Beware the Little White Rabbit

By: Shannon Delany, Judith Graves

Narrated by: Rhiannon Angell

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Curiosity often leads to trouble....

Thirteen powerful voices in young adult fiction invite you to journey into startling new wonderlands in this nod to the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's timeless character, Alice.

Mystery. Madness. Mayhem...

Each story in this collection will intrigue, bewitch, and enchant. Through rich historicals, castles and keeps, wild wormholes, secret workshops, deadly plagues, and gritty urban explorations, we present new tales of Alice and her white rabbit.

Whether an intrepid reporter, a would-be car thief, or the last human in a world ruled by machines, at the heart of each story Alice is a girl discovering who she really is in worlds that never fail to surprise.

What wonders await, oh curious listener? Leap down the rabbit hole and discover the truth....

Contributing authors: Charlotte Bennardo, C. Lee McKenzie, David Turnbull, Christine Norris, Jacqueline Horsfall, Medeia Sharif, Laura Lascarso, Tom Luke, Jessica Bayliss, Crystal Schubert, Holly Odell, Jennifer Moore, and Liam Hogan

©2015 Leap Books (P)2015 Leap Books

A wide variety of style and quality

Oh, so that's why I've been seeing Alice so often lately: it's the 150th anniversary.

I hate to admit it – but I've never been entirely enamored of Alice. It's another childhood classic that I somehow never read, like The Wizard of Oz - just never had a copy, or something.

The call for entries seems to have specified that there be a young main character named Alice, a white rabbit, and a fall. Another theme running through a lot of the stories is that parents can be perilous, unreliable, sometimes dangerous. The variety of things done with the basic elements in this baker's dozen of stories is pretty impressive.

I just wish I liked Alice in Wonderland more. I should, I suppose; I'd like to; I don't. Oh well. Happily, I have more than enough enthusiasms without Alice.

Alice, Through the Wormhole – Charlotte Bennardo – Alice in space, in a trippy chase after stolen tea, which is more than just tea. Meh; kind of clever, but kind of annoying - ***
They Call Me Alice – C. Lee McKenzie – blend of Chinese mythology, young adult romance, and Alice; really kind of lovely. Though it focused more on the Chinese mythology than on Alice; the heroine could have been called anything, and the rabbit had no relation to Wonderland. Still, it fits well enough, and had an affect on me. ****
Alice, Last of the Bleeding Hearts – David Turnbull – I wasn't thrilled with this one; where the last story's connection to AinW seemed distant, here it felt forced, a science fiction story hammered into an Alice mold. Flaws in the narration showed up here – unless the text actually read "soldiering iron" twice? I wasn't enamored of this version of the Cheshire Cat; I wasn't impressed with the intelligence of the "last of the bleeding hearts" (announcing her weapons to the Red Queen? Wouldn't they be more effective as surprises? And Alice knows how to play chess but wonders at the knights moving in "an odd, L-shaped manner"? ** Meh.
The Watchmaker's Ball – Christine Norris – Here the narrator used a very nice British accent, fitting the Alice-contemporary setting. It was an interesting idea (except how did that mechanic know to give a warning?), interestingly executed – fun. ****
Rabbit Fever – Jackie Horsfall – I don't know. I just don't know. I like the concept of an Alice from another time period, but she seemed a little too prescient. I didn't love it. **
Mustang Alice – Medeia Sharif – My initial comment was simply "oh you have got to be kidding". It's not often I DNF a short story – but I skipped most of this one after Alice stole the car. Nope. (If it had been a Volkswagen Rabbit, now…) *
White Is a Human Construct – Laura Lascarso – Read with a Southern accent – very good and rather intense story of abuse and madness and what it takes to get out of both. I liked what was not said as much as what was. *****
Alice and Her Shadow – Tom Luke – Told in the second person present tense: "None of the streetlamps are working, and your shadow is beginning to worry you." – NICE. I didn't like it – it's a very disturbing story – but I appreciated it to pieces. Creepy as all hell. And in light of a recent (possible)(unconfirmed)(oh please no) major character death on The Walking Dead and how Damon Lindelof, producer of other shows, talked about it … story arcs and taking the show in a direction and that sort of thing. Yeah. *shiver* ****
Alice in Wilderland – Jessica Bayliss YA love story – which should have annoyed me, to be honest – but my initial reaction was "NICE". ****
The Aviary – Crystal Schubert - "ok" love the idea of rescuing someone who doesn't want to be rescued "kids" "my life on hold" Oh, I really don't care about the inside of her belly button. I really don't. "her ribbon arms" I get selfishness, but while she was off enjoying her love nest her family was dying. **
Broken Tethers – Holly Odell – Chick talks to herself a whole hell of a lot. I mean, I do too, but not in text. As such. Was this supposed to be funny? **
Undercover Alice – Jennifer Moore – Aussie (why?) Cute enough story, but not great. ***
Follow the Steam Rabbit – Liam Hogan – parachute? Not awful; not great. ***

