The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars, #1)

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The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars #1)

by Frank Beddor (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 21,051 ratings · 2,400 reviews

Alyss of Wonderland?
When Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, must flee through the Pool of Tears to escape the murderous aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carrol, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, some...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 364 pages

Published September 26th 2006 by Dial Books

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Nov 08, 2011 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-kids, sf-fantasy-and-other-dorky-shit

Some of my goodreads friends loved it, some seemed ambivalent, and some seemed to have hated it. Unfortunately very few of them wrote reviews though so I don't know much of what they thought about the book. Well, besides the number of stars they gave it.

After a few seconds of mindful hand-wringing, and thinking about what I would rate this book while reading it, I have decided on three stars, although I enjoyed it quite a bit and had quite a bit of fun reading it.

I really liked the re-telling...more

28 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it, i-own

To the Carroll/Alice purists, don't read this book as a tribute/spin-off/etc and you'll be fine. To the rest of you, enjoy.

That said, let me say that I loved this book. I read Alice (Wonderland and Looking Glass) this past semester for a children's lit class so it was cool to approach this book with those stories so recently re-impressed on my mind. However, you definitely don't NEED those books close at hand to enjoy this book. In fact, as many Carroll lovers vehemently point out, this book is...more

23 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 Ren the Unclean rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those interested in Wonderland

Shelves: fantasy

This book has a really interesting premise and a cool take on a classic story. The characters are very interesting, especially Hatter Madigan, General Doppelganger, and Bibwit Harte.

My main problem with this book is that Beddor does not do a very good job of writing the story. It is sort of as though he is writing it like a person who is very impressed with the story they are telling you, rather than telling you a story that is impressive on its own. This is sort of strange, since the subject ma...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: retellings-continuations, young-adult-fiction, urban-fantasy-paranormal, swapped-or-given-away, unfinished-2011

The Looking Glass Wars is not really different from what I had expected. It is a well-constructed retelling, that places Alice as the Queen of Hearts' daughter and consequently the next-in-line for Wonderland's throne. When the evil Red Queen, Queen Genevieve's sister, attacks the palace with her army of card soldiers, Alice - or Alyss - is sent via the Pool of Tears tunnel to a parallel world - ours, but during the life-time of Lewis Carroll, by the Queen's faithful bodyguard Hatter Madigan (yo...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2007 piraterie rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: masochists

Shelves: read2007, fantasy, young-adult

This book is terrible.

In theory, I like it. The idea behind it intrigues me, but the reality is that it is just so badly written. Good idea, very poor execution! Cliche characters! Stupid names! A writing style so awful it was almost physically painful to read!

Yet I'll probably read the sequel (sequels?) when it comes out. Clearly, I've learned nothing from reading this book.

26 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2009 Janeen-san rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book: The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars, #1)
Author: Frank Beddor
Awesomeness level: 5/5
Began: November 9, 2009
Finished: November 14, 2009

It was a long time ago when I saw Seeing Redd, Frank Beddor's second book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, at Barnes & Noble. Back then, I didn't care about it, I didn't know that I'd finish The Looking Glass Wars at 3:22 in the morning, not willing to sleep until I knew how the first book ended. I didn't know I'd squeal with excitment when H...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2007 Caryn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people unafraid of mussing up Lewis Carroll's story a bit.

Shelves: youngreaderandteen, fantasy

Let me say up front that I am a fan of almost anything that reworks a classic, as can probably be seen by the books on my GoodReads shelves.

I was nervous about this book for about thirty seconds, until I flipped to the full-color pages in the middle, which put my mind at ease and propelled me all the way to the check-out counter.

Princess Alyss Heart isn't really interested in being Queen of the Wonderlands someday. She's more interested in getting out of the palace with her friend from the royal...more

10 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2010 Suna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: trogglehumpers

This book had me crawling backwards into a corner, arms outstretched in supplication, begging for it to go away, away...

Come with me on a little guided meditation I have created especially for the purpose of giving you an impression of my reading experience:

'Imagine you are walking through a fairground in full swing, lights, colours and sounds everywhere. A bit bright, but quite tolerable.
Suddenly a monstrous, gargantuan four year old child looms up out of nowhere, straps your struggling form to...more

15 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Typically, when a writer is trying too hard to do something unique and new, they end up drawing from the past for inspiration. They look at what has previously worked, and they try to replicate the effect by repackaging the material they are drawing their idea from in some "cool" or "exciting" way. Unsurprisingly, these attempts usually end in failure, and though not quite to the degree it could be, The Looking Glass wars is no exception to the trend.

