Spotlight: Splintered by A.G. Howard

 

 

 

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 1st 2013 by Amulet Books

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
 

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

I’m a huge fan of Alice. Like, I’ve read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at least five times. I adore the Disney version, and love Burton’s adaptation. And—I’ve even been planning to get a tattoo for the past year. No lie. So when I saw the cover for Splintered, I actually screamed a little, and did a really embarrassing butt shake. I just KNEW this book was going to be amazing. But then that little nagging voice in the back of my head started taunting, saying that nothing would live up to my favorites. I was a little scared to read it, actually.

From the first chapter, I knew Howard had created something different, something original, while somehow blending the old with the new. It’s not a retelling—it’s a new story within the original text, with new characters using Alice and Wonderland as the foundation. Honestly, I wondered if it was intimidating for Howard to write a continuation of something so renowned, and if the author had feared broaching this story, if she had tried to rely too much on the original text, it wouldn’t have taken flight. But in Howard’s hands, the beauty of the eerily captivating world and wonderful characters shine through, giving it a life of its own.  

Howard’s writing is lyrical, though strong, precise, and clear. She weaves grotesque madness with grace and style, effortlessly guiding the reader through the lunacy and splendor of this world. Alyssa is the teen girl I love to read about. Headstrong, awkward, cool, loveable. I made an instant connection with her. And Jeb—all I can say is hot damn. I’m a sucker for pieced and tatted guys with big hearts. Not to steal Jeb’s thunder, but Morpheus is swoon-worthy on a dark and mysterious level. He added a depth to the story without detracting from the romance between Jeb and Alyssa—a difficult thing to pull off.

An amazing, beautiful read that will have you holding your breath, falling in love with romance all over again, and chasing rabbits, looking for the rabbit hole. A must read for fantasy lovers. 

Miniview with author A.G. Howard:

Disney's Alice in Wonderland or Tim Burton's?

Disney’s for the storyline (because it’s closest to the original books) and Burton’s for the visual aspects (because it’s STUNNING).

Theme song for Splintered? (I personally kept hearing Take a Walk on the Wild Side while reading!)

Haha! I LOVE your choice. My choice would be a song that captures the essence of Wonderland’s magic and madness along with the relationships between my antagonist / protagonists. My favorite is White Rabbit, by Egypt Central (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibY_gw5PstU). I like this particular video because the lyrics are divided into white and red text. The red represents my antagonist Morpheus's POV, while the white reps my hero/heroine's. For a look at my entire playlist and the scenes they inspired, hop over to my website here (http://anita-authoraghoward.blogspot.com/p/book-playlists.html).

One thing you must have while writing? 

Music.

Character cast: who would you pick to play your characters? 

That’s so tough! I’m torn between Emily Brown and Britt Robertson for Alyssa; and also waffling between Ethan Peck, Diego Boneta, and Garrett Hedlund for Jeb. But, Ben Barnes is my definite choice for Morpheus, with his British brogue and that sexy combination of suave, grace, and wicked beauty. I have a character poll on my website here (http://anita-authoraghoward.blogspot.com/p/splintered-characters.html) and also a casting pinterest board here (http://pinterest.com/splinteredbook/casting-for-splintered/) for anyone who would like pick their own favorites. It even has options for Alyssa’s mom, dad, Jenera, and Taelor.

Tattoos or piercings? 

Both please. ;)

Author website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads