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Wonderland
If Shirley Jackson wrote The Shining, it might look like this deliciously unsettling horror novel from the acclaimed author of Baby Teeth.
A mother must protect her family from the unnatural forces threatening their new and improved life in a rural farmhouse.
The Bennett family - artist parents and two precocious children - are leaving their familiar urban surroundings for a new home in far upstate New York. They're an hour from the nearest city, a mile from the nearest house, and everyone has their own room for the very first time. Shaw, the father, even gets his own painting studio, now that he and his wife Orla, a retired dancer, have agreed that it's his turn to pursue his passion.
But none of the Bennetts expect what lies waiting in the lovely woods, where secrets run dark and deep. Orla must finally find a way to communicate with - not just resist - this unknown entity that is coming to her family, calling to them from the land, in the earth, beneath the trees... and in their minds.
A mother must protect her family from the unnatural forces threatening their new and improved life in a rural farmhouse.
The Bennett family - artist parents and two precocious children - are leaving their familiar urban surroundings for a new home in far upstate New York. They're an hour from the nearest city, a mile from the nearest house, and everyone has their own room for the very first time. Shaw, the father, even gets his own painting studio, now that he and his wife Orla, a retired dancer, have agreed that it's his turn to pursue his passion.
But none of the Bennetts expect what lies waiting in the lovely woods, where secrets run dark and deep. Orla must finally find a way to communicate with - not just resist - this unknown entity that is coming to her family, calling to them from the land, in the earth, beneath the trees... and in their minds.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2020
264 people are currently reading
14933 people want to read
About the author
Zoje Stage
15 books2,757 followersZoje Stage is a USA Today and internationally bestselling author of psychological thrillers (Baby Teeth, Dear Hanna, Getaway), psychological horror (Wonderland, Mothered), and offbeat books of dark whimsy (My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast, The Girl Who Outgrew the World). She's been a "Book of the Week" author in People magazine, and a Bram Stoker award nominee. Her books have been named "best of the year" by Forbes Magazine, Library Journal, PopSugar, Barnes & Noble, Book Riot, BookPage, Bloody Disgusting, and more. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cats.
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June 10, 2025the scariest thing about this book was that they thought it was accurate to market it as "if shirley jackson wrote the shining"
June 16, 2020
There's a sentence about halfway through Wonderland where the mother thinks if they could only get away safely she'd let her son Tycho sing "The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round," a song they'd always discouraged him from singing because of its "annoying repetition." This was my favorite sentence in the book because it's so ironic it made me laugh out loud. I had high hopes for this horror novel because people I trust love Baby Teeth, but I think I would have preferred reading 350+ pages of "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" because it could be less annoying than Wonderland.
The publisher has compared this to Shirley Jackson mixed with The Shining. So think of "The Haunting of Hill House." Then subtract from it all of the suspense, the multidimensional characters, the erotic undertones and every bit of scary stuff. Now think of The Shining. Erase Jack and REDRUM and the twins and the blood on the walls and the ghosts in the bar and the hedge maze and anything else that was horrifying, terrifying and entertaining. Just take the frights and the fun out of both and you're almost at Wonderland. Why publishers make these inappropriate comparisons I don't know. They're setting up the reader and the author too. Try it. Here's one: I recommend reading one of my favorite books, Nabokov's Pale Fire, because it's so remarkably like Charlie Brown comics compilations and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
I don't doubt Baby Teeth is a really great book. This isn't even a good book, it's a horridly boring and frequently ridiculous book. It's about a family that moves from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks, to an isolated home. The wife was a ballet dancer, which if you read this you will be told a hundred times at least. The husband, who is from kind of around there, wants to paint. They want their kids to grow up with fresh air and nature. (Note: I grew up in NYC and, you know, there's summer camp and summer homes and rentals and day trips. Just saying: they could have practiced.)
The kids have weird names: a little boy named Tycho and his older sister Eleanor Queen who takes the crown for most annoying character name I've yet to encounter. Their names will be repeated a thousand times although Eleanor Queen's feels like ten thousand at least. Eleanor Queen was annoying the first time and I kept hoping her mother the ballet dancer would call her EQ or any nickname, Girl would have been fine but nope, it's the full Eleanor Queen for the full book in which not much happens so you really, really notice the repetition of Eleanor Queen and Tycho over and over because you're reading what they have for breakfast, lunch and dinner and what they wear and how they sleep and every move they make and every thought their parents, especially the mother who was a ballet dancer and is a total bore, have about Eleanor Queen and Tycho. Eleanor Queen and Tycho, Eleanor Queen, Tycho, Tycho, Eleanor Queen, if you're not exasperated yet please teach me patience. Because they live in a book I wanted to throw Eleanor Queen and Tycho across the room. But it's not their fault the author named them that and an editor didn't have the sense to say, um, how about Jack and Jill or something easier since you're going to have these names in every other sentence.
There's the family, the house, the giant tree and the snow and nothing much happens. I didn't like the parents and I was so incredibly sick of reading Eleanor Queen and Tycho. The tree is supposed to be menacing, the snow is supposed to be menacing except they're not because everything moves so slowly and the narrative is so boring there's no suspense and most of it makes no sense. I wish I had't bothered to finish because there's no payoff and as I write there's a genuinely unnerving pandemic going on and this collection of sentences about oooh, big scary tree that has very nothing much happening and stars Tycho and Eleanor Queen, that never once frightened me, was a EMIT YM FO ETSAW.
The publisher has compared this to Shirley Jackson mixed with The Shining. So think of "The Haunting of Hill House." Then subtract from it all of the suspense, the multidimensional characters, the erotic undertones and every bit of scary stuff. Now think of The Shining. Erase Jack and REDRUM and the twins and the blood on the walls and the ghosts in the bar and the hedge maze and anything else that was horrifying, terrifying and entertaining. Just take the frights and the fun out of both and you're almost at Wonderland. Why publishers make these inappropriate comparisons I don't know. They're setting up the reader and the author too. Try it. Here's one: I recommend reading one of my favorite books, Nabokov's Pale Fire, because it's so remarkably like Charlie Brown comics compilations and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
I don't doubt Baby Teeth is a really great book. This isn't even a good book, it's a horridly boring and frequently ridiculous book. It's about a family that moves from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks, to an isolated home. The wife was a ballet dancer, which if you read this you will be told a hundred times at least. The husband, who is from kind of around there, wants to paint. They want their kids to grow up with fresh air and nature. (Note: I grew up in NYC and, you know, there's summer camp and summer homes and rentals and day trips. Just saying: they could have practiced.)
