Alice in Wonderland has been one of my favorite stories since I was a child, and I will read pretty much any book set in the Wonderland universe (if you know of others, throw them in the comments, please). Where this book differed from many other Alice tales I have read was in that it was set as a sequel to the original tale that we all know and love. Alice, now 18, thinks back fondly on the time she "spent" in Wonderland as a small child. Recently, though, she finds herself thinking about this fantastical place more and more, due in part to strange occurrences in which she finds evidence of the creatures she met there reaching out to her for help. Soon, Alice finds herself back in Wonderland, which has been ravaged by the Queen of Hearts and her tyrannical reign. Her friends need her help in besting the Queen, before she destroys the land altogether - and the people and creatures in it.

I really enjoyed this book, and seeing the Alice we all knew and loved as a young adult, coming back to Wonderland and seeing it through older eyes. As I said, it differed a bit from the more typical "retelling" of AiW, and read more as a sequel than a retelling, and I enjoyed that - sometimes I wonder what life might have been like for Alice after returning home from Wonderland, and this was a fun interpretation of what that might have looked like. It definitely makes me want to read some of the other Twisted Tales in this series!

3.75✨
A huge thank you to NetGalley & Disney Hyperion for providing me with an E-Arc of Unbirthday.

What happened after Alice left Wonderland? What if Wonderland needed Alice and she was running late. This was my first Disney Twisted Tale and boy was this incredible. Unbirthday really takes the essence of this classic tale and continues it in such a perfect way you will be transported right into Wonderland.

Liz Braswell got the perfect mix of whimsy and nonsensical that makes the perfect Alice reimagining. It was so much fun to see these characters in a new light, and to see how Wonderland treats its “older” visitors. The fact that Alice couldn’t grow or shrink at the beginning on this book because Alice believed she was already grown was such an interesting spin to the tale and just fit perfectly with Wonderland.

I almost want to go back and listen to this book on audio when it comes out because I feel like it would work so well. With all the nonsensicalness that comes from a Wonderland story, and all the classic Wonderland words I think this would make a perfect audiobook, there is also a larger cast of characters and I feel like it would work so well in audio format. Unbirthday is so imaginative and visual that you will feel transported, this isn’t a retelling of Alice it’s more of a continuation of the story and it worked perfectly.

I will say the reason I dropped my rating from a 4 down to a 3.75 is because I did find this book dragged at times. I went on a bit of a wave with this book, at certain parts I was so entranced with Unbirthday but then I would have times when I found the story to be a bit slow and it started to feel drawn out. All in all though this title was fantastic and such a fun ride! I’m so happy I finally picked up a Twisted Tale story and cannot wait to check out more in the future.

I tried really hard to get into this one but was continually unimpressed with the characters and the plot. It's basically Alice in Wonderland but slightly more grown up and less intriguing weirdness.

I adored this retelling of Alice. To be fair Alice’s Adventures is one of my favorite classics. But the way this one weaves timely political issues in is wild! The parallels between Wonderland and Angleland, and even some love thrown in? It’s a winner for me.

It's 11 years later, Wonderland is in trouble and they need Alice to help! When two worlds collide everyone seems mad. What a wonderful adaptation of Alice in Wonderland! I've heard it called a retelling but to me it was more of a sequel. It had just the right amount of nonsense to make Alice, Wonderland and my favorite characters come to back life. The story had everything one could want. It was dark and suspenseful but also light and romantic in a nonsense sort of way.
I couldn't put this book down. It captured my attention right away with its descriptions and magical storyline.

If I'm being honest, I was never the biggest fan of Alice in Wonderland. I enjoyed the original Disney movie and the original story, but I could not call myself a fan. NOW... I am a fan! Readers are able to read about Alice as an adult, and we get her new adventures in Kexford and Wonderland. We are able to come face-to-face with some of the original characters (as well as a couple of news ones). I was engaged in the story from the beginning to end. I own all of the books in this series (various authors), but this is the first one that I have actually read. (I bought them for my classroom.) I will be reading the rest because this was a phenomenal read!

I really did love the concept of this book. Unfortunately I DNF because the main character Alice just didn't fit well with me. I don't know if it's just me, but it also annoyed me how much Alice would talk to herself. IT WAS ALL THE TIME!

I love the story of Alice in Wonderland, and was so happy to read a retelling of it! It may not be a TRUE retelling, because it actually takes place 11 years after Alice's first visit to Wonderland, but it is a whole new view of Wonderland and of Alice all the same!
I really liked the twists and turns and different adventures Alice has this time in Wonderland! And that you see old friends/players from her first visit! I also appreciated the new characters in the story as well. All of the characters are very well developed and like-able or dislike-able in their own way.
I also enjoyed the dynamic between Alice and her Aunt! With Alice being grown up and coming into her own as far as being a woman, it was fantastic to see she was her own person still and really take a look at how her visit in Wonderland shaped her!
The biggest downfall I have of the book is that the story was slow to start. Don't get me wrong, the writing is fantastic and the story once it gets going it fantastic! But for the first third of the book you're kind of just waiting around for something to happen and wondering where everything is going. Also, I was kind of hoping maybe Alice had grown up, more than just age, in her 11 years since her first adventure in Wonderland but instead she seems just as whiny.
I most likely will only read this story again when I am reading it to my children. I suggest this book to anyone who enjoyed the original Alice in Wonderland and anyone who enjoys retellings!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Unbirthday

