A wondrous return to Wonderland for adults and teens who never wanted to leave in the first place! Familiar characters and all-too-real politics crop up in a refreshing yet familiar story.

Merry Unbirthday!
Unbirthday is a curious tale of what if. What if Alice was very, very late? We get to see Alice as an eighteen-year-old, novice photographer, grapple with Victorian era social expectations. As she searches her small college town for glimpses of Wonderland. What she finds is not the Wonderland she remembers, but a land painted in social politics. It takes a few chapters for Alice to resemble her 1951 movie counterpart. She has the same curiosity and seriousness, but has lost some of her stubbornness and logical thinking. Perhaps, because she has been focused on the arts, she does not consider Wonderland so irrational this time around. This is Liz Braswell’s own re-imagined sequel to Alice in Wonderland, and there are no references to Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass. It is peculiar that her goal in this book is to have Alice be the hero, and save Wonderland. Hero Alice is not in many versions of her story, except notably Disney’s 2010 live action movie. Despite these differences, there is a lot to like in this book. Alice is a strong character, and Wonderland is a fun mixture of nonsense. A Merry Unbirthday present for Alice fans.

Unbirthday is crisp and strange; an excellent, gripping retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Drenched in red paint that slowly turns to blood as time runs out. A good balance of wit and whimsy with a lot of growing up.

Alice in Wonderland stories are at their best when the Alice is taking her lessons from Wonderland home to deal with the real world, and this carries that on very well. The real-world characters felt grounded, the Wonderlandians were whimsical, and Alice strives to work with the best of what the two worlds have to offer her. It brought up real-world issues that feel particularly resonant right now because they're the kind of problems that are (sadly) evergreen.

One of the little things I look for in any Wonderland retelling is how they'll handle the mirror moment, and this one was particularly good, I think it's my favorite scene in the whole book.

I loved this book. The original characters were great, the referential characters had flair consistent with the originals while carrying their essence into a whole new thing. Alice is closer to grown up and the whole thing has room to be a bit darker than before. Alice spends some time in her own world as well as Wonderland, and there’s a lovely premise connecting the two that was well-executed to bring in some of the macabre.

Retellings always have to choose what balance they’ll strike with the inspiration for their tale, and this unabashedly feels like part two of a story where part one was perhaps the original duology but more likely it was the version from Disney (which is quite appropriate for this particular series). I think it would be understandable to anyone unfamiliar with the source material, but your experience will definitely be improved if you have at least a passing familiarity with the story.

This book was relatively enjoyable and fun to read but it wasn’t my favorite. Would still recommend.

So, this was not for me. I have tried the “darker” Disney stories and generally have not been a fan. However, this sound like something I would be more interested in, so I thought I’d give it a try! Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it; certain parts were very dark, but overall I didn’t think it was dark enough. It’s tween dark. That said, I did think that the premise was solid and I did enjoy (and found quite timely) the countering of racism. And the update ending!

Description
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?
Alice in Wonderland is originally a twisted tale. Burton's Alice in Wonderland was even more twisted.

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his book takes a look at an 18 year old Alice who has taken up photography and goes around photographing people in Angleland. Things take a peculiar turn though, when Alice starts producing her photographs and she ends up with photographs of people from Wonderland, but they’re terribly distorted. Getting the sense that something terrible is happening, Alice returns to Wonderland to find it in chaos and the Queen of Hearts wreaking havoc. Determined to save the land she so loves, Alice goes on an adventure through the ruined lands to save it before the Queen of Hearts ends it all.

a lot of Wonderland's characters have real-world counterparts that Alice discovers when she develops her film. I really enjoyed that portion of the book. such an amazing book to pick up and read.

I really enjoyed this Alice in Wonderland inspired twisted tale. I love when fairy tale retellings go beyond the original story and let the reader play with familiar characters. This was a perfect blend of new and old. Alice is no longer a child but an 18 year old woman who is drawn back into Wonderland as all of her old friends are in terrible danger. Problems and commitments call her from both worlds as familiar beloved characters and new provide the riddles that need solving to save both worlds.