The kids have weird names: a little boy named Tycho and his older sister Eleanor Queen who takes the crown for most annoying character name I've yet to encounter. Their names will be repeated a thousand times although Eleanor Queen's feels like ten thousand at least. Eleanor Queen was annoying the first time and I kept hoping her mother the ballet dancer would call her EQ or any nickname, Girl would have been fine but nope, it's the full Eleanor Queen for the full book in which not much happens so you really, really notice the repetition of Eleanor Queen and Tycho over and over because you're reading what they have for breakfast, lunch and dinner and what they wear and how they sleep and every move they make and every thought their parents, especially the mother who was a ballet dancer and is a total bore, have about Eleanor Queen and Tycho. Eleanor Queen and Tycho, Eleanor Queen, Tycho, Tycho, Eleanor Queen, if you're not exasperated yet please teach me patience. Because they live in a book I wanted to throw Eleanor Queen and Tycho across the room. But it's not their fault the author named them that and an editor didn't have the sense to say, um, how about Jack and Jill or something easier since you're going to have these names in every other sentence.
There's the family, the house, the giant tree and the snow and nothing much happens. I didn't like the parents and I was so incredibly sick of reading Eleanor Queen and Tycho. The tree is supposed to be menacing, the snow is supposed to be menacing except they're not because everything moves so slowly and the narrative is so boring there's no suspense and most of it makes no sense. I wish I had't bothered to finish because there's no payoff and as I write there's a genuinely unnerving pandemic going on and this collection of sentences about oooh, big scary tree that has very nothing much happening and stars Tycho and Eleanor Queen, that never once frightened me, was a EMIT YM FO ETSAW.
February 5, 2024
Upon her retirement from a New York City ballet company, Orla is ready to take over the care of her two oddly-named children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho.
Her husband, Shaw, and artist, will now finally get the chance he needs to focus on his work.
Up to this point, Shaw has been the main caregiver for the children, as Orla's career required long hours outside of the home.
A sacrifice he was more than willing to make, but now they agree it's his time.
The couple decide to move to Northern New York, a remote area close to where Shaw grew up. Orla is ready for a change and to make a clean break from her dance life.
Bonus that the open space and slower lifestyle will be good for the children. Plus, the beauty of nature is really what Shaw wants to encapsulate with his art.
After purchasing an old farmhouse with plenty of acreage, far from civilization, they make their move. It's already the holiday season and snow covers the ground, giving the children something exciting to focus on.
It seems to be exactly what they wanted, until it's not.
The seclusion quickly gets to them and mysterious events start occurring on the property. And by mysterious, I mean, freaky as heck.
Examples would include the Aurora Borealis appearing in an area it shouldn't be visible, 10-feet of snow falling in one night and the trees consistently creeping closer to the house.
These are mild examples, of course. I will leave the bigger ones for you to discover on your own!
Additionally, Shaw and Eleanor Queen both seem to be channeling a powerful energy from the woods. As you can imagine, it's all a bit overwhelming.
When things turn dangerous, Orla must do whatever she can to protect her family from the entity trying to trap them.
Dark and dangerous, this book explores some weighty and thought-provoking subjects.
Wonderland is a very slow burn and one that you need some time to think about. It's a quiet story, in way. I think the longer I sit with this, the more I may grow to appreciate it.
The quality of Stage's writing, cannot be denied. I love it, but also realize this book will not be for everyone, parts of it weren't even for me.
I do feel the end dragged a lot more than it needed too and began to feel monotonous because of that.
Overall though, I think this is a wildly creative and thoughtful story. I will keep coming back for anything Stage writes.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Mulholland Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. I genuinely appreciate it!
Her husband, Shaw, and artist, will now finally get the chance he needs to focus on his work.
Up to this point, Shaw has been the main caregiver for the children, as Orla's career required long hours outside of the home.
A sacrifice he was more than willing to make, but now they agree it's his time.
The couple decide to move to Northern New York, a remote area close to where Shaw grew up. Orla is ready for a change and to make a clean break from her dance life.
Bonus that the open space and slower lifestyle will be good for the children. Plus, the beauty of nature is really what Shaw wants to encapsulate with his art.
After purchasing an old farmhouse with plenty of acreage, far from civilization, they make their move. It's already the holiday season and snow covers the ground, giving the children something exciting to focus on.
It seems to be exactly what they wanted, until it's not.
The seclusion quickly gets to them and mysterious events start occurring on the property. And by mysterious, I mean, freaky as heck.
Examples would include the Aurora Borealis appearing in an area it shouldn't be visible, 10-feet of snow falling in one night and the trees consistently creeping closer to the house.
These are mild examples, of course. I will leave the bigger ones for you to discover on your own!
Additionally, Shaw and Eleanor Queen both seem to be channeling a powerful energy from the woods. As you can imagine, it's all a bit overwhelming.
When things turn dangerous, Orla must do whatever she can to protect her family from the entity trying to trap them.
Dark and dangerous, this book explores some weighty and thought-provoking subjects.
Wonderland is a very slow burn and one that you need some time to think about. It's a quiet story, in way. I think the longer I sit with this, the more I may grow to appreciate it.
The quality of Stage's writing, cannot be denied. I love it, but also realize this book will not be for everyone, parts of it weren't even for me.
I do feel the end dragged a lot more than it needed too and began to feel monotonous because of that.
Overall though, I think this is a wildly creative and thoughtful story. I will keep coming back for anything Stage writes.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Mulholland Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. I genuinely appreciate it!
November 28, 2021
Hooray! Another semi-unpopular review is on its way! When I read the definition of the book: if Shirley Jackson wrote Shining, it might look like this: I chant: “Yes! Yes! Yes!”and after getting rejections from NG, I still kept my composure ( I didn’t throw anything or jumped on coffee table and cried as I asked myself “why, why, why the publishers hate me so much!”I am not a drama queen, right? Okay, I jumped on coffee table but after ugly crying session later, I performed tap dance. See! I can be optimistic! ), waited till its release date, excitedly started as soon as my book arrived.
Well, of course: cabin in the woods in the middle of Adirondacks, Poltergeist meets Conjuring and Shining kind of eerie story premise is dreamy combination. So what could get wrong? Well, I tell you what’s wrong when I’m giving more details about story.
A cute family: part of four: living in a shoe box size, extra close encounters of the family kind NY house, living each other’s face, needing for a change not to choke each other. Okay, I over exaggerated but they actually need a bigger place.
So Orla (mother), retired ballet dancer, Shawn who wants to sharpen his painting skills ( fingers crossed, moving into rural area, in the middle of nowhere doesn’t make him dull boy and sharpening his skills to throw at axes), sweet children who have worst unimaginative and meaningless names (Eleanor Queen and Tycho?!? Poor children should sue their parents to ruin their childhood.) Eleanor is 9 and little Tycho is 4. As soon as they decide to move their bigger, spacier but also creepier place, the weather starts to change and weird things start to happen put them in a position not to differentiate the reality and hallucinations.
Yes, most parts of the book is blurry, confusing, brain cell frying kind of questioningly indecisive.
