We of course see other familiar faces throughout the adventure, though they may look different. And as he is a contradiction in many ways, he is also alarmingly brutal and disarmingly tender. He is much of what drives the plot along. His view of the world is a unique blend of dazed and lucid, an eerie combination that works spectacularly for Alice’s guide and truest companion. Here however, he has never made hats, and is named for his favoured method of dispatching enemies. He is inspired by the Hatter of Mad Tea Party fame. Our other main character, more grizzled and experienced in the world, is Hatcher. This of course means that in some respects she is a passive character, which may irk some readers, but she does have some very strong moments, and I believe that given the nature of the story, it works well. And much like original Alice, she experiences her world by stumbling through it. She does retain some of her inspiration’s sense of wonder which gives us a unique glimpse into the brutal world she is a part of. Here she is much older than her original counterpart, which is honestly a relief given all she is forced to endure. Of course we have Alice who, like the original, is the character we follow on her adventures.

The characters were definitely a driving force in this book, all cleverly adapted from Lewis Carroll’s own work and characters. If none of this turns you off, you are in for a captivatingly clever read inspired by a world likely familiar to you. They aren’t the only prisoners to escape however, and catastrophe isn’t far behind them.Īlice by Christina Henry is a very dark take on the world of Wonderland, involving many things that may make readers uncomfortable sexual assault, rape, human trafficking, slavery, prostitution, animal cruelty, cannibalism, serious mental health issues.

When a fire begins in the asylum, Hatcher and Alice manage to make it out to their freedom. Aside from the employees and Hatcher, the man living in the cell next to hers, she saw no one in all that time. After a tragic incident in her young past, Alice has reluctantly called the asylum her home.

Hatcher alice christina henry