Alice by Christina Henry

5 Stars. 

I'm a big fan of all things 'Alice in Wonderland'; the films, the accessories, the games, everything. But what I enjoy most about all things Alice, is the dark, psychotic side of what wonderland means and what it looks like. This book is almost like a sequel to the game 'Alice: madness returns'. Though there are some differences in who the Caterpillar, Rabbit and Cheshire are, this book is certainly what it felt like to me. For those of you having never played or heard of the game, it follows Alice's return to Wonderland which has been corrupted by a new evil. The game also starts with Alice being discharged from a psychiatric hospital to an orphanage. 

Alice by Henry follows Alice 10 years after her encounter with the Rabbit. She is now in a psychiatric hospital and starts talking to a man named Hatcher in the room next door. After escaping, Alice must return to the Rabbit to defeat the Jabberwocky. My reasons for seeing this a somewhat sequel to the game, is that there subtle similarities such as the vorpal blade (though not called as such in the book), the use of a psychiatric hospital and my main reason being the way the character of Alice is portrayed. She has such a specific manner in the way she talks and acts. Throughout the book, despite all the chaos and madness, she is particularly polite and calm in the way she comes across. I really enjoyed that Henry managed to capture the specific mannerisms of Alice; without this, the book could have really gone sideways. 

The environment in which the book is set is quite different from other books/films/games which feature Alice, but it works in its own way. All the main elements of Alice in Wonderland feature in this book, but in a much more mad and creepy way. Although I didn't find the book particularly scary, I still absolutely enjoyed this book and all it's references to all other things 'Alice'. I haven't read anything else by Henry and I do hope there is a sequel to this book. It finishes with a hint of there being a possible sequel but unsure on how the characters will evolve. Overall, a fantastic read.

Happy reading :)