What do you think?
Rate this book
Alice & Dorothy
A FAIRYTALE OF SEX, DRUGS, AND MURDER...Alice Pleasance has just killed a man. Later, while suffering a heroin overdose, Alice visits a nightmare world of playing card royalty and violent tea parties. Worse, Alice discovers that her broken mind has dragged something out of her delusions and into her waking life. Something evil. Trapped in a psychiatric ward while dealing with her drug addiction, Alice finds an unlikely friend in Dorothy Gale, a girl who knows all about other worlds and the duality of life. Sweet, gentle Dorothy, who carries a stuffed dog named Toto and has a few secrets of her own. Now they are on the run, escaping vengeful drug dealers, trigger happy cops, and the horrors being created inside Alice's own shattered mind. And while Dorothy clings to the promise of love as she chases a tornado across the country, Alice clings to her sanity, because the creature sharing her mind has a growing bloodlust that will not be denied.
- GenresRetellingsHorror
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2011
4 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2015
Insanely...disappointing
OFF WITH THEIR MENTAL SANITY!!!
I had huge expectations about this book seeing that it was so high rated (at least when I noticed it) and it crossovered the topics of Wonderland and Oz in real life context in an adult approach involving sex, drugs and murder.
What else can one ask?
And I have to admit that the reading experience was like a rollercoaster, since at some points I was sure that I will give it a full 5-star rating and at some other moments each lower possible rating and sometimes gets higher again and later it gets lower, you get the picture.
I really believed that the first chapter is like a test, to see if you really want to get further into the novel since it has very kinky sex situations, careless use of drugs and gruesome bloody violence but most of all, it isn't written in any elegant way but very directly and raw.
At that point I was believing that it was a poor choice of reading since it seemed to be a vulgar book without class. At that point you still get only Alice, so I want to read at least to the meeting with Dorothy that I guessed was the whole point of the book.
I was interested about the concept of two girls in a psychiatric ward believing that they are "Alice" from Wonderland and "Dorothy" from Oz. It was a thrilling idea.
Wonderland was always linked with the topic of madness, however, Oz not so much, however there cases like the movie "Return to Oz" that while it wasn't too good, it was still interesting and logic to think that Dorothy maybe seemed to be crazy if she started to tell about her adventures with talking scarecrows and flying monkeys.
There is a very good approach on this book that I think it was one of his strongest points of originality. However, it wasn't enough that premise to hold the book and to present a decent tale.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE PSYCHIATRIC WARD
The two girls are in psychiatric evaluation due showing general abnormal behaviour, but not because they'd claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
So far it seems that in the reality of this book, nobody heard about the books of Alice in Wonderland or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, since both made several comments that anybody could sum two-plus-two and reaching to the realization of how crazy they must be...
...but no, they are considered insane due showing rages of violence to others or to themselves, not because they claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
Dorothy always is trying to hunt tornadoes to reach a magic land that she called "Oz", but nobody seems to think that something is odd here since her full name is Dorothy Gale and indeed she has an Aunt Em and an Uncle Henry.
Best proof that in the universe of this story, nobody heard before of those both classic tales.
And while Alice & Dorothy are in the psychiatric ward is a pretty good reading, even some chapters with the doctor examining them are very well written in a truly smart way.
The personalities of Alice and Dorothy can be described using elements from their own books, since Dorothy is like the Cowardly Lion while Alice is like the Jabberwock.
Dorothy is childish (even since she is already an adult), sweet and shy.
Alice is insanely violent, unpredictable and totally wacko.
Alice and Dorothy made a quick bond, even taking in account that in this book, Dorothy is lesbian, and while Alice isn't lesbian per se, she didn't mind about it.
It's clear that she hasn't enjoying much the sex relationships with men so she is kinda open to the idea of accepting the feelings of Dorothy for her, also it's an easy way to manipulate her, to making her helping to escape from the hospital.
Until then, the book was quite engaging, but on the road the story took a wrong turn...
VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND SEX! OH, MY!
When they are on the road, there a lot of bloody violence, some lesbian moments and tiny bits of drug using.
I think that the story could be developed in a better way since while the narrative has good timing and logic, it's presented in a crude way without much imagination or elegance.
Even I felt quite odd some comments in the story about not "glorify violence", but more like odd, like hypocrisy since the book is clear that it's been sold like a story of "sex, drugs and violence".
