I was looking forward to reading this book because I enjoyed the author’s debut, Baby Teeth. The comparison to Shirley Jackson and The Shining made me even more excited.

It started strong with a creepy, winter atmosphere. Orla and her family moved from NYC to an isolated home in northern New York. Strange things started happening right away, and I was wishing that I had waited to read this on a snowy day this winter. Unfortunately, the pace of this one was very slow and not a lot actually happened. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been shortened to a novella.

Overall, it was a fine horror book if you don’t mind slow pacing. I think the snowy atmosphere would be more enjoyable to read in the wintertime.

The book begins with Orla and her husband Shaw, who move with their children from NYC to rural upstate New York into a big old house in the middle of nowhere. Thus begins the creepiness. Strange and scary oddities begin to happen to the family especially having to do with the weather, trees, and wildlife.

The story was alright, although by the first third I began to get a little bored with Orla's point of view. I really loved Zoje Stage's debut, Baby Teeth. This was very different. I would consider it in the realm of magical realism or fantasy/horror. I couldn't quite relate and connect with Orla on the level I related to Suzette in Baby Teeth. While I love creepy thrillers, I am not a huge fan of fantasy/horror so that could be why I wasn't as into this book as others will be.

I finished this book this weekend and was just quietly freaking out about how much I liked it and I promise you, if you even remotely like spooky things, you are going to want to read this book.


Allow me to expound a little.


Wonderland is the horror/psychological thriller novel from local-to-me author Zoje Stage, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was actually introduced to Zoje's work by my SO, Johnathan (I can't lie, and I don't even think I'm being biased right now, the guy has excellent taste in books. He has yet to lead me astray with a recommendation) via her debut novel, Baby Teeth. If you don't recall, I did a full review on Baby Teeth here, but just as a super quick refresher: it disturbed the hell out of me.



Stage has a way of writing about topics that just scare the heck out of me, in a way that burrows under my skin and really makes it crawl. In the case of Baby Teeth, she did this by presenting the idea of a seemingly innocent child--your own child, your own flesh and blood--being secretly evil and turning against you in an attempt to destroy you. Y'all know how I feel about creepy children, and that novel took it to the absolute next level, especially because it was the MC's own child.


In the case of Wonderland, she takes the idea of isolation, of escaping to a beautiful spot in the wilderness where there's no people around, nothing but trees and snow and peace, and turns it on its head into something absolutely terrifying. She brings the surrounding forest to life in a horrific tale that had me wondering what could possibly happen next.


Wonderland follows Orla and her family as they make the move from bustling NYC to the quiet wilderness of the North Country. Orla is a newly retired ballerina and she, her husband, Shaw, and their two children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho, move to a remote house in the woods so her husband can focus on his painting and they can take on a slower pace of living. This is a dream I think many of us have nowadays, but things turn dark as something begins psychologically terrorizing the family and inexplicable events abound, causing the family to turn in on themselves and begin to fall apart as they try to find the answers and fight the forces around them that they don't understand.


I definitely don't want to give too much away about this one, because there are a lot of twists and turns and it's a hell of an experience that I want you all to have for yourselves as you're reading it. It's really a fun and creepy reading experience to try to figure out alongside the characters what exactly is going on and why they're thinking and feeling the things they are. Something in the woods or about the woods is definitely terrorizing them, and I loved how the author very much brings the woods to life, making the setting as much of a character as the humans in the story.


But Orla, Shaw, and even her children also end up battling with the darkness inside their own minds, which is perhaps equally as scary. I really enjoyed the fact that throughout the story not only were the characters wondering what was real and what was happening inside their minds, but I as the reader was questioning it too. There were even moments where I found myself trying to speak out loud to the characters, trying to tell them that it was in their heads or trying to convince them of what to do (as if I'd be any help in a situation this scary).


This kept me on the edge of my seat as these characters fight through hell. It's definitely a bit of an anxiety-inducing (in a good way, because then you know the author is doing her job) read, especially when Stage leads us down a path of thinking the characters have found a way to solve things and that everything is going to be okay but I was only 50% of the way through the book and just internally screaming "WHAT MORE CAN HAPPEN? HOW MUCH MORE CAN THEY TAKE?!" (As it turns out, a lot more.)


