Book Review: Ensnared

Author: A.G. Howard

Publication Date: January 13, 2015

Publisher: Amulet Books

Series: Splintered # 3

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles... and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and sadistic netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But even if everyone succeeds and comes out alive, can they all truly have their happily ever after?

Insanity is the most pristine clarity.

Everything – our lives, our loves, our futures – hinges on one word alone: IF.

The littlest things I once took for granted have become priceless treasures.

“I don’t want those things from you. I love your faults and imperfections. Your kind heart. The scars that match mine, and the struggles to find ourselves. I want your humanness. Nothing else.”

Here we have the last book in what I believe is probably one of the best fairy tale retellings, especially Alice in Wonderland retellings, that I have ever read. A.G. Howard is an author worth recommending and reading for so many reasons, but especially because of her creativity and vivid imagination. I am a huge fan of worldbuilding, especially fantasy worlds like this, but I must say that I have not read about a world this wicked and twisted in quite some time. This entire series has been very captivating, in fact after finishing each installment I was left with a major book hangover! This is Wonderland like you have never seen, read, or imagined it before.

This story is truly spellbinding and the words and characters feel as if they could jump right off of the page. I cannot say much, for fear of giving too much away, but I will say that this last installment in particular has many exciting twists and turns and events take place that I never saw coming at all. This book presents a bit more sinister side of what was originally intended to be Wonderland. I cannot imagine this world written any other way. Howard successfully wraps up all loose ends and readers are left with no questions concerning the plot or Alyssa’s story. Please do yourself a favor; pick up this series!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Amulet Books in exchange for my honest review***