Splintered

By: A. G. Howard

Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel

Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of Underland, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers - precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

©2013 Anita Howard (P)2013 AudioGO

Had Potential, But That Was It...

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Pre-teen girls and anyone who enjoys cliche, corny romances.

Would you ever listen to anything by A. G. Howard again?

Probably not.

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Gibel – was your favorite?

Morpheus

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Splintered?

None. I don't like abridged productions.

Any additional comments?

It’s no secret that retold, repurposed fairy tales are all the rage in young adult novels these days. However, Splintered captures very little of the magic or charm that so many other fantasy books in the genera posses. Going in, I had high hopes for this book. The premise sounded fresh and interesting and almost all of the reviews were positive. Sadly though, the end product turned out to be a slow and difficult read. I found very little to like in any of the main characters and was frustrated with them throughout most of the book. Many of them have a punk/emo flair to their personalities, which feels unnatural, as well as immature, and makes it seem like the author is trying too hard to relate to younger readers. The female lead, Alyssa, is unfortunately meek and needed, though the novel tries to portray her as otherwise, and constantly relies on her two love interests for protection and direction. These two love interests are, I can only assume, supposed to be supportive, caring and protective. Instead they come off as creepy, over protective, and controlling. This is as frustrating and annoying as you can imagine, so I won’t go into detail about it.

Another problem I have with the novel is the words and descriptions that the author used. (I know this sounds really picky, but just bear with me.) Howard went to great lengths to describe things like clothing, kissing, table dancing, and the characters irresistible beauty, but her descriptions of scenes that involved heavy action or key events often felt lacking. In short, the dull parts of the book seemed drawn out, while the climactic and important portions felt rushed. In addition to this, it was difficult to become invested in many of the creative twists and turns that the book presented, because the words and descriptions that the author used didn’t’ feel creative or interesting. This may seem harsh, but an author’s medium is words and the value of their work depends greatly on how he/she uses them. The author presented readers with interesting places and creatures, but didn’t describe them well enough to make them fantastic.

Despite all of this, I didn’t think the book was all bad. I think that the most frustrating part of this book was that I knew it had the potential to be great. But, that greatness was lost in a weak writing style, annoying main characters, a ridiculous love triangle, and bad pacing. Howard’s ideas seem genuinely interesting, but her execution of them leaves much to be desired. I feel like if the author had waited to publish this book, and worked through some of the story’s tangles, it could have been and wonderful. Instead, I found it to be immature and exasperating. Unless you’re in middle school or like cheesy, cliché romances, I would skip this book.

75 of 79 people found this review helpful

A great spin on a classic tale!

If you could sum up Splintered in three words, what would they be?

Descriptive, exciting, & Captivating

What other book might you compare Splintered to and why?

Gregory Maguire(author of The Wicked Years series) . Mr. Maguire also puts a twist on other classic fairy tale books.

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Gibel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!!

Any additional comments?

Will purchase Unhinged today! This was a great read!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fantastical...Absolutely MAD!!!

This has got to be the best spin on Alice in Wonderland, EVER! I absolutely loved it! Rebecca Gibel did a wonderful job with narration. (Narration needs to be good to keep my attention.) A.G. Howard did an awesome job with this book/audiobook. I couldn't put it down. Two thumbs up! I love her take on the characters and "Wonderland" itself. There is suspense, action and romance wrapped up in a fantastical fantasy world. I definitely recommend this book.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Engaging and inventive

Where does Splintered rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fairly high.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a wholly unexpected interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. I really dug it.

What does Rebecca Gibel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does great voices. I felt like I was listening to multiple actors.

Any additional comments?

