Reviews with content warning for Grief - Alice

Warning: this book mentions rape a LOT. Sometimes more descriptive/graphic than others, but parts of the act and her feelings (and flashbacks) about it are referenced WAY more than I would’ve liked, (it’s brought up within the first two chapters, and then many times after, including involving other characters), and I almost had to quit reading because of it. So keep that in mind.

I mostly enjoyed this book (obv minus when the above kept getting brought up). I don’t remember if I ever actually read the original book, and it’s been a long time since I’ve even seen the movies, so that may be a factor in why I enjoyed it more lol. I say “mostly” though, because I thought the end was rather anti-climactic, which was hella disappointing. I don’t know if the author ran out of steam and time before the deadline, but I was hoping for much more than there was.

However I really enjoyed how they showed Alice learning to find herself again after a deeply traumatic event. I’ve been through a lot of similar events that Alice went through, and found that the representation of being deeply scarred and the struggles of trying break out of that cocoon you placed yourself in to be rather accurate. I would’ve been annoyed if they instantly made her a girlboss™️ once she escaped the institution. I find it incredibly frustrating when stories (books/movies/anything) force toxic positivity down our throats like that actually solves all our problems, so this was a refreshing (albeit triggering) change.

Anyway, hopefully this makes sense. I not only have a migraine, but even rehashing this stuff is taxing mentally and emotionally. So keep your furry friends (or stuffed animals) nearby to help you through those portions if it’s triggering (and it’s totally okay to skip this book for now, or ever, if you don’t want to encounter those parts of the storyline), and check in with your body to see if you need a break. I’m now curious to read the original book(s) to compare different aspects of the storylines.

Content Warnings

ronjaorsomething's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book had gripped me from the very beginning. It's so well written and I think the author did a great job at exploring the trauma etc.

I found the ending a bit unsatisfying tho tbh cause defeating the Jabberwock was so easy. But she did mention that herself and I do think it kinda fit for the book.

Content Warnings

madireads326's review

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

nrogers_1030's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

I'm really conflicted about this one. Be sure to read all TW. I really liked how the author recreated the characters, but the brutality was a bit much for me. Sexual assault is described heavily throughout.

Content Warnings