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Mad About The Hatter #1
Mad About the Hatter
This isn’t his sister’s Wonderland….
Henry never believed his older sister, Alice’s, fantastic tales about the world down the rabbit hole. When he’s whisked away to the bizarre land, his best chance for escape is to ally himself with the person called the Mad Hatter. Hatter—an odd but strangely attractive fellow—just wants to avoid execution. If that means delivering “Boy Alice” to the Queen of Hearts at her Red Castle, Hatter will do what he has to do to stay alive. It doesn’t matter if Henry and Hatter find each other intolerable. They’re stuck with each other.
Along their journey, Henry and Hatter must confront what they’ve always accepted as truth. As dislike grows into tolerance and something like friendship, the young men see the chance for a closer relationship. But Wonderland is a dangerous place, and first they have to get away with their lives.
Henry never believed his older sister, Alice’s, fantastic tales about the world down the rabbit hole. When he’s whisked away to the bizarre land, his best chance for escape is to ally himself with the person called the Mad Hatter. Hatter—an odd but strangely attractive fellow—just wants to avoid execution. If that means delivering “Boy Alice” to the Queen of Hearts at her Red Castle, Hatter will do what he has to do to stay alive. It doesn’t matter if Henry and Hatter find each other intolerable. They’re stuck with each other.
Along their journey, Henry and Hatter must confront what they’ve always accepted as truth. As dislike grows into tolerance and something like friendship, the young men see the chance for a closer relationship. But Wonderland is a dangerous place, and first they have to get away with their lives.
190 pages, ebook
First published August 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
September 4, 2021
Mad About the Hatter by Dakota Chase
YA LGBTQ retelling / addendum to Alice’s story where here her brother Henry visits Wonderland and falls for Mad Hatter. Enemies to friends troupe.
Henry never believed the stories that Alice told about Wonderland. First, they were just unbelievable. And second, she probably just wanted the attention. Nevertheless, he gets pulled in and must befriend Hatter to find his way out.
Cute and amusing with visits to different parts and characters from the original story that are true to type. Henry is good at being snarky and the Queen is good at being evil.
Whether you ever read Alice or not, this book is a trip to enjoy.
🎧 the Audiobook is narrated by Joel Froomkin who does a wonderful with character voices, emotions and even talking backwards. This is a narrator that I have to listen to at a slightly higher speed. Where my usual is 1.2, I listened to this at 1.4 or 1.5 to get to a comfortable talking speed.
YA LGBTQ retelling / addendum to Alice’s story where here her brother Henry visits Wonderland and falls for Mad Hatter. Enemies to friends troupe.
Henry never believed the stories that Alice told about Wonderland. First, they were just unbelievable. And second, she probably just wanted the attention. Nevertheless, he gets pulled in and must befriend Hatter to find his way out.
Cute and amusing with visits to different parts and characters from the original story that are true to type. Henry is good at being snarky and the Queen is good at being evil.
Whether you ever read Alice or not, this book is a trip to enjoy.
🎧 the Audiobook is narrated by Joel Froomkin who does a wonderful with character voices, emotions and even talking backwards. This is a narrator that I have to listen to at a slightly higher speed. Where my usual is 1.2, I listened to this at 1.4 or 1.5 to get to a comfortable talking speed.
February 9, 2017
Welcome back to Wonderland.
Okay, so this was a ridiculously fun reading experience. I wasn’t a massive fan of the original book, but I do love the idea behind it and I love Wonderland in general. Any fantastical world will put you in my good books. So how about a retelling where Alice has a brother who stumbles upon Wonderland himself? Who finds himself flabbergasted by the Caterpillar’s inexplicable riddles, and even more stumped by every twist and turn in the Mad Hatter’s frumious monologues (no matter how attractive he might be)?
Step back through the looking glass and you’ll find new regions, where everything is backwards and giants bake cookies and sharks live in trees. You’ll find the Hatter as brilliantly inconceivable as you know and love him, but with a love story. It was kind of awesome and fitting that the Hatter and Alice’s brother should be attracted to each other, and I really liked that aspect.
Most of all, though, I liked spending more time in Wonderland through new and fresh eyes. I liked discovering new places, no matter how horrendous they may seem. I liked how the author was able to channel Carroll’s unusual phrasings and sayings, while still giving it a modern twist. I liked how the Hatter was a key character to the story, as he’s my favourite.
One point of criticism would be that there wasn’t an awful lot going on. Sure, Henry and the Hatter walked through many different parts of Wonderland and that was terribly fun, but a lot of the time, that was all they did – walking. Walking to the Red Castle, walking to the White Castle, walking back to the Red Castle… as much as I loved exploring Wonderland, it would’ve been nice to have a bit more action (interpret that however you will).
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a unique Alice retelling, including Bandersnatches, descend ants and clairvoy ants, curses like “for the love of the Jabberwock’s shiny balls”, the Mad Hatter falling in love, an army made of sugared goods, and a Red Queen even crazier than before. You won’t be disappointed (hopefully).
P.S. Do not drink an alcoholic beverage every time the Red Queen says “Off with his head!” because you will likely not survive. Especially not in Excess Lands.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy
Okay, so this was a ridiculously fun reading experience. I wasn’t a massive fan of the original book, but I do love the idea behind it and I love Wonderland in general. Any fantastical world will put you in my good books. So how about a retelling where Alice has a brother who stumbles upon Wonderland himself? Who finds himself flabbergasted by the Caterpillar’s inexplicable riddles, and even more stumped by every twist and turn in the Mad Hatter’s frumious monologues (no matter how attractive he might be)?
Step back through the looking glass and you’ll find new regions, where everything is backwards and giants bake cookies and sharks live in trees. You’ll find the Hatter as brilliantly inconceivable as you know and love him, but with a love story. It was kind of awesome and fitting that the Hatter and Alice’s brother should be attracted to each other, and I really liked that aspect.
Most of all, though, I liked spending more time in Wonderland through new and fresh eyes. I liked discovering new places, no matter how horrendous they may seem. I liked how the author was able to channel Carroll’s unusual phrasings and sayings, while still giving it a modern twist. I liked how the Hatter was a key character to the story, as he’s my favourite.
One point of criticism would be that there wasn’t an awful lot going on. Sure, Henry and the Hatter walked through many different parts of Wonderland and that was terribly fun, but a lot of the time, that was all they did – walking. Walking to the Red Castle, walking to the White Castle, walking back to the Red Castle… as much as I loved exploring Wonderland, it would’ve been nice to have a bit more action (interpret that however you will).
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a unique Alice retelling, including Bandersnatches, descend ants and clairvoy ants, curses like “for the love of the Jabberwock’s shiny balls”, the Mad Hatter falling in love, an army made of sugared goods, and a Red Queen even crazier than before. You won’t be disappointed (hopefully).
P.S. Do not drink an alcoholic beverage every time the Red Queen says “Off with his head!” because you will likely not survive. Especially not in Excess Lands.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy
September 1, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the cover is beautiful!
As you can read from the blurb, it's not Alice returning to Wonderland, it's her brother Henry. They call him Boy Alice in the book when they first meet him.
I won't give away how Henry ends up in Wonderland, but he never believed Alice ever went to such a place. She is much older now with a family and he still didn't believe her, until he woke up there himself. He remembers words being said to him about finding Hatter. Poor old Henry thinks he's had a break with reality.
I think this is a really good re-telling of Wonderland. I must say the Red Queen got on my nerves so bad at one point I wanted to scream for someone to be off with her head, but I digress!
Henry goes on a sort of journey with Hatter, they go through some scary stuff, but the whole world is told so beautifully. The author really does a good job in explaining all of the things in Wonderland they come across. And the snark Henry was handing out left, right and center was hilarious! There is even a little romance thrown in the mix.
We do get to see Alice in the book for a little bit and that was a great edition to the story along with a little surprise person thrown in for good measure.
I really did enjoy this book, I have read other books about Wonderland, but some of them left me confused and trying to figure out what is going on. This book didn't do any of that, it was all told in a most excellent way and while I still don't ever want to visit Wonderland, it was nice to visit in this book :)
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and HARMONY INK PRESS for making this book available for in exchange for my honest review.*
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the cover is beautiful!
As you can read from the blurb, it's not Alice returning to Wonderland, it's her brother Henry. They call him Boy Alice in the book when they first meet him.
I won't give away how Henry ends up in Wonderland, but he never believed Alice ever went to such a place. She is much older now with a family and he still didn't believe her, until he woke up there himself. He remembers words being said to him about finding Hatter. Poor old Henry thinks he's had a break with reality.
I think this is a really good re-telling of Wonderland. I must say the Red Queen got on my nerves so bad at one point I wanted to scream for someone to be off with her head, but I digress!
Henry goes on a sort of journey with Hatter, they go through some scary stuff, but the whole world is told so beautifully. The author really does a good job in explaining all of the things in Wonderland they come across. And the snark Henry was handing out left, right and center was hilarious! There is even a little romance thrown in the mix.
We do get to see Alice in the book for a little bit and that was a great edition to the story along with a little surprise person thrown in for good measure.
I really did enjoy this book, I have read other books about Wonderland, but some of them left me confused and trying to figure out what is going on. This book didn't do any of that, it was all told in a most excellent way and while I still don't ever want to visit Wonderland, it was nice to visit in this book :)
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and HARMONY INK PRESS for making this book available for in exchange for my honest review.*
September 4, 2015
I really love the world of Wonderland so I'm always interested in any kind of retelling or expansion of the world. I was really interested to see what Mad About the Hatter would bring to the world of Wonderland but unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I wanted.
The overall plot is cool. I like the idea of Alice's brother in Wonderland. But I didn't really like him. He was kinda mean and I just didn't get a good vibe from him.
The LGBT aspect of this book was really interesting and added diversity but the insta-love killed it for me. I really didn't like the relationship. It felt forced into a part of the story that was very inappropriate and it made me want to punch someone.
