Unhinged (Splintered #2)

4 Stars

It was SO awesome to be back into this world and all of it’s madness!! As always, A.G. Howard takes us through a world like no other; filled with insanity, madness, chaos, and LOTS of fun. And I LOVED every minute of it!!! 😉

I was quickly pulled back it to this world like I never even left it. Granted, I did read UNHINGED shortly after I read the first book, SPLINTERED. But the author was able to tie everything in nicely, allowing the reader to feel drawn back into the world and characters, and made me fall even more in love with it all!

THE PLOT

Alyssa’s finally made it out of Wonderland and back home to the human realm, but it’s a far cry from “Getting back to normal,” like she’s ever had a normal. But now her mother is freshly out of the asylum and controlling her like she was still five years-old. And her father is still in the dark about their heritage, and that her mother was never really crazy at all. And Jeb still doesn’t remember what happen in Wonderland, because “Technically”, he was never really even there. But to make matters even more insane, her blood is doing crazy stuff, and acting images out in her paintings. So between having to continue to lie to Jeb and her father, and having no one to turn to about what’s really going on in her life, besides her overly protective mother, and having blood with a mind of it’s own, yeah, it’s enough to drive anyone mad.

But just when Alyssa starts to think her life can’t get anymore complicated, Morpheus, the frustrating and extremely sexy Moth Man from her past shows up and throws her life back into the chaos and madness she left behind in Wonderland. And now he’s demanding she return back to Wonderland, because Red is up to her old tricks again, but this time, it’s not only all of Wonderland in danger, but the human realm too…

Now Alyssa must decide if she’s really willing to let Wonderland fall under the destruction that Red will surly bring, or if she’s ready to go back down the rabbit hole and into the same place that almost drove her utterly mad. Because Red is coming, and she wants revenge, and if Alyssa doesn’t bring the fight to her in Wonderland, then Red will definitely come to the human realm and bring the battle to her. One way or another, Alyssa must face Red in this upcoming battle for the crown she’s already won.

But before Alyssa can make her move and head back into Wonderland to gear up for war with Red, Wonderland literally walks into the human realm bringing tons of netherlings with it. But something isn’t right, and Alyssa knows Morpheus knows more then he’s letting on. But with so much going on, and all the crazy netherlings pouring in through the portals, her paintings turning up missing, and the scary little toys coming to life and following her around, and the bugs warning her that trouble is finally here, she realizes she may be to late. Red might already be here, and she’s not leaving unless it’s inside of Alyssa’s body, possessing her forever…

I really thought UNHINGED was a great sequel with lots of drama and tons of action and twist that I didn’t see coming. Which I loved, but at the same time, had some issues with! One being that the whole entire book was plotted in the human world. Which is okay, I guess, but I really missed being back in Wonderland, and thought at least some of the story would be plotted there. But it wasn’t, and I really didn’t like that aspect at all. Another small issue I had with UNHINGED was that it felt like there was way too much going on at once. I mean the whole plot was so fast, with things changing and different lies being revealed almost every other chapter. And it just got to be a little overwhelming. It wasn’t too bad, but sometimes I had to go back and reread a chapter that I just previously read to make sure I didn’t miss anything or read it the wrong way. But besides that, I thought it was a great sequel that I absolutely adored!

Overall, UNHINGED delivered on many levels and prepared us for one hell of a sequel, that I can’t WAIT to dig into soon!! A.G. Howard is just full of awesomeness, with a mind that can conjure up the most fascinating and intriguing plots that I have ever come across. And I would definitely read ANYTHING this author writes! So overall, I would highly recommend UNHINGED and this complete series to anyone looking for a book that’s thick-plotted, with sharp and developed characters, and a world that is full of utter maddens and pure chaos. Then UNHINGED and this series is definitely for you!!

NOTE: I received a physical ARC from Amulet Books for reviewing purposes! All opinions express are my own and are not influenced in any way!

A much slower read than Splintered, it was still fun following Alyssa’s torn soul through another Wonderland adventure. Though Unhinged takes place on this side of the mirror rather than in Wonderland itself, more characters are introduced, and reintroduced, to invade the normal life Alyssa has (mostly) decided to lead.

Doing her best to ignore her Wonderland side, Wonderland is far from finished with Alyssa, entrenching the one closest to her in a web that forces her to stop ignoring a side of herself she’s more than fond of, despite her insistence to keep it hidden.