Frank Beddor's attempt to write the "real" st...more

Typically, when a writer is trying too hard to do something unique and new, they end up drawing from the past for inspiration. They look at what has previously worked, and they try to replicate the effect by repackaging the material they are drawing their idea from in some "cool" or "exciting" way. Unsurprisingly, these attempts usually end in failure, and though not quite to the degree it could be, The Looking Glass wars is no exception to the trend.

Frank Beddor's attempt to write the "real" story of Alice in Wonderland ends up essentially equaling fan-fic. It's simply fan-fiction that has been commercially published. I'll admit, it was pretty good for fan fiction, and on some level I enjoyed it (hence the 3-star rating), but I feel overly generous for that rating. Admittedly, a lot of what I liked about the book was also what I disliked about it.

Occasionally the book showed some creativity, though it was creativity that was ultimately lifted from Lewis Carroll, so really, I enjoyed the Lewis Carroll-y parts of the book rather than the Frank Beddor-y parts of the book. The book also fell tremendously flat on the issue of its "magic system," which acted merely as a continuous vessel for a desired Deus Ex Machina, rather than as anything which ultimately contributes to the story Beddor was hoping to create.

The biggest failing of all, however, is an oversimplification of the original material Beddor is drawing from (Lewis Carroll's work). Where Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass provides a complex, layered journey, The Looking Glass wars simply provides another version of the same hero story we see over and over again in almost any popular fiction book we pick up: Young person loses family, gains experience and power, then reclaims what was lost. At this point, it's simply boring seeing the same story structure over and over again in books today, and it's surprising that Beddor falls into the same trap when he is drawing from material as unique and, *cough*, wonderful as Carroll's Alice. Beddor wrote his fan-fic book about the small ideas in Alice's adventures, and he omitted all the richness that makes Lewis Carroll's work so special; instead, he substituted a drab, formulaic plot in its place.

For all the things I disliked about it, I essentially have to ask myself one question: did the book serve it's intended purpose? If it's intended purpose was to take the richness of Carroll and turn it into a mindless, albeit readable book that one can use to simply burn time, then sure it was a success. If Beddor meant anything more beyond that, then he surely fell short. I would normally give this 2 stars, but the sad part is, I will probably read the next one in the trilogy; I want to see what happens next *shrug*, and I want to see if it gets better. I will simply wait until I'm in the mood to not be impressed.

(less)

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Aug 23, 2010 Amelia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing, fantasy, summer-reading-10, reviewed

In a nutshell: Fantastic idea, horribly executed.

The writing did nothing for it. I almost never start on an author's writing style but in this case, it was a significant factor in how I viewed the book. The style described too much in the wrong cases, not enough with the right ones. There was also a lot of telling rather than showing. The short, almost inconsiderate descriptions of the character's feelings made it seem false. I couldn't get a grasp on the characters at all.

This was an absolutely...more In a nutshell: Fantastic idea, horribly executed.

The writing did nothing for it. I almost never start on an author's writing style but in this case, it was a significant factor in how I viewed the book. The style described too much in the wrong cases, not enough with the right ones. There was also a lot of telling rather than showing. The short, almost inconsiderate descriptions of the character's feelings made it seem false. I couldn't get a grasp on the characters at all.

This was an absolutely brilliant idea. If it had been executed differently, this could have risen to Harry Potter status--or at least, it would have had the potential to. The idea was fresh, new and incredible. It just...never took off the ground for me. I found myself skipping pages and I would still know exactly what was going on.

Writing aside, nothing anchored me to the characters. Even if you hate a character, that means that there was enough given that you're CAPABLE of hating them. It means that they were put through situations and were complete and total idiots and did a million things wrong and you hate their guts for it. But at least you have the proof. When you can't even cast an opinion on a character...oooh, well, that just goes to show that you weren't shown much. But Dodge and Alyss had such incredible potential! I just wish they were shown better. I could have really come to love them as characters. Same goes for the antagonist. Redd was downright creepy at first, but she quickly lost credibility.

The dialog required much-needed help. It was mostly in the dialog that I lost the characters. Even with the sometimes skimpy writing, dialog can pick up the slack. Not in this case, though.