The writing was so weird and poorly done. One line that really stuck out to me was The colors were so bright he could barely look at them without his eyes tearing. Ditto for the sun... I've seen a couple of other reviews that used this quote as well. At first the book was written kind of in a classic, old time writing style but then things like that quote would pop up and I was so confused as to why the author chose to write like that.
There was also a whole lot of nothing in this book. I was waiting for some crazy crap to go down but it never did.
There was pretty much no character development which was so frustrating to me. There could have been a ton of character development but there wasn't any.
Overall, this felt more like a medium grade fan fiction to me. It was okay but there's better. As a critical reader, I just didn't really enjoy this book. But if you're not a critical reader, you'll probably like this book way more then me.
The overall plot is cool. I like the idea of Alice's brother in Wonderland. But I didn't really like him. He was kinda mean and I just didn't get a good vibe from him.
The LGBT aspect of this book was really interesting and added diversity but the insta-love killed it for me. I really didn't like the relationship. It felt forced into a part of the story that was very inappropriate and it made me want to punch someone.
The writing was so weird and poorly done. One line that really stuck out to me was The colors were so bright he could barely look at them without his eyes tearing. Ditto for the sun... I've seen a couple of other reviews that used this quote as well. At first the book was written kind of in a classic, old time writing style but then things like that quote would pop up and I was so confused as to why the author chose to write like that.
There was also a whole lot of nothing in this book. I was waiting for some crazy crap to go down but it never did.
There was pretty much no character development which was so frustrating to me. There could have been a ton of character development but there wasn't any.
Overall, this felt more like a medium grade fan fiction to me. It was okay but there's better. As a critical reader, I just didn't really enjoy this book. But if you're not a critical reader, you'll probably like this book way more then me.
Read
June 19, 2019Review to follow
September 4, 2015
So, the other night I discovered that there is a groundhog living between my fence and my neighbor’s fence and eating everything in my garden. This has nothing to do with the book except for the fact that sitting outside while reading this book and glancing at the garden had me expecting to see the groundhog, you know, come out dressed and talking and doing something really clever like it would in Wonderland. It didn’t happen.
Ok, ok, the book. Really cute, really visually stimulating and full of witty Wonderland speak. Clever take on the story we all know about a girl named Alice.
Very, very, VERY light on the romance and there wasn’t really too much going on except a kind of journey, but for me, just walking around Wonderland kinda did it for me.
Ok, ok, the book. Really cute, really visually stimulating and full of witty Wonderland speak. Clever take on the story we all know about a girl named Alice.
Very, very, VERY light on the romance and there wasn’t really too much going on except a kind of journey, but for me, just walking around Wonderland kinda did it for me.
September 4, 2015
I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book, and how the author was able to retain the feel of the original book so well. The blend of nonsense and danger was well done, and Wonderland never felt too silly or too angsty. I had a little trouble understanding Henry at first, but once I got a feeling for his character, and his family I grew to like him. I helped that his time in Wonderland really forces him to open his eyes, and his mind, and he grows a lot over the course of the story. I liked how the Hatter was done. He was more than a bit mad, but not too over the top. He was a very human character, and I appreciated that. I liked seeing them learn to trust, and understand each other over the course of the story. It was a sweet, slow romance. The plot was well drawn, and paced, and I liked that the romance was only part of the story, and it never overtook the main plot. The ending was well done, and fit the feeling of the story well. Overall a fun ya story with a interesting cast, and plot.
I really liked this book, and how the author was able to retain the feel of the original book so well. The blend of nonsense and danger was well done, and Wonderland never felt too silly or too angsty. I had a little trouble understanding Henry at first, but once I got a feeling for his character, and his family I grew to like him. I helped that his time in Wonderland really forces him to open his eyes, and his mind, and he grows a lot over the course of the story. I liked how the Hatter was done. He was more than a bit mad, but not too over the top. He was a very human character, and I appreciated that. I liked seeing them learn to trust, and understand each other over the course of the story. It was a sweet, slow romance. The plot was well drawn, and paced, and I liked that the romance was only part of the story, and it never overtook the main plot. The ending was well done, and fit the feeling of the story well. Overall a fun ya story with a interesting cast, and plot.
September 4, 2015
Favorite Quotes
"Might I inquire as to who 'Boy Alice' might be? That does't sound like a proper name to me." Cat rolled to his back, scratching playfully at the air. "So says the one named after an insane haberdasher." He rolled back and grinned at Hatter. "Isn't that the pot calling the Kettle a skillet?"
The truth in this case, he realized, was that the size of his body didn't matter much in the scheme of things. It was the size of the spirit, the depth of the heart, and the power of the mind that counted more that inches of bone and pounds of flesh, His friends were worth more than gold to him, regardless of their size, color, or background.
This is Wonderland in all its topsy-turvy, insie-outsie, backward-frontsie glory.
Review
I absolutely loved this Alice and Wonderland retelling!! Out of the Wonderland retellings I have read this is guaranteed the best! Chase captured the sense of wonderland so beautifully while adding new sections of Wonderland that fit in perfect with the world!
Out main character Henry, Alice's brother, we find out is gay and I loved that because LGBTQIA is not represented in YA much less fiction enough! The Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, and White Rabbit are written beautifully. I feel like some retelling diverge from the original story too much in some cases and not enough in other but this retelling was perfectly in the middle!
I cannot call this a retelling really it is more of a sequel which takes place 14 years after the events of Through the Looking Glass the story mostly focuses on Henry but we do get to see a bit of Alice as an adult which I really enjoyed! There were a few moments when the story contradicted itself which is why I gave it a 4.5 instead of full 5 star rating but it no where near made the story any less enjoyable to read!
Final Thoughts
Mad About The Hatter is a beautifully written, well researched, and enjoyable book to read! Absolutely one of my favorite retellings!!
"Might I inquire as to who 'Boy Alice' might be? That does't sound like a proper name to me." Cat rolled to his back, scratching playfully at the air. "So says the one named after an insane haberdasher." He rolled back and grinned at Hatter. "Isn't that the pot calling the Kettle a skillet?"
The truth in this case, he realized, was that the size of his body didn't matter much in the scheme of things. It was the size of the spirit, the depth of the heart, and the power of the mind that counted more that inches of bone and pounds of flesh, His friends were worth more than gold to him, regardless of their size, color, or background.
This is Wonderland in all its topsy-turvy, insie-outsie, backward-frontsie glory.
Review
I absolutely loved this Alice and Wonderland retelling!! Out of the Wonderland retellings I have read this is guaranteed the best! Chase captured the sense of wonderland so beautifully while adding new sections of Wonderland that fit in perfect with the world!
Out main character Henry, Alice's brother, we find out is gay and I loved that because LGBTQIA is not represented in YA much less fiction enough! The Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, and White Rabbit are written beautifully. I feel like some retelling diverge from the original story too much in some cases and not enough in other but this retelling was perfectly in the middle!
I cannot call this a retelling really it is more of a sequel which takes place 14 years after the events of Through the Looking Glass the story mostly focuses on Henry but we do get to see a bit of Alice as an adult which I really enjoyed! There were a few moments when the story contradicted itself which is why I gave it a 4.5 instead of full 5 star rating but it no where near made the story any less enjoyable to read!
Final Thoughts
Mad About The Hatter is a beautifully written, well researched, and enjoyable book to read! Absolutely one of my favorite retellings!!
August 30, 2015
“I may be mad, and on occasion may make the truth seem like a crooked street in a twisted town, but a liar I am not.”
Mad About The Hatter is an alternative look at Alice’s Wonderland that I very much enjoyed. What would happen if Alice had a brother?
As it turns out,a good tale happens. Neither "Alice In Wonderland" or "Through the Looking Glass" were favorites of mine,but I imagine fans of Lewis Caroll will find a lot of amusement in all the little references and Easter eggs thrown in.
My favorite part of the story was the “backwards” land Drawrof (Forward), where everything was to be done backwards. I actually laughed out loud at some parts, and I do believe I was able to enjoy Alice’s world more with a darker, adult theme joined with it.
The romance between Henry and the Mad Hatter was sweet and amusing,and I enjoyed both their personalities. I always had a soft spot for the Mad Hatter.
Henry himself was a good main character, well developed considering how short the story was. Seeing him do his best to accept the unacceptable was quite some fun.
One point of criticism would be that there wasn’t much going on. Most of what Henry and Hatter did is walk. They obviously went to the same school of walking that Bilbo Baggins. The School Of Wandering Of There And Back Again? While it did allow me to glance at some interesting locations I wanted some action thrown in.
I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh retelling of Alice. Having the Mad Hatter as a main character was certainly a delight.
“He had friends who were shorter than he was, and others who were taller. Some people he knew were thinner than he, some fatter. They were all good quality, solid people, generous and dependable. Their physical size certainly had nothing to do with the size of their heart.
Sentence: Funny, entertaining book. Perfect to cuddle to and have some fun.
I received a free review copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mad About The Hatter is an alternative look at Alice’s Wonderland that I very much enjoyed. What would happen if Alice had a brother?
As it turns out,a good tale happens. Neither "Alice In Wonderland" or "Through the Looking Glass" were favorites of mine,but I imagine fans of Lewis Caroll will find a lot of amusement in all the little references and Easter eggs thrown in.
My favorite part of the story was the “backwards” land Drawrof (Forward), where everything was to be done backwards. I actually laughed out loud at some parts, and I do believe I was able to enjoy Alice’s world more with a darker, adult theme joined with it.
The romance between Henry and the Mad Hatter was sweet and amusing,and I enjoyed both their personalities. I always had a soft spot for the Mad Hatter.
Henry himself was a good main character, well developed considering how short the story was. Seeing him do his best to accept the unacceptable was quite some fun.
One point of criticism would be that there wasn’t much going on. Most of what Henry and Hatter did is walk. They obviously went to the same school of walking that Bilbo Baggins. The School Of Wandering Of There And Back Again? While it did allow me to glance at some interesting locations I wanted some action thrown in.
I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh retelling of Alice. Having the Mad Hatter as a main character was certainly a delight.