This book was so good--and honestly, I wasn't expecting anything less from Zoje Stage. She is really an amazing writer, not just in terms of content but in terms of the writing itself. She puts together some beautiful sentences that a nerd like me can just fall all over herself in love with:

“The shriek of the mailbox’s rusty hinges was a violation; it left a bloody color in her mind.”

“But he still ended up insectival, curled up in an urn with his Tinkertoys spine.”

And this one, which calls to mind some of my favorite Sagan quotes and fills me with existential dread:

“Looking upward was to witness the depths of infinity, impossible distances where galaxy upon galaxy spun out their mysteries. Their planet was a speck among many, their sun a pinprick of light.”

I MEAN….I’ve got literal heart eyes for this writing, y’all.


This book is an easy five out of five. It releases TOMORROW from Mulholland Books, so make sure to get on this one right away if you are a lover of the spooky because you will absolutely love it. It is so, so good.


Has anyone else read this one? Do you plan to? Let me know! <3

There is nothing scarier, nor more personal, than motherhood. The idea that someone else depends entirely on you for their survival, as well as their wellbeing, is within itself a kind of horror. Zoje Stage preys upon this natural fear using elements from both eco and supernatural horror, and in doin so, has created something entirely unique.

There’s a quote about 80% of the way through the novel that, in my opinion, fairly accurately sums up the sense of dread that consumes the reader throughout the novel: “She doubted then her own ability to carry on if anything happened to her heart—and that’s what her daughter became the moment she was born, Orla’s heart, on the outside of her body.” The stakes are automatically higher, because it’s not just yourself that you have to worry about, but the two hearts living outside of your own body. It’s that knowledge, paired with the eerie setting, and subtle action that give this novel its strength.

Though Stage is well on her way to becoming a master of quiet horror, the pacing of Wonderland was not always a success. There was a moment halfway through where story seemed to be nearing its climax, however the action quickly plummeted shortly after. Though I appreciated the depth that this valley provided to the overall story, it was a little hard to stay connected as a reader. It was as if I had to begin the climb to the summit all over again, but with way less time and forward momentum. Honestly, I struggled to get through this lull in the action. With a bit more editing I think these chapters could have been a lot more effective.

Overall, I am rating this read a 3.5/5. The uniqueness of the concept was exciting as a frequent horror reader. The prose was elegant without becoming excessive, and Orla was an engaging narrator, but I can’t complete forget the odd pacing in the second half. If you love quiet horror, I do recommend giving Wonderland a try. However, don’t let that adjective fool you. It may be a bit hushed, but that doesn’t make it any less sinister.

Part dark-fantasy, part mother-daughter tale, WONDERLAND is a dreamlike and slow burn of a book. The dangers facing Orla and her family come on slowly, so much so that by the time they and the reader realize the danger they are in it is too late. I enjoyed how Stage created a 'frog in the boiling water' scenario, but also how she made the mythos surrounding the house in the woods and the threat not very run of the mill. It would be so easy for the threat to be motivated by revenge, or blind aggression, but there is more to it here, and once you do find out just what is going on there is a lot more empathy and grace to be given. I also thought that the relationship between Orla and her daughter Eleanor Queen was touching, complex, and heartfelt. Seeing them connect and work together to try to fix their situation was definitely my favorite aspect of this book. I wouldn't really call it a horror story, though. As mentioned above, dark fantasy to be sure.

WONDERLAND is a quick and suspenseful read with more layers than I expected. It's also more emotional that expected, which was a nice surprise.

Baby Teeth super freaked me out when I read it, and when I saw a new book was coming out by Zoje Stage I knew I needed to read it. I fully expected to be delightfully terrified.

Unfortunately, Wonderland just did not do it for me. :(

We follow the Bennett family as they move away from city life into rural life to raise their family. Orla was a ballerina (a point we will hear much about throughout most of the book) and she was the breadwinner for many years. She has since retired and now her husband is following his dream of....painting? He has no job, they're going to live off their savings, from what I understood in the book.

Orla and Shaw have two children: Eleanor Queen and Tycho. I try not to judge on naming children, but um, Eleanor Queen is a mouthful and she doesn't have a nickname. Enough said on that.

No one in the family has any experience living rural, and as someone who lives rural (and also watches Homestead Rescue) I'm always in amazement at people who pack up their city lives and suddenly expect to live off grid and everything is hunky dory. It doesn't work that way, and it obviously isn't going to work that way for this family.

