The Looking Glass Wars

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Lenny's description:
When her parents, the king and queen of Wonderland, are killed by her Aunt Redd, Alyss Heart escapes by jumping into the Pool of Tears. Her jump takes her to Victorian Oxford, where she emerges from a puddle, lives as a street urchin, and is eventually adopted by Reverend and Mrs. Liddell.

Unable to make anyone believe her fantastic story, she finally confides in Charles Dodgson, who says he will write a book about her. When she discovers that Alice's Adventures Underground is full of make-believe, and not her story or her real name, she sadly resigns herself to life as a Victorian girl of privilege.

Meanwhile, back in Wonderland, the Alyssians form a resistance movement and attempt to overthrow the despotic Redd. For years, Hatter Madigan searches the world for Alyss so she can return to Wonderland as Queen. In the end, the Alyssians prevail, but only after much graphic bloodshed and many brutal battles involving card soldiers who transform into warriors, chessmen, blades that whirl and slash, vicious Jabberwocks, and even carnivorous roses.

Opinions about this book differ. Some love it, but more people hate it because it is too violent for a Wonderland.

Seller's description:
You know the myth... A little girl named Alice tumbled down a rabbit hole and proceeded to have a charming adventure in the delightful, made-up world of Wonderland... Now discover the truth... Wonderland Exists! Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, was forced to flee through the Pool of Tears after a bloody palace coup staged by the murderous Redd. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life only to see it published as the nonsensical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyss had trusted Lewis Carroll to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere would find her and bring her home. But Carroll had gotten it all wrong. He even misspelled her name! If not for royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan's nonstop search to locate the lost princess, Alyss may have become just another society woman sipping tea in a too-tight corset instead of returning to Wonderland to fight Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts. Meet the heroic, passionate, monstrous, vengeful denizens of this parallel world as they battle each other with AD-52's and orb generators, navigate the Crystal Continuum, bet on jabberwock fights and travel across the Chessboard Desert. The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions of mad tea parties, sleepy dormice, and a curious little blonde girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for Imagination.

Features:

• ISBN13: 9780803731530
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Product details:

Item number (ASIN): 0803731531
Author: Frank Beddor
Edition: First Edition
ISBN: 0803731531
Manufacturer: Dial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Package Dimensions: 150 x 630 x 906 (hundredths-inches)
Publication Date: September 26, 2006
Publisher: Dial
Reading Level: Young Adult
Binding: Hardcover

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Rating: - Exciting story, but lacks character and Wonderland development
I was really excited to read this book. I liked the concept of the book and the cover very much. I knew it was a book for a younger audience, but I figured it was perfect since I would be reading it with my son. I liked the first book overall and was excited to read it. However, I felt it was lacking some important things. For starters, I really wanted to get to know the characters better. I found I really didn't care much for any of them, and that's because I didn't really know any of them. I also felt I knew very little about Wonderland. I mean, we're talking about a whole different world here. And yet, I couldn't even imagine it in my mind as I read this book. I did like the fact that the story took Alyss to Earth and that the original "Alice in Wonderland" was tied in with this story. Very good idea, in my opinion. I wish I could have given this book 3.5 stars instead of 4.

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Rating: - The Looking Glass Wars
I guess I should have looked a little harder when viewing this book on amazon. It does say "young adult" as the intended audience. That being said, it was extremely simplistic and one dimensional. I've read YA that was multidimensional and heartfelt, and this is not up to par with any of those books. From the beginning this book felt more like a summary than an actual telling of a story. Events happened quickly and without feeling. I couldn't become attached to any character because there was no characterization. It was just event after event after event. The writing felt choppy to me and disjointed. I found myself at page 150 wondering how I read 150 pages of nothing. I expected more war, more Redd, more anything other than Alyss leading a boring life in London. We didn't even get a chance to get a feel for that really. Basically, in one chapter the hatter is going around looking for his hat. Then, in the next chapter Alyss is being a nice normal girl for her foster parents. Next chapter, the resistance is sitting around plotting something, next chapter the hatter found his hat. If this story was told differently it would have been an interesting read. If we actually got to feel Alyss' pain and get to know her, if we were able to spend more time with the resistance and get a feel for their loss, then this book would have been worthwhile. Instead, the characters and events were as flat as one of Redd's card soldiers. I was really looking forward to a different take on Alice in Wonderland, but it was not meant to be. Very disappointing.

