Literature I've seen adult movies with more character depth and developement than this book.
It's bad enough that the writing and story are horribly executed, but was it really necessary to make all of the characters lifeless Mary sues? All of the protagonists in the book have extremely one-dimensional goals, Especially Dodge. Everything down to the "imagination" is black and white, leaving zero grey areas to keep you interested in anything that's going on, or care whether a main character dies or not(which never happens,sadly. At most, lord of the Gary Stus gets shot in the shoulder). The book mostly goes in detail of the author's tremendous ego, which can be observed every time he insults Lewis Carroll for no real reason other than to make himself feel better about his own poor writing.
Anyways, its a bad book. Don't read unless you need something stupid to laugh at.
Literature A new take, and a good read
I disagree with the troper above me, and say that it was in fact, a decent book. The author definetly shows us a whole new side to wonderland, and makes the old child fairy-tale seem not for kids. The opening chapters in wonderland are filled with delight ( although the use of "Imagination is a bit trite ( clap your hands if you belive, anyone?), when used in combat the scenes that come to mind are extrodinary), and you feel your heart clencth when Alyss is torn from her home into a world where no one belives her. It takes Alyss a while to get back to Wonderland, and the novel drags a bit, but you keep reading because you want to see Alyss kick Redd's ass so bad.
Once Alyss enters the Looking Glass Maze, things really start to pick up. Although Alyss's sudden regain of powers is a bit Deus Ex Machina, her use of it, espichally the fight scene against Redd, is just amazing. There wer a few ideas that could have been devolped better: Molly is obviously Hatter's daughter, and I would have liked to see Dodge's anger and venchange creep up on him a bit more. Bu the world that the author has presented is amazing, and Alyss though queenly, never seems like she comeplety is a Wonderlander, and she has a bit of our world in her. I liked this book, and look forward to seing more. I give it a 7 out of 10.
Literature So bad it's horrible
The sheer awfulness of this book defies all description. Frank Beddor definitely wins first prize for smuggest author of the century, hands-down. Do you want to know how bad it was? It was worse than the Tim Burton film, that's how bad it was. Has this so-called author even read the original books? Judging from the extreme bastardisation of them, probably not. I'm guessing he's probably skimmed through the first one a bit, watched the Disney film, got drunk and attempted to write an actual novel. And failed miserably.
Beddor's pathetic attempts at metafiction are soon forgotten. I was not for one minute convinced that there was any grain of truth in what he was saying, especially when he gets his facts wrong IN THE PROLOGUE. The Tweedles only appear in Through the Looking-Glass, not Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Do the bloody research! And while he has done some research, he hasn't done nearly enough. Anyone up-to-date on Carrollian history can see through it easily enough.
Now, Beddor claims that his book contains graphic violence that may be unsettling for some readers. Apart from one solitary scene, it doesn't. Beddor has made it clear he doesn't even like Carroll's books. So why bother deliberately insulting them and their fans? Beddor's smugness is disgusting, the way he barges in claiming his is the "true story of Wonderland" and Lewis Carroll's is inferior and false. And the way Dodgson is portrayed in the story... The less said of that the better. Beddor has no knowledge of the books, their characters or themes. Many do not even appear, and when they do they barely even resemble the ones they were based on. Hatter Maddigan is for some reason a good guy. The Cheshire Cat is for some reason a bad guy. The White Knight (one of the most important characters) is depressingly wasted and characters like the Duchess do not even appear.
This book shall only be enjoyabe to those who have no knowledge of Wonderland whatsoever, as it shall otherwise cause extreme wallbangers the whole way through. Read a good Alice-inspired work instead, such as Pandora Hearts, Alice in Sunderland, Night of the Jabberwock or Automated Alice. Or the original books themselves. Funny, isn't it, how a book that puts so much emphasis on the powers of imagination has so little imagination itself.