“He had friends who were shorter than he was, and others who were taller. Some people he knew were thinner than he, some fatter. They were all good quality, solid people, generous and dependable. Their physical size certainly had nothing to do with the size of their heart.
Sentence: Funny, entertaining book. Perfect to cuddle to and have some fun.
I received a free review copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 14, 2015
FULL REVIEW ON MY BLOG - http://readingadd.blogspot.ro/2015/11...
Can we first admire and drool over this beautiful and colorful cover? Ok, thank you! Now, let's get into the review.
I have to admit that the cover caught my eyes but after I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read it, this book had to be mine. Because I love Alice in Wonderland retellings and I love my boys, if I can say it like that. I'm a huge fan of gay romance and it's been years since I devoured manga and animes on this subjects and then books, but let's stay to the review. So, I had to read it!
And I read it. And even if at first I thought that it's just cute and nothing special, then the plot became interesting and the characters got fleshed out even more, the world kept surprising me more and more. And the plot twists, guys! Which I didn't see coming. This book was like a huge and delicious delicious chocolate dessert. From which I want more but now I finished it...
Can we first admire and drool over this beautiful and colorful cover? Ok, thank you! Now, let's get into the review.
I have to admit that the cover caught my eyes but after I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read it, this book had to be mine. Because I love Alice in Wonderland retellings and I love my boys, if I can say it like that. I'm a huge fan of gay romance and it's been years since I devoured manga and animes on this subjects and then books, but let's stay to the review. So, I had to read it!
And I read it. And even if at first I thought that it's just cute and nothing special, then the plot became interesting and the characters got fleshed out even more, the world kept surprising me more and more. And the plot twists, guys! Which I didn't see coming. This book was like a huge and delicious delicious chocolate dessert. From which I want more but now I finished it...
March 14, 2016
Once upon a time there was this girl named 'Alice'...
and we all know what happened to Alice when she went down the rabbit hole, don't we? That's right she found Wonderland had some adventures and went home. Well this isn't Alice's story anymore...
as it turns out Alice has a brother...'boy Alice' or 'Henry' as he's known by family and friends...
This story is about him...that's right...it's about what happens when Henry unknowingly gets sent to Wonderland by his sister and when he gets there the last thing he remembers being told is to 'find the Mad Hatter'...
(I know the Hatter in this story has dark hair but when I found this guy, I knew I'd found my version of The Hatter...thank you, Disney)
'Mad About the Hatter' is a fun and enchanting story about what happened in Wonderland after Alice left and it gives us a little peek at Alice all grown up as well.
What neither Henry nor the Hatter expects is the attraction that grows between them as they travel through Wonderland and ultimately end up going through the looking glass back to Henry's world in their efforts to save Wonderland and themselves from the Queen of Hearts.
'Mad About the Hatter' is a fun fresh look at Alice's Wonderland in the YA genre and while neither 'Alice In Wonderland' or 'Through the Looking Glass' were favorites of mine, I thoroughly enjoyed this updated spin on a the classic children's tale.
This fun read was a buddy read with my awesome friend, MLE. I'm sorry, M once I started reading I couldn't stop. I just had to know what happened.
and we all know what happened to Alice when she went down the rabbit hole, don't we? That's right she found Wonderland had some adventures and went home. Well this isn't Alice's story anymore...
as it turns out Alice has a brother...'boy Alice' or 'Henry' as he's known by family and friends...
This story is about him...that's right...it's about what happens when Henry unknowingly gets sent to Wonderland by his sister and when he gets there the last thing he remembers being told is to 'find the Mad Hatter'...
(I know the Hatter in this story has dark hair but when I found this guy, I knew I'd found my version of The Hatter...thank you, Disney)
'Mad About the Hatter' is a fun and enchanting story about what happened in Wonderland after Alice left and it gives us a little peek at Alice all grown up as well.
What neither Henry nor the Hatter expects is the attraction that grows between them as they travel through Wonderland and ultimately end up going through the looking glass back to Henry's world in their efforts to save Wonderland and themselves from the Queen of Hearts.
'Mad About the Hatter' is a fun fresh look at Alice's Wonderland in the YA genre and while neither 'Alice In Wonderland' or 'Through the Looking Glass' were favorites of mine, I thoroughly enjoyed this updated spin on a the classic children's tale.
This fun read was a buddy read with my awesome friend, MLE. I'm sorry, M once I started reading I couldn't stop. I just had to know what happened.
August 18, 2015
Henry has never believed his sister Alice’s tales about the Wonderland until he finds himself thrown in it with an instruction to find the Mad Hatter. Enter Hatter who’s trying to keep his head from rollin’ by delivering Henry also known as Boy Alice to the evil Red Queen.
This modern take on Wonderland by author Dakota Chase is nothing short of ‘wonderful.’ At the beginning, I was a bit wary because I find the first few chapters slow-going with all their ‘adventures’ at the Drawrof, the Neverglades, the confection mountains and so on and so forth. I thought it‘d just be a series of adventures where they have to pass through it and that would be it. But no, all along – we see how Hatter and Henry seemed to be developing feelings for each other. I really loved the subtle approach of the author here when it comes to the budding romance between the two main characters. There’s sweetness in it. It’s not hurried and you know it’s there even if it’s not obvious. It’s feel good and I loved that in this story. There’s this sweet innocence about it. I also loved the fact that sexuality wasn’t such a big deal for both Hatter and Henry.
I also adore their banter. I especially love Hatter’s characterization here. He’s about the most charming and adorable ever especially when he went to Henry’s world and got to see the vehicles, the buildings, taste the food, watch cinema – he’s just so funny, charming and all kinds of adorable I just wanna keep him! Haha!
The conclusion was rather anti-climactic but apt for our characters since it was established early on that it’s not gonna be some sort of an all-out war thingy and stuff. Overall, the author’s fresh approach on the story will endear its readers to the characters especially with Hatter. Plus, it’s absolutely well-written so hat’s off to Dakota Chase.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
This modern take on Wonderland by author Dakota Chase is nothing short of ‘wonderful.’ At the beginning, I was a bit wary because I find the first few chapters slow-going with all their ‘adventures’ at the Drawrof, the Neverglades, the confection mountains and so on and so forth. I thought it‘d just be a series of adventures where they have to pass through it and that would be it. But no, all along – we see how Hatter and Henry seemed to be developing feelings for each other. I really loved the subtle approach of the author here when it comes to the budding romance between the two main characters. There’s sweetness in it. It’s not hurried and you know it’s there even if it’s not obvious. It’s feel good and I loved that in this story. There’s this sweet innocence about it. I also loved the fact that sexuality wasn’t such a big deal for both Hatter and Henry.
I also adore their banter. I especially love Hatter’s characterization here. He’s about the most charming and adorable ever especially when he went to Henry’s world and got to see the vehicles, the buildings, taste the food, watch cinema – he’s just so funny, charming and all kinds of adorable I just wanna keep him! Haha!
The conclusion was rather anti-climactic but apt for our characters since it was established early on that it’s not gonna be some sort of an all-out war thingy and stuff. Overall, the author’s fresh approach on the story will endear its readers to the characters especially with Hatter. Plus, it’s absolutely well-written so hat’s off to Dakota Chase.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
September 21, 2017
I am soooooo disappointed by this book. I found the writing simplistic but confusing which shouldn’t be possible. I had no idea what time period it was supposed to be set until over half way through the book. The relationship between Henry and Hatter was supposed to be the basis of the book, yet had no natural growth and progressed from hate to like to love in the blink of an eye. Honestly, I don’t know what they saw in each other. They were both bloody annoying.
I was so excited to read this. I’m so mad.
I was so excited to read this. I’m so mad.
September 17, 2017
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Henry, the brother of Alice, ends up in Wonderland, he teams up with The Mad Hatter in an adventure across the magical land. But it’s still being ruled by the ruthless and cruel Red Queen. Can Henry and Hatter work together to bring her down once and for all?
This is a really fun, quirky take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and I was really pleasantly surprised to throughly enjoy this. I loved the character of Hatter, and I really felt this oddities and even the way he talked and interacted with Henry was a great homage to the character Carroll originally created.
The different parts of Wonderland in this book from the Neutral Woods to the backwards lands were so entertaining and reminded me a little bit of The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I loved seeing the different parts of Wonderland Henry and Hatter would travel to and the kooky explanations Hatter would give about them. I also throughly enjoyed Hatter’s reactions to some things in our world when he made the trip.
The romance in this was also wonderful, and it was one I wanted to happen from the very start! I also enjoyed seeing a grown-up Alice and her twins Carol and Louis which I felt was a nice little thing put in by the author.
When Henry, the brother of Alice, ends up in Wonderland, he teams up with The Mad Hatter in an adventure across the magical land. But it’s still being ruled by the ruthless and cruel Red Queen. Can Henry and Hatter work together to bring her down once and for all?
This is a really fun, quirky take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and I was really pleasantly surprised to throughly enjoy this. I loved the character of Hatter, and I really felt this oddities and even the way he talked and interacted with Henry was a great homage to the character Carroll originally created.
The different parts of Wonderland in this book from the Neutral Woods to the backwards lands were so entertaining and reminded me a little bit of The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I loved seeing the different parts of Wonderland Henry and Hatter would travel to and the kooky explanations Hatter would give about them. I also throughly enjoyed Hatter’s reactions to some things in our world when he made the trip.
The romance in this was also wonderful, and it was one I wanted to happen from the very start! I also enjoyed seeing a grown-up Alice and her twins Carol and Louis which I felt was a nice little thing put in by the author.
September 24, 2015
I am not going to hold anything back: I was very disappointed with this novel, which I was sure I'll at least like it. I was charmed of reading a novel clashing two of some of my favourite subjects in storytelling: LGBT+ characters and Alice in Wonderland retellings; but now, I'm just disappointed to say that I was better off not remembering any of it.
Henry (also known as 'Boy Alice') didn't believe his sister's telltales of an underground world full of madness and wonder- that until he gets trapped in said world.