So why trying to make such statements that they are totally out of place here?
Also, something that I didn't like is that Alice is way more like the main protagonist, while Dorothy is lowered to a role like a sidekick.
When you are reading about Batman & Robin, while there is an "&" in the title, you know that Robin is the sidekick of Batman. Batman is the lead hero and Robin is a companion.
However, since this was a "crossover" book, putting together two lead protagonists of their own books, when I read the title Alice & Dorothy, I was expecting a 50/50 of importance of both characters in the story.
It's that not only Dorothy is like a weakling sidekick without much utility in the story, but also, you don't get much of the elements and references of Oz, only some poor attempts here and there.
But instead you have heavily use of the recognizable elements of Wonderland.
So, I thought that why including Dorothy and the Oz world into this novel if the author seemed like uncomfortable with it or not knowing how to use it in a smart way into the plot?
At the end, it was a very good idea with a kinda standard development, with a too vulgar prose, and I honestly think it could be much better where it didn't explode its whole real potential as story.
OFF WITH THEIR MENTAL SANITY!!!
I had huge expectations about this book seeing that it was so high rated (at least when I noticed it) and it crossovered the topics of Wonderland and Oz in real life context in an adult approach involving sex, drugs and murder.
What else can one ask?
And I have to admit that the reading experience was like a rollercoaster, since at some points I was sure that I will give it a full 5-star rating and at some other moments each lower possible rating and sometimes gets higher again and later it gets lower, you get the picture.
I really believed that the first chapter is like a test, to see if you really want to get further into the novel since it has very kinky sex situations, careless use of drugs and gruesome bloody violence but most of all, it isn't written in any elegant way but very directly and raw.
At that point I was believing that it was a poor choice of reading since it seemed to be a vulgar book without class. At that point you still get only Alice, so I want to read at least to the meeting with Dorothy that I guessed was the whole point of the book.
I was interested about the concept of two girls in a psychiatric ward believing that they are "Alice" from Wonderland and "Dorothy" from Oz. It was a thrilling idea.
Wonderland was always linked with the topic of madness, however, Oz not so much, however there cases like the movie "Return to Oz" that while it wasn't too good, it was still interesting and logic to think that Dorothy maybe seemed to be crazy if she started to tell about her adventures with talking scarecrows and flying monkeys.
There is a very good approach on this book that I think it was one of his strongest points of originality. However, it wasn't enough that premise to hold the book and to present a decent tale.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE PSYCHIATRIC WARD
The two girls are in psychiatric evaluation due showing general abnormal behaviour, but not because they'd claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
So far it seems that in the reality of this book, nobody heard about the books of Alice in Wonderland or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, since both made several comments that anybody could sum two-plus-two and reaching to the realization of how crazy they must be...
...but no, they are considered insane due showing rages of violence to others or to themselves, not because they claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
Dorothy always is trying to hunt tornadoes to reach a magic land that she called "Oz", but nobody seems to think that something is odd here since her full name is Dorothy Gale and indeed she has an Aunt Em and an Uncle Henry.
Best proof that in the universe of this story, nobody heard before of those both classic tales.
And while Alice & Dorothy are in the psychiatric ward is a pretty good reading, even some chapters with the doctor examining them are very well written in a truly smart way.
The personalities of Alice and Dorothy can be described using elements from their own books, since Dorothy is like the Cowardly Lion while Alice is like the Jabberwock.
Dorothy is childish (even since she is already an adult), sweet and shy.
Alice is insanely violent, unpredictable and totally wacko.
Alice and Dorothy made a quick bond, even taking in account that in this book, Dorothy is lesbian, and while Alice isn't lesbian per se, she didn't mind about it.
It's clear that she hasn't enjoying much the sex relationships with men so she is kinda open to the idea of accepting the feelings of Dorothy for her, also it's an easy way to manipulate her, to making her helping to escape from the hospital.
Until then, the book was quite engaging, but on the road the story took a wrong turn...
VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND SEX! OH, MY!
When they are on the road, there a lot of bloody violence, some lesbian moments and tiny bits of drug using.
I think that the story could be developed in a better way since while the narrative has good timing and logic, it's presented in a crude way without much imagination or elegance.
Even I felt quite odd some comments in the story about not "glorify violence", but more like odd, like hypocrisy since the book is clear that it's been sold like a story of "sex, drugs and violence".