I personally adore bleak, eerie, high tension horror meets paranormal genre stories but this book was too slow, too boring and too depressingly exhausting. You feel like you are trapped in a same circle and nothing new comes out! Everything repeats itself! It could have been shorter and the pace could have been faster.
And of course outcome of the story was nonsense for me.
I enjoyed Baby Teeth. It was disturbing but smart, gripping debut. I can empathize with the author’s decision to choose writing on a different genre. But honestly this slow, ultra confusing, illogical direction of story didn’t fit my expectations.
I’m giving 2.5 stars and rounding them up for the promising beginning but unfortunately this is not my cup of Bourbon. Yes, I need a stronger drink after reading the ending and wiping away my frustration.
Well, of course: cabin in the woods in the middle of Adirondacks, Poltergeist meets Conjuring and Shining kind of eerie story premise is dreamy combination. So what could get wrong? Well, I tell you what’s wrong when I’m giving more details about story.
A cute family: part of four: living in a shoe box size, extra close encounters of the family kind NY house, living each other’s face, needing for a change not to choke each other. Okay, I over exaggerated but they actually need a bigger place.
So Orla (mother), retired ballet dancer, Shawn who wants to sharpen his painting skills ( fingers crossed, moving into rural area, in the middle of nowhere doesn’t make him dull boy and sharpening his skills to throw at axes), sweet children who have worst unimaginative and meaningless names (Eleanor Queen and Tycho?!? Poor children should sue their parents to ruin their childhood.) Eleanor is 9 and little Tycho is 4. As soon as they decide to move their bigger, spacier but also creepier place, the weather starts to change and weird things start to happen put them in a position not to differentiate the reality and hallucinations.
Yes, most parts of the book is blurry, confusing, brain cell frying kind of questioningly indecisive.
I personally adore bleak, eerie, high tension horror meets paranormal genre stories but this book was too slow, too boring and too depressingly exhausting. You feel like you are trapped in a same circle and nothing new comes out! Everything repeats itself! It could have been shorter and the pace could have been faster.
And of course outcome of the story was nonsense for me.
I enjoyed Baby Teeth. It was disturbing but smart, gripping debut. I can empathize with the author’s decision to choose writing on a different genre. But honestly this slow, ultra confusing, illogical direction of story didn’t fit my expectations.
I’m giving 2.5 stars and rounding them up for the promising beginning but unfortunately this is not my cup of Bourbon. Yes, I need a stronger drink after reading the ending and wiping away my frustration.
July 27, 2020
Well, that was a huge struggle.
Okay, friends, I'm just going to go there...no beating around the bush.
This story was dull in every imaginable way. I actually contemplated not finishing it--something I rarely do, but holy crap, the repetition. I would read five percent on my Kindle...then give myself a pep talk to read five more. It was tedious.
I will say this...the prose was lovely and Zoje Stage absolutely nailed the setting. I felt as though I was personally living in this old, rundown cabin in the middle of the Adirondacks. She perfectly captured the dark, foreboding environment, as well as the feelings of the characters as they adjusted to their new lives...
...but that's where my happy thoughts end...
Wonderland was horribly slow, painfully repetitive, and the conclusion was bizarre--but not in a good way. And don't even get me started on the children's names. If I have to read Eleanor Queen or Tycho one more time...I think I may scream.
I loved Baby Teeth, and I've been eagerly anticipating Stage's sophomore offering for the past 2 years...but man, what a disappointment.
AVAILABLE NOW!
1.5 stars
Okay, friends, I'm just going to go there...no beating around the bush.
This story was dull in every imaginable way. I actually contemplated not finishing it--something I rarely do, but holy crap, the repetition. I would read five percent on my Kindle...then give myself a pep talk to read five more. It was tedious.
I will say this...the prose was lovely and Zoje Stage absolutely nailed the setting. I felt as though I was personally living in this old, rundown cabin in the middle of the Adirondacks. She perfectly captured the dark, foreboding environment, as well as the feelings of the characters as they adjusted to their new lives...
...but that's where my happy thoughts end...
Wonderland was horribly slow, painfully repetitive, and the conclusion was bizarre--but not in a good way. And don't even get me started on the children's names. If I have to read Eleanor Queen or Tycho one more time...I think I may scream.
I loved Baby Teeth, and I've been eagerly anticipating Stage's sophomore offering for the past 2 years...but man, what a disappointment.
AVAILABLE NOW!
1.5 stars
October 29, 2020
This book had the audacity to compare itself to the masterpiece that is The Shining.
Here’s the vlog where I read this one: https://youtu.be/u0vZfAfq6EQ
Here’s the vlog where I read this one: https://youtu.be/u0vZfAfq6EQ
March 30, 2020
I always plow into a story without knowing anything about it but because I have read this author's debut, I have a certain expectation and this story is different. Definitely interesting about small space living versus big space living. Orla's family used to live in NY in their cramped apartment where they are always in each other's face. Now they are living in the country in a big farmhouse with the kids sleeping in separate rooms, she worries that her family will grow apart. I like Orla's heart to heart talks with her daughter. The words flow by fast to me but the story seems to slow with the narrator feeling regret for her move and her thinking a far range of explanations for unexplained happenings.
This book is told in the third person point of view following Orla, retired ballet dancer, as she and her husband Shaw, 38, their daughter Eleanor Queen, 9 and son Tycho, 4 are driving to rural Adirondacks, relocating away from New York city. The move was for Shaw's benefit because he wanted to be with nature for his interest in painting. Despite Orla feeling anxiety about living out of nowhere, she kept it to herself and agreed to move to make her husband happy. Upon arrival, both her daughter and Orla were spooked. Soon the family started seeing things that weren't there like aurora borealis. It might be hallucinations due to well water, the land being haunted, or something else.
Wonderland is a different read compared to the author's debut. This book should be categorized as more of a paranormal or magical realism story instead of thriller. That ending, definitely not what I have expected, but I liked it. The read is creepy at times. I think if there was another view of the anonymous "It" then the story would go by faster or at least kept me hooked longer. I was getting tired of Orla's view by chapter 28. Her reactions are realistic and in any given situations, anyone would react the same. One view just makes me feel the narrative is lengthy. I like the nature aspects of this book, though I'm a city girl and would never choose to live in a secluded place ever.
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
***Many thanks to Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
This book is told in the third person point of view following Orla, retired ballet dancer, as she and her husband Shaw, 38, their daughter Eleanor Queen, 9 and son Tycho, 4 are driving to rural Adirondacks, relocating away from New York city. The move was for Shaw's benefit because he wanted to be with nature for his interest in painting. Despite Orla feeling anxiety about living out of nowhere, she kept it to herself and agreed to move to make her husband happy. Upon arrival, both her daughter and Orla were spooked. Soon the family started seeing things that weren't there like aurora borealis. It might be hallucinations due to well water, the land being haunted, or something else.
