Audiobook Review: Splintered

About the Book

Title: Splintered

Author: A.G. Howard

Series: Splintered #1
Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication Date: January 1, 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

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This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, 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.

My Review of Splintered

Take a classic tale and put a darker twist on it, and you have Splintered. Splintered is actually so much more than a dark twist on Alice in Wonderland. A.G. Howard really takes the story and makes it into her own. Fans of the classic with recognize aspects, and a few familiar faces. They may just look a tad bit different. Splintered has such a unique beauty to it, even with the darker undertones. It almost like A.G. Howard crawled inside Tim Burton’s head but then took it up another notch to make it her own. 

Alyssa Gardner is the descent of Alice, the very Alice that Lewis Carroll based his story of Wonderland off. The problem is that insanity seems to run in the family. Alyssa tires to ignore the voices of the plants and insects that she seems to hear, until she discovers she maybe cursed not crazy. Morpheus (the caterpillar turned moth) befriends Alyssa and offers to help break the curse. While Morpheus seems a little suspicious, I really did like his protectiveness of Alyssa. 

The narrator, Rebecca Gibel, for Splintered did a magnificent job of drawing in listeners with her narration and her characters’ voices. She created the world with her voice, which is something that takes a true talent. I thoroughly enjoyed the Splintered audiobook. 

I know that this is not the end of Alyssa’s journey, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book, Unhinged. I am just sorry I put off reading Splintered for this long. A.G. Howard has defiantly moved to my favorite authors list. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf purchased this audiobook**

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