Honestly, this is actually not the first I actually came across an Alice in Wonderland story with a romance consisting of two males. I've read long ago a webcomic with similar synopsis, hence why the idea wasn't the peak of originality, like how other reviewers described it. And that webcomic made more sense to me story-wise, as it wasn't set in modern era (why did the author make that decision, I have no idea).
Right, there was a love-hate romance here... I should speak of it, but all I can say is: it was silly and cliché by trying being mature and a breath of fresh air. They got the hating part down, but the romance was so underheated it was just boring making out. And if I had to choose the most painful thing about this book, is that the romance could be so much more-- but the Hatter was just some stereotypical guy who spouted nonsense (very different from being mad, mind you) and Henry being way too mean and unlikable.
Overall, I don't think this was my cup of tea, and had no liking to it whatsoever. Also; kudos to the sun.
ACTUAL RATING: 0 STARS
Henry (also known as 'Boy Alice') didn't believe his sister's telltales of an underground world full of madness and wonder- that until he gets trapped in said world.
Honestly, this is actually not the first I actually came across an Alice in Wonderland story with a romance consisting of two males. I've read long ago a webcomic with similar synopsis, hence why the idea wasn't the peak of originality, like how other reviewers described it. And that webcomic made more sense to me story-wise, as it wasn't set in modern era (why did the author make that decision, I have no idea).
Right, there was a love-hate romance here... I should speak of it, but all I can say is: it was silly and cliché by trying being mature and a breath of fresh air. They got the hating part down, but the romance was so underheated it was just boring making out. And if I had to choose the most painful thing about this book, is that the romance could be so much more-- but the Hatter was just some stereotypical guy who spouted nonsense (very different from being mad, mind you) and Henry being way too mean and unlikable.
Overall, I don't think this was my cup of tea, and had no liking to it whatsoever. Also; kudos to the sun.
ACTUAL RATING: 0 STARS
October 6, 2015
I wonderfully told tale of a journey through Wonderland. I liked the take on the "Boy Alice" but the visual details of Wonderland were worth the lack of romance I was expecting.
I lovely read and a lovely trip with the Hatter.
I lovely read and a lovely trip with the Hatter.
August 16, 2015
Everyone knows about Wonderland, right?
Almost everyone must have watched or read one version or the other. When I was very little I watched the animated TV series in German, later I read the novel in Japanese and English, I watched the Disney movie in German and the latest live-action movie in English. The language, of course, has nothing to do with it, but it shows that I really adore the story–idea–of Wonderland, so when I saw someone wrote a Boy Alice version with the promise of some boy & boy sweetness I couldn’t stay away!
This Wonderland was just as charming and intriguing.
Dakota’s storytelling is superb; I was captivated by the voices of Henry and especially Hatter. The imagery was also simply wonderful and I found myself turning the pages, anticipating to see what’s next, who’ll be there.
In the beginning, Henry came across a bit bitter and annoying, but once landed in Wonderland, and the realization hit, that his sister might have been telling the truth all along, Henry became more and more likable with each page.
Hatter and Henry's first encounter, where Hatter comes to the rescue and Henry has no idea what to think of the slightly mad person trying to fly them out of a ginormous ant hill with an umbrella, was too cute and amusing for words.
Henry learned a lot of lessons along the way, and fell for the absolutely charming Hatter (who wouldn’t? He was just that charismatic!) Their banter was fun and sweet, and I liked how their friendship slowly blossomed :)
Oh, Hatter, that guy, he's just so sweet and goofy!
A truly memorable character. I simply loved how wonderfully Dakota has written him.
So, let me say it one more time: I truly adored Hatter and Henry, and together they were just way too adorable!
While there were a few bits that I didn’t feel were all that necessary or bit too drawn out, and the Red Queen was just so darn annoying, altogether, I absolutely enjoyed this story!
I loved that the whole 'being attracted to one another' was absolutely no issue at all.
Mad About the Hatter was simply entertaining and memorable :)
It was also my first by this author, and I’d definitely pick up another in the future!
I hope you all pick up a copy!
****
Many thanks to the Publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
Almost everyone must have watched or read one version or the other. When I was very little I watched the animated TV series in German, later I read the novel in Japanese and English, I watched the Disney movie in German and the latest live-action movie in English. The language, of course, has nothing to do with it, but it shows that I really adore the story–idea–of Wonderland, so when I saw someone wrote a Boy Alice version with the promise of some boy & boy sweetness I couldn’t stay away!
This Wonderland was just as charming and intriguing.
Dakota’s storytelling is superb; I was captivated by the voices of Henry and especially Hatter. The imagery was also simply wonderful and I found myself turning the pages, anticipating to see what’s next, who’ll be there.
In the beginning, Henry came across a bit bitter and annoying, but once landed in Wonderland, and the realization hit, that his sister might have been telling the truth all along, Henry became more and more likable with each page.
Hatter and Henry's first encounter, where Hatter comes to the rescue and Henry has no idea what to think of the slightly mad person trying to fly them out of a ginormous ant hill with an umbrella, was too cute and amusing for words.
Henry learned a lot of lessons along the way, and fell for the absolutely charming Hatter (who wouldn’t? He was just that charismatic!) Their banter was fun and sweet, and I liked how their friendship slowly blossomed :)
Oh, Hatter, that guy, he's just so sweet and goofy!
A truly memorable character. I simply loved how wonderfully Dakota has written him.
"Maybe we could pick some of those flowers and use them as camouflage."
He (Hatter) reached down and plucked a daisy, holding it up to his face.
"Can you see me?"
So, let me say it one more time: I truly adored Hatter and Henry, and together they were just way too adorable!
While there were a few bits that I didn’t feel were all that necessary or bit too drawn out, and the Red Queen was just so darn annoying, altogether, I absolutely enjoyed this story!
I loved that the whole 'being attracted to one another' was absolutely no issue at all.
Mad About the Hatter was simply entertaining and memorable :)
It was also my first by this author, and I’d definitely pick up another in the future!
I hope you all pick up a copy!
****
Many thanks to the Publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
February 9, 2017
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy!
I must say I did find this book funny and enjoyable. So far the best Alice retelling I have come across/read. I think I actually liked this more than the original novel! It was a quick read.
I'm not sure about some parts for middle school aged children as they can be impressionable and there are parts of "substances" (whackweed and mushrooms) although I know that fits in with the original Alice from Wonderland theme. The wording, however, is great for middle school vocabulary and imagination (as some are made up)!!!
Henry is Alice's younger brother who never really believed Alice's stories of Wonderland until he finds himself there. Henry's only chance of returning to his world is the Hatter.
Hatter is thy Hatter. Hatter finds himself in a situation where he must bring Henry ("Boy Alice") to the Red Queen in order to save his own head.
Dun dun duuun...
At first Hatter and Henry are not fans of one another but as circumstances stand they have to tough it out and work together. Through their trials and tribulations their journey through Wonderland brings them together and they form a friendship full of compromise and tolerance. So what is poor Hatter to do?! Bring Henry to the Red Queen in order to save himself or help Henry and hope that together they can both somehow escape and survive?
Both Hatter and Henry are witty and charming characters. Easily relatable and it's so enjoyable to read about their adventure together!
A downfall would be the development of background characters. Well Henry and Hatter are well developed the side characters don't have much dimension to them. Also the ending... It ended and I felt like I needed something more. Something was definitely missing that could have blown my socks off.
Although there was some flaws in the book I really enjoyed it and was able to overlook them. I loved the relationship between Hatter and Henry, the adventure, and the overall humour the characters added! I would absolutely recommend this!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy!
I must say I did find this book funny and enjoyable. So far the best Alice retelling I have come across/read. I think I actually liked this more than the original novel! It was a quick read.
I'm not sure about some parts for middle school aged children as they can be impressionable and there are parts of "substances" (whackweed and mushrooms) although I know that fits in with the original Alice from Wonderland theme. The wording, however, is great for middle school vocabulary and imagination (as some are made up)!!!
Henry is Alice's younger brother who never really believed Alice's stories of Wonderland until he finds himself there. Henry's only chance of returning to his world is the Hatter.
Hatter is thy Hatter. Hatter finds himself in a situation where he must bring Henry ("Boy Alice") to the Red Queen in order to save his own head.
Dun dun duuun...
At first Hatter and Henry are not fans of one another but as circumstances stand they have to tough it out and work together. Through their trials and tribulations their journey through Wonderland brings them together and they form a friendship full of compromise and tolerance. So what is poor Hatter to do?! Bring Henry to the Red Queen in order to save himself or help Henry and hope that together they can both somehow escape and survive?
Both Hatter and Henry are witty and charming characters. Easily relatable and it's so enjoyable to read about their adventure together!
A downfall would be the development of background characters. Well Henry and Hatter are well developed the side characters don't have much dimension to them. Also the ending... It ended and I felt like I needed something more. Something was definitely missing that could have blown my socks off.
Although there was some flaws in the book I really enjoyed it and was able to overlook them. I loved the relationship between Hatter and Henry, the adventure, and the overall humour the characters added! I would absolutely recommend this!
July 29, 2018
Ok, so this may not be the best story in the world, but it was really cute and I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this. It is not a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. This is later in Wonderland. Alice is all grown up and has spent her life with no one believing her stories of Wonderland, and her brother Henry blames her and her lies on their family falling apart. No longer able to handle his resentment, Alice drugs her brother and shoves him through the looking glass with the only instruction being find the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter is instructed by the Red Queen to find the "Boy Alice" and bring him to her so that she can chop off his head and if he doesn't then the Queen wants the Hatter's head instead. There is also a lot of chemistry between the Mad Hatter and Henry. It is very cute!
September 7, 2015
At first I was sceptical about this. What would this story add to the beloved Alice in Wonderland?
As I read the story it began to grow on me and I found myself enjoying grumpy Henry the 17/18 year old brother of Alice who never believed her stories of wonderland, but finds himself stuck there just the same.