The mother is incorporated much more in this installment, but I felt she was written more as a peer, rather than a generational voice. I wasn’t a fan. For me, the way she was integrated cheapened Alyssa’s character, and I felt the story was complex enough that this alternate possible source of drama was unnecessary. Her necessity as a tool to help tell Morpheus’ story, and to lead into the father’s story, which is integral to book three, I could see, but there were so many things about it I just wished were less.

Also, the ending was a bit underwhelming, though another fantastic setup for book 3. Having already finished the final installment of the Splintered Series, Ensnared, I can appreciate this second of the series better as more of a bridge from book one to three, rather than a fantastic story on its own. It’s not that I didn’t like this book, it was simply better when looked at through the scope of the whole, hence its lower rating than book one.

Morpheus, back to his old tricks, is intent on showing Alyssa how much of her Wonderland side she really does miss, even if it means upping his manipulation to a whole new level. Jeb, the same lovable and genuine guy from book one, is again caught in the middle, and I found my heart crying for the young couple’s trouble, so typical in its non-typical context.

If you liked Book one, this book is worth the read, especially as book three is well worth getting to.

🙂

Unhinged by A.G. Howard was a dark and twisted sequel to Splintered. Unhinged picks up several months after Splintered ended. Alyssa is trying to figure out her relationship with Jeb but it is a bit difficult because he doesnt remember any of their time in Wonderland. When Morpheus starts showing up in her dreams again, Alyssa wonders if something is up. Now that Wonderland is in danger again, Alyssa doesnt want to go back but she is afraid that she must if she is to say her beloved second home.

I really did like Unhinged. I felt like I really got know both Alyssa and Morpheus better in this book. I think Unhinged focuses a lot on Morpheus and who he is. I really liked getting to know Morpheus better. I think it all sequels where similar to this one then I would enjoy them a whole lot more. I like when I get to know the characters better. I dont just want to see one side of them but all the sides that make the character. I think Howard did a great job with this one because I truly got to see all sides of these characters.

The biggest complaint that I have is also why it made it so good. The love triangle was getting a little out of hand in Unhinged. I also think this is why it made the book good because you really got to know how each character felt about the other one. The back and forth between whom Alyssa should love was really getting old. Then when there is a loop-hole everything becomes a huge mess.

The visual art in this story is amazing. Howard paints such a beautiful Wonderland. It is creepy and sinister but beautiful none the less. I fell in love with it right away. I still think this is one of my favorite Alice in Wonderland retellings. I am really looking forward to reading Ensnared and seeing how it all ends

Ever since I read Splintered last year, I’ve been dying to get my hands on the sequel! After all the twists and surprises at the end of the book, I was excited to see what Unhinged had in store for me. I actually ended up loving Unhinged more than Splinitered. Maybe it was because there was more Morpheus, or maybe it was just because the story line of this one was so much more interesting and shocking (but I definitely think Morpheus played a part in me enjoying this one more).

Unhinged had me on my toes from the moment I started reading it. It’s been a year since Alyssa took her trip to Wonderland and she’s doing her best to forget it and move on with Jeb. But Morpheus refuses to let Alyssa forget since Wonderland has gone into chaos because Queen Red has escaped. Morpheus does everything in his power to convince Alyssa to come back to Wonderland and Alyssa starts to realise that Morpheus might actually be telling the truth. Alyssa realises that if she stays in the human realm, she’ll be endangering the people she loves but if she goes to Wonderland, she might lose a lot more.

Alyssa is such a strange and weird character, but I love her. She’s feisty, stubborn and extremely determined. I loved seeing her fight for herself in this book because she’s just got this power about her that I love seeing. I also really loved when Alyssa was true to herself and just let herself go. Those were the times when Alyssa was truly herself and were the times that I just completely loved her.

I know you guys will probably be wondering whether I’m Team Jeb or Team Morpheus, well, I’m definitely Team Morpheus. I know, I know! He’s a deceitful, cunning, untrustworthy character… but I can’t help but love him. A lot about Morpheus’ character is revealed in this book and it helps you understand why he is the way he is, which just made me love him more. Morpheus can be sweet and caring when he wants to be and I just adore seeing that side of him. But I do like his bad side too.
Jeb is a sweetheart and I do really like him. He’s protective and a really nice guy, but he’s just missing something for me. I do like him and Alyssa together, but I’m rooting for Morpheus and Alyssa.