Wonderland is a different read compared to the author's debut. This book should be categorized as more of a paranormal or magical realism story instead of thriller. That ending, definitely not what I have expected, but I liked it. The read is creepy at times. I think if there was another view of the anonymous "It" then the story would go by faster or at least kept me hooked longer. I was getting tired of Orla's view by chapter 28. Her reactions are realistic and in any given situations, anyone would react the same. One view just makes me feel the narrative is lengthy. I like the nature aspects of this book, though I'm a city girl and would never choose to live in a secluded place ever.
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
***Many thanks to Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
Want to read
January 13, 2020 I will murder someone for a copy of this arc.
I'm kidding.
Or am I??? 😈
I'm kidding.
Or am I??? 😈
September 9, 2020
After enjoying Stage’s Baby Teeth, I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much. In fact, at one point in the book I was pretty sure it was going to be a 2-star review. But, the ending ended up redeeming it somewhat and I was not unsatisfied that I read it.
My biggest issue with the first 2/3 of the book was that it was drawn out and repetitive. Have you ever read a book where it felt like all the meat was in the last 50 pages or so and the buildup only had about 10 pages of material . . . but the author stretched out to 250? If so, you know what this one felt like to me. The story was interesting and unique, but the only was to expand the exposition was to get the same inner monologue from the main character over and over again until the climax was finally reached. But, the climax was pretty decent so it was at least kinda worth it!
At first, this book made me think a lot of The Shining. If stories where people seclude themselves in the snowy wilderness and start to lose their minds is your jam, then it is worth checking this out. I listened to this while walking in 85 to 95 degree weather so there I was sweating like crazy while my characters were freezing . . . the dichotomy of it crossed my mind several times!
If you are willing to read/listen to slow burn supernatural thrillers, this one is worth a try for the sake of the resolution. But, if you don’t have patience for the slow burn, this may end up in your DNF pile.
Note on the audiobook: The Xe Sands narration was not great; a very whispery and uncomfortable delivery. (Just my opinion!)
My biggest issue with the first 2/3 of the book was that it was drawn out and repetitive. Have you ever read a book where it felt like all the meat was in the last 50 pages or so and the buildup only had about 10 pages of material . . . but the author stretched out to 250? If so, you know what this one felt like to me. The story was interesting and unique, but the only was to expand the exposition was to get the same inner monologue from the main character over and over again until the climax was finally reached. But, the climax was pretty decent so it was at least kinda worth it!
At first, this book made me think a lot of The Shining. If stories where people seclude themselves in the snowy wilderness and start to lose their minds is your jam, then it is worth checking this out. I listened to this while walking in 85 to 95 degree weather so there I was sweating like crazy while my characters were freezing . . . the dichotomy of it crossed my mind several times!
If you are willing to read/listen to slow burn supernatural thrillers, this one is worth a try for the sake of the resolution. But, if you don’t have patience for the slow burn, this may end up in your DNF pile.
Note on the audiobook: The Xe Sands narration was not great; a very whispery and uncomfortable delivery. (Just my opinion!)
December 16, 2020
This was probably the DUMBEST plot I've ever read. I'm actually proud of myself for even finishing this book, which was over 350 pages. A family moves out to the country to escape the hustle & bustle of city lives, wife is a retired ballerina and husband is an aspiring artist, who is now the breadwinner for the family. At first the remoteness of the house, out in a heavily wooded rural area and an impending winter storm had me incredibly creeped out and in suspense, expecting all hell to break loose...but that's not exactly what happens. Not really. Ultimately, this was NOT horror and more science fiction, in my opinion. The only reason it received two stars from me, instead of one, is because the writing is decent. I had such high hopes for this follow-up to Baby Teeth from Stage, who is a talented writer, but for me it was just an epic fail. This is the second highly anticipated horror novel I was eager to read to this year and also the second huge disappointment! Some may actually enjoy the way the story went, so I won't discourage anyone from attempting the read this, but it just did not work for me and what I enjoy in my horror/thriller novels. Regardless of this flop I will still read Stage's next release, with caution.
June 17, 2020
Sometimes you step out and read something a little different than your norm...
Did you read Baby Teeth, Zoje’s Stage’s last book? I did not. Too chicken. Do you ever read thrillers with just a touch of horror? I don’t usually, thinking horror is not my thing. Some are even calling Wonderland a dark fantasy, and I get it. While not a typical horror or fantasy reader, I recently read The Ancestor and loved it, so I wanted to give Wonderland a try, and I was not disappointed.
The Bennett family moves from the city to upstate New York. Very upstate. The closest house is a mile away with tons of privacy in the middle of the woods. Something is calling to the family. This book is CREEPY. I had to suspend disbelief as I often do with thrillers in order to get the most out of it.
Once the family moves, there are weather changes. It’s hard to know if things are really happening, or if they are hallucinations. Is it the house? Is it what’s outside? Just let go and be prepared to get lost in this dark, dark world.
I’ll never look at a tree the same way again! 😱
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Did you read Baby Teeth, Zoje’s Stage’s last book? I did not. Too chicken. Do you ever read thrillers with just a touch of horror? I don’t usually, thinking horror is not my thing. Some are even calling Wonderland a dark fantasy, and I get it. While not a typical horror or fantasy reader, I recently read The Ancestor and loved it, so I wanted to give Wonderland a try, and I was not disappointed.
The Bennett family moves from the city to upstate New York. Very upstate. The closest house is a mile away with tons of privacy in the middle of the woods. Something is calling to the family. This book is CREEPY. I had to suspend disbelief as I often do with thrillers in order to get the most out of it.
Once the family moves, there are weather changes. It’s hard to know if things are really happening, or if they are hallucinations. Is it the house? Is it what’s outside? Just let go and be prepared to get lost in this dark, dark world.
I’ll never look at a tree the same way again! 😱
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
June 17, 2020
For anyone who may have missed the updates: Due to the pandemic WONDERLAND's release date has been pushed back to July 14, 2020. We apologize for making you wait, but the decision was made to allow us all to get better adjusted to living in a world with Covid 19. Stay well! And happy reading!
dnf
March 4, 2020Got up to 100 pages and couldn’t push through anymore. Between the slow pacing and the ridiculous names of the characters being taken seriously, I’m done. Hopefully someone can tell me if it ends nicely!
July 30, 2021
Wonderland is a chilling and captivating horror tale that follows the point of view perspective of Orla, a former formidable ballet dancer who never quite reached the lofty heights of stardom. After her retirement, Orla and her family choose to move away from their city home, relocating to a lovely new rural dwelling right in the middle of the woods. Orla has been the breadwinner for the family over many years, and now it's her husband Shaw's time to shine, with the move to the wilderness hopefully inspiring his artistic talents. He paints "surreal versions of things he's photographed" and is smitten with their new farmhouse and their steps into nature, almost like something has been drawing him here. Making up the family unit with Orla and Shaw is their inquisitive and insightful nine-year-old daughter Eleanor Queen, and her younger brother Tycho who has a stuffed toy moose that he adores.