Author: Liz Braswell

Book Series: Twisted Tales Book 10

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: retelling fans, Alice in Wonderland

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Genre: YA Retelling

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 512

Synopsis: What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very, very late?
Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She'd rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian's lively salon, ignoring her sister's wishes that she stop all that "nonsense" and become a "respectable" member of society. Alice is happy to meander to Miss. Yao's teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She's also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she's curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming.

But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects-the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There's something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all-a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice's help. Mary Ann.

Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts' tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?

Review: DNFed at 20%. The beginning of this book is really discombobulated and confusing. The pacing is really slow as well and immediately you're greeted with a ton of characters. The book is also obviously not just using the Disney Alice in Wonderland movie (and live action ones) for context but I'm not sure what the other sources they're using (although I'm getting Alice the Madness Returns vibes). I'll definitely circle back to this book when I get the finished copy but for now I gotta mull on this one. There are also some Lewis Carroll references in this book and references to rape/child molestation (honestly, those are one in the same with Carroll).

Verdict: It’s good, but not for me right now.

4.5/5 Stars

** I was provided an E-ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher Disney-Hyperion in exchange for my honest review**

This was such a good book. It gave me all the Alice in Wonderland feels. It felt very realistic and true to me. I'll admit it's been a while since I read the original. That being said I had an awesome time reading this book, it just pulled me in. I didn't want to put it down. The beginning was a little slow for me, but it picked up the pace and I finished the rest of the book in one sitting. This was also the first book by Lis Braswell, and I now am happy to say I'm a fan and will be picking up her backlog list of books. I highly recommend everyone give this sensible nonsense book a read. It was everything and so much more that I thought it would be. I couldn't recommend it more.

I love anything related to Alice in wonderland And I struggled with this book. I Could barely get myself to finish it. I would not recommend this retelling to anyone.

This was definitely a twist on the original Alice in Wonderland. Intense, a little dark, but ultimately a very satisfying retelling.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (September 1st, 2020)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Poisoning, death, murder, torture, war themes, trauma, loss of a loved one, grief, racism, xenophobia, and sexism

“Something is happening in Wonderland, something bad. That is why they are seeking me out now. And it’s to do with the Queen of Hearts.”

Be still my fluttering soul! I loved this so, so much! I’ve always been a lover of retellings, but this one is something special (I might be a bit biased for Alice in Wonderland). Alice in Wonderland has always been a huge part of my life and even now it plays such a key role into my bookish content theme. So this arc, it’s something that means so, so much and I’m so excited to share my thoughts with all of you!

We follow an older Alice who’s finding her own path in life. Instead of being like other young ladies in Kexford, Alice spends her afternoons with her beloved camera, taking photos, spending time with her Aunt Vivian, or off on one of her many adventures. But one day changes everything, when Alice develops some of her recent photographs, the faces of all her friends in Wonderland begin to surface. With the eerie feeling creeping up her spine and the ominous feelings of the photographs, Alice must find a way back to Wonderland to save her friends from a terrible fate.

I loved having an older Alice. She’s in no way perfect, has feelings of doubt because she’s constantly referred to as Mary Ann, and truly wants to do right by everyone in both worlds. She’s also very opinionated, very honest about her feelings, and has that ‘at odds younger sister, older sister relationship’ happening throughout this book.

“If being naughty saves the Hatter, I will be the naughtiest, most rascally woman you ever laid your unfortunate eyes on.”

We also get introduced to some amazing side characters like Aunt Vivian and Mr. Katz. Both of these characters play such important roles throughout this this story even though they’re just side characters. Aunt Vivian is just like Alice; very opinionated and honest and wants Alice to have the freedom she deserves. Mr. Katz, on the other hand, is Alice’s intellectual match. He speaks his mind and loves riddles. The way Alice and himself push each other is fantastic and Katz’s role in this book had me so excited!

The world building was fantastic, for both worlds. We have Kexford in the real world where it shows the divide between the rich and the poor, the ones who were born/raised in Kexford and those who are immigrants. There’s also a political divide taking place, but it’s not overwhelming to the point of it drowning out the main focus of the book. There’s a lot of xenophobia and racism, but it’s always challenged. The there’s Wonderland; bloody and war stricken. The devastation is heavy and as you read this book, you can practically feel the threat of the Queen of Hearts looming over your shoulder.

The only thing I think many readers might struggle with is the the consistent switching between the two worlds. For example, you might read a chapter that ends on a cliff hanger and then the next chapter it might say something like “then she work up”. I could see some readers being frustrated with that element. I personally didn’t have an issue with that element. For my own reading experience, it felt more encouraging to read through the next chapters to find out what would happen next.

