Unbirthday-A Twisted Tale
Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She'd rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian's lively salon, ignoring her sister's wishes that she stop all that "nonsense" and become a "respectable" member of society. Alice is happy to meander to Miss Yao's teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She's also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she's curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming.
But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects--the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There's something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all--a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice's help. Mary Ann.
Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts' tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?
For more twisted adventures, try the other books in the A TWISTED TALE series:
- A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
- Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell
- As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
- Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
- Part of Your World by Liz Braswell
- Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita
- Concel, Don't Feel by Jen Calonita
- Straight On Till Morning by Liz Braswell
- So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim
- Go the Distance by Jen Calonita
- What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell
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Community Reviews
Unbirthday is a brilliant new addition to the Twisted Tales, bringing Alice back to a devastating Wonderland.
Compelling & Relevant Storytelling
While this is a fun novel that takes readers back to the colorful and wacky Wonderland, it delves into England during the time as well. Alice is still headstrong and outspoken and challenges the world around her, the sexism, and Wonderland’s ridiculousness. It is what makes her such a wonderful character.
Whisked back to Wonderland, Alice must save her friends who are about to be killed by the Queen of Hearts. In the Great Game, the Queen is stealing from everyone and killing anyone who stands in her way. She must have the most stuff. Ridiculous but utterly fitting for Wonderland standards.
Interestingly, the novel incorporates American McGee’s Alice, Disney’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the classic tale by Lewis Carroll. It moves at a breathtaking pace, keeping the reader engaged page after page. Braswell also gives the story depth as it provides a commentary on current issues such as racism, immigration, and xenophobia, while also addressing sexism and feminism.
Honestly, Unbirthday is a brilliant novel. That moves effortlessly between Wonderland and England. It keeps the reader engaged both in the political intricacies of England and the absurdity of Wonderland.
Alice has grown so much since her previous incarnation, and it shows in how she addresses Wonderland. However, Braswell also explores Wonderland more, going to the court of the Queen of Clubs. There is so much Wonderland in this novel, and it is fun to read, fun to explore, but there are some dark parts. They balance each other out and encourage Alice to grow and be herself.
Final Thoughts
There is so much about this novel that makes it good that this review probably will not capture. It is colorful but also addresses important issues that are more prevalent today than ever. Unbirthday is a thoughtful and fun novel that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.
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