"As much as she'd tried to fully embrace the move - for her children's sake, and because Shaw wanted it so very badly - a fear shadowed her that her urban family wasn't suited to the wilds of nowhere."
The four members of the Bennett family are the only characters in this novel. Interestingly, two of the characters are sensitive and in tune with nature, somehow able to link with the elements, spirits, or whatever otherworldly entity they soon realise surrounds their new property. The younger Tycho is heartwarmingly innocent and is always into something. I couldn't stop myself smiling when he wanted to create a snow dragon. Then there is our narrator, who is often the only one who seems to be making logical and rational choices even when getting distressed and upset with the uncertainties and the "what on earth is going on"-ness of their situation. As readers, at certain times in Wonderland, we're uncertain of Orla's reliability and if events are only going on in her mind.
The novel features dark and magical surroundings. The house, the woods, the weather, peculiar animals, and the trees (which I pictured as extremely skeletal) share a lot of page time with the family and they're all bizarre and intriguing in their own ways. Stage has an excellent and perhaps twisted imagination and this novel features supurb imagery throughout. There is one element in horror stories that is always a winner for me and that is featuring trees that seem to move, or have their own agenda, so that's a plus for Wonderland's final score.
I will be honest, some segments of Wonderland dragged and it was sometimes repetitive. Although this did add a sense of foreboding and trepidation, Orla searching for a family member in the house or the surrounding woods seemed to happen quite frequently and became a bit grating.
To summarise, Wonderland is a beautifully written, suspenseful, and often surprising novel that whisked me away from reality with its engrossing, magical qualities. Although I may be rating harshly, only scoring this a 7/10, I have a lot of respect for its uniqueness and wonderful imagery. It all wraps up neatly and in a rewarding fashion for readers who've been on this often uncomfortable journey of dread and desperation with Orla.
"As much as she'd tried to fully embrace the move - for her children's sake, and because Shaw wanted it so very badly - a fear shadowed her that her urban family wasn't suited to the wilds of nowhere."
The four members of the Bennett family are the only characters in this novel. Interestingly, two of the characters are sensitive and in tune with nature, somehow able to link with the elements, spirits, or whatever otherworldly entity they soon realise surrounds their new property. The younger Tycho is heartwarmingly innocent and is always into something. I couldn't stop myself smiling when he wanted to create a snow dragon. Then there is our narrator, who is often the only one who seems to be making logical and rational choices even when getting distressed and upset with the uncertainties and the "what on earth is going on"-ness of their situation. As readers, at certain times in Wonderland, we're uncertain of Orla's reliability and if events are only going on in her mind.
The novel features dark and magical surroundings. The house, the woods, the weather, peculiar animals, and the trees (which I pictured as extremely skeletal) share a lot of page time with the family and they're all bizarre and intriguing in their own ways. Stage has an excellent and perhaps twisted imagination and this novel features supurb imagery throughout. There is one element in horror stories that is always a winner for me and that is featuring trees that seem to move, or have their own agenda, so that's a plus for Wonderland's final score.
I will be honest, some segments of Wonderland dragged and it was sometimes repetitive. Although this did add a sense of foreboding and trepidation, Orla searching for a family member in the house or the surrounding woods seemed to happen quite frequently and became a bit grating.
To summarise, Wonderland is a beautifully written, suspenseful, and often surprising novel that whisked me away from reality with its engrossing, magical qualities. Although I may be rating harshly, only scoring this a 7/10, I have a lot of respect for its uniqueness and wonderful imagery. It all wraps up neatly and in a rewarding fashion for readers who've been on this often uncomfortable journey of dread and desperation with Orla.
July 22, 2020
This is an utterly bizarre and lyrical and sometimes downright beautiful book that defies comparison to anything else I have read. While it’s clear it takes inspiration from The Shining, it’s nothing like The Shining and is much more feminine in tone (hence perhaps the Shirley Jackson comparisons, but it’s not like her voice either to me).
I LOVED Baby Teeth and was beyond excited for this book, but let me say it is entirely different from Baby Teeth. This book has a really intense and unique sense of atmosphere and spookiness. The plot itself is very uneven and difficult to comprehend at times, getting a little too caught up in its own Wonderland, as it were. The metaphors were at times beyond translation to me. While there was much I loved about it, I also found certain aspects of its (or should I say, Its) language and inner logic uneven and frustrating. I could not even begin to summarize the plot here, aside from: a retired dancer moves to the wilderness with her family and crazy haunted things ensue.
The best advice I can give you is that if you’re the kind of person who likes atmosphere and lyricism and creepy visions, and if you don’t necessarily require a linear plot, you will probably like this. If you like David Lynch, for example, or surrealist paintings - and I do - then you might be into this. Most folks though will require somewhat more of a linear, more concrete plot along with the atmosphere and freaky visionary stuff.
Another piece of advice is that not a lot happens in the first 40 percent of the book. You really have to stick with it for things to get freaky, but then when they do, you’re off to the races.
This writer is indisputably incredibly talented and I am glad I read this book. It gave me lots of Feelings. But I do wish its/Its story had been grounded in a little more practicality and plot the way Baby Teeth was.
A wild, weird and often lovely book by an extremely talented writer. Despite its flaws I was haunted by it and continue to love Zoje Stage’s gorgeous style of writing. Like Hitchcock had his Alma and David Lynch had his Mary, I hope that as she continues her work, Stage can work with an editor who can make her awesome talents and ideas slightly more linear and accessible to readers without losing her incredible vision.
Thanks to Mulholland Books, Zoje Stage and NetGalley for the ARC of this chilling (literally) book:
I LOVED Baby Teeth and was beyond excited for this book, but let me say it is entirely different from Baby Teeth. This book has a really intense and unique sense of atmosphere and spookiness. The plot itself is very uneven and difficult to comprehend at times, getting a little too caught up in its own Wonderland, as it were. The metaphors were at times beyond translation to me. While there was much I loved about it, I also found certain aspects of its (or should I say, Its) language and inner logic uneven and frustrating. I could not even begin to summarize the plot here, aside from: a retired dancer moves to the wilderness with her family and crazy haunted things ensue.
The best advice I can give you is that if you’re the kind of person who likes atmosphere and lyricism and creepy visions, and if you don’t necessarily require a linear plot, you will probably like this. If you like David Lynch, for example, or surrealist paintings - and I do - then you might be into this. Most folks though will require somewhat more of a linear, more concrete plot along with the atmosphere and freaky visionary stuff.
Another piece of advice is that not a lot happens in the first 40 percent of the book. You really have to stick with it for things to get freaky, but then when they do, you’re off to the races.
