondering what the heck was going on, especially with the conniving Morpheus. I loved him, then hated him, then loved him again. He was that suave and he made Alyssa feel that way throughout the treacherous tasks she has to complete. I am amazed how things that didn’t make much sense at one point in the story, made absolute sense in the end. It was definitely a huge web of details that came into the heart of an unforgettable adventure. I wouldn’t mind a follow up of this at all, it would definitely be on my must read list.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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Wow. Splintered is one of the best debuts I've read all year. It seriously blew me away. I was scared to read it because it had such a gorgeous cover, and I've heard such great things about it, so I had really high expectations. I was not disappointed. Howard is a fantastic edition to the talented ranks of YA authors. The world-buliding was amazing, the characters were all unique and well-developed, and the plot was insane (in a good way). I'd recommend this book to anyone, and I know I will re-read it a billion times. Splintered cannot be missed.
The thing that stood out the most in this book was the world-building. Howard did an outstanding job at painting the landscape of Wonderland. I felt like I was actually there. I could easily picture the craziness that constituted Wonderland, and the insanity that surrounded Alyssa's life before she went to Wonderland. Even though I have never (thankfully) had bugs or plants talk to me, I still felt like I could relate to Alyssa because Howard made things so easy to imagine. I haven't had a reading experience like that in a long time.
The characters were unbelievably well-developed and unique, especially the Wonderland characters. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, even though no one was what they seemed. Howard kept me guessing about everyone, even Alyssa. I trusted Alyssa as a narrator, but she didn't even know who or what she was... other than kick-ass. Okay, well she didn't realize she was kick-ass, but I did, She was a strong and independent lead. She wasn't bratty, emo, or selfish, even though she had a tough life. She grew even stronger over the course of the novel, too, which I liked. Jeb was a terrific love interest, and for once, I was on the side of the nice guy. Morpheus grew on me, but I still liked Jeb better. Jeb was also unique, and was a bit of a "rebel," but he was still sweet. Morpheus was extremely selfish for a good part of the book. However, both Jeb and Morpheus evolved throughout the course of the novel, too. You don't see the love interests growing in most books, so this was a pleasant surprise. The other secondary characters, from both Wonderland and the mortal realm, stood out, too. There were no filler characters in this book.
The plot itself was non-stop suspense, but not a whole lot of action. There was tons of adventure, but not many "fight scenes" or anything like that. It was still impossible to put this book down, and the pacing was perfect. While there was a bit of love triangle, there was no insta-love, and there never was really any choice. Basically one guy served as a temptation while the other was the one Alyssa actually wanted. However, things got a bit complicated, and I'm curious to see if this will be a standalone novel or part of a series. The ending tied things up nicely, but there is room for a sequel if Howard and Amulet so choose.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially if they loved Alice in Wonderland. The world Howard created is a bit darker than Carroll's, but I liked it more because of that. I don't know what else to say other than this book is amazing. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.
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A wonderfully dark re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', 'Splintered' introduces the descendant of Alice, Alyssa. Obsessed with insects and flowers that she swears can talk, and with her mother in a mental institution, she has carefully hidden the truth from her father: that she believes she has inherited her mother's insanity. But things are not as they seem, as memories that she didn't know she had starts bubbling to the surface of her mind.
With all the other things going on in her life, she soon finds herself trapped in a love triangle between her best friend Jeb and the mysterious Morpheus. Down the rabbit hole she tumbles, and finds that the Wonderland in the book isn't quite what Carroll wrote about, full of dark creatures and malevolent beings, some of which want her dead. Why did Morpheus summon her to Wonderland? Is her family really cursed? Or are there more secrets?
This book is definitely not for everybody. It is full of grotesque descriptions, and there is a bit of romance in there. If you enjoy gritty stories with a dark twist, you'll love 'Splintered' but if you're squeamish, I suggest the original.
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Loved this new take on a classic. This was what I had hoped the Tim Burton films would have been like. A must read for any fan of Lewis Carrol.
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Well!
This book was a nightmare.
I'm going to break away from my usual review format here to tell you a little bit about why this HUGELY popular book, which gets 3.96 stars on Goodreads, made me desperately want to tear my hair out. Let's start at the very beginning.
Once we finally get to the asylum, we see Alyssa's mother dressed up like Alice in Wonderland. Behind her is a cartoon nurse with a needle filled with sedative and a wicked grin. By the end of this visit, mama dearest is being shot through with this stuff and stuffed in a straitjacket to be sent to a padded cell. Because crazy mum freaked out and tried to kill herself after the nurse left her alone and completely unsupervised with her daughter.
I have so many issues with this asylum, y'all.
