Alice by Christina Henry

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo with the screams of the poor souls inside. In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blonde, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn't remember why she's in such a terrible place just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood... Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago. Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful. And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

This week I wanted to take a look around my local bookshop and use the vouchers I won thanks to fellow book blogger Laura, but I was determined to use them on books that I wouldn’t usually buy. Alice by Christina Henry was sitting pretty at the top of the shelf and it grabbed my attention straight away thanks to its dark and enchanting cover and when I read the synopsis I knew this one was coming home with me along with Red Queen!

Alice is loosely based on the original fairytale that we have all grown to know and love but this book has a very dark and disturbing core! The story begins with Alice who has spent the last ten years in a mental hospital since coming out of the hole and she has made friends through a little mouse hole with Hatcher the man in the room next door. When a fire breaks out the pair are determined to fight for the freedom and get their revenge.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I began reading this book but the author is such a wonderful storyteller that she had me enchanted right from the beginning and held my attention all the way through this action packed storyline. The book flows at a fast pace and because it was such an unsettling and dark read I was on edge as I turned each page waiting to see what evil was going to occur next.

Both the characters and the setting were brought to life thanks to the author’s creative and descriptive writing style. The book had a sinister feel the whole way through and with the book focusing on revenge, abuse, power and fear it is clear that this book is unlike the happy and colourful story we all know.

I loved this book, I found it refreshing to read something that isn’t my typical book of choice and yet I was engrossed the whole way through and I can’t wait to make a start on Red Queen next.

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