This is by far the best Alice in Wonderland retelling I've read! It felt like I was reading the third Alice book. The writing was so similar to Lewis Carroll's, and the characters were so well done. I have loved every book in this series, and I can't wait to read more. If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced, Alice in Wonderland retelling standalone, definitely check this one out!

What happened to Wonderland after Alice went home? Eleven years after her fateful fall down the rabbit hole, Alice is still trying to find the whimsical parts of life. To her, Wonderland was just a delicious dream, one she tries to recapture in the many photographs she takes. But one batch of photographs show something very different than their benign subjects: figures from Wonderland, asking Alice for her help. Can Alice find her way back to Wonderland and save her friends?

This Alice in Wonderland-inspired story is part of the Twisted Tales series: books that put a spin on classic Disney movies. I like the concept of the series and of this particular installment, but the execution fell flat. Eighteen-year-old Alice may have grown up, but she acts just like the little girl who visited Wonderland. She bounces through town avoiding repugnant suitors and responsibilities. I'm all for unconventional heroines, but this Alice seems a little too childlike to be believable. The prose - and particularly the dialogue - is awkward, packed with adjectives and exclamation marks. And the tone seems suited to a middle-grade audience rather than the YA/teen suggestion from the publisher. I wish I could have embraced the whimsy of Braswell's book, but in the end it wasn't for me.

Review: “Unbirthday” is a Mad Return to Wonderland

A special thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide for this ARC on Netgalley!

I’ve never read one of the “Twisted Tales,” but have always been intrigued by their concepts and spin on the classic tales, so it was awesome getting to read this ARC as my first one.

In this newest addition to the “Twisted Tales” series, this book takes a look at an 18 year old Alice who has taken up photography and goes around photographing people in Angleland. Things take a peculiar turn though, when Alice starts producing her photographs and she ends up with photographs of people from Wonderland, but they’re terribly distorted. Getting the sense that something terrible is happening, Alice returns to Wonderland to find it in chaos and the Queen of Hearts wreaking havoc. Determined to save the land she so loves, Alice goes on an adventure through the ruined lands to save it before the Queen of Hearts ends it all.

This was such a delightful and surprising read for me! Beginning the book, I wasn’t sure how dark the contents of the book were going to be, especially since “Alice in Wonderland” is already a fairly dark story already. It felt very Disney in the way it was written, allowing for a lot of reader interpretation in just how bad Wonderland has gotten, which kept it light but very dark at the same time.

This interpretation was a pro and a con for me personally. I was not expecting some of the events that happened in the book to happen, especially the public beheadings, which made it very dark but the descriptions and dialogue don’t let it become too dark or depressing. I would’ve liked more graphic details, but I imagine it was kept this way to maintain the Disney vibes and to keep it aimed towards a wider audience.

Another wonderful aspect of the book was the emotional attachment I had to a lot of the characters. You wouldn’t expect to feel for the dodo bird, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter or any of the other characters in Wonderland, but seeing the mess that they live in makes you feel for them. In addition, the characters back home in Angleland, especially Mr. Katz, were interesting to learn about. But on top of all that, it’s refreshing and exciting to see Alice grown up as a young adult and how she carried her curiosity and wondrous spirit since leaving Wonderland.

On top of all of this, it doesn’t matter if you’re a die hard “Alice in Wonderland” fan, a casual one or someone who barely remembers the movies or story. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, this is an enjoyable twisted tale. If you’re a fan of the series and don’t want to skip one, this is still such a nicely written book that you won’t want to miss out. I was hesitant since I don’t remember much of “Alice in Wonderland” but I found myself coming back to this book excited and wanting more.


The Verdict
“Unbirthday” takes a wonderful trip back to Wonderland, even if the Wonderland they return to is more mad than wonderful. From a cast of old characters to new, this book hosts a collection of loving characters with a new ambition we haven’t seen all of yet. Whatsmore, the ending and continuation of Alice’s story both in Angleland and Wonderland, provide a fresh and inviting return to a beloved character.

You can buy “Unbirthday” when it releases on September 1st and for other book reviews and articles, check back on my blog and social medias for more!

This was certainly interesting!

