With Through the Looking Glass releasing last week it’s time to talk about the best re-imaginings of Alice and the characters of Wonderland.
The book world is constantly re-imaging classic characters and Alice in Wonderland is no exception. In recent years Alice has been re-imagined as a zombie hunter and a displaced queen while Wonderland has become a scary version of itself. Here are the best Alice in Wonderland books for your enjoyment:
‘The Looking Glass Wars’ and ‘Hatter Madigan’ by Frank Beddor
The Looking Glass Wars takes the traditional Alice in Wonderland ideas and twists them slightly to make them something just a little more. Beddor creates a world filled with beautiful description and unique characters. The concept of the card soldiers and how they work as well as Alice being sent through a portal from Wonderland to our world rather than the other way around also adds a creative twist to the story.
Of all the characters, Hatter Madigan is probably the most different from his original counterpart, the Mad Hatter. Hatter Madigan is a member of the Millinery, Wonderland’s security force, and he is not to be trifled with. Madigan plays a huge role in The Looking Glass Wars and even has his own comic book. Hatter Madigan will also be appearing in the new middle grade series Hatter Madigan: The Ghost in the H.A.T.B.O.X., which just released in April.
‘The Collector’s Society’ by Heather Lyons
This is by far one of my favorite twists on Alice in Wonderland. In Heather Lyon’s fantastic world Alice has just returned from Wonderland as an adult ready to live a peaceful life. However, after meeting a mysterious gentleman, her future is forever altered as she must join a secret society to not only save Wonderland but all the characters and lands from famous stories. While this series features other stories besides Alice she is the main character.
Splintered Series by A.G. Howard
Splintered is the story of Alyssa, a distant relative of Alice Liddell. Alyssa and her mother suffer the same affliction as Alice which leads Alyssa to learn that Wonderland is real.
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.
The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter
This book series which starts with Alice in Zombieland, follows Ali Bell a girl who has lost everything in a heartbeat. Ali must learn how to fight zombies while dealing with the guilt she feels surrounding the death of her parents and sister. Helping her in the fight against the zombies is bad boy Cole and a group of zombie slayers.
Filled with romance, action and witty dialogue, The White Rabbit Chronicles is the perfect mash up of Alice in Wonderland and zombies.
‘Queen of Hearts’ by Colleen Oakes
This is not the story of Alice’s Wonderland but that of the Queen of Hearts. Who doesn’t love a story of from the potential villain’s point of view? This is the story of how the Queen of Hearts became the villain we all know and love today. Familiar characters get inventive twists and the queen’s backstory will make you feel for her deeply.
Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over Wonderland. She has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland’s dangerous political game. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her cunning enemies or she’ll lose not just the crown but her head.