So, here I am like 45% into the book and I realize I'm not scared at all. Like not even a little. We've had a few weird weather phenomena pick up, and one creepy animal, but otherwise? Nothing.

We do get a plot twist around 50% and it kind of made me perk up a bit to see what was going to happen. But then we essentially get to the end and like, I was pretty underwhelmed.

We barely learn about the history of the property they now live on and suddenly things happen and bam we move on. The end. And I was like, wait that's it? We don't find out more history about the property or people? I at least thought we'd delve more into a few of the people who lived there, but nope.

I am really disappointed because I had way higher hopes for this book and it just didn't work for me.

This is a slow burn, phantasmagorical, mind trip of a novel. In Wonderland, the Bennett family move from their small, crowded apartment in NYC, to an utterly isolated cabin in Northern NY. The landscape is foreign, but beautiful. The family has no idea of what awaits in their new home. To summarize the plot beyond that may give something away, and the pleasure of this book is unraveling the surprises, one by one. Wonderland is harrowing and fraught, emotional and tense. The pages will fly by after you get drawn in.
3.5 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Mulholland Books and Netgalley.

Well, I have discovered a new favorite author, I loved it! Spooky and mysterious. Just the kind of book I am always looking for! Keep them coming Zoje. I like that name also! Thank you publisher and Netgalley for sharing!

I wasn’t completely sold on Stage’s first novel “Baby Teeth” and really wanted to give her another try. But, I think her books just are not for me. Nothing about this book was creepy or eerie or suspenseful. There was one, minor shocking moment, but that’s it. Every character had a ridiculous name. The four year old son Tycho (yes that’s his name) was the only shining part of this book, and that’s only because he was a cute and likeable four year old. This was a weak attempt at a horror novel and unfortunately my last novel by Stage.

This book had me scratching my head and thinking, "who knew aliens could be this boring?"⁣
⁣
And you know what? I don't even know if aliens were the answer! 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 was equally confusing, boring, and annoying. Not at all Shirley Jackson-like or The Shining-like which it claimed to be.🙄⁣
⁣
The main character's kids are named Eleanor Queen (no nickname, just full Eleanor Queen the whole book) and Tycho. They are quirky and unique special children! They all move from NYC to the woods and weird things begin happening...like this:⁣
⁣
"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴? 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘴?"⁣
⁣
🎶🎶🎶🎶⁣
Is that Killers song stuck in your head now too? 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
⁣
Anyways, I read this whole thing and I really wish I didn't. ⁣
⁣
⭐⭐/5 if I had to rate it.⁣
⁣
Needed more aliens (or whatever the fuck was happening) and less Orla (main character) woe-is-me musing.⁣

This was unfortunately not the book for me. Every frightening thing that happens is smothered in narrator mother Orla's cogitation, her overthinking every situation into the ground - spooky woods thing occurs! Cue many paragraphs of her relentlessly thinking about it from all angles and with much nuance, til I've forgotten what I was frightened about. The book dissolves into a muddle about tuberculosis and a pentacle.

I received an ARC e-book copy of Wonderland from NetGalley and Mulholland Books in return for my honest review, which follows below. I thank both for this opportunity.

I rated this novel 5 stars.
I reached my decision by how much I enjoyed reading this, I intend on buying a copy when it is released. I’ve actually saved a space next to my copy of Baby Teeth since I heard this was coming out, and having been able to read the ARC has just cemented my need to own this book. I am recommending this to be read by anyone that liked her writing style with Baby Teeth, obviously, but also if they like tense family thrillers with a supernatural tint, well-written characters that you feel very invested in, and the resulting inability to rest until you know what happens. I can also see giving this as a gift.

I’ll admit after reading Baby Teeth I searched Zoje Stage’s name often, hoping for news of a new book. I had decided after one read she would join my ever growing list of authors I would buy whatever they wrote, cherishing their words as I re-read them over and over. I have a slight book problem, not a big deal, not looking for help right now, even if my husband silently wishes I would. When I saw the publication date was pushed back to the 14th of July, I was a little stoked, because that’s my birthday, and it felt a little like fate that I planned on buying it with that birthday bank.

Now on to a hopefully spoiler free review.

