Review: Unhinged by A.G Howard

Unhinged by A.G Howard
400 Pages
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Amulet
Genre: Retelling/Paranormal
Rating: 4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.


MY THOUGHTS:
       Riveting and seductive, Unhinged definitely kept up with the same eeriness in Splintered. Although it was a bit more mundane, it still had some of its Wonderland characteristics. I for one loved the plot of this book and how we see Alyssa's world become intertwined and connected with Wonderland. And there were twists in this book that I enjoyed reading and ones I did not see coming. A lot of things connect with each and we learn more about Alyssa's mom and her role.

     Alyssa was a character I had mix feelings about. I hated how much she denied that she did belong to Wonderland. She admits to not wanting to have Wonderland killed but she won't do anything about it. I don't. get. it. Like seriously?! She was it's only hope for living and I get that she didn't want Jeb or anyone else in her life to get more involved in it. It is part of who she is. It always has been. It's just so irritating to see her shut it down and not associate herself with Wonderland. LUCKILY, she does end up changing by the end-ish of the middle and embrace her wings and the awesomeness that she is :P

    Morpheus. Morpheus. Omg Morpheus. LOVE him so much! Literally for almost the entire book I shifted to Team Morpheus. He's one of those characters that initially had good intentions but their actions say something else which leads to bigger problems especially with Alyssa who doesn't trust him. I think his manipulating although not entirely right was kind of justified. I don't think it should have taken Alyssa SO long to gain his trust. And man I love that he comes into the mundane world and it's just awesome seeing how some people connect Alyssa and him together because of their eccentric wardrobes :P

    As for Jeb.....him with no memory SUCKS. Seriously. I couldn't take the fact that he didn't know what went on in Wonderland and him not knowing really changed his character into this person that didn't have a main role in the book. *spoiler* But when he does get his memory back, it's like a switch and he's back to the same protective and swoon worthy Jeb I fell for in the first book. It might just be me but I felt like there was two different Jebs in the book. And the 2nd one is so much better. It's terrible because I was so happy that I got a team and thought I would be able to stick with it now I'm just neutral....again.

    I loved learning more about Alyssa's parents' story and it all connects with hers. It actually explains a lot of what goes on in both Splintered and Unhinged. Alyssa's mom, Ali (I think) was super annoying in the beginning-middle of the book. I hated how much she thought she could control Alyssa's life when she wasn't even there for most of her life even if she had a good reason. She should have told Alyssa about her life in Wonderland and her story especially since she knew what Alyssa went through in Splintered. She does get better as a lot of the characters did in Unhinged toward the end were everything gets explained.

    Unhinged is definitely a book to read for fans of Splintered and Alice in Wonderland retelling lovers. The weirdness/eccentricities of Wonderland are a huge plus in the book and helps with imagery. All the twists and the way everything falls into place was written well. And even though the ending broke my heart. I know I will be looking forward to reading Ensnared. Happy Readings!