I wrote a review for this now because I'm 95% certain that I won't be picking it up again. If I ever have children, I would try it out on them because it's more of a read out loud kind of book. But for readers who have a preference for more complex, lyrical writing that must be read inwardly, I don't recommend this book to you.

I gave it a B- because I respect the idea so much. It wouldn't feel right to bring it lower than "B" status. Perhaps if Frank Beddor writes another series, I would take a chance on it. Otherwise, I'm not venturing into Wonderland again.(less)

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Jan 06, 2010 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: excited-for, juvenile-ya, literary, own, read-in-2009, recommended, steampunk, disappointing-or-excited-for-nothin, sci_fi-fantasy, series

Somewhere under a 4 for me. Maybe even as low as a 3.5.

The Looking Glass Wars is an alternate history retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass books. Beddor reimagines the children’s classic as non-fiction: Alyss Hart, a Wonderlander, comes to Earth in a time of crisis (her evil aunt Redd has attacked Wonderland in her quest to become the Queen of Hearts), and she finds herself in a far different reality. On Earth, she is just a young girl with no a...more Somewhere under a 4 for me. Maybe even as low as a 3.5.

The Looking Glass Wars is an alternate history retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass books. Beddor reimagines the children’s classic as non-fiction: Alyss Hart, a Wonderlander, comes to Earth in a time of crisis (her evil aunt Redd has attacked Wonderland in her quest to become the Queen of Hearts), and she finds herself in a far different reality. On Earth, she is just a young girl with no allies and a fading Imagination. When she is adopted by the Liddell family, and comes across the young deacon Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) she thinks she has found a sympathetic soul. She tells him her story -- which he then publishes in the drastically altered tale that we know. Disheartened, Alyss (now Alice) tries to adjust to life on Earth and forget about Wonderland. But all is not right in Wonderland, and the two worlds Alyss knows are about to collide.

For much of this book, I was fairly indifferent. It came highly recommended by a number of friends, and I am completely smitten with the Alice story and will read/watch* anything having to do with the insanely fabulous world Carroll created. So I really wanted to love this, and at times I did. But for much of the book (probably the first ½ or so), I just didn’t. I felt Beddor struggled to find the tone he wanted; it waffled back and forth between an imitation of Carroll’s light, irreverent style, and a more current, action-drama feel. Also, with attention divided between the two worlds, Wonderland and Earth, it never felt like either got the attention it deserved, and I never got to really live in either and experience it, which was disappointing. But there were moments when I got what I wanted, when the worlds became real and the action was compelling, and the tension was high and I was in it. I just wanted that to be more consistent.
Eventually, the book did find a middle path and start to come together, and I will say that I saw enough in it to like that I will certainly keep reading, and do not really regret spending the money on it. I am not saying this is not a good book, just that I wanted more, and didn’t quite get it.
On a side note, the card soldiers (idea and illustrations) was absolutely brilliant.

*And would you believe I missed Alice on SyFy? Remembered it was on when Ep 2 was nearly over. Really, desperately irritated with myself on that one. Esp. as the Mad Hatter in it is simply delicious. Must track it down and watch.

!!!SPOILERY!!!

I felt that some of the choices Beddor made were just kind of iffy and it sometimes made the story less believable, or at least questionable. Perhaps the biggest was his choice of the starting age for Alyss, combined with the love interest in Dodge. In the beginning of the story, Alyss is celebrating her 7th birthday. Dodge, her best friend and future guard, is three years older. Now, for those ages, I can believe that there may be some infatuation on the part of each child, and I can even believe that they are devoted to each other in their child’s way. I’m okay with it when you set them up as future love interests -- I don’t mind seeing early where this is going, and knowing who to root for. But I don’t buy it when you try to set them up as already in love and acting like star-crossed lovers. It’s too weighty for their ages, and it just seems a little silly at best, and a little creepy at worst. Their interaction was amateurish, which I guess it at the heart of my complaints with the book in general.
The second choice that bothered me was how easily things happened. As someone who works in film, I would have expected Beddor to be a little more concerned with the journey and the struggles that develop a story and add tension. I would feel tension building and I would think something was going to be thrilling and crucial, and instead it would end too quickly. As a result of the idea of Imagination that Beddor set up, things came to easily and ruined the tension level.
I am looking forward to reading book 2: Seeing Redd, and I have high hopes that with experience, Beddor will improve and do the story credit; he’s a good storyteller, just not necessarily as good a writer -- yet.
Bonus materials and what not on the blog.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2009 ♥BookGeek♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ANYONE!