The book is introduced as having "dazzling silhouette pieces for the interior title page of each Alice tale" – not exactly a plus to the audible book listener; it's a shame that line isn't deleted from the audio edition.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

Listen! Beware The Little White Rabbit

You would think it would be easy to pick a favorite story out of an anthology. Not so in Beware The Little White Rabbit.

From hyperspeeding through a wormhole in space, to taking a joy ride to an amusement park in central Florida, Alice and that Little White Rabbit has and adventure for every taste.

Rhiannon Angell was the perfect choice for this audio anthology. With her range of dialects, she was able to give life to each character in every story without becoming monotonous.

I listen to audio books almost every day, with the help of noise canceling headphones, as I carve with a chainsaw. Beware The Little White Rabbit is now on my list of favorites I know I will be revisiting time and time again.

Great stories and a great production.

Fascinating Collection of Alice / White Rabbits

This is a wonderfully creative and entertaining anthology of “Alice” and the White Rabbit spin-off tales. My rating 4.5.

This is a really fun collection of thirteen stories which spring from Alice in Wonderland and the white rabbit. At least one Amazon review gives a summary of each title so I am not going to do so beyond the brief descriptions here. I cannot name one favorite as I enjoyed so many but my favorites included: Alice through the Wormhole (Alice chasing a rabbit in space); They Call Me Alice (an adopted Chinese girl trying to fit in America); Alice, Last of the Beating Hearts (human Alice in a world of tech); Rabbit Fever (Alice in plague infested time); The Aviary (another Alice in a time of plague with a different problem); Broken Tethers (Alice meets men from various eras after chasing after the rabbit, of course); Undercover Alice (a teen Alice goes undercover for a school newspaper, helping the white rabbit); and Follow the Steam Rabbit (a bright young Alice learns from her Uncle about the dangers of creations). The others are good too and include sweet and creepy elements. Many of the stories have steampunk features.

I found each story unique and creative, making an entertaining package. The genre is linked with "teen" but don't let that deter you. Anyone who has a soft spot for Alice in Wonderland should enjoy this imaginative collection.

Audio Notes: Rhiannon Angell does a remarkable job of narrating this collection. She skillfully changes voices and tones to fit the different stories and characters. Initially I thought there was more than one narrator. I plan to look for other books narrated by Ms. Angell.

I received this audiobook for an honest review.

LIKED THIS MORE THAN I EXPECTED TOO!

Would you listen to Beware the Little White Rabbit again? Why?

Maybe...its got some good stories!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well Alice of course...all different kinds of Alice!

What about Rhiannon Angell’s performance did you like?

She was fabulous...always is!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This is an excellent collection of stories based on Alice in Wonderland, All of them were interesting, entertaining and drew you in...It takes talent to write a good short story, and these authors nailed it....Quite enjoyable and narrated perfectly...I recommend!!!

Thoroughly entertaining collection of "Alice" stories!