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Rating: - The truth behind truths
I have never been interested in Lewis Carroll's books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I saw the Disney movie, as I'm sure most kids in my peer group had, but the movie didn't make me want to read the books. When I grew older and went looking for books to read I picked up both books, gave them a look through and decided they weren't for me. The story just was too outlandish for me (which is saying something considering my reading tastes). I was fascinated by the Disney Channel show (Adventures in Wonderland), but that show was so very different from other shows of the time (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as hip hop artists for instance) that it was hard not to be interested I think. Upon meeting the author at this past New York Comic Con however, I have revised my opinion slightly and read both books (to compare). Still not interested in the original novels, but it gave me a better appreciation of The Looking Glass Wars! Princess Alyss Heart suffers quite a bit--though not so much physically, but more mentally and emotionally. Its understandable that she would want to fit in, after being so cruelly mocked for years and her one vindication--the book--just making matters worse, I don't blame her. Equally though I was relieved to see her not play the priss for too long once things settle back to normalcy. It would have been heartily annoying to have her go from such a lively, spirited young girl to a spoiled, bratty whiner. Beddor certainly did his best to alter each familiar character with just the right twist so as to make you wonder how you ever saw them otherwise. Hatter Madigan for instance--or rather the Mad Hatter or Bibwit Harte--the White Rabbit or even Redd. Oh Redd. I really enjoyed her theatrics--so vicious, so petty, so imperfect, I loved her despite being the 'evil' of the book. I rather less enjoyed the Cat, her half-feline/half-human assassin (the Cheschire Cat). The Cheschire Cat was the only character of the original novel I liked even a little bit. The Caterpillar definitely stayed the same--right down to his nonsensical, stuffy and obnoxious ways. The story moves at a quick pace, alternating event viewpoints from Alyss' adventures, to Hatter Madigan's search for her, to Redd's tyrannical rule and some time is spent on Dodge Anders (Alyss' childhood friend) and Jack of Diamonds (a worm of a boy who plays both sides) so we get a very well rounded view of things. We never see Redd alone, but then such a paranoid personage as herself wouldn't trust to be alone (who knows what her subordinates are scheming if she isn't there to watch?). The end sets up for the next book, obviously as this is a trilogy, but is satisfactory in tying up the loose ends that could be tied up and giving us a glimpse of things to come.

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Rating: - Absolutely love this book!
Why did I wait so long to read this book!? I haven't read a YA fantasy novel that was this amazing in FOREVER! Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my absolute favorite stories and Frank Beddor's version is no exception! I loved the original Alice in Wonderland, but, gosh, this version is totally fighting for favorite. The world of Wonderland and its inhabitants were so wonderfully imagined. Hatter Madigan was one of my favorite characters - he was just so intriguing and interesting. I was amazed by the characters and landscapes of Beddor's Wonderland. Alyss was an awesome main character. I found myself rooting for her and the Alyssians in their fight against her crazy Aunt Redd and the bullying people from the other side of the Pool of Tears. And, oh my goodness, Dodge! I seriously loved childhood friend turned jaded man. I can't wait to find out more about him and his and Alyss' relationship in the next novel, Seeing Redd (which is totally on the table right now begging me to open it and dive in!). I can't say enough good things about The Looking Glass Wars! My dreams would come true if Beddor decided to rewrite Peter Pan as well - eeek!

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Rating: - If you don't like this series, you're taking it too seriously
I can't think of a better way to put it than that. DON'T get into this series expecting deep, intricate plots, or wordplay on the level of Lewis Carrol. I'd even say that if you're a Lewis Carrol fan, there's absolutely no guarantee you'll like Looking Glass Wars. Beddor has taken some of Caroll's ideas...and that's where the similarities end. DO read this series if you like light-hearted, pure "fun" fantasy. For example: Redd is extremely amusing to read about, but she has the same amount of depth as a Disney villian. The same goes with the world itself. There actually IS some depth here, it feels as if the author has pages of notes he uses as a resource, but I think even the lightest fantasy series has that. But that's what I love about it - it's extremely entertaining, but it does have a few surprising parts, or a few touching parts. Just don't over-analyze it.

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