One of my favorite books from my childhood was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I have always loved this classic book because it included such fun, whimsical creatures and interesting places. When I saw this new YA novel, I just knew I had to give a read.
Unbirthday is a great example of dark retelling of a classic story. In this story, Alice is no longer a little girl but a young woman at eighteen years of age. Her memories of Wonderland have long faded but her adventurous spirit and rule-breaking behavior still runs strong. She loves spending time taking photos and visiting her stylish, contemporary aunt who believes a woman should be able to vote and wear trousers if she so desires. Alice's sister is still as prim and proper as ever and wishes that her little sister would forget all the nonsense she loves and become a proper member of society. Things change quite suddenly for Alice when her recent photographs reveal not the intended subjects but citizens of Wonderland. Soon enough, Alice realizes her old friends are calling out to her for help and she must return to the land she has almost forgotten. Yet things have changed in Wonderland and there is a deadly war facing all those who live in the nonsense world. Alice is the last person left who can save her friends and defeat the Queen of Hearts once and for all.
This was a wonderful book that I can't recommend enough. The author did a superb job of including the original characters and adding a few new ones to the story. The book reminded me greatly of reading the original book and I found myself loving the story taking place in both Wonderland and the real world. The real world of England at that time included problems such as xenophobia and sexism and takes the time to unmask the errors of both with an easy to understand plot and insightful characters. I especially enjoyed the new character Mr. Katz, a lawyer working to help the underprivileged and immigrants. If you are looking for a fantastic fantasy and historical fiction novel, I suggest giving this exciting story a read.
~Abigail C.
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