Shelves: loved, loved-to-death, i-own, historical-fiction, fantasy, books-that-are-going-to-be-movies, series-or-books-with-sequels, young-adult, modern-retelling

Why does she love this book you ask? Let me count the ways...

First before I start, I don't want to hear any of your crap about this book. I've read it five time and counting, I know... just wanted to make that clear ok?

Reasons why I'm reading this book again:

-The way Beddor handles the story is creative.
I don't want to hear that "Alice is the WHOLE WORLD HOW CAN HE DESTROY A SUPERB CLASSIC!!!" Now, I do love Alice in Wonderland dearly. I do think is a great classic. And I don't hate it like Mr....more Why does she love this book you ask? Let me count the ways...

First before I start, I don't want to hear any of your crap about this book. I've read it five time and counting, I know... just wanted to make that clear ok?

Reasons why I'm reading this book again:

-The way Beddor handles the story is creative.
I don't want to hear that "Alice is the WHOLE WORLD HOW CAN HE DESTROY A SUPERB CLASSIC!!!" Now, I do love Alice in Wonderland dearly. I do think is a great classic. And I don't hate it like Mr. Beddor does. But for God's SAKE people! It's a remake of the story! And it's an original, believable story. I mean, Redd (based on the Queen of Hearts) is SUPPOSED to be an EVIL QUEEN right?

-The characters are AH-MAZING!

Don't want to hear crap about that either. I've heard from several reviews that his characters are one dimensional, uninteresting unoriginal characters. And I'll agree to that to some extent. But I still love their freshness, the jump off the page characters, you know where every single one of the characters come from too which is nice. (By the way Dodge haters,if I was in Dodge's place, I would go and battle the Cat.)Frank Beddor gives these fairy tale characters a life. That's all a character asks for.

-The writing is really good

Again, no crap. The book is not about writing. It's about PLOT. In this book, writing helps the characters and plot move. It isn't supposed to make you go "WOW!" You know, some books aren't made to have superb, amazing high quality writing. But this is pretty decent writing already. So shut up about that.

-It stays faithful to the original book.

No guys, LGW DOSEN'T dumb down Alice. Beddor just takes a different turn. Can you accept that for once? The characters already show it, and the London part shows it. Just read those parts again and tell me if I'm a stupid moron and I don't get it. The message of this book is: "Carroll got it wrong" not: "Alice is such a stupid little book! Let's see my take on it because I want to be greedy! YAY!" I reread Alice after I read this, I looked at it with whole new eyes without thinking less of it.

If you guys think I'm an idiotic moron who dosen't have a life, comment here. But please do realize that I do respect hater's opinion, I'm just sick of all the complaints and the "THIS AUTHOR MUST DIE!" on One-Star reviews.
OK! That's all(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

I have a confession to make. I have never particularly cared for Lewis Carroll's (aka the Reverend Charles Dodgson's) ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. Although I've read those stories, once, they have never even come close to being one of my favorites. With Frank Beddor's THE LOOKING GLASS WARS, however, I can easily say that I was drawn into the story from the first page--and have found a new book to add to my list of favorites.

THE LOOKING G...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

I have a confession to make. I have never particularly cared for Lewis Carroll's (aka the Reverend Charles Dodgson's) ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. Although I've read those stories, once, they have never even come close to being one of my favorites. With Frank Beddor's THE LOOKING GLASS WARS, however, I can easily say that I was drawn into the story from the first page--and have found a new book to add to my list of favorites.

THE LOOKING GLASS WARS begins in 1863, in Oxford England, with eleven-year-old Alyss Heart having told her story to the Rev. Charles Dodgson over a matter of months. After four years of living in this world, Alyss is sure her story is about to be told. Unfortunately, the "liberties" that college scholar Dodgson took with her telling of her life in Wonderland have been turned into a parody, a fictional tale that resembles nothing like the life she had previously led. The events that led to her living in England have become nothing but a foolish story, something to be read to privileged children by their pampered parents.

