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naomisowell's review
5.0
Y’all, I can’t. “The Wonderland Trials” were AMAZING!!! Think a dystopian fantasy retelling of “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Squid Games”. Yep, it’s that unique and mind blowing. I love Alice (Ace). She’s clever and has a clear goal in mind. But she was also so relatable to me with how she had trouble letting people in and feeling like she had to go it alone. And then, there’s Chess. He’s like the most quotable character ever. I’ll take him over the animated cat thing any day. But he wasn’t perfect either. He has fears too. Which speaking of that, the subtle theme of love conquering fear crescendoed beautifully. No spoilers, but I want to spare a bit of the heart attack I experienced. There is a major cliffhanger. Like I was so engrossed in the book that I didn’t realize it was ending. So I finished and went, “Wait, WHAT???” So yeah… just be prepared. You’re welcome. Last thing, the whole Team Heart found their way into my heart (pun totally intended). They’re so different, but I adore how they came together in the end.
kfrickle's review
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
This was an interesting take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. I enjoyed the little nods to the movie, as well as the book. The world in this book was so fantastical that it was fun to learn more about it. I did get a little confused with some of the history of the Wonderland Trials, and some of the pacing felt slow to me. Overall though, I am wanting to continue to book 2.
Christian Fiction Rating: 1/3
Christian Fiction Rating: 1/3
natabigdeal's review
5.0
i loved this book. plain and simple it was just a really fun read. I read like 3/4 of it in one day. The world building was really cool to see and the characters were likable. I am not a huge Alice in Wonderland girl myself so I wasn’t sure if I would get all the references (I’m sure I didn’t). But that did not effect my enjoyment of the book, if anything this made me want to be an Alice fan. I don’t know why exactly this book made me so happy I just know I enjoyed reading it. You could tell the plot was thought out and it was well developed. I am eagerly awaiting book 2.
dandan1895's review
5.0
This book was SO GOOD!
I am so wildly obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, so when I came across this reinvention of it, I was so excited!
It was such an interesting way of telling the story, and I can’t wait to read book 2 and find out how it ends!
I am so wildly obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, so when I came across this reinvention of it, I was so excited!
It was such an interesting way of telling the story, and I can’t wait to read book 2 and find out how it ends!
jonathanbabcock's review
4.0
What a ride! This book started out a bit slow for me, but it held me captive for the last half.
The entire idea of a dystopian Alice in Wonderland was super intriguing to me, so that definitely pulled me in from the start. I found their world fascinating, especially once Alice reaches Wonderland.
The trials themselves were definitely what pulled me in, though. Once those started I was hooked. I'm a sucker for any story that plays mind games with the characters and readers, so this was right up my alley.
The entire idea of a dystopian Alice in Wonderland was super intriguing to me, so that definitely pulled me in from the start. I found their world fascinating, especially once Alice reaches Wonderland.
The trials themselves were definitely what pulled me in, though. Once those started I was hooked. I'm a sucker for any story that plays mind games with the characters and readers, so this was right up my alley.
hhuntington's review
4.0
Confession: I've never actually read Alice in Wonderland. But I love reading Alice retellings, so I was thrilled to read an ARC of Sara Ella's dystopian fantasy version.
I ended up reading The Wonderland Trials in an afternoon, which tells you that it was a great book. I'm already trying to plan when I want to reread it, to go through it slower so I can pick up on all of the finer details of the story, and also because I want to spend more time in The Curious Realities and the second book is still a long ways off.
The characters were well-written, and had plenty of layers. Honestly, after finishing the book, I felt like I could trust only half of the characters. Twists and turns abound. But back to the characters. Like I said, Sara did a great job writing them, and I loved the found-family themes she wove into the characters and their dynamics.
As stated above, the plot was full of as many twists and turns as you would expect in an Alice retelling. After all, nothing is impossible, so you never know what will happen next. I won't say too much, so as to not accidentally spoil anything. One small quibble about the plot would be that it felt like Alice ran the Hearts Team a little too much. I would have liked to see more of the other characters helping solve the trials, showcasing their Mastry and position, and letting us get to know them more.