This writer is indisputably incredibly talented and I am glad I read this book. It gave me lots of Feelings. But I do wish its/Its story had been grounded in a little more practicality and plot the way Baby Teeth was.
A wild, weird and often lovely book by an extremely talented writer. Despite its flaws I was haunted by it and continue to love Zoje Stage’s gorgeous style of writing. Like Hitchcock had his Alma and David Lynch had his Mary, I hope that as she continues her work, Stage can work with an editor who can make her awesome talents and ideas slightly more linear and accessible to readers without losing her incredible vision.
Thanks to Mulholland Books, Zoje Stage and NetGalley for the ARC of this chilling (literally) book:
February 18, 2020
While I didn't expect this to be her first novel 'Baby Teeth' I did expect to at least like it (hoped I'd love it like I loved Baby Teeth). Maybe it wasn't creepy to me because I live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere? Maybe it wasn't creepy because I'm used to living back to the land with satellite for internet? Maybe it wasn't creepy because it was boring. Yeah, I think that's it. Oh wait, let's not forget repetitive. Should I repeat that last sentence perhaps in a slightly different way for you? Would you find my review more enjoyable if I did? Yea, I didn't think so.
Big house in the woods with a huge awesome tree. Daughter with the awful name of Elanor Queen (that is her first name, two names for her first name) is immediately freaked out by the area. She's just overly sensitive. The youngest, their son, Tycho is a happy go lucky soul. So happy go lucky he comes across as being rather dimwitted or "slow" even though he is not. The artsy/craftsy father, Shaw was somewhat worthless in NY. He was the stay at home Dad (which is fine) who occasionally found work here & there (lame). The lead character Orla is a retired ballerina & co-op owner. She is the bread winner. Throughout the whole book her ballerina self is constantly thrust upon the reader. It was interesting in the beginning, but really, enough already.
They are in the woods. Sold the co-op, it's Shaw's turn to be the lead parent & breadwinner. He's drawing & painting & acting all together weird at times. The reader is expected to believe that they are a very tight family unit because they managed to survive living in Manhattan in a 600 sq ft apartment all these years. Yet I never got any sense that they were the tight unit I was told they were. They all were incredibly distant from one another. Although some effort was given to try to connect the reader with the characters, I never really cared about them. What I cared about was I wanted some flippn' progress in this darn book. When is something really going to happen aside from feelings? I feel something, the weather is peculiar. Rinse & repeat. Then finally! Oh boy finally! A true shocker happens! Then back to feelings & weather & wanting to leave, but not being able to leave. If I forgot to mention it before, there is a lot about how the characters feel & how they want to leave. Did you know the characters can't figure out what is going on? It's a feeling that they have, they even chat about it. They would also like to leave. Oh yes, & the weather, it's strange, so it is.
Okay, are you still reading my boring, annoying, repetitive review? Well, if you've stuck around this long, you just might like this book! But let me warn you, nothing really happens except for the one shocker. The end is supposed to be creepy but it's not. I am so sorry I decided to read this book. I'm so happy I'm done reading it.
If you really have your heart set on reading this because you just loved 'Baby Teeth' do yourself a favor & check it out at the library first before you hand over your hard earned cash. You just might thank me that you did.
Big house in the woods with a huge awesome tree. Daughter with the awful name of Elanor Queen (that is her first name, two names for her first name) is immediately freaked out by the area. She's just overly sensitive. The youngest, their son, Tycho is a happy go lucky soul. So happy go lucky he comes across as being rather dimwitted or "slow" even though he is not. The artsy/craftsy father, Shaw was somewhat worthless in NY. He was the stay at home Dad (which is fine) who occasionally found work here & there (lame). The lead character Orla is a retired ballerina & co-op owner. She is the bread winner. Throughout the whole book her ballerina self is constantly thrust upon the reader. It was interesting in the beginning, but really, enough already.
They are in the woods. Sold the co-op, it's Shaw's turn to be the lead parent & breadwinner. He's drawing & painting & acting all together weird at times. The reader is expected to believe that they are a very tight family unit because they managed to survive living in Manhattan in a 600 sq ft apartment all these years. Yet I never got any sense that they were the tight unit I was told they were. They all were incredibly distant from one another. Although some effort was given to try to connect the reader with the characters, I never really cared about them. What I cared about was I wanted some flippn' progress in this darn book. When is something really going to happen aside from feelings? I feel something, the weather is peculiar. Rinse & repeat. Then finally! Oh boy finally! A true shocker happens! Then back to feelings & weather & wanting to leave, but not being able to leave. If I forgot to mention it before, there is a lot about how the characters feel & how they want to leave. Did you know the characters can't figure out what is going on? It's a feeling that they have, they even chat about it. They would also like to leave. Oh yes, & the weather, it's strange, so it is.
Okay, are you still reading my boring, annoying, repetitive review? Well, if you've stuck around this long, you just might like this book! But let me warn you, nothing really happens except for the one shocker. The end is supposed to be creepy but it's not. I am so sorry I decided to read this book. I'm so happy I'm done reading it.
If you really have your heart set on reading this because you just loved 'Baby Teeth' do yourself a favor & check it out at the library first before you hand over your hard earned cash. You just might thank me that you did.
August 7, 2020
This reminded me of Stephen Chobsky's Imaginary Friend - another long winded boring as hell book involving a tree drawing in kids (still a better read than this). Towards the end I amused myself by counting how many times the author mentions her daughter by full name 'Eleanor Queen'. I doubt if I have written my own name as many times in the past five years. What a snoozefest.
January 9, 2020
Creepy AF! The description of “Shirley Jackson meets The Shining” is completely accurate. All the vibes of both are in this book and it evolves into something even scarier. Many thanks to the author for this early copy for review
March 28, 2020
Wonderland shows the terror lurking below the surface of domestic bliss, when we realize our familiar and cozy world may not be as it seems. Zoje Stage is one of the few writers who can make the supernatural feel totally, dangerously real.
June 2, 2020
What a stunning sophomore book! Stage masterfully takes the reader through this chilling tale, hitting you hard in the gut as the dread and tension rises ever higher. I was nauseous, fearful, and loved every minute of it.
July 8, 2022
I was going to give this 3 stars but it really just went on too long. It was too silly to be that long.
May 24, 2020
Baby Teeth is one of the first books I picked up after I joined the horror and #writingcommunity on Twitter, and I've been a big fan of Stage since. So when I saw Wonderland available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it and was thrilled to be approved. I mean, look at that cover. Striking. I couldn't wait to dive in.
After retiring from a lifelong ballet career, Orla and her family move to a remote house in the Adirondacks so her husband, Shaw, can pursue his artistic ambitions and their children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho, can experience the rustic upbringing they've never had. But the house and land are far from what they imagined, and when they discover that something is lurking in the woods, they have to confront their fears head on.
Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a lot going on in spite of the quiet, introspective nature of the MC: relationship issues, motherhood issues, adjusting to a new lifestyle, difficult life transitions, childhood traumas, not to mention supernatural forces, a possibly malevolent being, and a house built in an area used for tuberculosis cure cottages.
Orla is an interesting character, and in her, I saw a lot of myself: balancing being a good mother and needing to find fulfillment in something other than motherhood, supporting her husband and questioning the depth of his dedication, and perhaps most of all, wariness of nature--this one, I feel, is more prevalent as the weather is getting nicer here, and I have to face my fear of bugs in order to play with my kids outside. I live in upstate NY and I'm no stranger to the ADKs, and Stage did an excellent job creating the eerie unbalance of moving from the city to the wilderness where the closest pizza shop is half an hour away.
I also chuckled at Orla's predicament on a pandemic level, as she adjusts to only being with her family for days on end, but such is life in quarantine. You take enjoyment where you can get it lol.
Without giving too much away, this book is quiet yet powerful and deeply unnerving. The silence itself becomes a character, as does nature, the house, and your own judgment of the situation. You are forced into the story, questioning Orla's choices, but at the same time, swimming in ambiguity of whether you would act differently if put in her shoes. As a parent, we think we listen to our children, but our engagement comes from a place where we think we know better. We're adults with complete cognitive abilities and a bigger frame of reference, so of course we do, but in Wonderland, none of that matters. There are higher powers, intangible thought processes, and a Whitman-esque mindset where one person contains multitudes.
I will say that if you're expecting a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat scarefest, this might not be the book for you. Reading this felt a little like watching The VVitch or Midsommar, where everything is deeply unsettling but you can't put your finger on why--until you can. There are a lot of unexplained answers and things happen because they do and can and you might not get that hard-locked closure (a fact I loved). Dozens of tiny horrific explosions, but their disasters are emotional wreckage and reflection instead of killer carnage. I loved Stage's exploration of mental fortitude and mother/child relationships.
Overall, Wonderland is an atmospheric, artistic nightmare you won't want to miss.
Big thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.
After retiring from a lifelong ballet career, Orla and her family move to a remote house in the Adirondacks so her husband, Shaw, can pursue his artistic ambitions and their children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho, can experience the rustic upbringing they've never had. But the house and land are far from what they imagined, and when they discover that something is lurking in the woods, they have to confront their fears head on.
Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a lot going on in spite of the quiet, introspective nature of the MC: relationship issues, motherhood issues, adjusting to a new lifestyle, difficult life transitions, childhood traumas, not to mention supernatural forces, a possibly malevolent being, and a house built in an area used for tuberculosis cure cottages.
Orla is an interesting character, and in her, I saw a lot of myself: balancing being a good mother and needing to find fulfillment in something other than motherhood, supporting her husband and questioning the depth of his dedication, and perhaps most of all, wariness of nature--this one, I feel, is more prevalent as the weather is getting nicer here, and I have to face my fear of bugs in order to play with my kids outside. I live in upstate NY and I'm no stranger to the ADKs, and Stage did an excellent job creating the eerie unbalance of moving from the city to the wilderness where the closest pizza shop is half an hour away.
I also chuckled at Orla's predicament on a pandemic level, as she adjusts to only being with her family for days on end, but such is life in quarantine. You take enjoyment where you can get it lol.
Without giving too much away, this book is quiet yet powerful and deeply unnerving. The silence itself becomes a character, as does nature, the house, and your own judgment of the situation. You are forced into the story, questioning Orla's choices, but at the same time, swimming in ambiguity of whether you would act differently if put in her shoes. As a parent, we think we listen to our children, but our engagement comes from a place where we think we know better. We're adults with complete cognitive abilities and a bigger frame of reference, so of course we do, but in Wonderland, none of that matters. There are higher powers, intangible thought processes, and a Whitman-esque mindset where one person contains multitudes.
I will say that if you're expecting a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat scarefest, this might not be the book for you. Reading this felt a little like watching The VVitch or Midsommar, where everything is deeply unsettling but you can't put your finger on why--until you can. There are a lot of unexplained answers and things happen because they do and can and you might not get that hard-locked closure (a fact I loved). Dozens of tiny horrific explosions, but their disasters are emotional wreckage and reflection instead of killer carnage. I loved Stage's exploration of mental fortitude and mother/child relationships.
Overall, Wonderland is an atmospheric, artistic nightmare you won't want to miss.
Big thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.
July 13, 2020
“If Shirley Jackson wrote The Shining” is certainly a way to pique my interest about a book since I love both of those things. But that means my expectations are high, and this book could not land farther from that claim.
I suppose you could say it is like The Shining in the sense that all books set in a wintry landscape are like The Shining. But that doesn’t make up for the lack of tension, interesting family dynamics, and just plain great writing and storytelling of King’s book. I don’t see the comparison to Jackson at all. This book isn't gothic and it doesn't have any sort of unique style to the writing that would warrant such a claim.
The story began strong for me, with an interesting set-up. The narrative took its time with the Bennett family and getting them to isolation. The strange things begin small, so small they are easy to pass off and not consider red flags. Though it is obvious that there is something supernatural/extranormal going on, I liked how the events were measured out so that it was more believable that the family would have not tried to escape sooner.
I love some crazy supernatural stuff as much as the next weirdo. But even in the parts that I liked, this book felt so unfocused—and endlessly repetitive—to me. How many times do we have to hear about her being a ballerina? Even the tension and fighting between the parents felt manufactured just so there would be a sense of heightened drama for a page or two. Things that were supposed to be shocking only felt confusing, or I saw them coming from a mile away. There are only so many times it can snow insane amounts before I’m not impressed. And the ending felt entirely unfinished and was more than unsatisfying.
I was not a fan of Baby Teeth, but I wanted to be able to give this author another go. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.
My thanks to Mullholland for my copy of this one to read and review.
I suppose you could say it is like The Shining in the sense that all books set in a wintry landscape are like The Shining. But that doesn’t make up for the lack of tension, interesting family dynamics, and just plain great writing and storytelling of King’s book. I don’t see the comparison to Jackson at all. This book isn't gothic and it doesn't have any sort of unique style to the writing that would warrant such a claim.
The story began strong for me, with an interesting set-up. The narrative took its time with the Bennett family and getting them to isolation. The strange things begin small, so small they are easy to pass off and not consider red flags. Though it is obvious that there is something supernatural/extranormal going on, I liked how the events were measured out so that it was more believable that the family would have not tried to escape sooner.
I love some crazy supernatural stuff as much as the next weirdo. But even in the parts that I liked, this book felt so unfocused—and endlessly repetitive—to me. How many times do we have to hear about her being a ballerina? Even the tension and fighting between the parents felt manufactured just so there would be a sense of heightened drama for a page or two. Things that were supposed to be shocking only felt confusing, or I saw them coming from a mile away. There are only so many times it can snow insane amounts before I’m not impressed. And the ending felt entirely unfinished and was more than unsatisfying.
