Friday 25 July 2014

Guess Who's Becoming A Pinch 'Unhinged'



I will admit, the ending of 'Splintered'  (A.G. Howard and last weeks review) did not have me dying of desperation for a sequel, as it didn't really end on the classic cliffhanger you expect of a book with a sequel. However, I was intrigued to see the life Alyssa built for herself without Wonderland, and particularly with her family and I thought this book would most likely be quite like the first, with different adventures thrown in for variety. I was wrong. It's so, so much better than that. 

Sequels have a tendency in films to try and remake their original, and create a slightly paler version. Luckily, 'Unhinged' does not make the same mistakes. Standing as a slowly unravelling mystery, wrapped in a thriller, it does an excellent job of not attempting to remake the constant pace and action of the first. This story creeps inside your skin in a way that the first didn't quite manage for me (which, to be fair, is near damn impossible in firsts in series), and it shone for this. The tone and style have really moved with the story, and all the cracks of betrayal were so well placed I can honestly say I didn't see all of them coming. Alyssa grew a lot in this novel as well, and she's stopped having irritating moments, which became known collectively in my head as "You can't tell me what to do, you're not my Dad" moments. Wonderland was as well created as I mentioned in my previous review (I won't start again on that fangirling, I promise), and I love the growth of newer characters from 2D to humans, like her mum, the Ivory Queen, Chessie etc. But, more than anything, I liked the way the plot swerved in this book, and being a fan of the story may sound old fashioned, but it's what really sold 'Unhinged' to me.

I had two problems with this Wonderland novel, the first of which was that it lacked Wonderland for me. I know that it was intended to represent the differences between it and the real world, and the infiltration of the real world by netherling magic, but as the creation of Wonderland was so strong in 'Splintered', I missed it a little here (although the train and the iron bridge were very clever). I raise my hands in prayer that the final book will be set entirely in the other realm. My other issue actually began on Twitter with the hashtags #MothMinions and #JebJunkies. My largest problem with both the gentlemen is that firstly, despite both of them knowing Alyssa's potential and power, they still feel the need to patronise and protect her (Morpheus, I'll admit, less so, but it is still very much there). My other issue is that neither of them are all that nice, or even understanding, to her during the story, and seem to have a strange desire to possess her rather than love her. Maybe it's because I don't fall for Jeb's diamond-in-the-rough style or Morpheus' seductive charms, but I'm tagging #AlyssaAgency.


Having said this, I did really appreciate the way Alyssa's love life was treated in this novel, more than the first, where her journey and her work towards defeating the forces of evil worked alongside the romance, rather than it simply jumping front of the plot occasionally. 'Unhinged' builds on 'Splintered' in the best way, and Howard has really done an excellent job with this development. It's a gripping read, that really works on the mystery behind the story, and, more than anything, leaves me dying for Book Three. 2015 can't come quicker.

Friday 18 July 2014

I Apologise If My Mind Is A Little 'Splintered'


Firstly, I begin this blog with a huge apology, as I failed to upload last week. I had a CRAZY busy week, with London Film and Comic-Con and Young Adult Literature Con, and I just didn’t get everything finished in time. However, in order to make up for this, I have a real treat for you all this week, as I got to jump down the rabbit hole, and, thanks to Abrams and Chronicle, was lucky enough to read ‘Splintered’ by A.G. Howard.
                To begin with, and I know this is little to do with the book itself, but the cover is beautiful, so much so that pretty much every one of my housemates have picked it up and began the first couple of pages (most of whom have now finished the whole book whilst I slept). It’s also very appropriate for a book that lures you in as ‘Splintered’ does. Set in modern day, Alyssa suffer from the fear of going mad as all the women in her family do, with fantastical notions of Wonderland, which, of course, all turn out to be all too real, as she discovers when she jumps down the rabbit hole. I am not a strong purist, and twists on classics are something I really enjoy, but even if you don’t, this book and Lewis Carroll’s are by no means mutually exclusive. The self-referential nature of this book means it cleverly builds on the original, rather than erases or alters it. I particularly enjoyed the physical re-imaginings of the Wonderland creatures, which, whilst being adorable as an eccentric hatter and white bunny, were fascinating as a man with no face and a skeletal creature with huge antlers respectively. Howard’s visual description is a true credit to her writing ability, and she brings Wonderland to life in a way that is capturing and still horrifying (Burton, take note!).
                But the romance plot in this novel waivered a little for me in places. Alyssa’s suitor Jeb occasionally went from very wooden to sudden fiery, and although Morpheus seemed unreal, he at least had an excuse. Saying that (spoiler alert!), Morpheus being forgiven by Alyssa at the end of the novel made absolutely no sense to me after all he’d done, regardless of his unreal nature. I also worried that Howard allowed the romance to over-run the story a little too much in places. The action was plentiful in the book, and, as I said, the creation of Wonderland so brilliant, that its time as a highlight in the plot dragged a little in places. I know that it was necessary, and it did act as a good cohesive for the chaos plot twist, however, I really think Alyssa’s character didn’t need the amount of support that the men seemed to keep trying to give her. Then again, as her independence and agency is what she’s trying to establish all along, something she even manages to achieve romantically in the end, I think I can forgive Howard’s break from action for Alyssa’s love life.
                I could go on forever about my love for the recreation of Wonderland in the novel, and the re-imagining of its inhabitants would take another eternity to follow that, however I think if I shorten it down a little, I would simply say that Howard has really achieved a detailed, intricate and charming fantasy world in this novel, which is by far something to be praised. Even better was getting a chance to say “Curiouser and curiouser” in real life, following the twisting plot of this delectable story.