This was my very first twisted tales and I honestly didn't expect it to be so mature. I was immediately satisfied with the prose and storytelling. Many times, it took me out of the reality that I was reading an adaptation of a Disney novel.

Because Alice in Wonderland is a pretty solitary story, they could have gone two ways with this. 1- changed some of the characters from the Disney adaptation to be more "mature" in order to give Alice people to interact with, or beef up some original characters. The author went for the latter, which further removed me from the Disney-ness of it all, but I will say, I did LIKE the original characters and thought the inclusion of Jewish ghettos and complicated things going on in the world certainly added to the story.

The pacing overall was a bit slow, but I appreciated the effort made with a grown up Alice, and still giving her that "Alice"- ness.

If you like Disney and retellings (or this series) you will like Unbirthday - about Alice in Wonderland. I like the authors other books and enjoyed this one! Made me want to read the ones I have not read!

I was given this book in exchange of a honest review. If you love or even like Alicia and Wonderland, this book is a must read.... I enjoyed it so much I could not put it down until it was over... I am really enjoying the Disney twisted tales books.....

I have been super excited to read this book ever since it was announced months ago and Disney-Hyperion very nicely granted me the privilege of getting an early copy. I will admit I do like Alice in Wonderland but I'm not obsessed with it but this book has made me love it. Throughout the book, I kept getting faint vibes of American McGee's Alice and I love it but the book pulls very heavily from the Disney version.

So the Queen of Hearts is terrorizing her subjects and we find out later it's because she wants all their toys for some stupid competition though that is not the only thing happening in Wonderland. After Alice saves the Hatter, the Dormouse, and the Dodo bird from being executed we find out how grave things are in the land. When they get to the Grunderound they find out that Mary Ann who they were hoping to find has been killed. Wait for it her death is important. Alice also has the ability to go back and forth between her world and Wonderland.

When Alice goes back to her world she has an unwanted suitor who keeps pestering her and she is attracted to a Mr. Katz who is Jewish. The reason why this is important is that Ramsbottom and Coney are trying to get rid of all the foreigners in England. Mr. Katz is way more foreign than just being Jewish because he is the Chesire Cat's real-world counterpart and I ship Alice and Mr. Katz so hard. Oh, I forgot to say that a lot of Wonderland's characters have real-world counterparts that Alice discovers when she develops her film.

The last time that Alice goes back at the very end we discover that the White Rabbit wants to end the world and reset it because Mary Ann was killed and he wants her back alive even if she isn't with him. This book ends with everything settled in both worlds and Alice and Mr. Katz married and expecting a child. If you think Alice never went to Wonderland again you would be wrong.

I loved this book and I really want the Twisted Tales series to continue but there aren't any more in the line up that I can see. Hopefully, that will change in the future.

"Remember that," she marveled to herself. "Trust in yourself and Wonderland."
This retelling was interesting. I enjoyed the whimsical attitude of the book and found it as fun and nonsense as the original Lewis Carroll novel.

This book dragged at times, but all in all was a fun read. I was really intrigued and had a hard time putting it down when I needed to get some sleep! The author did a very good job of pulling the atmosphere of the original Alice In Wonderland. They deserve a ton of credit for that. There were plenty of quote-worthy lines as well, much like the original.

This is a must-read if you are a true Alice in Wonderland fan.

Full review: 8/10/2020

Liz Braswell disappointed me at the beginning of this series. I almost gave up, but she redeemed her self with the Beauty and the Beast Retelling and this book had the same vibe. She is getting better with each book and I get excited to read her books now!! She adds a darker twist which I love and appreciate. Loved the artistic way she brought Wonderland back to life and the woman Alice became. It’s a wonderful edition to the series and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!!

Alice has a cat Dinah and a sister. I love Alice in wonderland. I couldn't get interested in the characters or dialogue

"I'm Alice!" she cried. "Always and forever Alice!"

I'll preface this by saying that, as much as I love Disney, I'm not an Alice in Wonderland fan. Maybe it's the less than iconic soundtrack, maybe it's because I'm a 90's Disney fan who doesn't care too much for the classics, maybe it's the fact that I only ever saw the movie whenever I was at the dentist. Whatever the reason, it just doesn't big up fond feelings of nostalgia, and the only childhood memories I associate with the movie are of getting cavities filled.

