Book Review: Alice with a Why by Anna James
Alice with a Why by Anna James opens with Alyce living with her grandmother Alice after the war. Not really believing the stories her grandmother tells of her time in Wonderland, Alyce receives a waterlogged invitation to a tea party. Now, she's not so sure that those stories of her grandmother were made up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Flamingo Books for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Alice with a Why by Anna James. I found the synopsis of the book intriguing and always love a good reimagining of an older tale. I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
Not having read Lewis Carroll's original story Alice in Wonderland, my only frame of reference going into this reimagining was the Disney movie, and it's been quite some time since I've seen that.
The concept of this story is amazing and thoughtfully presented. It did take me the briefest moment to keep both Alice's straight in my given how they're introduced. However, I was quickly drawn into the story and couldn't wait to see what happened. Several of the original characters make appearances in the story. There was no Queen of Hearts, but there was a Queen of the Moon and a Sun King, who just happen to be in a battle of time. Also new to the story was the fox, which is tied to Alyce's father metaphorically, and by the end of the story, I found myself in tears over the fox ... the bittersweet kind.
Although there wasn't deep character development, it didn't detract from the story, and the plot kept me quite engaged. It was super quirky, fun, and well-written with a lesson learned at the very end. I mean if a children's book can make me cry as an adult, that says a lot about the author's storytelling.
Along the way, there were a few illustrations, and the main character would break the fourth wall to point out something about those illustrations. This was the only thing that I felt detracted from the story.
Five out of five stars is what I rated Alice with a Why by Anna James, and now, I think I need to go read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
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