Cover Image: The Lost Wonderland Diaries

The Lost Wonderland Diaries

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Quite a fun read! I love the adventures that Celia and Tyrus share in Wonderland while trying to make their way back home. There's always something special when introverts find friendship and compliment each other in their strengths. It's refreshing to have protagonists learn how to lean into their strengths instead of focusing on their deficits. Nothing like trying to save Wonderland and get back home to do that!

Was this review helpful?

Excellent addition into Alice in Wonderland folklore. THE LOST WONDERLAND DIARIES Introduces new, young readers to the world created by Lewis Carroll, and includes just enough to satisfy longtime fans.

Was this review helpful?

Whilst this was quite a nice deviation from the standard Alice in wonderland retelling, I found myself getting very bored and DNF around 70%.
With all of the clues and foreshadowing it was obviously to me that the Dyslexic Celia was Alice’s chosen replacement which made her search for the actual chosen one irritating. I quite like Tyrus and his mathematical brain but often found that the Wonderland aspect was too overdone: things were crazy just for the sake of being crazy.
Whilst this might appeal to a younger audience, I must admit that it passed me by.
Having a main character with dyslexia was a very good plot point and showed inclusion as well as making it her ‘superpower.’
I think I would have preferred if there were more references to the actual lost diaries.

Was this review helpful?

Fans of Alice in Wonderland will enjoy this modern-day sequel, and those who haven't read Lewis Carroll's classic will want to seek it out. Keeps the spirit and many of the characters of the original, along with introducing two young protagonists, Celia and Tyrus, that kids can easily relate to.

Was this review helpful?

Celia is frustrated to be the new kid stuck with a bookish mom, the legacy of Lewis Carroll, and struggles with dyslexia. But throughout this story’s word play, logic and logistics, nods to Alice’s original adventures and new challenges to face, this story is a beautiful continuation of a beloved classic. As an Alice fan, I tend to have a tough eye for what I look for in Wonderland spinoffs— and this text would be ideal and enjoyable for my middle grade readers. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

For someone who admittedly hasn’t read Alice in Wonderland, The Lost Wonderland Diaries really felt like I was reading the Lewis Carroll classic. J. Scott Savage captures the essence and writing style of what many of us associate with Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes it felt like there were many similar scenes, but for someone who hasn’t read the original, I honestly can’t say whether that would be bothersome or not.

It was predictable in the overall grand scheme of things, but I think if I handed this to middle school or late elementary school me, she would’ve taken the book and only come out at the end of the book.

The Lost Wonderland Diaries was a lot of fun to read as Savage has us following along Celia and Tyrus in their journey when they stumble upon one of Lewis Carroll’s lost journals and get pulled into the world that inspired the classics. But unlike the classics, there is something more hostile that wants to break into the real world, and both Celia and Tyrus come across various puzzles they work together to solve so they can leave Wonderland.

The two of them undergo growth throughout the course of the story that was a joy to read, starting out as two kids unlikely to cross paths much less becoming friends. As they solve more puzzles and uncover a plot from the Queen of Hearts, they slowly become friends, recognizing each others’ strengths. They go from just wanting to leave Wonderland to developing a relationship with the residents of the world and wanting to save them as well.

The Lost Wonderland Diaries is quick to read and entertaining, with plenty of wordplay and logic, perfect for younger readers.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book from page one all the way to the end of the book! If you love Alice in Wonderland, then this is the book for you! Celia and Tyrus are outcasts that meet in a library, which forces them to go on an adventure similar to the movie Page Master. But in Wonderland. I was engaged through the entire book as wonderland's character came into contact with Celia, the math buff, and Tyrus, the bookworm.

Was this review helpful?

Celia and Tyrus discover the legendary Lost Diaries of Wonderland and fall into a portal that pulls them into the same fantasy world as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter. However, Wonderland has vastly changed. Some of the characters that Tyrus remembers from the book have been transformed into angry monsters.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a huge Alice in Wonderland fan and this was a fun story to share with my 8 year old opening her eyes to the amazing world of Wonderland. I can't wait to read more from J. Scott Savage and see if we get more about Wonderland

Was this review helpful?

I'm not really a fan of the original Alice in Wonderland, but I have read other things by this author that I quite enjoyed (e.g. <i>Farworld</i>). So, when I heard this author speak about this book specifically, and he really captured my imagination, I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. It didn't blow me away, but it was entertaining and I really liked the characters of Celia and Tyrus. I felt like both were really well fleshed out and totally relatable.

This book has some of the same whimsicality of the original Alice books, but the characters are far more likeable and relatable and the story line just seems a little more grounded in reality. While this may not appeal to some readers, it does appeal to me. I read a lot of fantasy and I love world-building and immersing myself in fantastical things. But, silly and nonsensical just annoys me. Somehow, despite the original source material, Savage manages to weave a tale that perfectly balances logic and imagination. If you're a fan of middle grade adventures, fractured fairy tales, Carroll's original work, or Savage as an author, I definitely recommend this book to you!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I had a difficult time getting into this book, perhaps it was because I haven't read Alice in Wonderland. I read a synopsis of the classic, and that made this book easier to understand. Sometimes the play on words and scenes was great, and sometimes I felt it drug the middle of the story on too long. I really like the premise of the book--that you need a balance of creativity and logic in this life. I like Celia's journey to become more comfortable with her dyslexia. Overall, I enjoyed the book and hope there is a sequel.