And then there is the weird Hatter, who has been sent by the Red Queen to find 'Boy Alice' - Henry, so that the Queen can chop his head off.
And so Henry and the Mad Hatter begin their trek through Wonderland, Henry hoping for a way home and Hatter hoping for a way to deliver Henry to the Red Queen so that he (the Mad Hatter) can escape the Queen's wrath.
But along the way they find adventure and discover home truths about Wonderland and the normal world and each other.
This was a very entertaining read. It is a YA story and interesting in the way it creates new lands and magical adventures. It reminds me of some of the magical stories from Enid Blyton, only this time the main characters are gay.
It is a lovely story for a younger audience but one that can be enjoyed by older readers too. I really loved the descriptions of the different lands that Hatter and Henry traversed through. I also liked the gentle attraction Hatter first experiences for Henry and the way the two of them become closer. Best of all I liked Henry and his taciturn and grumpy no-nonsense outlook on life, on the Hatter, on Alice and on all things Wonderland.
I think any one who wants to try an mm story with a difference should definitely go for this one. A simple read, but a funny one and a great YA story.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As I read the story it began to grow on me and I found myself enjoying grumpy Henry the 17/18 year old brother of Alice who never believed her stories of wonderland, but finds himself stuck there just the same.
And then there is the weird Hatter, who has been sent by the Red Queen to find 'Boy Alice' - Henry, so that the Queen can chop his head off.
And so Henry and the Mad Hatter begin their trek through Wonderland, Henry hoping for a way home and Hatter hoping for a way to deliver Henry to the Red Queen so that he (the Mad Hatter) can escape the Queen's wrath.
But along the way they find adventure and discover home truths about Wonderland and the normal world and each other.
This was a very entertaining read. It is a YA story and interesting in the way it creates new lands and magical adventures. It reminds me of some of the magical stories from Enid Blyton, only this time the main characters are gay.
It is a lovely story for a younger audience but one that can be enjoyed by older readers too. I really loved the descriptions of the different lands that Hatter and Henry traversed through. I also liked the gentle attraction Hatter first experiences for Henry and the way the two of them become closer. Best of all I liked Henry and his taciturn and grumpy no-nonsense outlook on life, on the Hatter, on Alice and on all things Wonderland.
I think any one who wants to try an mm story with a difference should definitely go for this one. A simple read, but a funny one and a great YA story.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2017
Updated for audiobook review
Read Jay’s audio review in its entirety here.
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
What prompted me to select Mad About the Hatter for review was the clever blurb. Having never been a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, I was intrigued. I really enjoyed the first half (or so) of the story, up until Henry and Hatter arrive in Henry’s world (the U.S., I suppose) where I felt the role reversal felt trite and not nearly as well written or addressed as the trip through Wonderland. Fortunately, the stop in Henry’s world was brief, and the story got back on track for me.
Although Henry’s reversal from disliking Hatter at the beginning to feeling more for him seemed quick, Henry’s brief period of introspection told us a lot about who his is, what motivated him, and to a lesser extent, how he felt. It still didn’t give me the feeling of progression or growth that I would look for and expect. I mean, Henry is quite the jerk until he wasn’t. Overall, Hatter’s gradual attraction to the very grumpy and argumentative Henry felt more natural, especially since the story is told primarily from Hatter’s POV, but that left an odd gap in terms of the relationship building until much further in the book. What I did notice is that the Hatter’s madness diminished as the story progressed, making me question Hatter as a character.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
Read Jay’s audio review in its entirety here.
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
What prompted me to select Mad About the Hatter for review was the clever blurb. Having never been a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, I was intrigued. I really enjoyed the first half (or so) of the story, up until Henry and Hatter arrive in Henry’s world (the U.S., I suppose) where I felt the role reversal felt trite and not nearly as well written or addressed as the trip through Wonderland. Fortunately, the stop in Henry’s world was brief, and the story got back on track for me.
Although Henry’s reversal from disliking Hatter at the beginning to feeling more for him seemed quick, Henry’s brief period of introspection told us a lot about who his is, what motivated him, and to a lesser extent, how he felt. It still didn’t give me the feeling of progression or growth that I would look for and expect. I mean, Henry is quite the jerk until he wasn’t. Overall, Hatter’s gradual attraction to the very grumpy and argumentative Henry felt more natural, especially since the story is told primarily from Hatter’s POV, but that left an odd gap in terms of the relationship building until much further in the book. What I did notice is that the Hatter’s madness diminished as the story progressed, making me question Hatter as a character.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
April 8, 2020
Esto me encantó como no tienen idea.
RESEÑA
Después de siglos de la última reseña (que no era de un libro) finalmente vuelvo con otra (que sí es de un libro). No sé si lo he comentado aquí, pero yo AMO los retellings. Mucha gente opina que los retellings es una deficiencia del autor, pues demuestra que no es capaz de imaginar una historia nueva y recurre a hacer un recuento de una historia ya conocida. Yo no opino igual, pues la imaginación tiene muchas matices y, lo digo ya, reimaginar un cuento, sea clásico, o una fábula, para darle un enfoque distinto, no es fácil, pues hay que saber manejar la historia para que sea nueva pero a la vez no pierda la esencia que la caracteriza.
Y a eso vengo aquí ante ustedes. El retelling que me trae el día de hoy es, en una versión chico-chico (no es homoerótica porque no hay ninguna escena de sexo en realidad), de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas.
Han pasado catorce años desde que Alicia volvió a su mundo. Eso significa que ella ya tuvo su segundo viaje al País de las Maravillas donde conoció al Espejo y llegó a ser reina del país por unas pocas horas, sin embargo ahora la Reina Roja gobernaba, hay decapitaciones a menudo, el Rey Rojo desapareció (muchos dicen que está muerto) y el Sombrerero está encarcelado. El libro inicia cuando, por sugerencia del Gato de Cheshire, al Sombrerero le dan la oportunidad de redimirse yendo a la Guarida de la Oruga a buscar a Chico Alicia. Nadie sabe quién es o a qué vino al País de las Maravillas, y eso perturba a la cada vez más desquiciada Reina Roja. Sombrerero acepta solo porque no quiere que su cabeza ruede.
Al llegar a la Guarida, Sombrerero se topa con Chico Alicia, quien no es más que el hermano menor de Alicia, Henry, y es casi una copia de ella. Desde niños, Henry nunca ha creído las anécdotas de Alicia sobre el País de las Maravillas, e incluso mientras está ahí, pasa un buen tiempo pensando que está soñando o alucinando por alguna droga que Alicia le hizo beber antes de despertar en ese mundo. Cuando ve al Sombrerero, al principio desconfía de él a pesar de que Alicia le dijo que le buscara, pero luego de enterarse de que tenía una oportunidad yendo al Castillo Rojo con él para volver a casa, acepta el acompañarlo de regreso.
Lo que no contaba ninguno de los dos es que, en su aventura hacia el Castillo Rojo, los sentimientos entre ambos comenzarían a desarrollarse, dificultando no solo que el Sombrero no le dijera a Henry lo que le esperaba al llegar con la Reina Roja (“¡Que le corten la cabeza!”) sino la decisión de Henry sobre en serio marcharse del País de las Maravillas.
Alicia en el País de las Maravillas no es de mis historias favoritas, pero me gusta. Formó una parte fundamental de mi infancia, ya que en la época de los VHS yo veía mucho la película, es más, mi escena favorita de la versión de Disney era el cuento de La Morsa y el Carpintero. Con la versión de Tim Burton, me enamoré del ship entre Alicia y el Sombrerero (pero la película en sí no me encantó, y ni siquiera he visto bien la siguiente). La verdad es que no he leído retellings sobre esta historia. He leído referencias, sí, como el libro de Sick Fux que toma mucha inspiración del cuento pero no es en sí un retelling como tal, y una vez inicié un libro que en realidad no me encantó y lo acabé abandonando a las pocas páginas.
Digamos que este libro junta dos de mis pasiones: mi ship favorito del cuento y el yaoi.
Como tampoco he leído el libro de Lewis Carroll, no conozco bien el contenido, pero la forma de narrar de la autora fue tan… mágica. En verdad, algo que le sumó puntos a este libro es que realmente hay una falta de lógica muy lógica en la narración, los diálogos, los lugares que visitan Henry y Sombrerero en su camino al Castillo de la Reina Roja. Por decirlo de una manera, saben que una característica propia del País de las Maravillas es que no hay reglas, ni tampoco lógica, pero sí hay sentido en lo ilógico, y eso no es algo muy fácil de captar. Se necesita mucho ingenio e imaginación, y siento que Dakota Chase logró captar muy bien eso.
Los diálogos del Sombrerero fueron muy ingeniosos a pesar de carecer de lógica. Los lugares que visitaron, como Ohcered (Derecho, al revés. Un lugar donde todo tienes que hacerlo al revés, de forma literal), o Ruina, o Neverglades, o mi lugar favorito de entre todos, las montañas de los Pasteleros Gigantes. No sé si existen en los libros originales, o fueron creados por la autora, pero tienen un nivel de imaginación que me dejó encantada con todo el libro. Además que la autora no requirió de palabras tan rimbombantes que facilitó mucho imaginarlo tan claramente como si estuviéramos viendo una película.
Ahora, lo especial de este libro es que… el romance, si bien parece un insta-love, se da a razón de la compañía mutua durante un viaje entre Sombrerero y Henry, muy a lo que sucedió entre Rapunzel y Flynn en Enredados, ¿entienden? Primero comenzó con una atracción, y poco a poco el romance se dio, pero no siento que finalizó con un “Te amo” por parte de los protagonistas, sino como un “Te quiero y siento que voy a amarte”, prometiendo un verdadero romance a futuro, ¿sí me explico? Claro, que el libro es muy corto, finalizando con esa promesa entre la pareja principal. Pero es justamente el cómo se llevaban, lo que comenzó con un “No me agradas” a “Te tolero” seguido por “Me empiezas a agradar” y acabando en un “Me gustas, y no concibo el no verte más” lo que me conquistó.