Lets start with straitjackets. These horrible things aren't used for the good of the patients - in the 1800s and early 1900s, they were used for torture and punishment. Medically speaking, extended use of a straitjacket causes pooling of blood in the elbows and hands... any responsible medical facility wouldn't use them period but even if they did... mommy dearest would not be still in one at the end of the week. It's just unethical. To be honest, these things are relics of a misguided past and the imaginings of the worst horror films... they're almost never used in modern mental hospitals.
This is just one complaint I have with this mental hospital. The staff at this place are incredibly incompetent and reminds me strongly of a Victorian-era mental hospital. Was that on purpose? I don't know. But jumping right to ECT without any sign of psychotherapy is just wrong. The portrayal of Alyssa's mother as well... call her schizophrenic, but don't call her a 'psycho'.
There's a bit at the end where the hospital calls to say "Oops! We think the meds may have been making her crazy - our bad!". Seriously?
*sigh*
Moving on.
So Alyssa has no lost love for this woman. She embarrasses her, makes her uncomfortable. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN Alyssa is her mother's champion going down to Wonderland to stop the curse because she misses her mom so much.
For real? Ten minutes ago you didn't even want to visit the lady.
Once we get to Wonderland, so many people are so proud of Alyssa for accomplishing all her really difficult tasks! Look at you, brave Wonderful girl! You got away from the flowers by letting the other person get away from the flowers and rescue you! You're so brave! You soaked up a whole ocean by having a sponge in your pocket you forgot about. You're so resourceful.
HIGH FIVES EVERYONE.
Now, since this book is circa 2013, a love triangle is still rather expected. BUT THE LINES ARE SO CHEESY I WANT TO PUNCH THINGS.
For example:
“You’re the one who’s oblivious. Because there’s nothing brotherly about the way you make me feel.”
Obviously that one is a winner.
Then at one point, Jeb calls Morpheus a "son of a bug"... because hey! Look! A completely accurate and PG way to insult him! It was so cheesy I stopped listening and wrote it down. At least it's out of their system, right?
NOPE.
"Son of a bug" was used at least twice more that I caught. WHY.
I just... I can't even, guys. This was so painful, and SUCH a let down because the cover was so pretty, and it's an Alice in Wonderland Story. Howard's world building is truly incredible - very Alice: Madness Returns. But her characters are the ABSOLUTE WORST.
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I love it. You have managed to make someting darkly creepy, yet sexy and innocent, and I will treasure this book for the rest of my days. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!:D
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AMAZING!! I loved it. It's exactly what I've been looking for for years. Will continue to read and rerewd for years. The rest of the series is amazing as well.
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Imagine this an 18 year old girl strolling through the aisles of Barnes and Noble in search of new books. Her eyes scanning the shelves waiting for something to catch her eye. Nothing so far, she is ready to give up defeated before her sights are set on a book called "Splintered". She picks it up in curiosity, she examines and reads the back before she felt something she hadn't felt in a while. Excitement. She picked up the book and noticed next to it a book titled "Unhinged" she picks that up to her eyes widening with even more excitement! Next to that a third book "Ensnared". This seemed to good to be true! Last but not least a fourth book "The moth in the mirror". She died and had gone to heaven.
Kidding! Well somewhat. This all happened and when I first read the back of the book I was intrigued. A.G. Howard created a world of her own and allowed me to envision it. Her writing flows and leaves you wanting more. I really hat love triangles because I feel they cause to much drama, but A. G. Howard made me rethink that.
The world she created was beautiful, I was hooked on every word and spent most nights saying "Just one more chapter!" (Completely lied to myself). By the end of the first book I immediately needed to start the second and the same with the third and fourth. It doesn't take a lot to make me cry and I was in tears by the end of the third book and the fourth. I don't know if it's just me (hopefully not). I grew to love the characters so much that my friends made fun of me for it.
After I finished the series I was left wanting more but knew I couldn't have it because the way it ended was perfect. I think that in ten years I will still remember this series, it will live on in my heart forever. It's the type of book that even after finishing it, it will wit with you.
After finishing the series I continued to read more of A. G. Howard's books such as "Roseblood" (I cried), and "The architect of song" (also cried). The point is her writing left me wanting more and I'm glad I came across her books because it gave me a chance to read even more of her stories!
The Splintered series was a beautiful retelling of a well known story. I read it around nine months ago and I still think about it.
It's a series worth reading and I suggest it to anyone who loves Alice in Wonderland. I hope in the future the series is noticed by a much larger audience because I need people to fan girl with. I also hope that I will have the chance to read it again and relive the story of Alyssa, Jeb and Morpheus
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