Was this review helpful?

This book is so fun and full of creativity and imagination! I got lost in the story and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

I have loved Alice in Wonderland since I was a child and was excited to read this book. It is a wonderful take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. It was a very fun read and the author did an amazing job with the main characters.

The writing style is great and has that whimsical story that the original Alice in Wonderland had, which makes me love it even more.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

A fun adventure for Alice in Wonderland fans! I really appreciated Celia's POV and learning more about dyslexia.

Was this review helpful?

Opening line:
"Is it time?"

What a funny, strange, laugh-out-loud ride in a fantasy world created by Carroll and Savage! Celia and Tyrus are thrust into the iconic world of Wonderland, thanks to one of Carroll's lost diaries. Tyrus is a reader, loves imagination, and understands the world. Celia loves math and logic and not reading since she has dyslexia.
I LOVED all the different areas of Wonderland the two characters had to get through by solving puzzles. I LOVED the puzzles! Except the math ones, which went over my head but that doesn't mean I'm not logical. haha!
I believe any reader, young or mature, would love this book. It's compelling, smart and intriguing.

I have a couple of favorite quotes from the book:

""Now then," Judge Dodo said, "having heard the evidence, it is my duty to inform you that, should you be found guilty, you are subject to swift and just punishment up to and including name-calling, hair-pulling, button-pushing and being forced to listen to bad karaoke.""

I had to reread that part a couple of times and I laughed every time.

""I don't read books because I have to," he said, in a stunned voice. "I read them because I want to."

LOVE IT!

And one last one, which is my favorite and sums up this book loverliest:

"Logic and imagination combined will always be greater than either one alone."

Thank you to netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the early read!

Was this review helpful?

Wow, this was a fun book to read. I read it with my fourth grader, who loved it and hopes there will be a second book. Celia and Tyrus seemed like complete opposites, but I love how they came together. It was fun to be in Wonderland even if it wasn't the same Wonderland that Alice visited. I loved that in this one we finally got the answer to how a raven is like a writing desk. I loved that part of the story. This was a fun adventure with lots of surprises along the way.

Was this review helpful?

My nine-year-old son was super excited to get the new book by Jeff Savage, The Wonderland Diaries. I was, too, actually because it's such a fun premise. And the story did not disappoint!

Mr. Savage has taken a new twist to a well-loved story and truly made it his own. Both my son and I loved getting to know Celia and Tyrus as they fall through a portal that lead them into an amazing adventure. We loved seeing some familiar characters like the Cheshire Cat and meeting new ones like Sylvan. They were so well-drawn and memorable. Celia and Tyrus are trying to get out of Wonderland and must learn to work together to solve the riddles and find out how to do it. But the Queen of Hearts is working hard to capture them and will stop at nothing! With time running out, will they make it back?

This was a really great adventure story that will have your child begging to stay up later for just one more page. It was a nice cross between the familiar and the new and the characters hit all the right notes for both younger readers and older. There was one part that was just a tiny bit too scary for my little boy, but we talked about it and that helped. Tyrus and Celia are great characters that have traits children will identify with as they make mistakes and try to put them right. There are also some great spots to open up a conversation with your child on topics like dyslexia and how to apologize when you've done something that hurts someone else. (The discussion questions were helpful, too) But all in all, it was an imaginative take on Alice in Wonderland. If your family likes twisty, turny adventures where everything isn't just what is seems (or what you remember) you'll want to pick up The Wonderland Diaries!

Was this review helpful?

Celia and Tyrus are both fans of the classic story Alice in Wonderland, and they found a diary revealing untold secrets of the classic tale. Together, they are eager to to see these undiscovered stories from their favorite fairytale. Their journey down the rabbit hole leads them to monsters instead of colorful characters, and they must protect each other if they want to survive.

Was this review helpful?

i really enjoyed reading this, I liked the use of Wonderland and really enjoyed getting to know the characters. I hope there is more.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very charming take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. First of all, I found the concept brilliant. Sure, the entire plot resembles the original but the idea that Lewis Caroll had left diaries that tells people how to cross to Wonderland is fascinating.

I also adored the main characters and I find them realistic and relatable. Celia is dyslexic and I think the author did well in her portrayal. Tyrus is a nerd and was bullied for it and I think it's handled well too.

The writing is amazing. It's very whimsical just like the original and I loved it. The writing is one of the charms of the original Alice in Wonderland and J. Scott Savage did a very good job at writing the same way. I'm glad he did. The overall plot resembles the original but that didn't ruin the fun for me because it's still exciting.

Was this review helpful?