Alyss's story actually begins long before that day she is given a bound copy of ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Dodgson. While Alyss was celebrating her seventh birthday in Wonderland, plans were being put into action to overthrow the Queen, Genevieve, Alyss's mother. Genevieve's evil sister, Redd, has grown tired of being exiled from Wonderland--and her powers have grown strong. She stages a coup that begins with the death of the King, Genevieve's husband, Nolan. And it doesn't end until Genevieve is dead, as well, and Alyss is forced to escape through the Pool of Tears.

This is only the beginning of Alyss's toils, and the troubles and woes that come to all Wonderlanders who refuse to recognize the new queen. As the other houses (Spades, Diamonds, and Clubs) take sides, as battles are waged, Wonderland fades from the beautiful, prosperous city that it once was. And Alyss, who was destined to be Queen, is forced to live a life of lies in an alternate world.

Frank Beddor has come up with a wonderful story that draws upon Lewis Carroll's original characters and turns them around to bring them to vivid life. From the Chessboard Desert to the bodyguard Hatter Madigan, from the scholar Bibwit Harte to the young Dodge Anders, from the Generals Doppel and Ganger to The Cat and the Glass Eyes and The Cut, it's all there, in wonderful, splendid glory. This is definitely one story that will stay with you, and have you turning pages long into the night. If you're like me, you'll also be eagerly awaiting the second book in the series, SEEING REDD. (less)

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Apr 26, 2008 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Alice in Wonderland fans, sci-fi/fantasy fans

Recommended to Meghan by: Barnes and Noble endcap

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, own, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is a science fiction take on the classic Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alyss is princess and heir to the throne of Wonderland. However, her evil aunt, Redd, stages a coup and overthrows her mother, Queen Genevieve. Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears and lands in London, where eventually she meets Reverand Charles Dodgson--the one person on earth who seems to believe her tale of Wonderland. He offers to write a book about it, but to her horror, it's not a biography of the...more This book is a science fiction take on the classic Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alyss is princess and heir to the throne of Wonderland. However, her evil aunt, Redd, stages a coup and overthrows her mother, Queen Genevieve. Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears and lands in London, where eventually she meets Reverand Charles Dodgson--the one person on earth who seems to believe her tale of Wonderland. He offers to write a book about it, but to her horror, it's not a biography of the treacheries of Aunt Redd, but a children's fable. So Alice is faced with some hard choices: accept that she is now part of the human world and forget Wonderland and her right to the throne or fight to remember and bring White Imagination back to its glory days.

When I read the summary of the plot, I was immediately intrigued. I love it when authors take classic stories and give it a good twist (i.e., Gregory Maquire's Wicked). And from the onset of the book, you are brought into a new world of wonder and amazement turned upside down (seemingly appropriate considering the origins of this story).

The story weaves between the human world (London 1860s) and Wonderland. I loved the insertion of various historical figures. Charles Dodgson's (aka Lewis Carroll) real life muse was Alice Liddell--Alyss' adopted name. There really was a Prince Leopold whom it was rumored considered Alice Liddell as a wife. Alice Liddell did indeed have a son, named after him, and whom Prince Leopold was the godfather. He, in turn, had a daughter named Alice.

I liked the play on the various characters. Hatter Madigan is the Queen's bodyguard. The Catepillers are the oracles and keepers of the Looking Glass Maze, which only the rightful heir to the throne can attempt. Soldiers are cards (2s and 3s lower ranking, Knights and Rooks higher up the chain). The ranking families are the House of Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, and Clubs--although the House of Hearts are the true rulers. Prince "Jack" of Diamonds is considered a potential husband Princess Alyss. The "Cat" is a terrifying assasin. Bibwitt Harte is the wise old master who trains and teaches every Queen about the history and duties of her station. He is an albino and has long floppy ears. The only thing missing is a pocket watch.

**SPOILERS**

I have few complaints with the story. I found it engaging and fun. However, the author tended to skip around parts that I felt could have used more time in exploring. Things hinted at sometimes were never really resolved (although, this being the first in a series, perhaps he was holding those cards close and planning on "playing" them later). The war against Redd was laughably short for the build up that was given. I understand that this is meant for the tween ages so such lack in continuity and choppy writing can be forgiven (though, I do hope that his writing grows better with each new addition).

I thought this was a great conception and decent execution. It's no Harry Potter, but few are. This, though, makes one believe in the joy of fantasy nonetheless.(less)

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Mar 18, 2008 Myridian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, noveau-fairy-tale, young-adult

This is a darker reworking of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this version, the girl Alice that Carroll based the story on was actually from an alternate dimension in which her parents had been killed and she was the princess who must return to reclaim the throne from her evil aunt.

