The Search for Alice: Amy Koto #bookreview

Synopsis: We all come to a point in our lives where we feel like we should chase after our own white rabbit. For Kallie Bennett, this moment seems to slap her in the face. Trying to find her place in life as a confused teenager is complicated by the fact that she has an alcoholic and often abusive mother. Her escape from this reality is brought about by her own chase of the white rabbit; both literally and figuratively. She is plunged into what seems to be the Alice in Wonderland story straight from the old tale,  but we are soon exposed to several interesting and often dark twists. Kallie leads us through her tale where we are introduced to a handsome and sensual vampire, a witch-queen with a desire to cut off heads, and party-goers in a smoke induced stupor. Kallie must navigate this world of good and evil in order to find out how to defeat the Queen and get back to her own world. Her struggle will awaken something within herself that will enable her to overcome the battles of her life in the real world. Every choice she makes will come at a cost and in the end she may have to leave the one whom she loves the most.

My Review:  The Search for Alice, first in the Dreaming of Wonderland series, is a refreshing retelling of one of the best classics we know. Alice in Wonderland has captured the hearts of many children and no doubt this retelling will do the same for those children who are now grown up. We can look at the main character, Kallie Bennett, and reminisce about our own challenge to find ourselves in a confusing world. We have all been in her shoes at one point in our lives. We can see that Kallie, like many teens, is at a huge risk of shutting herself out of the world and falling into depression and despair. She is alone, confused, and not necessarily the most popular kid in school. More than just a fairytale retelling, this story is a retelling of the struggle of a teenage introvert. Further along, the tale mirrors issues a teenager has faced or will face in their navigation of life including addiction in family members, shady love interests, and risky party environments.
     Initially the book moves slowly and seems to follow the story line of Alice in Wonderland a little too closely but once the new characters are introduce one is quick to notice their differences as well as confirmation to the original characters. Once it picks up the pace we are quickly surrounded by some rather sinister plotlines. Interestingly, Amy Koto has added evil twists and characters that we have come to know in dark fantasy such as vampires and witches. This makes the tale feel a little more risky than the original cartoon fantasy we knew as a child.
     Overall, the book does have a few moments in the plot that seem to drag for a few pages but it is quick to pick up the pace again. Characters are interesting but could use more development which I hope to see in the second installment of this series, Embracing the Looking-Glass. Kallie gained a newfound confidence in the first book and I am sure this will be developed in the upcoming. This was a very enjoyable tale and has taken a well deserved spot in the Young Adult Fantasy niche.

My Rating: 4 Stars

About the Book:
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Author: Amy Koto
Publish Date: July 14, 2018
Publisher: Independently Published