The book opens with a family moving on to the next stage of their life. The wife has retired and the husband will focus on giving his art career a go, while moving from the busy city to an out in the country home. It’s a total change for everyone, but one that they all seem eager to try. Almost immediately the mother feels out of sorts on the land, and you’re unsure if it is just regular jitters or mother’s intuition rearing its protective head.

At first I drew comparisons to The Shining by Stephen King, a family living in seclusion during winter while the father works on something important to him. But it doesn’t stick, the stories are not similar beyond that initial thought, and that is more than fine; this story is about a family that was never emotionally frayed or drawn from one another. This is a close and loving family, and I really appreciate how she writes from a mother’s perspective, how even if you are at that moment frustrated, you can also be full of love for your children, or your spouse.

It becomes plain that there are odd happenings on their property fairly quickly. The husband and daughter seem more sensitive to the things causing the oddities, the son is almost too young to realize what is going on, and the mother just strives for answers. There is a lot of pressure on the parents; having made this big change in their lives has not been cheap, but they are also concerned about their children's safety.

What follows is a story that stretches the sanity of everyone there; the more they learn almost seems to make things more confusing. There were no lulls in this book, just parts where you thought, maybe things aren’t so bad while the author is surely giggling behind you. I absolutely loved this book, every magical moment, tragic turn, and unexpected emotional yank to my insides. If you want to know what happens specifically, you will have to read it yourself, but you will not regret it.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I enjoyed Baby Teeth last year and was really excited to read this one, but it veered too far from the norm for me and I found much of it to be a little to wacky. I liked the first half of the book; getting to know the family, watching them move out of the city and into the country (wholly different from what they are used to) and some of the creepy things that begin to occur. However, at about 50 percent the book took a (wrong) turn and instead of being creeped out I felt underwhelmed. This book is not truly a haunted house book like I thought when I read the first half of the book. It’s more supernatural and fantasy like in the final half and the characters who were once likable became completely unlikable. It just felt weird to me. Now, some readers are sure to love this one as it’s truly unique . Unfortunately, I’m just not one of those people. I recommended reading some other reviews before making the decision as to whether this book would be a good fit for you.

I dived into the ARC of Wonderland knowing only that it was a scary book set in a cabin in the woods. It is so much more. Zoje Stage has created a deliberately paced page turner that Is dread inducing and harrowing. Wonderland is about a family who transports from New York City to the countryside of upper New York State. Almost as soon as they arrive, the mother, father and daughter become aware of a presence that can be felt all around them. The danger is in whether this entity is evil.

Stage used the setting, a house surrounded by acres of uninhabited, wooded land, as a way to increase the sense of dread felt by the family. They are surrounded by sounds and sights that they are unfamiliar with. What I loved most about Wonderland is the relationship between the family members. Orla, the mother, is at the center of the story. Out of all of them, she seems to feel the most grounded. I believed the choices she had to make, even if they are due to supernatural circumstances.

Some readers may not appreciate its open-endedness. I didn’t have an issue with it, but that may be because I needed it to end: I ran the gamut of emotions with Wonderland: fear, despair, hopelessness, and joy. I’m not sure I could take any more.

I was sold on Wonderland by Zoje Stage novel when I saw it described as The Haunting of Hill House meets The Shining. Unfortunately, I wouldn't describe this as being like either of those two classics at all. In the end I liked the concept of this horror story, but not so much the actual execution. One day, I would still like to try Baby Teeth after hearing so many great things about it.

𝗪𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 by Zoje Stage thank you to mulholland books and netgalley for the e-arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣
When Orla, Shaw and their two children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho (yes, these are their names), move from the city to a cabin in the wild Ernest, they are expecting an acclimation period. Things get difficult when they realize there’s something on the land with them, and they have no idea what it wants. ⁣
⁣
I have been highly anticipating this read, as loved her first book Baby Teeth. I was almost too nervous to start it because my expectations were so high. It was really good. It was creepy, but in a one with nature Wiccan type of way, which as a horror fan, I haven’t seen a lot of recently. It had a bit of a Shining feel to also, but with natural elements. This was a unique story that I think is fresh to the horror genre. I really enjoyed the maternal protagonist and her main intentions of keeping her children safe. My favorite part of this book, the ending. It has that type of ending where your left with a creepy feeling of not knowing if you should be content or terrified. ⁣
⁣
Wonderland comes out 7/14

Thank you to #Netgalley and #MulhollandBooks for the chance to read this is anticipation of its July 14th release!

