Download Alice The Chronicles of Alice Christina Henry 9780425266793 Books

Product details Series The Chronicles of Alice Paperback 304 pages Publisher Ace (August 4, 2015) Language English ISBN-10 0425266796

Alice The Chronicles of Alice Christina Henry 9780425266793 Books Reviews

• This book is hard to describe. So, Alice is found after her adventure in "wonderland", bloody and with a knife in her hand. Something traumatic happened to her and a she is repeating the same phrase over and over again. She can't remember any of the details of what happened to her when her parents find her and they send her away to an insane asylum. She is locked up for years and becomes friends with a man named Hatcher in the room next to hers. One day they are able to escape the asylum, but something dark (the Jabberwocky) is following them. The setting is not defined in the book. The author didn't really give much description of the settings, and was told through more dialog and actions. Alice is from the "New City" where everything is hunky dory and the rich live up high. Alice ends up following Hatcher (portrayed as the Mad Hatter) who lives in the "Old City" where the poor, crime and gangs thrive. The plot of the story is of Alice helping Hatcher find a magical blade that will kill the Jabberwocky. She meets the Caterpillar, Cheshire and the Rabbit in the adventure. But they are not the classic characters that you know. They are actually people who are leaders of a gang and own certain parts of the Old City. This story is a dark tale and not something that would be on a Disney dvd. There are a lot of chapters based on violence, murder, sex and abuse. There is somewhat of a "wonderland" feel to some parts of the book, but nothing on the level of the original "Alice in Wonderland".
  I did start reading this book thinking that the characters and setting were going to be like the Caroll version of the story, but it wasn't. I was dissapointed at first, but as a fan of horror/thriller books, it held my interest. You could have changed all the characters names to something that does not relate to "Alice in Wonderland", and never would have known that it was based off that story. It's a completly different kind of evil Wonderland tale. I am glad that I read it to the end.
• Original ideas in placing important Wonderland characters in a new setting.
  
  A fun and quick read. I've even passed it on to friends who I think will enjoy it.
  
  My only issue is the continual trope in various Alice books, like this one, of Madness == Brutal Violence. I keep hoping for an Alice book that truly explores madness, or what we know as psychosis and schizophrenia.
  
  I bought the book based on the opening free chapter section. In which it seems this exploration will occur. But it only skims the surface before turning to 'magical-realism' to resolve the conundrums.
  
  I would venture to guess that the majority of those suffering from strong delusional psychosis are not in fact prone to violence unless cornered and manhandled.
  
  It's a media trope that has long created extreme misunderstanding and unwarranted fear.
  
  Back on topic
  I think the Alice genre is worthy of a few books, in various settings, which actually dive into the psyche of the protagonist, deal with real psychosis, or some magical version thereof.
• Synopsis
  
  In Christina Henry’s Alice, we are first introduced to our protagonist Alice as she lies within an asylum, 10 years after having escaped the Rabbit. Left with no past memories of her previous imprisonment or escape from the rabbit, her only remaining piece of sanity comes in the form of a friendship developed with Hatcher who happens to share the room next to her. The spend their days communicating through a mouse-hole never actually seeing more than a glimpse of one another. One evening a fire erupts and the unlikely pair escape together and flee deep within to Old Town.
  
  Alice and Hatcher soon discover however, that they are not the only ones who have fled from the burning asylum that housed them for so many years. The Jabberwocky has been released from the bowels below and is on the hunt. A beast that will destroy everything within its path, and it is now on their trail. Solely tasked with seeking out the a magical blade that can defeat the Jabberwocky, the unlikely pair find themselves forced to face their grisly past as they delve deeper into Old City encountering the territorial bosses such as Cheshire and Caterpillar.
  
  My Take on Things
  
  Alice is exactly as it appears to be at first glance, a retelling of the classic Alice in Wonderland. However, looks can be very deceiving. Alice in Wonderland has been one of my absolute favorite stories for as long as I can remember, so I always feel a mixture of excitement and hesitation when it comes to new adaptations of this timeless tale. It has been re-envisioned multiple times throughout the years in many forms. I have enjoyed and occasionally found disappointment in many Wonderland themed stories, video games, movies and even manga.
  
  Christine Henry has taken this classic tale and stripped it of all happiness and whimsy. The end result is a unique and disturbing twist on the story of Alice and her adventures that is not going to be for everyone. The setting is dark, gruesome and does contain sexual violence. They characters we have come to know over the years take on an entirely new and psychotic persona in this macabre tale.
  
  I found myself completing Alice within two days. As a fan of horror and Wonderland themes, I was unable to put this title down. Christina Henry’s writing was fluid and Alice managed to seize my interest during the first chapter. Character development was appropriately paced, building the mystery and intrigue that I have come to expect in a good horror title. I would have easily provided this book with five stars where it not for the ending. While I did not find the ending entirely disappointing, it felt as though the story became rushed during the final chapters. There was a point where everything began to move faster than necessary while I was left expecting more detail from the character encounters. However, the overall result was a terrifying and original spin on a classic that is worth reading. This will not be the last title I read from Christina Henry. I am looking forward to the Red Queen.