So why trying to make such statements that they are totally out of place here?
Also, something that I didn't like is that Alice is way more like the main protagonist, while Dorothy is lowered to a role like a sidekick.
When you are reading about Batman & Robin, while there is an "&" in the title, you know that Robin is the sidekick of Batman. Batman is the lead hero and Robin is a companion.
However, since this was a "crossover" book, putting together two lead protagonists of their own books, when I read the title Alice & Dorothy, I was expecting a 50/50 of importance of both characters in the story.
It's that not only Dorothy is like a weakling sidekick without much utility in the story, but also, you don't get much of the elements and references of Oz, only some poor attempts here and there.
But instead you have heavily use of the recognizable elements of Wonderland.
So, I thought that why including Dorothy and the Oz world into this novel if the author seemed like uncomfortable with it or not knowing how to use it in a smart way into the plot?
At the end, it was a very good idea with a kinda standard development, with a too vulgar prose, and I honestly think it could be much better where it didn't explode its whole real potential as story.
October 19, 2011
Holy crap. This book is gritty, demented, and ultimately unforgettable.
I had such a soft spot for Alice and her "Alice in Wonderland" psychotic episodes. I worked with homeless people for several years, many with mental illness and drug addictions. Schnarr's depictions of that kind of life mixed with a mental illness ranks amongst the most realistic and visceral that I've come across in fiction. When Alice is screaming at the voices in her head, hitting and killing as she tries to deal with the fractures in reality, I recalled the stories that homeless people often told me about their own lives.
Alice and Dorothy's adventure, or killing spree, or descent into insanity (it depends on what point-of-view you're using) grabs your senses and runs with it.
It was a difficult book to read, but far more difficult to put down. It pushes the envelop, and creates a masterpiece.
I had such a soft spot for Alice and her "Alice in Wonderland" psychotic episodes. I worked with homeless people for several years, many with mental illness and drug addictions. Schnarr's depictions of that kind of life mixed with a mental illness ranks amongst the most realistic and visceral that I've come across in fiction. When Alice is screaming at the voices in her head, hitting and killing as she tries to deal with the fractures in reality, I recalled the stories that homeless people often told me about their own lives.
Alice and Dorothy's adventure, or killing spree, or descent into insanity (it depends on what point-of-view you're using) grabs your senses and runs with it.
It was a difficult book to read, but far more difficult to put down. It pushes the envelop, and creates a masterpiece.
December 24, 2020
Not what I expected.
I got this book years ago and started to read it then put it aside because the writing is not to my usual tastes.
I am glad that I read through it though as there is certainly an interesting story here, just not the one that I got from the book cover.
Interesting depiction of mental health and a look at the struggle with what reality is from Alice’s perspective. Writing was certainly less thoughtful and more crude (did not hold back on gore, sex, or profanity) but that was made fairly clear early on. There is more substance if you continue reading past the first few chapters and the authors style is very visceral.
Sad there was not more from Dorothy’s perspective and her struggle but Alice was the main perspective from the start. All in all once I hit about Chapter 15 I was very interested in seeing how the story would end.
Not at all in the genre of fantasy (definitely a horror and fairly grounded in a real very rough world).
Very specific style, not for everyone but worth looking into!
I got this book years ago and started to read it then put it aside because the writing is not to my usual tastes.
I am glad that I read through it though as there is certainly an interesting story here, just not the one that I got from the book cover.
Interesting depiction of mental health and a look at the struggle with what reality is from Alice’s perspective. Writing was certainly less thoughtful and more crude (did not hold back on gore, sex, or profanity) but that was made fairly clear early on. There is more substance if you continue reading past the first few chapters and the authors style is very visceral.
Sad there was not more from Dorothy’s perspective and her struggle but Alice was the main perspective from the start. All in all once I hit about Chapter 15 I was very interested in seeing how the story would end.
Not at all in the genre of fantasy (definitely a horror and fairly grounded in a real very rough world).
Very specific style, not for everyone but worth looking into!
December 11, 2023
What a ride! The description did not lie! Also trigger warning for SA, blood, violence and drugs. I actually put the book down for a few months because I was triggered. But when I picked it back up, I could barely put it down.
