4.5 stars 
 I had to deduct half a star because I was sometimes annoyed by the repetition (of information or thoughts of the characters) in the span of a couple of paragraphs or pages. Also, I'm not sure whether the lack of world-building bothered me or not. 
 But.. overall I loved this book so much! I've seen more retellings of Alice in Wonderland on Goodreads, especially in YA, but they all seem a bit the same. This one was so different and dark. I love that there are elements and references to the original story but that this story is still a story of its own. It was fast paced and very intriguing. I went into it not knowing anything about the plot and I think that is the best way to enjoy this story. If you think that it's very strange at the beginning, just keep going. I would not recommend this to younger readers or to those wishing to avoid graphic violence, as there are a lot of references to rape and descriptions of physical abuse. 
 I don't think I'll pick up the next installment of this duology/series, though. The ending was perfect and the reviews I've read concerning the next book are not so positive.