This is the first in a trilogy and I have little desire to read the rest of the stories. I can very much see that this book was attempting to attract teen readers based on the simplicity of the st...more

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Sep 13, 2009 emily rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one. I had to give it one star so it would be clear I'd reviewed it.

Recommended to emily by: the "discard" bin at my old library

So, I'd heard of this book before, and when I saw it in the bin marked "free" at my old library, I kind of thought I might put it in my middle school classroom for students to read. Then I realized: what might I be giving my students? So I read it.

I cannot think of enough negative things to say about this book.

First, I have to admit something: I've never even read any of Lewis Carroll's books. Not a one. So I'm no Alice purist. But Mr. Beddor is just straight-up mean-spirited. If you're going to...more

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Feb 08, 2009 Gloria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Gloria by: Beta

I don't think I can finish it.

It was recommended to me by Beta; Alpha hadn't liked it when he first read it (in author's proof, which is what I am reading). Beta insisted that _Seeing Redd_ must be read, and thus, I had to read this first. That, plus the TABarron series on Merlin, and of course, the Tree of Avalon.

Well, started it. Want to like it. I do like the premise, actually. But I think, now that I have gotten almost half-way through, what just makes it unbearable is that the writing is so...more

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Sep 11, 2007 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult

Oh, by gosh by golly I loved this book. It's Alice in Wonderland on crack! Fabulous!

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really did like this book and the universe that it was set in, but I hesitate to give it a four just because of the writing. The first half was reasonably well written; details were where they needed to be, grammar was correct. I just felt that the last half was lacking. Everything just went too fast where it should have slowed down and been more detailed. That then made the first half seem too slow and overly detailed. I do still plan on reading the two sequels, and I just hope that some of t...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Delaney rated it 5 of 5 stars

EPIC!!!!
Just one word for you: EPIC!!!!!
AHHHHHH IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember Lewis Carroll's famous works of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland where she meets the Mad Hatter, the Chesire Cat, the Red Queen, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?? Now remember THE LOOKING GLASS WARS. Where Alice's Adventure in Wonderland is all but a lie. There is so much more to it. Where there is Alyss instead of Alice. Where Hatter Madigan is like Black Butler Sebastian, a killer bomb. Where The Cat has 9 li...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Yasmine Fairchild rated it 3 of 5 stars

i really liked this book despite some of the cliche things described in it. first of all, in the very beginning of the book (during the birthday party) when Dodge and Alyss were like 10 years old they said they felt immense love for one another. I don't believe that 2 young kids could have or even begin to develop those kind of feelings for one another. and she's sort of a bratty kid so I didn't like her at first. but when she had to spend the night with the street kids i started to feel bad for...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Selena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Selena by: my brother

Shelves: my-must-reads, fairy-tale-retellings, favorites

This book seems to cause a lot of controversy... Either you like it or you don't. Personally, I'm enjoying it. And I have read the original Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

But please, people saying, "The author must die"... Get a life. It's a BOOK. Not a RELIGION. Or LAW. How would you feel if I told you that your favorite author had to die? Just stop. It's mean. It's one thing to say, "I didn't like this book because..." It's another to say, "It sucked. Author, go jump off a c...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Matt Parry rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Good idea. Bad execution. That's my take on this book. I was enjoying this okay until about the last 1/3 of the book. Then it felt rushed. The inconsistencies were very jarring. Apparently, I'm supposed to know what all of these contraptions are without much explanation? All this talk of imaginative power and yet all I saw were a bunch of switchblades, bombs and stars when they battled. Couldn't there have been a more "imaginative" way to kill each other?

To give you an idea of how I felt, here's...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Toni rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: kids, alice in wonderland fans

Shelves: for-the-kiddies, silly-series, fiction

I am a huge Alice in Wonderland nerd. That means I am somewhat obligated to like anything that even hints that it may be related to the characters from Lewis Carroll's original work. Disney movie? sure, lame Disney spin off series? Sure! Cats named Dinah? of course. I am a sap, a fool, a pathetic fan girl. I came across this series by receiving the scrapbook for a birthday present. I decided to read the series, and I didn't really like it. The thing that kept me reading, and the thing that makes...more I am a huge Alice in Wonderland nerd. That means I am somewhat obligated to like anything that even hints that it may be related to the characters from Lewis Carroll's original work. Disney movie? sure, lame Disney spin off series? Sure! Cats named Dinah? of course. I am a sap, a fool, a pathetic fan girl. I came across this series by receiving the scrapbook for a birthday present. I decided to read the series, and I didn't really like it. The thing that kept me reading, and the thing that makes me a huge sucker, is the fact that I love the idea of wonderland. Even though the writing was horrible, my imagination does most of the work for me. I didn't so much "read" this book as I imagined what it should have been like.

