Stephen Lawson

Alice in Wonderland works as a piece of surrealist fantasy because it has grounding “in the real world.” We have a point of reference to why things are strange because Alice comes from a world like ours, with no talking rabbits, no size changing potions, and no croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs. Wonderland is separate from Here. In this novel, Wonderland and Here are one. The characters such as The Cheshire, The Rabbit (of which there were two), and The Walrus are name only versions of their Wonderland counterparts, and most of them are human trafficking rapists. The world of Alice has Magicians (who are supposedly gone. There is a twist that will leave you very unsurprised), potions, mermaids, but they’re all normal, except their not, but they are… it’s a mess. The writing is occasionally fun, Henry occasionally uses language that sounds like it could belong in Lewis Carroll’s work, but then the moment passes and you’re left with an empty feeling. I think this books is mostly supposed to be dark romance. But Alice and “Hatcher” are just so bland, you don’t care. Hatcher is a broody killer with a tender heart, and Alice is a grown woman who is still “childlike.” It’s a problem. All in all, not worth the read.