Unhinged by A. G. Howard

Title:  Unhinged
Author:  A. G. Howard
Pages:  387
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Publisher:  Amulet, 2014
Series:  Splintered, Book 2

Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole. She was crowned Queen of the Red Court and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the boy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly appealing Morpheus. Now all she has to do is graduate high school.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn't show up at school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland - where she (partly) belongs.

Could she leave Jeb and her parents behind again, for the sake of a man she knows has manipulated her before? Will her mother and Jeb trust her to do what's right?  Readers will swoon over the satisfying return to Howard's bold, sensual reimagining of Carroll's classic.

Review:  This second novel is much better than the first one was.  The characters have grown up quite a bit after their experiences in Wonderland and that is a good thing.  Sure, there is still a bit of sappy love and teen angst and plenty of fashion description, but not enough to deter my enjoyment of the story.  I even found it possible to like Jeb and Morpheus a little better.  Plus, the story itself was a little darker and set in the human world which made it even more appealing.

There was still plenty of Wonderland fantasy to go around, but the story was far more exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat.  I finished it in just over 24 hours and couldn't put it down.

It's ended in a bit of a cliffhanger, so I've got book three ready to begin tomorrow.

Rating:  9 / 10