For the first time in my life I actually think a movie version would be better. I did some research and the author is actually involved in film-making, and has already written a movie script. Perhaps his original intention was to make a movie, and he thought first making a book would be an appropriate way to achieve that goal. The writing was so horrible, because it read like a draft session for a student film. "Then she walked into something beautiful. The light was everywhere. She was startlingly fierce." It seemed more like a brainstorming session that a story, which is tragic because Lewis Carroll's original story is one of the best that has ever been told. Literary snobs and Wonderland purists need not bother, you will just be angered.

The only scene that really, truly bothered me was when Dodge confronted Lewis Carroll. Not only was it terribly written, it was offensive. "b-b-b-b-ut I-i-i-i- D-d-d-don't k-k-k-know." It revealed to me that the author is most likely not a huge Lewis Carroll fan. In fact, judging him from his website, he doesn't seem to be a fan of literature. In fact, I am not exactly sure he is a writer... I kept imagining real writers that would have been much better suited to make an adaptation, but then laughed because they would have more respect for a work of genius and never touch such a pretentious project.

All of this being said, I did enjoy some parts of this book. I liked the mad hatter character, I liked imagining Redd, and it made me want to reread the original. I probably would have appreciated it as a child, and I am sure there are kids out there that love it. I like to follow paths of information. If a crappy book can lead you to a great one, it is okay. Sometimes you have to muck through trash to get to, and appreciate, the real treasures. Therefore, this is a somewhat acceptable spin on a masterpiece. Since I am a sucker I plan on continuing the series, buying the graphic novels, purchasing any and all merchandise that comes of it, and I will be first in line to see the movie. What can I say? I know it isn't right, but it feels so good! Take it for what it's worth, and don't judge.(less)

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Aug 28, 2008 Juushika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: status-borrowed

Alyss Heart is the princess of Wonderland, destined someday to be its queen. But on her seventh birthday, her exiled aunt Redd slaughters her family and takes the throne as her own. Alyss flees Wonderland and ends up in our world, where she must struggle through mundane life until she has the strength and means to return and claim her throne. The Looking Glass Wars is written as the "true story" of Alyss/Alice and Wonderlandsome of the aspects are familiar from Carroll's books, but characters a...more Alyss Heart is the princess of Wonderland, destined someday to be its queen. But on her seventh birthday, her exiled aunt Redd slaughters her family and takes the throne as her own. Alyss flees Wonderland and ends up in our world, where she must struggle through mundane life until she has the strength and means to return and claim her throne. The Looking Glass Wars is written as the "true story" of Alyss/Alice and Wonderlandsome of the aspects are familiar from Carroll's books, but characters are reimagined and the story is completely new. The novel is vivid and engaging, swiftly readable, and imaginative. However, Redd is a comically exaggerated antagonist, and this book pales against Carroll's original Wonderland novels. It's a swift and harmless book, but I don't particularly recommend it.

Beddor's novel is based on the premise that Alyss (called Alice by her adopted family) told Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) the story of her life in Wonderlandand then Carroll wrote a book about it and got it all wrong. The Looking Glass Wars, therefore, is the true account of Wonderland and Alyss's life. The white rabbit becomes Alyss's albino tutor Bibwit Harte, the Mad Hatter is actually bodyguard Hatter Madigan, and so other aspects from Carroll's books appear, reimagined and reformed. The plot of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is entirely replaced by the story of Redd's reign of terror and Alyss's journey to take back the throne. This premise is intriguing, and Beddor fills it with interesting inventions, steampunk-esque world building, and battlesmany battles and a fair amount of violence, which aim to make Alyss's journey both difficult and important. With all of the action and new ideas, the book is intriguing, vivid, and swiftly paced.