Tune in next week, for a review of the sequel 'Unhinged'!

Friday 4 July 2014

Am I A True 'Fangirl'?

                                         

Thanks to Ninja Book Swap, I got the chance to read Rainbow Rowell’s interesting new book ‘Fangirl’. I won’t lie, as a member of multiple fandoms, I was really excited by the prospect of it being treated in a near mainstream light in this book, jargon intact and all, but I have to be honest, Rainbow Rowell surprised me quite a bit with this one.
                There were a lot of elements to like about this book. The fandom that the main character Cath is a part of is clearly a copy, in a lot of ways, of Harry Potter, something I adore and have done for as long as I can really remember now, and the main ship that Cath chooses to sail with is that of Simon and Baz (aka Harry and Draco). This wrongfooted me a little, because when people preach this pairing, I can’t get my head around it, but that is my personal choice and a niggle critique I will admit. The comedy that arose from a lot of the “them and us” mentality (by which I mean Cath versus everyone who knew nothing about internet fandoms) was really well executed, and, however much I’d like to believe people are more open-minded, I felt for Cath at the points when she tried to explain how Baz and Simon could be in relationship, only to hear the response, “Pfft, Simon isn’t gay!” This book felt really well researched in its knowledge of fan-fiction and fan communities, and the sorority you feel for Cath and Wren when they hold the eighth Simon Snow in their hands is touching in a way that I didn’t expect. The romance, between Levi and Cath, felt equally well constructed, and with its stumbles and fix-ups feeling a lot less ridiculous-sweeping-romantic-gesture (for once in YA!), and it veering far nearer to a realistic-honest-and-even-occasionally-painful kind of affection.
                I had, however, a lot of problems with this book in certainly equal measure. Cath’s character was one where I couldn’t understand why any reader would like her unless they were exactly like her. She came across as dismissive and very judgemental, and, most of all, she was never punished for any bad decisions she made. For example, skipping class and missing an exam and not really even bothering to inform anyone was resolved by her easily retaking the exam and getting another two chances for her final assignment. This was particularly poignant as Wren seemed to be punished even more than average, as she seemed to only drink socially, something Cath was very judgemental and even, at points, cruel about, and she got alcohol poisoning and was grounded (in a sense) by their father. This imbalance seemed to support Cath’s “never anything new at all ever” viewpoint a little too much for me, making it seem as though Cath’s decision to be closeminded was the correct one and that Wren, who dared to try and establish an independent life from her sister, including seeing their mother for the first time, was wrong in every sense. I understand juxtaposition, but I really think that Cath’s character development (which was really only that she stopped writing fan-fiction for school projects and would talk to a person that wasn’t Wren or her boyfriend) was really tainted by the fact that she just never learnt anything and that the world simply changed around her, rather than the reverse.
                Overall, I have mixed feelings on this book. Whilst I love its link to fandoms, and I think it is a really clever way to show someone coming out of their shell, I am disappointed that there was little growth in a character who really needed to grow up, if only a little. Maybe I will have to begin some fan-fiction of my own to add a few tweaks (in my head) to what was otherwise a very funny and heart-warming book.