Received a copy from the author herself, for an honest review and this does not affect my rating or review of the book, thank you!
This Kingdom is a place where human's dreams reside. Each person here is a person's dream in your world. This is where they prosper and escape to.
4 Creepy Stars!
Wow, this book took my breath away! I really enjoyed the setting of this book and how it was so beautifully detailed throughout. I loved learning about the Red and White Kingdom, the Heart Kingdom, and the newest one, Dream Kingdom! I thought it was greatly executed and I devoured most of the book in one setting!
I especially enjoyed the character development, particularly Alice's and Malcom's.
Alice is an ordinary girl, a girl with big dreams and a passion for art, anime and movies. There were so many references to movies here, it was quite fun to read. My only critique of Alice's character is she is very immature at the start, and when I read the first chapters, it was quite hard to read past her immaturity. BUT I liked the progress of Alice's growth once she enters Wonderland and begins her journey. I greatly admired Alice's strong headed and curious mind. She can be very dependent of others, like her parents, Kate her best friend and the boys in Wonderland to save her from danger, but by the end we see a new, transformed and independent Alice and I loved it! She is so strong-willed and its wonderful to see female heroines portrayed like this.
A place where I could be myself.
But was that true? I mean, did I actually ever act like myself around others? Did I really know how to act around others or was it all just a lie? Was I simply trying to fit in all the time, or was this who I was? I felt as if I didn't know anymore, not after the condemning I received from my parents and the shadows I hide in at school. So the question really was, who was I? ~ Alice
Malcom is the [Mad] Hatter in this story, but he is not mad as the stories portray him to be. His character was perhaps the most fascinating for me to read about. There is so much of Malcom's past that we do not know about. He has his flaws and his secrets, even though he carries authority wherever he goes, you can sometimes see glimpses of his fears and insecurities which I loved. His relationship with Alice may not be obvious but I can why Alice might have had a little something for him. While Malcom has a dark side of him, he does care for those around him and I loved that we could see this from time to time.
As for drinks, I should have guessed. There were at least seven pots of tea on the table. Malcolm had four glasses in front of him, each containing a different type of tea. He saw me staring at him. "What is it?" Malcolm asked. I shook my head. "Nothing. It's just that if I had any doubts of who you all were in the stories, I don't anymore." ~ Alice to Malcolm
Chase was a very interesting character, he is the Cheshire Cat that we have all come to love in the stories and films, and in Hoots portrayal, she did it justice. He is funny, a trickster and a prankster and I loved his easy-going nature. However there is also a side of him that I didn't know I wanted to see! Chase, while he does act carefree, he is also serious about wanting to help others despite his loyalties-to-on-one policy. Chase was a fun character to read about, even though he did get on my nerves a few times. This is seen many times when he tries to intervene between Malcolm and Alice (This is why I hate love triangles!). But I know he means well, we shall see where his story goes in the next books.
"That is why you learn to land on your own feet. You can't only rely on others so much, and while it is great to have people around you to support you, it is up to you to make the final effort to stand tall. That is what I have learned and what I live by." ~ Chase to Alice
Overall, I thought this was a fantastic story, full of mystery, creepy things that will eat you alive, wonderful descriptions of the Wonderland World and how Alice and her friends go on to try and defeat the Nightmare that has plagued this world.
"You are a girl with an artistic imagination. With imagination, you can do anything in this world. Don't forget that." ~ Howard to Alice
Grab a copy of this book! This is a great start to the series and I know the next books will be just as intense as this one!
~ Karen xx
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