Reviewed by: Rabid Reads 
 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of my all-time favourite fairy tales so when I had the opportunity to review A.G. Howard's spin-off I just couldn't resist. I prefer Lewis Carroll's original dark and twisted version over the Disney-fied one which worried me some because Splintered is shelved as Young Adult. Thankfully, the author is a fan of the classics and opted to take a walk on the morbid side of this genre. I enjoyed everything about this book; from Howard's poetic writing style to her unexpected plot twists. 
 For me, it was the writing that took center stage in this novel. Howard's vivid descriptions and lyrical style are mesmerizing. The ebb and flow of her words really brought this story to life in my mind's eye. Also, my hat goes off to Rebecca Gibel for nailing the rhythmic tongue twisters and the odd song too. Narrating this book couldn't have been easy but her skillful use of tone and pitch was impressive. My only complaint is that her pacing was a little on the slow side which made this audiobook slightly longer than it needed to be. 
 I loved the way that the author incorporated elements from the original tale by having Alyssa pass a series of tests which involved righting Alice's wrongs. I liked that there were both old and new aspects weaved into the story; it helped create links to the original while still adding a fresh perspective. Most of Carroll's characters made appearances but there were also a couple of interesting additions including Humpty Dumpty from Through the Looking-Glass! I kept holding out hope that Tweedledum and Tweedledee would make appearances but alas, it wasn't meant to be. 
 The conclusion seemed obvious from the get-go: Alyssa would successfully pass all of the tests and return to her old life. I should have known that that was too obvious! Instead, Howard goes off in a completely unexpected direction which left me reeling. The final twist is where she really takes ownership of this story and makes it her own. My only complaint was the weird love triangle; it was unnecessary and a little creepy. I liked Jeb's character but I think that this book would have been just as good, if not better, had he not followed Alyssa down the rabbit hole. And kissing a moth is just plain yucky! 
 Splintered is sinister, unpredictable and disturbing which is exactly how I like my YA!