The story line of this book was craaaazy! And that’s no exaggeration. Every time there was a twist dropped, it wasn’t long before another one came along and messed everything up again. Alyssa was having an inner battle with herself because she didn’t know who she wanted to be for most of the book. She was trying to ignore her true feelings. Jeb was off trying really hard to make sure he and Alyssa would be comfortable in London, and some really weird and crazy stuff happens to him. Morpheus was being his usual lying and cunning self, trying to deceive Alyssa and get her to come back to Wonderland with him. Alyssa was trying to build a relationship with her mother now that she understands why her mother did what she did, but her mother is hiding things from her. Red has escaped into the human realm and is determined to get Alyssa. Sister Two has also made into the human realm and is out for revenge. So yeah, there was a hell of a lot going on in this book and I loved every single second of it.

The ending was jaw dropping. The action and the fighting at the end had me on my toes because I just knew something bad was going to happen (I’d been warned to have tissues near so I was prepared for the worst). It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be, but it was still very shocking and unbelievable and I kind of just sat and stared at the book for a while trying to wrap my head around what had happened. It was just insane! The last chapter was really intriguing because now I just can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen next!

Overall, Unhinged was a fantastic follow up to Splintered. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy so far. I can’t believe I’ve got to wait until 2015 for Ensnared, but I’m just super excited for it so I’m kind of hoping this year goes by pretty fast!

This is a review for the second book in a series and as a result may contain spoilers for the previous book.

Let me first say this, there was not nearly enough Wonderland in this book. Just putting it out there that the next book needs to include more Wonderland (I actually understand where Howard is taking the series and that the 3 books will be set in 3 different worlds but I still love Wonderland so much that I miss it).

Unhinged takes place a whole year after the events of Splintered and Alyssa is in her final year of High School, about to graduate. As the novel starts Alyssa is firmly in a relationship with Jeb, who does not remember the time he spent in Wonderland and doesn’t know about that part of Alyssa’s life. She’s thinking about loosing her virginity to Jeb on prom night & worrying about other teenage things, but Alyssa is not a normal teenager and soon finds out that ‘normal’ is a luxury she can’t afford.

The novel progresses as Morpheus warns Alyssa that Red is seeking to take back Wonderland and kill her, and that if Alyssa doesn’t come into Wonderland to stop Red then the fight will be brought to her world. Alyssa wants to save Wonderland but is scared of the person she could be in it and more importantly she chose to go back to her world and be with Jeb, so she thinks it shouldn’t be her problem any more. On the other hand, Morpheus is determined to make her the Queen he thinks she was born to be. Morpheus decides to become part of Alyssa’s world in order to provoke her into action and enrols in her school as a student. Hijincks and other things ensue and Alyssa is dragged back into the Wonderland conflict.

Unhinged was equal parts about the love triangle and the power struggles going on in Alyssa’s life. This sequel completely did a complete 180 on me and changed everything I thought from the first book. In the first book I was 100% team Jeb and all for Alyssa staying in her world, however the way Howard wrote Unhinged had me questioning all that until I was team Morpheus/ Wonderland.

The first part that changed my mind was they way Jeb was acting. In the book he’s so desperate to prove that he’s not a bad guy like his dad that he’s often neglecting Alyssa to do it. Don’t get me wrong he’s all for the big gestures, like painting his blood on white roses, but he’s so desperate to kick start his Art career that he ends up leaving Alyssa alone after she almost drowns and is rushed to hospital. It just didn’t make sense to me and left me hurting for Alyssa every time she felt insecure or abandoned.

On the other hand Morpheus is there for her, in his usual way of not being fully honest with her, but still standing by her side and lining things up so that she can be the victor. In Unhinged you definitely get to see a more vulnerable side to Morpheus and you realise he’s not going away.

More than that we find out that every moment of Alyssa’s life has been influenced by Wonderland. She can’t escaped it now she is Queen, and it has always been a constant in her life, even before Morpheus would play with her as a child. It seems inevitable that she will end up there. Also, Howard really throws a spanner in the works by showing us a possible version of the future. How can Alyssa pick one life when she knows eventually all roads lead to Rome, assuming they all survive long enough for her to decide?

Overall, Howard has written an amazing sequel to an amazing first novel. The characters have only gotten stronger and the way Howard describes the hauntingly bizarre Wonderland creatures is just amazing. The ending though was heart wrenching, I can’t see a future for either of her potential loves after what they’re about to go through, especially not Jeb who’s already broke enough. I just need the third book right now damn it!

If you haven’t checked out this series yet then what are you waiting for? 5/5 Stars!

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