“If Shirley Jackson wrote The Shining, it might look like this deliciously unsettling horror novel from the acclaimed author of Baby Teeth.”

That is a TALL ORDER. If Shirley Jackson, QUEEN of domestic horror wrote The Shining, one of the most beloved and well-known horror novels of all-time? Stage’s previous novel and debut, Baby Teeth, was lauded and well-loved. I really enjoyed that book, and the elements that I thought were a bit over-the-top or far-fetched I happily soaked in because it was a debut and in all honesty, deliciously creepy! I was thrilled when I received the ARC for Wonderland, courtesy of @netgalley.
The premise of this book reminded me of The Invited by Jennifer McMahon, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought that McMahon did an excellent job of combining the historical, supernatural, current-day, and the theme of family and isolation. Wonderland tries to do similar things, and in places it succeeds. The set-up sucked me in. The tension of a couple putting one career first and then it being the other one’s ‘turn.’ The precocious daughter who is too smart for her own good. The manic painting of the father.

First off, Eleanor Queen is a ridiculous name, and the fact that it is never shortened to Ellie or even Eleanor seemed a bit ridiculous; it really seemed like the author chose a ridiculous name simply for the purpose of a tired metaphor in the second half of the book. The names in general- Orla, Shaw, Tycho, seem to exist simply to emphasize the quirkiness of the family.

Secondly, the book is quite repetitive; there are repeated themes, internal dialogue, and a heavy-handedness present in much of the work. I think this is done to create tension and heighten the elements of horror, but it falls a bit short for me. The novel is marketed as horror but for me it feels a bit more fantasy towards the end. While the story was compelling, and I wanted to see what happened next, I never felt any sense of fear or terror. The elements of the past that were brought in to explore the supernatural fell flat for me; there was a great opportunity to explore the Cure Cottages that didn’t happen. Orla and Eleanor Queen were also very quick to accept certain tragedies and circumstances and the conclusion of the novel didn’t feel genuine. Worth a read, but only 3 stars for me.

This book was very different than a lot of books I read but I enjoyed it. I truly didn't know where it was going but it was an interesting mix of fantasy and realism. I felt like it devolved a bit after the big death (no spoilers) and the parts with the son was a little convoluted.

I hate the daughter's name in the book. Maybe that is irrational but it was so distracting and repetitive.

I love this new world of folk/cosmic horror that is becoming mainstream. First was Camilla Bruce's amazing You Let Me In, and Zoje Stage's Wonderland is equally as impressive.

Zoje Stage's debut, Baby Teeth, was extraordinary. I still think about it over two years after reading it.

The theme of children continue in Wonderland, with Orla, her husband Shaw, and their children, moving from the bright lights of New York City to a secluded house in the woods. Orla, a ballet dance, is retiring, and allowing her husband to follow his artistic dreams.

Who would have thought living in a literal cabin in the woods could go wrong?! From a creepy encounter with a huge tree, to freak weather patterns, it is clear that something has made this family a target. But until they figure out what that thing is, they can't stop it.

Wonderland is a rollercoaster. The chapter are pretty brief, but it felt like something nerve-wracking happened in every chapter. Things move very fast, and spiral into the realm of the supernatural at an alarming pace. I was genuinely terrified for this family.

I love Stage's writing style. Simple, but not condescendingly so, and she really knows how to drive a plot forward. Do not be mislead by the simplicity; this book gets incredibly dark. This is not a light-hearted read.

Recommended for fans of Stage's previous book, Stephen King, Graham Joyce's The Silent Land, and the aforementioned You Let Me In, by Camilla Bruce.

First, my thanks to the author, the publishing house, and NetGalley for allowing me an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 4. Maybe slightly higher.
After a long string of psychological thrillers and domestic thrillers I picked up this book. Let me first say it's nothing like "BabyTeeth". I liked her first book a lot. (Little kids can be so creepy!)
This is nothing like that. But I really enjoyed it!
It was slightly paranormal, little bit of magical realism and a thread of a Greek tragedy. (No worries, mostly a happy ending) It was like a paranormal adult fairy tale of sorts. And unlike many books, this one stuck in my mind for awhile. Even after reading a few other books since then.