Unfortunately, Beddor's inventions aren't as wonderful as they first seem. Queen Redd brings ruin to Wonderland, but she is merely evil for the sake of being evil: she is so brash, so loud, so over the top that she becomes a comically exaggerated antagonist. Her comic nature overwhelms the threat and danger that she poses and strips all subtlety from the book. Even worse, Beddor's Wonderland simply pales in comparison to Carroll's original books (ironic, considering how disrespectful he is to his source material). There are some quirky inventions, some vivid characters, and an interesting plot, but Beddor simply lacks the wonder and true absurdity that Carroll writes so well. The Looking Glass Wars is a weak homage at best, and it's not particularly meaningful or memorable. The reader would do far better simply to read Carroll's books.

I love Alice in Wonderlandthe original books, retellings, and works inspired by it as well. I did not, however, love The Looking Glass Wars. It's an interesting concept with many promising aspects, and the book reads swiftly. But Beddor writes only a weak mimicry of the absurdity, word play, transformation, and above all the sense of true wonder that makes Alice in Wonderland such a delight. Nor is his new interpretation particularly meaningful (his new Wonderland isn't particularly memorable, and the books themes lack subtlety), and his only brave act is to decry Carroll's source material as foolishly weak and incorrect. There's no harm in checking this book out if you're interested, and it's a good book to borrow from the library. However, I wasn't impressed and I don't recommend it. I wish I'd just reread Carroll's original books instead.(less)

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May 15, 2007 Q rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Carrollian readers

I'm always cautious when it comes to AIW pastiches, parodies, sequels, etc... largely because the original works were so adept at presenting things, and your imagination did the rest.

Meaning, people rarely see the Wonderland you do. But this one was (happily) an exception to the rule. The basic premise is that Alice Liddel (the real-life inspiration for Dodgson) was really Alyss Hart, princess to Wonderland.

Political intrigue, darkness and power struggles abound. It's a darker wonderland to be s...more

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Jan 27, 2008 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story incorporates elements of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", but with a futuristic twist. It's like "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" meets "Star Wars".

Alyss Heart's parents are killed by her evil aunt Redd, who takes over the kingdom (queendom, actually). Alyss must team up with the "good guys" in order to defeat her aunt, and taker her place as rightful ruler of Wonderland.

I enjoyed the blending of old - Alice in Wonderland, with the new - sci-fi elements, reminisent of Star Wars....more

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Oct 03, 2007 Erica Poole rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fantasy/Sci-Fi buffs as well as those who like a twist on Nostalgia!

Shelves: read-but-still-love, children-ya

This book is wonderful, another of the "young adult that attracts grown ups" genre. It is the story of Princess Alyss of Wonderland, who escapes through a Pool of Tears when her evil Aunt Redd stages a coup at the Palace. Alyss escapes to our world where she is mistakenly taken as an orphan with a predilection towards wild fantasies.

Eventually, she meets Lewis Carroll who becomes her confidant and whom she sees as her savior, until he betrays her by turning her harrowing story into a child's bo...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fantasy fans, Alice in Wonderland fans

Recommended to Claudia by: Tanner

Shelves: ya-books, sci-fi-fantasy

Imagine Alyss (Alice) is real, and Wonderland is real...so is the Red Queen, The Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (as Generals Doppel and Ganger) and the Mad Hatter is really the legendary fighter, Hatter Madigan. Beddor has taken an ultimate fantasy and played with the fantastic reality. This book takes the wonderful Carroll story and turns it onto its head...now the story is an fight between Good and Evil. Now Alyss must face Redd, the evil queen who killed Alyss's parents and took over Wonder...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Nikki DeLash rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-again

Finished the book for the second time 04/02/2012

This story is just as good the second time around as the first. Absolutely love it!

Date I finished this book the first time around was 12/03/2009

OMG! I loved this book. I have to admit, I'm totally obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and this book kicked ass. It is nothing like the Lewis Carroll version and actually has some similarities to the video game I love called Alice. I can't wait to read the other books in the series. But, I'm planning on dr...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Frank Beddor

In addition to being an author with a penchant for retelling Alice in Wonderland, he is also a champion freestyle skier, a film producer, stuntman, actor, and CEO of Automatic Pictures Production Co.

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Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars, #2)

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“I tell you to think black thoughts and you come up with that?!" the lieutenant had screamed. "Is a guinea pig bad? Do you consider a guinea pig the representation of all that is evil?"

Maybe... if it's an evil guinea pig.” — 131 people liked it

“You can't spend so much time in a place and not carry a bit of it inside you.” — 83 people liked it

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