“I mean, we don’t need a special house for that. We’re all mad here.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I was constantly on edge wondering what would happen next. There were many moments where I wondered if Alice would be able to make it back to Wonderland. There were some twists that I definitely wasn’t expecting and I just really loved this book. It was really hard to put this book down and go to sleep at night. This was my first Liz Braswell book, so color me impressed. I have a few other Twisted Tale books by Liz Braswell, so you might be seeing more of these in the future. I just can’t believe I waited so long to read any of the Twisted Tale books. I highly recommend picking this book up if you’re a fan of retellings especially if you have a deep love and appreciation for Alice in Wonderland.


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

*Digital arc provided for review by Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for an honest review."

Starting from the cover this was a book I had to read. I've always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland and the eerie nature of the cover jumped out at me. If I was in a bookstore and saw this on the shelf it would be an instant cover buy.

Despite being the 10th book in the Twisted Tales series it is a stand alone and does not require you to read the other 9 books. I wanted to love this book but unfortunately just couldn't get into it. It started slow in Kexford with Alice trying to remember Wonderland while also trying to avoid her sister setting her up with a man who's politics rival the Queen of Hearts. Also in the mix is the mysterious Mr. Katz whom Alice just can't seem to get out of her head. The pacing of the story felt very slow and dragged out. The constant jump between Wonderland and Kexford any time the plot was starting to move was frustrating as it felt like you were back at square one with Alice trying to get back to Wonderland. Without giving spoilers I will say the last few chapters kind of creeped me out a bit. Overall this book just wasn't for me. Perhaps I'll give it another go on audio when that is released to see if I change my mind.

Review will be posted to my blog on September 1, 2020

I love retellings and I love Alice and Wonderland, but this one just didn't work for me.
Alice is all grown up, but can still remember her strange dream from Wonderland all those years ago. However, when she takes a picture of some of her friends, they appear to be characters from that strange dream long ago. All of the people in her life have direct parallels to those she met in Wonderland. She must return to Wonderland to save her own Wonderland doppelganger, Mary Ann, from imprisonment.
The premise of the book is interesting, but the execution didn't work. I love the idea of a grown up Alice returning to Wonderland and I like the elements of her life in the real world. However, the book was way too long. The first 200 pages were great, but everything after that seemed to slog along. The author captures the nonsense of Wonderland quite well, but a little nonsense goes along way and 400 pages of it is almost unbearable.

I received this book as an e-ARC from Netgalley and Disney Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Where do I even begin with this?

Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite stories to begin with. It had a place in my wedding as part of a table setting so when I saw that Unbirthday was available I had to get my hands on it. This was also my very first Twisted Tale that I was able to read and I have to say I was not disappointed.

The way that the author took a hold of the whimsy that was Alice in Wonderland was astounding to me. When she wrote it was as if I was watching the movie play in my head. It's been a long time since I've had a book be able to do that for me and I really enjoyed how she took on the writing of the old style of London and made it seem easy as you were reading it. I also really enjoyed the concept of the Twisted Tale and will definitely be getting my hands on some of the other one's now so that I can read them as well.

My only issue, the fact that it was written to take on the Old London style. I have a hard time reading some of the classic books like Pride and Prejudice and the works so I found myself getting distracted during some of the filler points. Other than that I managed to power through it and I wasn't disappointed.

A great addition to a fun, phenomenal series! This was just the way the twisted series should’ve went, with Alice in wonderland exploration! I really enjoy the twisted series, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint! I do think you should read in order, as I feel it makes it much better! This one was well written, character development out of the world, and overall fun! It was just what I needed in between my thrillers! Highly, highly recommend to fantasy lovers, Disney lovers, but do read the others first!
Will make sure to buzz it around and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date!

I am a lover of Alice in Wonderland retellings.
I’m a sucker for them actually. But this.... I couldn’t stand this story. I felt so irritated with Alice and wanted to punch her.

I cannot say enough great words about The Twisted Tales series and Unbirthday just may be my favorite one yet. There are many reasons why I love these books but as we cannot travel to Disney World this year this book filled my bucket full of the warm fuzzies that Disney can usually bring. With enough danger, character building and unique worlds that even this mom can appreciate I would recommend this book for anyone and all ages.

This story takes place after Alice has grown up into an adult. She receives a distress call from Wonderland, and desperately tries to find ways to get back so she can help her friends. The Red Queen has taken evil to a whole new level, killing indiscriminately and jailing anyone that does not agree with her. Alice enlists the help of other Wonderlandians to help try to defeat the Queen whole also trying to determine whether this work is only in her imagination.

Let me just say that reading this book was like jumping right back into Lewis Carroll’s original tale. Liz captures the riddles and plays on words that make Alice in Wonderland so wonderfully weird, perfectly. This is the perfect after story to such an amazing classic story. I fell in love with Alice in Wonderland as a child, and Unbirthday stole a place right next to it. I loved this book and highly recommend it.