Eso sí, advierto que no se trata de un libro romántico, más bien, es un libro de aventura con un toque de romance, hay más del País de las Maravillas que de los personajes, pero eso no quiere decir que el libro es malo. Por el contrario, es muy bueno, y si solo quieres algo ligero pero que te haga volar la imaginación fuera de la realidad, este libro es perfecto. ¡Te ríes, además! Como dije, los diálogos del Sombrerero y las situaciones que se dan son tan hilarantes que, de una u otra forma te sacarán una sonrisa.
No toco mucho de los demás personajes porque apenas se presentan. Alicia solo sale en un par de escenas, y de resto se menciona sus heroicas acciones, la Reina Roja tiene un par de momentos al principio y al final también. Lo mismo ocurre que el resto de personajes significativos de la historia como el Gato de Cheshire, el Conejo Blanco, la Oruga, eso sin mencionar a los Tweedles. Como dije, este libro se enfoca más en el Sombrerero y Henry y su aventura por el País de las Maravillas.
Si pueden leerlo como algo ligero pero entretenido, háganlo. Es muy bonito y soft en el romance, pero bastante fructífero en cuestión a imaginación, fácilmente leído en un día.
RESEÑA
Después de siglos de la última reseña (que no era de un libro) finalmente vuelvo con otra (que sí es de un libro). No sé si lo he comentado aquí, pero yo AMO los retellings. Mucha gente opina que los retellings es una deficiencia del autor, pues demuestra que no es capaz de imaginar una historia nueva y recurre a hacer un recuento de una historia ya conocida. Yo no opino igual, pues la imaginación tiene muchas matices y, lo digo ya, reimaginar un cuento, sea clásico, o una fábula, para darle un enfoque distinto, no es fácil, pues hay que saber manejar la historia para que sea nueva pero a la vez no pierda la esencia que la caracteriza.
Y a eso vengo aquí ante ustedes. El retelling que me trae el día de hoy es, en una versión chico-chico (no es homoerótica porque no hay ninguna escena de sexo en realidad), de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas.
Han pasado catorce años desde que Alicia volvió a su mundo. Eso significa que ella ya tuvo su segundo viaje al País de las Maravillas donde conoció al Espejo y llegó a ser reina del país por unas pocas horas, sin embargo ahora la Reina Roja gobernaba, hay decapitaciones a menudo, el Rey Rojo desapareció (muchos dicen que está muerto) y el Sombrerero está encarcelado. El libro inicia cuando, por sugerencia del Gato de Cheshire, al Sombrerero le dan la oportunidad de redimirse yendo a la Guarida de la Oruga a buscar a Chico Alicia. Nadie sabe quién es o a qué vino al País de las Maravillas, y eso perturba a la cada vez más desquiciada Reina Roja. Sombrerero acepta solo porque no quiere que su cabeza ruede.
Al llegar a la Guarida, Sombrerero se topa con Chico Alicia, quien no es más que el hermano menor de Alicia, Henry, y es casi una copia de ella. Desde niños, Henry nunca ha creído las anécdotas de Alicia sobre el País de las Maravillas, e incluso mientras está ahí, pasa un buen tiempo pensando que está soñando o alucinando por alguna droga que Alicia le hizo beber antes de despertar en ese mundo. Cuando ve al Sombrerero, al principio desconfía de él a pesar de que Alicia le dijo que le buscara, pero luego de enterarse de que tenía una oportunidad yendo al Castillo Rojo con él para volver a casa, acepta el acompañarlo de regreso.
Lo que no contaba ninguno de los dos es que, en su aventura hacia el Castillo Rojo, los sentimientos entre ambos comenzarían a desarrollarse, dificultando no solo que el Sombrero no le dijera a Henry lo que le esperaba al llegar con la Reina Roja (“¡Que le corten la cabeza!”) sino la decisión de Henry sobre en serio marcharse del País de las Maravillas.
Alicia en el País de las Maravillas no es de mis historias favoritas, pero me gusta. Formó una parte fundamental de mi infancia, ya que en la época de los VHS yo veía mucho la película, es más, mi escena favorita de la versión de Disney era el cuento de La Morsa y el Carpintero. Con la versión de Tim Burton, me enamoré del ship entre Alicia y el Sombrerero (pero la película en sí no me encantó, y ni siquiera he visto bien la siguiente). La verdad es que no he leído retellings sobre esta historia. He leído referencias, sí, como el libro de Sick Fux que toma mucha inspiración del cuento pero no es en sí un retelling como tal, y una vez inicié un libro que en realidad no me encantó y lo acabé abandonando a las pocas páginas.
Digamos que este libro junta dos de mis pasiones: mi ship favorito del cuento y el yaoi.
Como tampoco he leído el libro de Lewis Carroll, no conozco bien el contenido, pero la forma de narrar de la autora fue tan… mágica. En verdad, algo que le sumó puntos a este libro es que realmente hay una falta de lógica muy lógica en la narración, los diálogos, los lugares que visitan Henry y Sombrerero en su camino al Castillo de la Reina Roja. Por decirlo de una manera, saben que una característica propia del País de las Maravillas es que no hay reglas, ni tampoco lógica, pero sí hay sentido en lo ilógico, y eso no es algo muy fácil de captar. Se necesita mucho ingenio e imaginación, y siento que Dakota Chase logró captar muy bien eso.
Los diálogos del Sombrerero fueron muy ingeniosos a pesar de carecer de lógica. Los lugares que visitaron, como Ohcered (Derecho, al revés. Un lugar donde todo tienes que hacerlo al revés, de forma literal), o Ruina, o Neverglades, o mi lugar favorito de entre todos, las montañas de los Pasteleros Gigantes. No sé si existen en los libros originales, o fueron creados por la autora, pero tienen un nivel de imaginación que me dejó encantada con todo el libro. Además que la autora no requirió de palabras tan rimbombantes que facilitó mucho imaginarlo tan claramente como si estuviéramos viendo una película.
Ahora, lo especial de este libro es que… el romance, si bien parece un insta-love, se da a razón de la compañía mutua durante un viaje entre Sombrerero y Henry, muy a lo que sucedió entre Rapunzel y Flynn en Enredados, ¿entienden? Primero comenzó con una atracción, y poco a poco el romance se dio, pero no siento que finalizó con un “Te amo” por parte de los protagonistas, sino como un “Te quiero y siento que voy a amarte”, prometiendo un verdadero romance a futuro, ¿sí me explico? Claro, que el libro es muy corto, finalizando con esa promesa entre la pareja principal. Pero es justamente el cómo se llevaban, lo que comenzó con un “No me agradas” a “Te tolero” seguido por “Me empiezas a agradar” y acabando en un “Me gustas, y no concibo el no verte más” lo que me conquistó.
Eso sí, advierto que no se trata de un libro romántico, más bien, es un libro de aventura con un toque de romance, hay más del País de las Maravillas que de los personajes, pero eso no quiere decir que el libro es malo. Por el contrario, es muy bueno, y si solo quieres algo ligero pero que te haga volar la imaginación fuera de la realidad, este libro es perfecto. ¡Te ríes, además! Como dije, los diálogos del Sombrerero y las situaciones que se dan son tan hilarantes que, de una u otra forma te sacarán una sonrisa.
No toco mucho de los demás personajes porque apenas se presentan. Alicia solo sale en un par de escenas, y de resto se menciona sus heroicas acciones, la Reina Roja tiene un par de momentos al principio y al final también. Lo mismo ocurre que el resto de personajes significativos de la historia como el Gato de Cheshire, el Conejo Blanco, la Oruga, eso sin mencionar a los Tweedles. Como dije, este libro se enfoca más en el Sombrerero y Henry y su aventura por el País de las Maravillas.
Si pueden leerlo como algo ligero pero entretenido, háganlo. Es muy bonito y soft en el romance, pero bastante fructífero en cuestión a imaginación, fácilmente leído en un día.
June 29, 2016
A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Despite the name, Mad About the Hatter, this book is plenty enjoyable without too much romance. :D
I think that fans of Alice in Wonderland will enjoy this much more, because this book has various things to fangirl about. Whether it be the twins Louis and Carol (get it?!) or Henry and Alice’s strained relationship from her bizarre tales, up to the point where we see Henry experience Wonderland for himself; this is pretty much every fan’s dream!
I really liked how we got to see the perspective of the Hatter as well as Henry. While this book had some predictable twists, I think it was still enjoyable.
Henry’s journey is pretty much the same as Alice’s for a certain part of this book. After that, it gets really good! But, unfortunately, as much as I loved the Hatter and was quite “mad” about him myself, there were some moments where I was kind of bored because Hatter would be explaining things to Henry about Wonderland. Or, they’d just be plain walking.
I think the ending was my favorite! Especially where we see every plot issue get resolved. Don’t worry, this book resolves all the questions and sub-plots as well! :D Great ending, there!
Overall, Mad About the Hatter is an enjoyable book for those of you who are fans of the tale! I think that even if you aren’t, this is so different from the original that you’ll enjoy it the same! :D
Despite the name, Mad About the Hatter, this book is plenty enjoyable without too much romance. :D
I think that fans of Alice in Wonderland will enjoy this much more, because this book has various things to fangirl about. Whether it be the twins Louis and Carol (get it?!) or Henry and Alice’s strained relationship from her bizarre tales, up to the point where we see Henry experience Wonderland for himself; this is pretty much every fan’s dream!
I really liked how we got to see the perspective of the Hatter as well as Henry. While this book had some predictable twists, I think it was still enjoyable.
Henry’s journey is pretty much the same as Alice’s for a certain part of this book. After that, it gets really good! But, unfortunately, as much as I loved the Hatter and was quite “mad” about him myself, there were some moments where I was kind of bored because Hatter would be explaining things to Henry about Wonderland. Or, they’d just be plain walking.
I think the ending was my favorite! Especially where we see every plot issue get resolved. Don’t worry, this book resolves all the questions and sub-plots as well! :D Great ending, there!