Beware the Little White Rabbit
by Shannon Delany is a unique collection of 13 short stories written by 13 different authors all featuring a girl named Alice and a white rabbit. This anthology was produced in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The genres for the different stories vary from contemporary, historical fiction, sci-fi, horror, romance, steampunk and, of course, fantasy. Most of the stories are well-written with believable characters.

I love anthologies because they are the perfect length for committing to work. I can complete one story on my way to work, another at lunchtime, and another while driving home.

I listened to the Audible version of this story narrated by Rhiannon Angell who did an outstanding job. She brought each of the Alice characters to life giving most of them their own distinct voice, including one with a Southern drawl and another with more of an English "historical" accent. Simply put, I was thoroughly entertained by her performances! I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars-Nice anthology, great narration! :)

This was the first anthology I ever listened to, and I have some mixed feelings on it. There are a variety of genres represented in this book. The stories are all very different, but they all contain a few elements. They seem to be a girl named Alice, a white rabbit, and a problem of some kind that Alice needs to work through. Things are not always what they appear is a common theme throughout the book.
As with any collection of stories, there will be some great, and some not so great. My favorites were mostly the ones that did not feel like a straight up retelling of the original story, but rather a completely new take with a few key details included. Rhiannon Angell was an amazing narrator. By providing the voices for all these stories, and all these characters, we really see how talented she is! If she had not had such a wide range of voices, the audiobook would have ended up very boring. She really brought life to this book, and I am very impressed with the outcome!
**This book was provided in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is not changed in any way by this

Well written stories

I have been a huge fan of the Wonderland world for a very long time, so I was very excited to listen to this anthology. The variety of genres was interesting and I found the retellings to be refreshing. I'm not entirely convinced that an MC named Alice and a White Rabbit could be considered a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, but the stories were well written, nonetheless.

Rhiannon Angell did an excellent job narrating. I thought multiple narrators read the stories because of the difference in the accents, pacing, and speech patterns. Excellent job. I will mention that a couple of the English accents were a bit strong and made it a bit difficult to clearly understand sometimes.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

A wonderful anthology!

This was such a treat to listen to. Ms. Angell made each story unique with her choices in narrative style. Truly a talented woman!

It's hard to pick my favorite! There were many genres represented so there is a story for everyone. I've even found some new authors to check out!

I highly recommend this anthology!

Beware the white rabbit review

Where does Beware the Little White Rabbit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

High among my favorites.

What did you like best about this story?

Everything.

Which scene was your favorite?

In the beginning story when Alice sees the rabbit across the street.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither.

Any additional comments?

Received for an unbiased review.

New adventures with Alice in different Wonderlands

Where does Beware the Little White Rabbit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book falls in the average range for me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beware the Little White Rabbit?

They Call Me Alice was a story that felt very heart felt for me. I even started to tear up at the end. It's not my normal story style, but was well done.

Broken Tethers is one of a few of the stories I really enjoyed with how Alice came to the magical world. It's a modern way but very believable. It's well written to fit the character and her curious ways.

The Watchmaker's Ball - This story feels like it's another adventure for Alice in a magical wonderland world, but with clockworks. The author pulled a few items from the world of Wonderland but the story isn't held strictly to the Alice in Wonderland feel. It's a story of it's own in a clockwork world. It has a similar feel of the original story once you get through it too.

With being an anthology there were a few that I really enjoyed.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Rhiannon Angell?

I would. The magnificent thing with this anthology in audio form is immediately seeing how vast the narrators voice is. She slips into different persona's and emotions with each story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book did bring me to an awareness of the plague in England. Something I hadn't read about in some time. The stories are NOT all about the plague but two do touch on it in their story.

There are different settings for Alice here and They Call Me Alice did have me tear up at the end.

Any additional comments?

Each story has something the Alice's need to work through or learn. There is something, even small, that bothers them about their self or the world they are in and through following the white rabbit they learn there is something better at the other end of the tunnel. There is something for living in the world and working through it all or even, in some cases, that things aren't as bad as they had thought.

This book of Alice tales can be read by young readers and young adults just as well as adults. We all enjoy Alice and her adventures. This book adds more to that setting, and even has a few lessons to share as well.