Review: Splintered (Splintered, #1)

Author: A. G. Howard
Series: Splintered, #1
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release: Jan 1st 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 371 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Technically speaking, A.G. Howard's rendition of Wonderland bears more resemblance to Tim Burton's wild if not wicked imagination than to the original Lewis Caroll's tale. Though regardless of the origin of Howard's inspirations, Splintered can sure hold its own place among YA literatures. Its rich and exquisite scenery, puzzling yet absorbing plot, along with those superbly-done characters, altogether combined into this elaborate visual feast in front of us.

I rarely make bold claims, but truly, Howard's writing is the reason why words like "evocative" and "vivid" exist. Even someone like me, who is by no means a visual reader, can easily imagine the mystical world she created through her picturesque descriptions. The vibrant colors of wonderland that glimmer against the darkness. The twisted and vicious creatures that are all teeth and sharp edges. And the mysterious Morpheus whose ever-deepening grin allures every light and soul. They are all here with me and nothing could ever top that.

With this beautiful writing comes the even more addicting plot, so intricately orchestrated that we find ourselves constantly gaping in total amazement. For those who are familiar with the original story, it is fairly easy to spot the connections between the two. But what is really exceptional is the way Howard managed to put her own unique spin on every single reminiscence. Not too much that renders the clue unrecognizable, but enough to have us all applaud her ingenuity.

You must be thinking now, whoa can this get any better? It sure did. In Splintered, mysteries lurked at every corner of the page, making it almost impossible for us to see through the surface and grasp the true purposes of all Morphesus' seemingly nonsensical tasks. It is never clear who holds the winning piece in this grand and enigmatic chess game and that is the beauty of it. To be honest, very few plot twists surprise me nowadays without being overly abrupt. But Splintered did it with such grace and diligence, catching me utterly speechless yet making perfect sense out of every riddle there is. These revelations only made me fall even more in love with the story and become completely defenseless to Howard's charms.

The characters do not shy away from the high expectations you must all have now either. Alyssa, our protagonist, is quite the peculiar artist, who  makes breathtaking art from crushed bugs in order to silence their whispers. She does not have the best ancestry, especially when so many of her relatives have wound up in mental hospitals, but she is determined to save her family and be free. We witness her growth throughout her challenges in Wonderland, piece together puzzles alongside her as she discovers more about her hereditary curse, and struggle with her when no one around her seems to be genuinely reliable. She may not be the most relatable character, but she is certainly one to be held in our high esteem.

As some of you may already know, there is indeed a love triangle in this book. But don't be quick to judge yet, because this is nothing like you have seen before. Even though the backstories of these two love interests are quite generic, I can say with confidence that you will be dazzled by both, so much so you won't know whom to pick at all. It is a surprisingly captivating dilemma to have.

Reading Splintered is nothing short of a delightful breeze. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, aside from leaving a little opening for more brilliant imaginations to come. And I can't wait to see what else Howard has to offer in the future.

My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 and 1/2 stars)