Overall, Mad About the Hatter is an enjoyable book for those of you who are fans of the tale! I think that even if you aren’t, this is so different from the original that you’ll enjoy it the same! :D
December 24, 2015
http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.nl/2...
This book was simply too much. The author tried SO hard to make everything sounds funny and hilarious, that it felt too forced. I understand that she tried to copy the whimsical feeling from Alice in Wonderland, but to me, she failed to deliver it.
I loved that the romance is between Hatter and Henry, brother from Alice, but it went incredibly fast. Hatter went from 'what an annoying boy' to 'oh, such luscious lips, I want to kiss them!' The same with Henry, who went from 'I must be crazy, this can't be real' to 'what a delicious man.'
The story itself is also pretty much wandering around Wonderland, because Hatter must take Henry to the Queen of Hearts. I liked the addition of the King of Hearts and the talk about abusive relationships.
The sum it up:
Pretty cover, disappointing story.
This book was simply too much. The author tried SO hard to make everything sounds funny and hilarious, that it felt too forced. I understand that she tried to copy the whimsical feeling from Alice in Wonderland, but to me, she failed to deliver it.
I loved that the romance is between Hatter and Henry, brother from Alice, but it went incredibly fast. Hatter went from 'what an annoying boy' to 'oh, such luscious lips, I want to kiss them!' The same with Henry, who went from 'I must be crazy, this can't be real' to 'what a delicious man.'
The story itself is also pretty much wandering around Wonderland, because Hatter must take Henry to the Queen of Hearts. I liked the addition of the King of Hearts and the talk about abusive relationships.
The sum it up:
Pretty cover, disappointing story.
April 30, 2019
💯 Read for the 2019 MacHalo Splendiferous Book Bingo Thingie (MSBBT™) challenge over at the MacHalo Asylum 💯
27. Set in Another World [Bonus Card]
This was adorable!
Two very notable flaws that took away the 5 Stars:
• POV: While the POVs were noticeably different and distinct in the beginning, they begun to blend in together around the half way mark and at the end I didn't quite get who it was we were reading through from. Also the POV changes were never marked.
• Ending: The ending was unsatisfactory for me. The writing, the setting, it was just sloppy and stupid and it could have been wayyyy better. By ending I mean the "Epilogue".
Oh well, can't have everything I suppose. Or can you? (ヅ)
Henry suppressed a shudder. “And you really call this place ‘Wonderland,’ huh?”
“Yes, of course. It’s named that because many parts of it are wondrous, but also because it’s a wonder anyone ever survives some of it.”
P. 70
This was adorable!
Two very notable flaws that took away the 5 Stars:
• POV: While the POVs were noticeably different and distinct in the beginning, they begun to blend in together around the half way mark and at the end I didn't quite get who it was we were reading through from. Also the POV changes were never marked.
• Ending: The ending was unsatisfactory for me. The writing, the setting, it was just sloppy and stupid and it could have been wayyyy better. By ending I mean the "Epilogue".
Oh well, can't have everything I suppose. Or can you? (ヅ)
June 23, 2022
This is such a fun LGBT young adult fantasy. It is not really a retelling of Alice in Wonderland but an addition to the story. The main protagonist of the story is "boy Alice," who is Alice's younger brother Henry. He never believed his sister's tales, so he is shocked when he unexpectedly finds himself in Wonderland. When the Red Queen finds out Henry is in Wonderland, she sends the Mad Hatter to bring him to her. At first Henry has a hard time dealing with all of the craziness that is Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. The two definitely begin their adventure as adversaries. As make they make their way across Wonderland, a friendship grows and begins to change into deeper feelings. I definitely recommend this sweet romantic fantasy.
September 6, 2015
I received a free review copy of this book through Netgalley.
Hatter has sat in the Red Queen's dungeon for some time. Unfortunately, as her guards come to lead him out, he knows it's not a chance at freedom -- instead, he will be beheaded. He is so certain of this that once he reaches the Red Queen, and she strikes a deal that would save his life, he accepts. His end of the deal is to find Alice's brother -- "Boy Alice" -- and deliver him to the Red Queen, who, of course, will behead him instead.
Henry, who never believed Alice's tales of Wonderland, remembers only passing out to the sound of his sister's voice. She told him to find the Mad Hatter, and then he was whisked away to this strange place, talking to a giant caterpillar.
Things really begin to get complicated as these two find themselves not quite hating one another. This soon develops into something more, and then Hatter is forced to make a decision. Does he deliver Henry to the Red Queen as promised, and keep his own head? Or can they somehow stay alive long enough to get Henry back home?
First and foremost, this was a quick, fun read. I think the plot and the pacing were the best things about this story. It moved along relatively fast, and kept my attention throughout -- so much that I read the last 75% in one day, practically one sitting. (I got up and moved around a bit, because you know. Food and water and such.)
Henry and Hatter's characters were also nice to read about, and felt pretty well-developed. I'm not sure if I can say the same about many of the side characters, unfortunately. One of the biggest disappointments for me in this respect was Alice. She felt weird to me, not exactly like a real person. The others seemed to be developed more than Alice, but not nearly as much as they could have been.
Conflicts between characters seemed to fall really flat for me as well. Or, not so much the conflicts themselves, but the resolutions. This probably has a lot to do with lack of character development, but when Henry or Hatter resolved issues with side characters, it typically felt strange and a bit unrealistic to me. (Not like, "we're in Wonderland" unrealistic. Just... off, somehow.)
But Henry and Hatter felt more real, and then we also have the romance, which was adorable. They seemed to compliment each other really well and their feelings felt natural and realistic. The romance took kind of a back seat to the actual plot, but this was probably a good thing. They did have other things to worry about, like not dying and such.
One of the things that I disliked most throughout the book is quite a small thing, but it bothered me so much every time. The writing could get repetitive in some places, like it was reminding the reader of something that happened only a few pages back. As a reader, I never want to be told something I already know. It feels a bit like being talked down to.
Something that happened more often in this regard was that character flaws really seemed to be pushed. I noticed this, but it didn't make me enjoy the book any less, like the other repetitive parts. After some thought, I realized that maybe this is because we're so used to seeing positive traits pushed in this same way, especially when there's a romance? It kind of felt refreshing to be reminded of the negative things instead, and to me it made the characters feel more real and human.
In the end, although I found flaws with this story, I really did enjoy it so much. It was incredibly fun and I would recommend it especially to someone looking for a quick, light fantasy read. I loved the imagination, the romance, the made-up words, and getting to see Wonderland through the perspectives of Henry and Hatter. I also smelled a sequel at the end, and I have some theories about it already. If there does end up being one, I'll definitely be reading.
Hatter has sat in the Red Queen's dungeon for some time. Unfortunately, as her guards come to lead him out, he knows it's not a chance at freedom -- instead, he will be beheaded. He is so certain of this that once he reaches the Red Queen, and she strikes a deal that would save his life, he accepts. His end of the deal is to find Alice's brother -- "Boy Alice" -- and deliver him to the Red Queen, who, of course, will behead him instead.
Henry, who never believed Alice's tales of Wonderland, remembers only passing out to the sound of his sister's voice. She told him to find the Mad Hatter, and then he was whisked away to this strange place, talking to a giant caterpillar.
Things really begin to get complicated as these two find themselves not quite hating one another. This soon develops into something more, and then Hatter is forced to make a decision. Does he deliver Henry to the Red Queen as promised, and keep his own head? Or can they somehow stay alive long enough to get Henry back home?
First and foremost, this was a quick, fun read. I think the plot and the pacing were the best things about this story. It moved along relatively fast, and kept my attention throughout -- so much that I read the last 75% in one day, practically one sitting. (I got up and moved around a bit, because you know. Food and water and such.)
Henry and Hatter's characters were also nice to read about, and felt pretty well-developed. I'm not sure if I can say the same about many of the side characters, unfortunately. One of the biggest disappointments for me in this respect was Alice. She felt weird to me, not exactly like a real person. The others seemed to be developed more than Alice, but not nearly as much as they could have been.
Conflicts between characters seemed to fall really flat for me as well. Or, not so much the conflicts themselves, but the resolutions. This probably has a lot to do with lack of character development, but when Henry or Hatter resolved issues with side characters, it typically felt strange and a bit unrealistic to me. (Not like, "we're in Wonderland" unrealistic. Just... off, somehow.)
But Henry and Hatter felt more real, and then we also have the romance, which was adorable. They seemed to compliment each other really well and their feelings felt natural and realistic. The romance took kind of a back seat to the actual plot, but this was probably a good thing. They did have other things to worry about, like not dying and such.
One of the things that I disliked most throughout the book is quite a small thing, but it bothered me so much every time. The writing could get repetitive in some places, like it was reminding the reader of something that happened only a few pages back. As a reader, I never want to be told something I already know. It feels a bit like being talked down to.
Something that happened more often in this regard was that character flaws really seemed to be pushed. I noticed this, but it didn't make me enjoy the book any less, like the other repetitive parts. After some thought, I realized that maybe this is because we're so used to seeing positive traits pushed in this same way, especially when there's a romance? It kind of felt refreshing to be reminded of the negative things instead, and to me it made the characters feel more real and human.
In the end, although I found flaws with this story, I really did enjoy it so much. It was incredibly fun and I would recommend it especially to someone looking for a quick, light fantasy read. I loved the imagination, the romance, the made-up words, and getting to see Wonderland through the perspectives of Henry and Hatter. I also smelled a sequel at the end, and I have some theories about it already. If there does end up being one, I'll definitely be reading.
September 4, 2015
I received a free e-copy from netgalley for review.
An Alice in Wonderland retelling and queer fiction?! Two of my favorite things and should have made for the perfect book. Honestly though, if this had just been an Alice in Wonderland retelling or just a queer book I would not have finished it. Both elements on their own were not strong enough to hold my interest.