Usually I can't tolerate present tense books in audio but this one was well done and less clunky than present tense usually is.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fall into this morbidly stunning wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of my all time favorite stories and is what brought me to this title. But this is a COMPLETELY different telling of venturing down to the fabeled under ground world, this story and the Lewis Carroll version actually have few things in common, and so my love for the original isn't what kept me listening. This story is more of an account of what "really happened" then what followed in the wake, and that was a very intriguing perspective. Its also great chick lit, very girl power, and a good allegory for discovering who you are and being true to your heart. Yet, for me, the best was the imagery. If reading or being told a story I can make the words turn into visions, like watching a movie in my head (I'm sure a lot of you know what this is like), and A.G. Howard describes her beautifully macabre Wonderland so artfully it is as if she's painting the scene. Howard's Wonderland is extremely dark, yet breathtakingly vibrant, and features characters/creatures you have never dreamed of but by her words can easily invision. I have not been brought to another completely imagined world so clearly since J.K. Rowling told me about the secret world of wizards and magic. Rowling managed to make her audience feel that there could be the slightest chance that world exists and Howard did the same with Wonderland.
IF none of the above draws you in, then just do it for Morpheus (A.K.A The Caterpillar) that deliciously devilish boy alone makes it worth the credit/money. Trust me.

13 of 15 people found this review helpful

LOVE IT!!!

I don't have that much to say except IT WAS AMAZING!!! Anyone considering downloading this book should just do it, don't read any other reviews, just buy it. It is an amazing story based (sort of) on Alice in Wonderland. This is an amazing gothic romance novel with just the right amount of action.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

Would you listen to Splintered again? Why?

Yes! It was a familiar, yet new tale. Lots of suspense and great descriptions!

What other book might you compare Splintered to and why?

No comparison.

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Gibel – was your favorite?

Alyssa was awesome! Rebecca showcased her strengths and emotions perfectly.

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

No. It was just awesome!

Any additional comments?

Nope.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Best retelling of Alice I've ever read.

Not so much a retelling as a explanation of what really happened. The story of Wonderland as told by Carroll was much gentler than the reality, as Alyssa, Alice's descendent realizes.

Alice's return from Wonderland brought back a curse on her female descendents, making them hear voices from flowers and insects ultimately driving them mad. Alyssa, who's mother resides in a mental facility, was also afflicted. After overhearing her mom's conversation with a grasshopper and being controlled by some unforseen force, she sets out to find the answers before she herself goes mad.

This is a must read for Alice in Wonderland fans. For those of you who despise love triangles be forwarned there is a bit of love triangle action. However it does resolve itself before the end of the novel so no big "who will she choose" cliffhangers here.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Dark Take on an Old Classic!

Let me start by saying, this was the first audiobook I have ever listened to. I was a little skeptical at first, since I am your typical Barnes and Noble, old-book smell kind of girl, but this story was fantastic! If you are any fan of Alice in Wonderland or just fairy tales in general, you will love this book! There were plenty of twists and turns to keep any reader satisfied. It was heart-warming and highly original. I wanted to laugh out loud at certain points and cry at others. Overall, this was a charming book that will make you want to fall down the rabbit hole and into the chaos that is Wonderland!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Breathtaking, Vibrant & Inventive!

Would you consider the audio edition of Splintered to be better than the print version?

Yes! IHonestly, I can not imagine reading this story now without Rebecca Gibel's amazing narration. Her voice was spot on for each character - and that's saying something since there's quite an array of characters. She made me feel like I was listening to multiple narrators when, in reality, it was her alone. Her voicing of Jeb made me swoon each time while her voicing of some of the creepy characters gave me the chills. I never once lost interest as Rebecca spun this wickedly inventive adventure with appropriate pauses, accents, and changes in tone and pacing that served to hold my rapt attention.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Splintered?

I loved Alyssa's tabletop performance at the Tea Party! LOL! Jeb enjoyed it also!

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Gibel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've not listened to any other books by Rebecca but I plan to listen to the next two books in this series soon and I'm so glad that Rebecca is narrating them also!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish I could have! It was an audible that I didn't want to stop...

Any additional comments?

