Splintered by A.G. Howard

I love Alice in Wonderland.  Not Disney's Alice in Wonderland.  The original Alice in Wonderland is far better to me, especially since Disney tends to side-step creepy.  I like creepy.  Creepy isn't gory, or obscene, or vulgar.  It's just creepy.  Enter Splintered.  Guess what?  It's creepy.  I love it.  I discovered that I would love it when I read the description of the "white rabbit."  *Appreciative shudder*  So, basically, Alyssa's family is living under a curse because Alice messed up Wonderland.  Every gal in Alyssa's bloodline gets kookier than the Mad Hatter.  Alyssas' own mother is in the looney bin and Alyssa fears her time there is fast approaching.  And (joy of joys!) she enters Wonderland.  A Wonderland, by the way, that is not blanketed in pixie dust, smiles, and "oh gosh, geee willikers!" kinds of characters.  This is Tim Burton, depressed, on Ritalin.  I loved it.  I loooooooved it.  I will read it again.  And then take a break because it creeps me out.  And then read the parts I highlighted.  And then read them out loud to friends.  And watch their faces change from interested to unsettled.  And then read it to myself and realize how creepy it was that I just read that to my best friend.  And then repeat the creepiest part just so we both shudder.  Oh the anticipation!  5 out of 5 hat boxes to A. G. Howard.  You wrote a romping good tale!