One of my favorite things about Alice's retellings is the whimsy in the worldbuilding, and Sara has written a wonderful (pun possibly intended) Wonderland. It was fun and creative, while not entirely losing the dystopian tones of the genre. I hope that some of my favorite aspects of the worldbuilding get explored in Book 2, because I want to know all about them. =) There were some storyworld terms that were a little confusing towards the beginning of the book, but the terms do get explained in the story. Plus, there's also a glossary at the back of the book to help.
The ending, while not a dreadful cliffhanger, will leave you ready to find out what happens next to Alice and the rest of Wonderland.
The Wonderland Trials was a fantastic Alice retelling and a great start to The Curious Realities Duology.
Cautions: light/moderate romance; one kiss
(I received an ARC from the publisher. All thoughts are entirely my own.)
I ended up reading The Wonderland Trials in an afternoon, which tells you that it was a great book. I'm already trying to plan when I want to reread it, to go through it slower so I can pick up on all of the finer details of the story, and also because I want to spend more time in The Curious Realities and the second book is still a long ways off.
The characters were well-written, and had plenty of layers. Honestly, after finishing the book, I felt like I could trust only half of the characters. Twists and turns abound. But back to the characters. Like I said, Sara did a great job writing them, and I loved the found-family themes she wove into the characters and their dynamics.
As stated above, the plot was full of as many twists and turns as you would expect in an Alice retelling. After all, nothing is impossible, so you never know what will happen next. I won't say too much, so as to not accidentally spoil anything. One small quibble about the plot would be that it felt like Alice ran the Hearts Team a little too much. I would have liked to see more of the other characters helping solve the trials, showcasing their Mastry and position, and letting us get to know them more.
One of my favorite things about Alice's retellings is the whimsy in the worldbuilding, and Sara has written a wonderful (pun possibly intended) Wonderland. It was fun and creative, while not entirely losing the dystopian tones of the genre. I hope that some of my favorite aspects of the worldbuilding get explored in Book 2, because I want to know all about them. =) There were some storyworld terms that were a little confusing towards the beginning of the book, but the terms do get explained in the story. Plus, there's also a glossary at the back of the book to help.
The ending, while not a dreadful cliffhanger, will leave you ready to find out what happens next to Alice and the rest of Wonderland.
The Wonderland Trials was a fantastic Alice retelling and a great start to The Curious Realities Duology.
Cautions: light/moderate romance; one kiss
(I received an ARC from the publisher. All thoughts are entirely my own.)
lexi_dacy's review
5.0
Simply WONDERful. ✨ This book swept me away on a fast paced twisty ride from page one - made my heart swoon, break and then put it back together again perfectly like a puzzle spelling “HOPE”. It’s gripping, full of characters you wish were real people so you could hug them, and characters you will be deeply suspicious of from chapter one. This story has all the wonders of the original Alice in Wonderland story but wrapped up in a dystopian, magic infused, bow set in an utterly spellbinding world. There are twists and reveals around every corner as well as plenty of mystery, romance and suspense. I wanted to dive into this book and definitely could not put it down! I NEED the next one…. right now! I wish I could just believe and it would magically appear in my hands. This book reminds us that real beauty and wonder are yours for the taking - if you only believe. Because the truths that bloom through this story will stay in your heart long after you’ve put the book down. ♥️ It will go down as one of my favorite reads of 2022… and will stay on my favorites list from now on. ✨
0wlnerd_likes_to_read's review
5.0
This book did not disappoint.
I was a bit nervous there would be some big violence scenes or over-the-top romance, but this first book hit the "fiction-fantasy-magic" spot! I loved Ms. Ella's worldbuilding and the way everything was twisted and crowded and confusing...it seemed VERY Wonderlandish. My favorite character was definitely Chess (what can I say, I love the Cheshire Cat-like boys in every book!)
Anyway, I am more than excited to read the second book, and I cannot wait for more twists and turns ahead. (I also read the book in about an hour combined...)
I was a bit nervous there would be some big violence scenes or over-the-top romance, but this first book hit the "fiction-fantasy-magic" spot! I loved Ms. Ella's worldbuilding and the way everything was twisted and crowded and confusing...it seemed VERY Wonderlandish. My favorite character was definitely Chess (what can I say, I love the Cheshire Cat-like boys in every book!)
Anyway, I am more than excited to read the second book, and I cannot wait for more twists and turns ahead. (I also read the book in about an hour combined...)