The choice to set this retelling of Alice in Wonderland in modern times was an odd one, and one I’m not sure I really understand. When I say set in modern times I mean that Alice supposedly went down the rabbit hole, through the looking glass and returned to the real world all within modern times. We get to see Wonderland as Henry and the Hatter walk through it and it was rather boring at times. It was this happened and then this happened and then this happened. There was no real tension through out this book. The magic of Wonderland was never really explained, which normally I would be okay with because this IS Wonderland, but this Wonderland was not insane enough for me to let it pass. There were inconsistencies that just bugged me as well. Hatter had a very particular way of speaking in the beginning, which fit in my opinion, what with living in Wonderland and the time period (although since Alice apparently went down the rabbit hole in modern times this doesn’t really fit I guess). But then he started talking like any everyday sort of person but would sometimes lapse into that particular way of speaking he had at the beginning, usually when speaking to another Wonderland resident. Then there was the whole tea party issue. According to this book the Hatter was stuck at the tea party with the Dormouse and the White Rabbit but he should have been stuck with the March Hare and not the White Rabbit. If the White Rabbit was stuck at this tea party up until Alice arrived how was the rabbit supposed to have led Alice down the rabbit hole? The last one might be a bit nit picky of me, but Alice Liddell married a man named Reginald in real life so why was her husband's name Phillip in this book? I realize that the Alice in this book is probably not supposed to be a direct reflection of Alice Liddell but the Alice in Wonderland nerd in mean was sad to not see Reginald.
The romance was very much insta-love and pretty weak besides that. There was only two on page kisses, and one happened at such an inappropriate time that is was hard for me to feel any happiness out of it. The rest of their relationship happens off screen. I did like that both Henry's and the Hatter's sexuality were not an issue. I would say both characters are bi (or possibly pan) as they both expressed interest in boys and girls.
Overall this was a fast, easy read and certainly wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read by any means. It’s not something I would ever re-read though, or continue on with if there was a sequel (I’m not sure if there is or not).
An Alice in Wonderland retelling and queer fiction?! Two of my favorite things and should have made for the perfect book. Honestly though, if this had just been an Alice in Wonderland retelling or just a queer book I would not have finished it. Both elements on their own were not strong enough to hold my interest.
The choice to set this retelling of Alice in Wonderland in modern times was an odd one, and one I’m not sure I really understand. When I say set in modern times I mean that Alice supposedly went down the rabbit hole, through the looking glass and returned to the real world all within modern times. We get to see Wonderland as Henry and the Hatter walk through it and it was rather boring at times. It was this happened and then this happened and then this happened. There was no real tension through out this book. The magic of Wonderland was never really explained, which normally I would be okay with because this IS Wonderland, but this Wonderland was not insane enough for me to let it pass. There were inconsistencies that just bugged me as well. Hatter had a very particular way of speaking in the beginning, which fit in my opinion, what with living in Wonderland and the time period (although since Alice apparently went down the rabbit hole in modern times this doesn’t really fit I guess). But then he started talking like any everyday sort of person but would sometimes lapse into that particular way of speaking he had at the beginning, usually when speaking to another Wonderland resident. Then there was the whole tea party issue. According to this book the Hatter was stuck at the tea party with the Dormouse and the White Rabbit but he should have been stuck with the March Hare and not the White Rabbit. If the White Rabbit was stuck at this tea party up until Alice arrived how was the rabbit supposed to have led Alice down the rabbit hole? The last one might be a bit nit picky of me, but Alice Liddell married a man named Reginald in real life so why was her husband's name Phillip in this book? I realize that the Alice in this book is probably not supposed to be a direct reflection of Alice Liddell but the Alice in Wonderland nerd in mean was sad to not see Reginald.
The romance was very much insta-love and pretty weak besides that. There was only two on page kisses, and one happened at such an inappropriate time that is was hard for me to feel any happiness out of it. The rest of their relationship happens off screen. I did like that both Henry's and the Hatter's sexuality were not an issue. I would say both characters are bi (or possibly pan) as they both expressed interest in boys and girls.
Overall this was a fast, easy read and certainly wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read by any means. It’s not something I would ever re-read though, or continue on with if there was a sequel (I’m not sure if there is or not).
February 10, 2017
Mad About the Hatter was not at all what I thought it would be. I prepared myself for a romance that was loosely tied to Alice in Wonderland… something that took place in Wonderland but was just more like your usual YA stories. The reality was a complete surprise.
First of all, I did not expect the story to be written with so much of Lewis Carol’s heart! Mad About the Hatter was as topsy turvy as the original story was. It felt like the core of each character was as strong in this book as it was in the original. I was blown away by how the author was able to embody the spirit of the story the way she did. I can’t imagine it was easy, or maybe it was in which case I’m even more impressed! I’m pretty positive I would never have been able to come up with all the confusion and Wonderlandness that was contained in this short book.
The Madhatter, in particular, was simply wonderful. He was the highlight of the story for me. He was delightfully confusing, and it was so funny watching him spin Henry in circles with his nonsense. We even got to read Henry taking a stab at ‘Why is a Raven like a writing desk?’.
What I thought was lacking was the connection between Henry and the Hatter. Possibly the problem was that for only 190 pages, there was so much going on. We just weren’t getting enough one on one time between the two of them for the reader to feel like the emotions were growing believably. The romance felt forced, when it was even discussed at all. There was a lot of telling, telling us about how attracted they were to each other, telling us how much they meant to each other. There weren’t enough moments that we actually got to read and relish in.
I’m not saying that I think it should have been romance heavy. I’m saying that there could have been more of a balance between attempting to dethrone the Red Queen, and the opportunity to watch the characters fall in love.
Actually, if I were rating on plot alone the book would likely be 2.5-3 stars. I decided to give Mad About the Hatter 4 stars due to the unique writing alone. If the plot had been as brilliant as the writing it may have been a five star read.
Thank you to HARMONY INK PRESS and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this and other reviews like it at Badass Book Reviews!
First of all, I did not expect the story to be written with so much of Lewis Carol’s heart! Mad About the Hatter was as topsy turvy as the original story was. It felt like the core of each character was as strong in this book as it was in the original. I was blown away by how the author was able to embody the spirit of the story the way she did. I can’t imagine it was easy, or maybe it was in which case I’m even more impressed! I’m pretty positive I would never have been able to come up with all the confusion and Wonderlandness that was contained in this short book.
The Madhatter, in particular, was simply wonderful. He was the highlight of the story for me. He was delightfully confusing, and it was so funny watching him spin Henry in circles with his nonsense. We even got to read Henry taking a stab at ‘Why is a Raven like a writing desk?’.
What I thought was lacking was the connection between Henry and the Hatter. Possibly the problem was that for only 190 pages, there was so much going on. We just weren’t getting enough one on one time between the two of them for the reader to feel like the emotions were growing believably. The romance felt forced, when it was even discussed at all. There was a lot of telling, telling us about how attracted they were to each other, telling us how much they meant to each other. There weren’t enough moments that we actually got to read and relish in.
I’m not saying that I think it should have been romance heavy. I’m saying that there could have been more of a balance between attempting to dethrone the Red Queen, and the opportunity to watch the characters fall in love.
Actually, if I were rating on plot alone the book would likely be 2.5-3 stars. I decided to give Mad About the Hatter 4 stars due to the unique writing alone. If the plot had been as brilliant as the writing it may have been a five star read.
Thank you to HARMONY INK PRESS and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this and other reviews like it at Badass Book Reviews!
June 23, 2016
As a light-hearted book, this achieves the mission and so, my review will judge this book based on who it is and not who it could be.
This book is adorable. It really is. Henry and the Hatter worked for me. Admittedly, there was insta-love but it worked for me. It was mushy and cliche but it made me smile.
I love that this is a non-straight romance. So important. That said, I wish there would have been more. The insta-love made it hard for me to appreciate or approve of their love. I would have liked the relationship to have been developed better.
I do have a bone to pick about the visualization of wonderland. No. No. That's not wonderland. If you're incapable of portraying Carroll's work, don't do it. Wonderland has darker undertones, wonderland isn't simply random nonsense, it's logical and parodying our world, it's about childhood and puberty, it's about the limits of perception. When you portray a world, it's not a buffet. Show everything. This shows a fundamental lack of understanding about Wonderland and it's hard for me to accept.
I will say that I loved the idea behind this book. Alice in Wonderland+ gay romance. I just wish it would have been done better.
My high rating is because I enjoyed this book. I was fond of it, despite the shortcomings. It made me happy. I loved the snark and the Hatter (I do wish he would have been madder and better developed, like I don't feel that I know him).
what I'm taking with me
• Alice as a matchmaker. Also her twins. Damn.
• You can create a villain that does literally nothing during an entire book and also doesn't get to tell her story and this works apparently.
• The writing was both childish and mature and that was excellent, must remember how the author made it work.
This book is adorable. It really is. Henry and the Hatter worked for me. Admittedly, there was insta-love but it worked for me. It was mushy and cliche but it made me smile.
I love that this is a non-straight romance. So important. That said, I wish there would have been more. The insta-love made it hard for me to appreciate or approve of their love. I would have liked the relationship to have been developed better.
I do have a bone to pick about the visualization of wonderland. No. No. That's not wonderland. If you're incapable of portraying Carroll's work, don't do it. Wonderland has darker undertones, wonderland isn't simply random nonsense, it's logical and parodying our world, it's about childhood and puberty, it's about the limits of perception. When you portray a world, it's not a buffet. Show everything. This shows a fundamental lack of understanding about Wonderland and it's hard for me to accept.
I will say that I loved the idea behind this book. Alice in Wonderland+ gay romance. I just wish it would have been done better.
My high rating is because I enjoyed this book. I was fond of it, despite the shortcomings. It made me happy. I loved the snark and the Hatter (I do wish he would have been madder and better developed, like I don't feel that I know him).
what I'm taking with me
• Alice as a matchmaker. Also her twins. Damn.
• You can create a villain that does literally nothing during an entire book and also doesn't get to tell her story and this works apparently.
• The writing was both childish and mature and that was excellent, must remember how the author made it work.
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