What I liked less: some of the chapters and scenes go on for a bit longer than I feel they needed to. This might be a minor thing because we are dipping in and out of reality at any moments notice. The book is very graphic so skip this if you cant handle it. It pulls no punches.
What I enjoyed: it's a wild ride! Whew! Tons of action and drama. The narrative perspective was great following the characters thoughts closely. I really enjoy creative spins on classics (spoiler?) Using their tales as a mental illness was a perspective I enjoyed. And the hallucinations were indeed out there!
Overall, once I got through the violence, it's a shocking, fun, drama filled, and creative! I had a great time reading! I enjoyed it but I cant be mad if someone else doesnt. Good luck reading!
What I liked less: some of the chapters and scenes go on for a bit longer than I feel they needed to. This might be a minor thing because we are dipping in and out of reality at any moments notice. The book is very graphic so skip this if you cant handle it. It pulls no punches.
What I enjoyed: it's a wild ride! Whew! Tons of action and drama. The narrative perspective was great following the characters thoughts closely. I really enjoy creative spins on classics (spoiler?) Using their tales as a mental illness was a perspective I enjoyed. And the hallucinations were indeed out there!
Overall, once I got through the violence, it's a shocking, fun, drama filled, and creative! I had a great time reading! I enjoyed it but I cant be mad if someone else doesnt. Good luck reading!
November 21, 2014
Today I blazed through the last ten chapters of this book by J.W. Schnarr. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. I always had that idea of what could happen, but the author J.W. Schnarr had me wanting to know how it would get there. I'm always a fan of authors who can pull that off.
To sum it up, "Alice & Dorothy" is a tale of love, drugs, insanity with a sprinkle of rock and roll.
When two uniquely damaged girls find each other in - you guessed it - a mental hospital, they find an irresistible draw to one another. Complete opposites, they share an inseparable bond, which they can sense in one another. Together, they drive off in an adventure that will leave a reader gapping. I won't give anything away, but I think I have a crush on that Mad Hater. His first appearance in the "tea time" scene with the March Hare and Dormouse had me in stitches. You'll see and you won't be sorry.
To sum it up, "Alice & Dorothy" is a tale of love, drugs, insanity with a sprinkle of rock and roll.
When two uniquely damaged girls find each other in - you guessed it - a mental hospital, they find an irresistible draw to one another. Complete opposites, they share an inseparable bond, which they can sense in one another. Together, they drive off in an adventure that will leave a reader gapping. I won't give anything away, but I think I have a crush on that Mad Hater. His first appearance in the "tea time" scene with the March Hare and Dormouse had me in stitches. You'll see and you won't be sorry.
August 18, 2011
Interested in reading Alice & Dorothy or Things Falling Apart FOR FREE? Well, it just so happens that I'm interested in making that happen for anyone who would like to post a review of these books on their blog or web site. Help me spread the word, and get some free reads out of the deal! Send me a message through FB or you can email me at northernfrights@gmail.com.
Thanks!
http://andjws.blogspot.com/
"I just now started reading Alice and Dorothy and I must say that you've successfully transposed Alice into the bleak, dismal world of drugs, sex and violence. As a fan of American Psycho, the blend of explicit sex, trashy whores, and ultra-violent deaths work well for me."
--Jesse Dedman, Deadman's Tome
Thanks!
http://andjws.blogspot.com/
"I just now started reading Alice and Dorothy and I must say that you've successfully transposed Alice into the bleak, dismal world of drugs, sex and violence. As a fan of American Psycho, the blend of explicit sex, trashy whores, and ultra-violent deaths work well for me."
--Jesse Dedman, Deadman's Tome
December 31, 2012
I knew Alice in Wonderland was based off a drug induced trip. I just knew it. This story could have easily been the true story of Alice Pleasance.
The author's descriptions and level of detail were perfect. I could see everything...this was a good and a bad thing. There was a lot of violence and carnage.
Overall, great story. Great take on Alice in Wonderland. Awesome writing.
The author's descriptions and level of detail were perfect. I could see everything...this was a good and a bad thing. There was a lot of violence and carnage.
Overall, great story. Great take on Alice in Wonderland. Awesome writing.
October 9, 2016
2.5 stars for sheer entertainment. what an absolute trainwreck.
also for real i will eat the next author who treats the queen of hearts and the red queen as the same character
also for real i will eat the next author who treats the queen of hearts and the red queen as the same character
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews