“There was nothing there. Stop all this nonsense, Alice. It’s so maddening.”

I read the author's note and I know that HJ Ramsay wrote this book with the best of intentions: she liked her idea and developed it so that readers could enjoy it as well. One of the issues I have though with this book is that that idea is trite and has been developed already countless times: Alice is brought back to Wonderland to defeat the Queen of Hearts . Tim Burton has also made a movie about it. Literature though gives new people the chance to explore old ideas as to expand them so I guess I cannot complain too much.

“Drink me.” [...] Alice swallowed the liquid. It tasted a little like roast beef, marmalade, and a twinge of peppermint.

My main issue with this story is that it lacks character: it didn't motivate me to keep on reading and it actually bored me a lot. The plot is too thin and I feel like it was stretched far too much to fit into a whole book. Sometimes I would skip paragraphs and still understand perfectly what was going on. The characters felt one-dimensional, I didn't care for them at all. Also, I understand we're in Wonderland, I know that the source material is a book solely based on nonsense, I know the original characters are quirky in their own way but trying to replicate them through sentences like "Why are you all dillydallying, filly-faddling [...]?" is okay to a certain extent, then it just becomes irksome and cringeworthy.

If I may sweeten the pill though I quite enjoyed the descriptions of Wonderland and its customs:

♦ A baker with a tray of golden crumpets passed, and Alice’s fingers itched to snatch one until she saw sardines atop them. Whyever would the baker ruin a good crumpet with a sardine? It didn’t make any sense.

♣ Her eyes darted from side to side, and she soaked in the tea shops, the shoe shops, and the Looking Glass bookshops.

♠ If the Queen of Hearts was no longer the Queen of Hearts, then the throne would go to the Prince of Hearts, as long as he can recite the alphabet backward.

In conclusion, I feel like this book needed a better plotting, a faster pace, a far deeper understanding of its characters' motivations, drive and personalities.

If you don’t know me, a fair warning going into this review: I’m an Alice in Wonderland junkie! In fact, so far, 5 of my 2019 reads have been Alice in Wonderland re-tellings. So going into Ever Alice, I knew there was a pretty good chance I was going to enjoy the book.

Ever Alice begins with a 15 year old Alice, having been admitted to an asylum after years of regaling her family and doctors with tales of her adventures in Wonderland. Upon being transferred to a new asylum with questionable procedures, the White Rabbit comes to Alice, pleading with her to return to Wonderland to kill the evil Queen of Hearts.

Has it been done before? Yes.
Will it be done again? Probably.
Will I read each and every version written? Oh, yeah!

One of the things I enjoyed the most about Ever Alice, was that it was written as a sort of sequel to the original stories. That meant that instead of having characters that vaguely resemble your favorites, they were actually the same characters you loved, or loved to hate. Many different events from the original stories were referenced as past events, so it added a huge sense of, “I remember that!” Because of this, Ever Alice really felt like a continuation of the originals.

I read a few reviews in preparation to begin my own, and a lot of them seemed to think the story was boring. I didn’t find Ever Alice to be boring at all. I found it entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed getting a deeper look into the Queen of Hearts and her Queendom, and only regret that I wasn’t able to learn a little more about the politics of the the other Kingdoms and about Rosamund’s relationships with her family and lovers.

Though I did enjoy the story, it wasn’t without its issues. There were a couple aspects that weren’t ever fully explained. Mainly the disembodied heads. What the heck happened with those guys? And why did they come to the Queen yelling about revenge, and then try to help her find the plotters?? Seems like sort of an unnecessary and unfinished side-plot. The ending sort of felt a little rushed and not quite as planned out as the rest of the story.

On the other hand, Ever Alice’s ending shook me! I loved it! It was twisted, absolutely unexpected, equally awesome and totally worth the read!

All in all, If you are a fan of the original series, or Alice re-imaginings in general, I would thoroughly recommend Ever Alice. It’s an entertaining read that gives you a little bit of politics, a little romance, some nostalgia and a great big heaping pile of nonsense!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the Ever Alice ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why I keep trying to read reimaginings/"continuations" of the Alice in Wonderland stories. I'm inexplicably drawn to them, most likely because I so adore the originals, but am inevitably disappointed, and this was yet another case in point... I enjoyed it in the beginning. Asylum Alice is a popular choice in these types of stories, and I think the idea is an intriguing one - the original Wonderland experiences and their retellings would, in that era, have earned a child (especially a girl) a place in a madhouse. Ramsay did a commendable job with the setup here, with just enough malice surrounding Alice to keep things interesting. But then there was the Queen. sigh. She felt WAY over the top and overdone and the repetition of her madness made me want to shut the book. Which I ultimately did. Apparently before meeting Marilyn Monroe (I was ALMOST intrigued enough by other reviewers' comments about the oblique and confusing presence of this character to keep reading - but only almost). Regardless of my curiosity about bits of the story line - and there were things I found compelling, including the intra-kingdom politics and Alice's *real* experiences in the aslyum and with her family and how they might all play out - I just couldn't find my way through this one. A rabbit hole is one thing; a black hole is quite another - and that's how I felt. Like I'd wandered into a morass that didn't have an exit. This one was just not for me...

I have read a lot of Alice Adaptations, this is so far one that is humorous yet sad at the same time. While the author tries to stay away from the darker themes that most Alice adaptations have, I respect that this version actually touches a lot of mental health issues.
If you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland, you might feel welcome with the return of age old characters and some new ones. A mixture of adventure and thriller, definitely does not disappoint.

What a fantastic concept for a novel! Part fairytale, part psychological thriller, imbedded with characters and language that made Alice in Wonderland a childhood favourite, Ever Alice is a fantastic homage to the original tale by Lewis Carroll.

Firstly, let’s address that cover. I love the simplicity of it, the bright orange with the black and white, the silhouette of Alice. I hope it remains like this through publication because I think it’s eye catching and beautiful.

Secondly, the plot. It is such a brilliant idea. Alice, now 15, has been sent to an asylum due to her belief in Wonderland. Her parents have tried all kinds of doctors and finally, this is the last resort. The thing about this is, if Alice in Wonderland were real life, that is probably exactly what would have happened to her, particularly in the 19th century when this is set. However, the asylum doesn’t appear to be working, and she is sent abroad for more drastic measures. Just as life-altering surgery is about to take place, Alice is rescued by the White Rabbit, whose actual name is Ralph. She is swept back into Wonderland but this time she has a mission. She must kill the Queen of Hearts.

It is also very refreshing that the story is told in alternating chapters, by Alice and by Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts. Having the two perspectives somehow rounds out the story nicely, giving us different threads of information to piece together. The characters are wonderful, and old favourites such as Chester the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter are key members. There’s also Marco Polo, cousin to the late Humpty Dumpty, and a Princess frog who wants to marry the Prince of Hearts.

With lots of crazy action, hints of love, hilariously obscure dialogue, bizarre happenings, and an epic plot planned, you can’t not love Ever Alice. So come leap down the rabbit holes, through the twists and turns and shrinking doors, and fall in love all over again with Wonderland.

Love this book! Quite a different spin on Alice in Wonderland. Characters are relatable and storyline well thought-out! Definitely a keeper.

An Alice adventure is always intriguing to me. Such great potential. The Wonderland story was good, not great. I had hoped for more tie in to Alice and her mental health in the real world. I felt it was a great opportunity missed.

(I give Ever Alice 3.5 stars)

'Ever Alice' is a retelling of 'Alice of Wonderland'. It takes place a few years after the classic story, and it finds Alice in a mental asylum. She manages to flee, returning to Wonderland, and finds herself embroiled in a plot to kill the vicious Queen of Hearts. This story features many characters from the classic Lewis Caroll tale, as well as some new figures.

Although I felt like this story has a predictable ending, I appreciate that it takes a slightly darker turn from the regular 'Alice in Wonderland' story, and it kept me interested until the very end.

This was an amazing twist on Alice and Wonderland. I absolutely loved this book. As a huge fan of everything Alice in wonderland this book was no exception. It had everything magical about it. Thanks for the opportunity to review this book I enjoyed it so much. This was so awesome.

This was so jumbled and confusing that I couldn't stand it any longer. They made Alice seem like a doddering fool and the Queen of Hearts was a total doofus.

3/5

Genre: Retelling
First Published: 2019
Pages: 347

Thank you Red Rogue Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alice came back from Wonderland but she isn’t fully back in the real world afterwards. She continues to talk of her adventures, the characters she met and how different the world beyond the rabbit hole is. Years pass and Alice is still talking about Wonderland and no matter how many doctors her parents take her to, she sticks to her story.

This is how Alice ends up in Asylum, locked away and medicated, left behind by her well-meaning family.

When the White Rabbit suddenly turns up and urges Alice to come back to Wonderland, she is glad to be proven right that she didn’t imagine him after all.
The Red Queen has gone absolutely mad and is beheading so called traitors left and right and someone has to stop her. Ralph, as the White Rabbit is called, is convinced that only Alice is up to the task of killing the queen and so she finds herself in the middle of a secret mission, unsure how to be an assassin.

I read the title, saw the book cover, read the word asylum and I just had to pick up Ever Alice. I wanted to love it so much but in the end it was more of an ok read. It isn’t bad and I think it picks up Lewis Carroll’s world well, but it just wasn’t for me.

I was hoping for something darker and there to be more of a focus on Alice in the asylum but about 80% of the story took place in Wonderland. I’m not the biggest fan of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass because I find Wonderland to be too much. It’s so ridiculous that it’s a pain to read about. I think that’s what I liked the most of H.J. Ramsay’s sequel. Wonderland still is crazy and over the top but he tones it down so that the plot doesn’t get lost in it. I found the Red Queen intriguing and even though she wasn’t likeable her thought process was a lot of fun to read. In the end I could have done without Alice’s point of view as she was an angsty teen in Wonderland and didn’t bring much to the story.

I am very conflicted about what to say about Ever Alice. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. I was glad when it was over but I didn’t skim pages to get to the end. I think in the end it’s an average read and might be better suited for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland fans or people that actually read the entire blurb and are more aware that it’s a Alice in Wonderland Again story and not a coming of age drama.

If you are a fan of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, appreciate psychological factors in stories, and love a mind blowing ending; this book is for you. Ramsay did a beautiful job orchestrating everything I love into one novel.

The story is set in the late 1800’s, where Alice is a patient in an asylum. She was admitted by her parents after she kept talking about a White Rabbit and Wonderland. Shortly after, the White Rabbit appears and brings Alice back to Wonderland to help them get rid of the evil Red Queen. The story follows Alice’s perspective, as well as, the Queen’s. I was impressed with how each perspective was written and how Ramsay was able to clearly distinguish the different voices of the characters and how differently they think.

I will say, I was not convinced I was going to enjoy this book based off how slow the beginning was. I was about to DNF it at 25%, when suddenly the story grabbed my attention. From there, the plot took off and it was hard for me to put the book down. The ending was well worth the slow beginning—since it was critical to the overall story— and left me completely mind-blown. I could definitely see myself reading this again sometime in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Red Rogue Press for the ARC!

In this book, Alice is 15 and returns to Wonderland.

At the beginning of the story, she's living in an asylum, since her family believes she's mad. She hates being called "mad". She insists that everything she lived in Wonderland was real, but no one believes her. She's hopeless, but then the White Rabbit shows up and she realizes that it's time to go back to Wonderland to help her friends, who are still suffering under the Queen's command.

"Ever Alice" is like a sequel to the original story, preserving the main elements and bringing new ones too. I like the fact that it was told from Alice's and the queen's points of view, because we were able to get to know the thoughts and feelings of them both, and sometimes that's the only way to fully understand the villain.

It was a good read. I think everyone who loves the Wonderland universe will enjoy it too.

The only reason I'm not giving more stars is because it wasn't the kind of book that I wanted to finish in a day.

This retelling of Alice in Wonderland is ideal for someone who loved the original book and hasn't read any of the many other fictional books that rework the classic. The story picks up fifteen years after the original books. Alice is in an insane asylum. She tries therapy but then opts for revenge. She wants to kill the Queen of Hearts, Rosamund. The writing is good, keeping much of the whimsy of the original. And, the Queen of Hearts is done very well. There are a few parts that are less enjoyable, like the romance which feels tacked on and certain contemporary allusions. In general, this is a good book, but not exceptional.

3.5

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first book I've come across in what feels like eons, that has me rushing to bed at night so I can read what's happening next... I'm not finished yet, but couldn't wait to recommend!

Ever Alice by HJ Ramsay
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75 Stars)

I loved Alice in Wonderland and was really excited to read this book. However, I thought it was just okay. It took me a while to really get into it. I feel that the book started to pick up in the second half of the book but towards the end, I really did enjoy the book. THE END WAS JUST WOW. I just struggled in the beginning.

Alice is now 15 years old, is stuck in an asylum for being “mad” and is whisked off to Wonderland again to save the day. The original story of Alice in Wonderland is brought up in passing as bits and pieces of her past and the fact that she could not let go of Wonderland has driven her parents to seek medical help for her “madness.” Alice ends up seeing so many different doctors and she tells her story over and over again with Wonderland and the White Rabbit. Alice is about to go through an “unconventional” treatment that will “cure” her “madness” when the White Rabbit shows up and convinces Alice to come save Wonderland.

What could they possibly need Alice to do that is so urgent?? KILL THE QUEEN OF HEARTS!

What drew me into the book originally (besides the fact I love Alice in Wonderland), was the idea of Alice falling in love. I was really looking forward to reading a developing love story between Alice and her love interest but was disappointed. And I’m also not quite sure how I feel about the random Marilyn Monroe character in the book.