Even reading the classic was more of a self-assigned duty that I slogged through instead of an entertaining read.

Anyway, the point of this very long intro is that if anyone was primed to hate this book, it'd be yours truly. And for a bit, I thought I'd regret requesting this. There's some uneven pacing in early on, and the story tends drag on for a while. Also, it took a while for my Serena Valentino prejudice to go away. But once the story picked up I was right there next to Alice falling down that rabbit hole.

It's just such a smart book. From what little I know about the Twisted Tales collection, it seems to be a kind of "what if..." reimagining of the Disney classics. Braswell doesn't attempt to retell either Disney or Carroll's stories though; instead, she brings grown-up Alice back to Wonderland. The move might offend some of the purists out there, but because I'm not a fan of the original, I personally loved it.

The story is just so well-written. I have like ten quotes that I wanted to open this review with but refrained because spoilers. But seriously, I was mentally freaking out by the end because Braswell just creates so many little clever moments and I'm such a sucker for clever things.

Part of the magic of this book is that Braswell captures the utter of Nonsense of Wonderland so perfectly. I'm not a huge fan of puns but love some good wordplay, something that’s found in spades here. Braswell manages to not only recreate Carroll's style but also his illogical Wonderland. She paints the world and its topsy-turvy logic so vividly. It’s creative and clever and fun. Seriously, I'm starting to understand the magic and appeal of the Wonderland now.

Because most of the heavy lifting in terms of world building has already been done, Braswell is able to focus more on the plot. It's been years since I've seen the movie--and I'm not even sure if I've ever seen it all in one sitting--but I feel like the original story is basically Alice falls down a hole, meets a bunch of random weirdos and embarks on a psychedelic adventure. Not the most compelling of stories. In Unbirthday, there's a clear conflict and story arc. It's darker and hits a little closer to home. Don't get me wrong, Wonderland is still a crazy and fantastical place, but the fact that part of the story takes place in England also helps ground the story. The plot helps guide the narrative, and “real life" is such a great foil for the Madness of Wonderland. Braswell does throw in some (not so thinly veiled) social commentary into the narrative, but aren't all good books supposed to spark discussion?

The love story was cute but not super necessary in my opinion. Thankfully it was fairly minor and didn't detract from the overall story.

This was such an adventure, I'm almost convinced I should give Alice in Wonderland another chance, but really, I think I'm just going to see what Liz Braswell book I can get my hands on next. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try to climb through my mirror to see if I can find Wonderland.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide - Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of The Twisted Tale series and I have been waiting for Liz Braswell to do Alice in Wonderland and she did not disappoint in this one. I loved how she took the modern approach and made Alice 18 years old and how she was "exploring" her possibilities for the future and then unexpectedly, the Cheshire cat, mad hatter, the queen of hearts and the rest of the Wonderland characters and even a new person named Mary Ann invade her real life as a cry for help for Alice to finally return to Wonderland and dethrone the Queen of Hearts once and for all but she might be very late for an important date. I was smiling from ear to ear throughout the entire book and did not want to put it down.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Absolutely phenomenal! I had such a wonderful time reading this original take on the Alice in Wonderland story! The story picks up at the moment when Alice is 18 years old and trying hard to remember Wonderland, when she suddenly starts developing some of her photos of people in her life only to see people from Wonderland in the photos asking for Alice to come help them. Throughout the story Alice is struggling to remember how Wonderland once was and who she was in it and adjusting to her life in reality. The citizens of Wonderland are under attack from the Queen of Hearts who is just straight up murdering and imprisoning people all to bring about the END of Wonderland, Alice is trying to find her place in Wonderland and in Angleland (Her Reality world) all the while we get to interact with some of our favorite characters such as Cheshire (wink wink), Hatter, Dodo, and so on. There is adventure, madness, and above all a round house of a splendid time. I absolutely loved this story and take on Alice so much. It was fresh and fun, with a splash of morbidity and romance!
* Thank you Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*