A.G. Howard has woven an incredibly chaotic world of quirky characters where there are no rules. If you loved Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as a child, you should try Howard's captivating, amusing, macabre new version! You will be amazed at the author's creativity. I was particularly mesmerized by the rhymes she re-made! I highly recommend SPLINTERED to anyone who enjoys exciting, engaging, and entertaining fractured fairy tales.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great story, awful accents.

The story itself is great, though it does take a while to get into the story but if you stick it through it's worth it. The end feels rushed but at the same time it's understandably leading into the sequel. The only downfall I can honestly think off is the bad voice acting, she attempts to do a cockney accent and honestly it's cringeworthy, putting me off one of the major characters at times which really is a shame because he's such a great character within the book. Personally I'd read it next time rather than just listen.

amazing

this book was amazing it was as good as a movie very very highly recomended

A book as captivating as its stunning cover

Puberty is a difficult time for any girl, your body is changing, you are under the influence of raging hormones and plagued by acne, bloating, cramps, the voices of bugs and plants…. Nope, me neither. For Alyssa, her transition into womanhood also heralds the onset of her families curse. Ever since the Alice Liddel scrabbled out of that rabbit hole her female decendents have be stricken with serious mental health problems and fixations with Wonderland.

Having grown up witnessing her mothers descent in to madness and her resulting treatment within an asylum, Alyssa has learnt to disguise her anxiety about her cruel birthright and ignore the incessant voices. But a shocking incident at the asylum forces Alyssa to reconsider everything she thought she knew about her mothers condition, and instead of hiding from her heritage, Alyssa actively seeks out answers

From the very first paragraph we learn that Alyssa is no wall flower, no bumbling ditzy girl next door. She is fierce, strong, and in the words of her father, level headed and together. Taking creative revenge on her multi-limbed and be-winged tormentors Alyssa isn’t one for sit around bemoaning the hand she has been dealt, hoping that someone will save her. Instead she takes action, throwing herself down the rabbit hole to face her fears and save her family.

It’s not unusual for a YA book to suffer from a glut of love interests, sparking many a team X verses team Y debate, with each group zealously defending their selected beau. Many times I have found myself rooting for a particular outcome or a particular coupling. With Splintered A G Howard has me completely torn, with no clear choice.

On the surface these men couldn’t be any more different in appearance, manners and temperament. Scratch the surface however and our good boy and bad have much more in common than initial appearances would lead us to believe. Both have dark pasts, history with Alyssa, and both see and accept Alyssa for who she truly is, even before she recognises it herself. They even share the same almost paternalistic, over protectiveness of Alyssa, although the motivation and the manifestation of this fault is uniquely their own.

I adored how A G Howard took a world familiar to many of us, and didn’t so much re-imagine the story but create a spin off series to complement the original. I loved layering my experience of Splintered over my knowledge of the original Alice story. Comparing my childhood memories of the books and Disney movie with the naive and innocent recollections of a traumatized young Alice Liddel. Then discovering, along with Alyssa, the darker, uglier truth of Wonderland and its inhabitants. Familiar and yet unique, I couldn’t help listening to just one more chapter, anxious to discover where Howard would take her story next, never foreseeing where the next twist or turn would redirect us.

The record quality was consistent with no skipping, repeats or weird changes in tone or volume. Narrator Rebecca Gibel did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, capturing the creepiness and otherworldliness of the many supporting characters and performing the main characters consistently, each clearly defined by a unique voice, allowing the conversations to be followed without confusion. I particularly enjoyed the Billy Idol like British accent she created for Morpheus, it certainly added to his mischievous bad boy persona.

Verdict: A book as captivating as its stunning cover.

Unexpectedly delightful

I had heard so much about Splintered and it was one of the most anticipated reads of 2013, but I only managed to listen to the book recently. I was aware the story was something related to Alice in Wonderland but it was so different from what I was expecting, in the best way possible.

Highly recommended!