What I did like about the book was that we were able to get in the mind of the Queen of Hearts. It is as much her story as it is Alice’s. HJ Ramsay did a great job keeping the tone of Wonderland. Everything was backwards. Important news was of the utmost unimportance. Everything was weird. Two pieces of butter in your tea? You actually WANT a lumpy mattress and tea that smells like dirty socks? In Wonderland, yes you do. But what don’t you want to hear while in Wonderland? “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” The Queen of Hearts is on a beheading frenzy! Can Alice, the White Rabbit, and their team stop the Queen of Hearts?

Overall, the book was enjoyable. I really did enjoy the chapters that were told from the Queen of Hearts’ point of view. It added another element to the story that I liked. If you can get through the slow parts of the book, and you enjoy the twists and turns of the maddening Wonderland, the end of the book will definitely make up for the slow beginning.

I received an ARC of Ever Alice from the Red Rogue Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I was quite disappointed with this book. Mostly because it had potential, but just fell really short of the mark.
Alice is now 15 years old and after years of telling people about her adventures in Wonderland her parents are starting to question her sanity and take her to see a specialised doctor at an Asylum in Switzerland. Sadly things are not quite what they seem at the asylum, but just when things appear to be at their worst for Alice a familiar white rabbit helps her escape the asylum and she finds herself back in Wonderland. What follows is actually quite an intricate tale of suspicion and treachery, reality and fantasy. I’m just not sure it works as an ‘Alice in wonderland’ tale.
I was impressed at first as the author really did seem to capture the essence of the silliness of wonderland, with some scenes that wouldn’t be out of place in a Monty Python sketch or a Mel Brooks movie, but after a while it began to feel like the author was trying a bit too hard and it started to become a slightly repetitive and tedious.
The Character development didn’t really work for me either, especially The Queen of Hearts. For me she was a bit two-dimensional, and although the author tries to give her a bit of a back story it just doesn’t adhere to the character.
Some aspects of the language also grated on me. For instance, when parents are being referred to as Mum and Papa, it doesn’t sit well with me. It’s either going to be mum and dad or mama and papa. I know that is probably just a personal peeve of mine, but every time I came across that phrasing it just halted the story for me. Oh and don’t get me started on the Pop culture references! An actress named Marilyn Montague, who sounds very similar to another well know Marilyn, and a boyband called ‘Mice to men’. They may have been put in for humour, but they just didn’t seem to flow with the story.
As I said, in essence it was a good story, if a little predictable at the end, I just feel that using it as a ‘re-imagining’ of Alice left it with some expectations that it just couldn’t live up to.

3.5 stars

Hickory, hickory, dock.. ticktock, ticktock..

Reviewing this for #netgalley ! This is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland with a unique twist. Alice's family think shes crazy and put her into a mental institution after she describes her visit to Wonderland. In this novel the White Rabbit is trying to convince Alice to go back down the rabbithole and to murder the Quern if Hearts (Rosamund). We get to see some of our favorite Wonderland characters and a few new ones as well. The book changed perspectives each chapter between Alice and Rosamund. I really enjoyed reading from Rosamunds POV. Overall this was an enjoyable read and unique retelling!

Thank you to Red Rogue Press for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
All I could picture while reading this was Alice through the looking glass with Johnny depp, it made for a very interesting read.

Quality of Writing: 8/10
Pace: 7/10
Plot Development: 9/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Insightfulness: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advanced reader copy of Ever Alice through NetGalley.
I have so many thoughts about this book that I don't know where to start. Let's start with what I loved, I guess.
- The twists. I didn't see most of them coming, but they were all so well thought out and surprising. I love being surprised like that. The ending was the best part, because it made everything click into place. It was so good, I started babbling about it to my mother.
- The Wonderland logic. Everything was "unimportant" if it was important and "disastrous" if it was wonderful. Their tea smells like dirty socks and the mattresses are best when lumpy. Of course, some of these things went a bit overboard, but I thought a great deal of them made sense.
- Everyone is mad. This book keeps you on your toes, and you surely feel like you've plunged into a rabbit hole if you don't remember that everyone is mad.
Now, for the one big thing I didn't like:
- The Prince of Hearts. He didn't exist for any other reason than to be Alice's love interest, and that wasn't even believable. The romance was utterly stupid, and I don't know why Marilyn Montague was written in either. The romance was way too "love-at-first-sight" for me, and not in a good way. If that had been cut out altogether, or just written better, I would have liked it more.
Overall, a wonderful take on Wonderland, and that ending really blew me out of my mind. If anyone wants to talk about it with me feel free! I just didn't want to let slip any spoilers here.