I was not a fan of Baby Teeth, but I wanted to be able to give this author another go. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.
My thanks to Mullholland for my copy of this one to read and review.
September 25, 2020
You may have heard me yelling in frustration a few times during this reading, but not to worry I have finished. I love all things horror (obvs) but I definitely struggled to find my usual spooky loving joy with Wonderland. So many of the decisions that are made by the Bennett family are bad and just as unlikely. The writing style is not my fave, but the cover art is dope.
February 13, 2020
Hauntingly beautiful and scary as hell, Wonderland takes you deep into the woods of one woman’s mind and her harrowing struggle to save her children.
April 16, 2021
WONDERLAND is an original story that combines a strange haunting, a nail-biting survival story, and a complex family dynamic that does a great job of raising the emotional stakes and keeps the reader rooting for this small family in a foreign, terrorized setting.
Stage does a nice job creating a unique atmosphere, with an interesting antagonist I can honestly say I've never seen done in a novel before.
Equally terrifying and heartbreaking, this is a novel you'll want to read on those cold dark nights when the wind is howling and the trees branches are tapping at the window, desperate to be let in, their intentions unknown.
Definitely recommend for horror readers or fans of supernatural thrillers.
Stage does a nice job creating a unique atmosphere, with an interesting antagonist I can honestly say I've never seen done in a novel before.
Equally terrifying and heartbreaking, this is a novel you'll want to read on those cold dark nights when the wind is howling and the trees branches are tapping at the window, desperate to be let in, their intentions unknown.
Definitely recommend for horror readers or fans of supernatural thrillers.
July 12, 2020
3.5 stars. For some of us, it's a great time to read a horror novel. It's weirdly comforting to have terrible things that you can contain and access however you choose. But everyone has their "Too Real" and if a book where portions of it involve a family unable to leave their house with their young children, well, maybe leave this one for when that isn't too close to your life. (Also if a book where children are under threat is too much for you, this is a no go.)
About a third of the way through this book, I couldn't figure out what its deal was. It was a steady drumbeat of dread, sure, but I couldn't figure out where the remaining bulk of the book was going to go. I was worried it would just be more and more of the same. Fortunately it takes more than one turn, and while none of them are wholly unexpected, they are enough to pivot everything around enough that my worries were quieted. I suspect a reader who doesn't have quite as strong of an eye-roll reaction to the "city people move to the country" trope would not have anywhere near the same experience I did. To me, the early sections of the book get bogged down in the move too much, with Orla going through the same patterns over and over, but the book really hit its stride around halfway through.
I wanted a little more from it, we get deep into Orla's head, which I like, but there were a few elements that felt underexplored. Especially as she's transitioning not just from decades in New York City to living practically off the grid, but that she's also transitioning from being primary breadwinner to primary caretaker, a difficult and complex thing. It's also a book where the children are Book Children, those smarter-than-their-age, extra-sensitive, who basically talk like adults that are in every book. (They're in every book so it's not like I can call out this book specifically, but the kids have a lot of time on the page so it's more noticeable.) But there are lots of moments that work really well, enough of them to keep me going, and still a better than average book with parents and children.
This isn't a book that's big on actual scares, but there's plenty that's difficult, disturbing, and creepy. It's also very good at getting you in the deep cold of winter, a good read when it is very hot out for sure. I am not sure about the Shirley Jackson + The Shining comp. I've found Shirley Jackson often just means "it's horror written by a lady!" and while The Shining definitely shares some plot and setting elements, it doesn't have the same kind of feel. But the prose is strong and solid, enough for so-called "literary" readers to not feel like they've ventured too far into genre territory, but not so far that genre readers will find it too poetic to enjoy.
About a third of the way through this book, I couldn't figure out what its deal was. It was a steady drumbeat of dread, sure, but I couldn't figure out where the remaining bulk of the book was going to go. I was worried it would just be more and more of the same. Fortunately it takes more than one turn, and while none of them are wholly unexpected, they are enough to pivot everything around enough that my worries were quieted. I suspect a reader who doesn't have quite as strong of an eye-roll reaction to the "city people move to the country" trope would not have anywhere near the same experience I did. To me, the early sections of the book get bogged down in the move too much, with Orla going through the same patterns over and over, but the book really hit its stride around halfway through.
I wanted a little more from it, we get deep into Orla's head, which I like, but there were a few elements that felt underexplored. Especially as she's transitioning not just from decades in New York City to living practically off the grid, but that she's also transitioning from being primary breadwinner to primary caretaker, a difficult and complex thing. It's also a book where the children are Book Children, those smarter-than-their-age, extra-sensitive, who basically talk like adults that are in every book. (They're in every book so it's not like I can call out this book specifically, but the kids have a lot of time on the page so it's more noticeable.) But there are lots of moments that work really well, enough of them to keep me going, and still a better than average book with parents and children.
This isn't a book that's big on actual scares, but there's plenty that's difficult, disturbing, and creepy. It's also very good at getting you in the deep cold of winter, a good read when it is very hot out for sure. I am not sure about the Shirley Jackson + The Shining comp. I've found Shirley Jackson often just means "it's horror written by a lady!" and while The Shining definitely shares some plot and setting elements, it doesn't have the same kind of feel. But the prose is strong and solid, enough for so-called "literary" readers to not feel like they've ventured too far into genre territory, but not so far that genre readers will find it too poetic to enjoy.
March 4, 2020
Well, Zoje has done it again. First, she did it with a psychotic child in Baby Teeth, and now it's with NATURE in Wonderland. When a city family moves to the remote woods, there are plenty of reservations about being isolated. What could go wrong, right? How about everything? Thanks to this book, now I'm afraid of trees, psychotic children, magic, ghost stories, families, polar bears, shotguns, and my own shadow. #thankszoje A terrifically terrifying must-read. Wonderland is a horrific masterpiece.
August 10, 2020
There were some incredible, eerie moments in Wonderland, but none that could outweigh the terribly dull pace this book set. The whole time I was thinking, "Why am I still at this?"
March 22, 2021
For those of you who love reading thematically as much as I do, this is the book to read for Christmas while being snowed in. Or at least make sure some snow is involved for optimum enjoyment of this winter wonderland adventure.
Quotable Bandit…If you can’t invent the wheel, make sure to build a really good one. Which is to say…when you chose to use a very, very familiar/old/beaten to death genre premise of city folks relocating to a remote wooded area only to find out something’s seriously off about their new abode, you really gotta do something new and different with it. The author, to her credit, does. It begins with the tree, a giant ancient looking tree in the backyard and quite literally avalanches into a snowy nightmare from there.
The Bennetts are as typical of a Manhattan family as you can imagine, they are artistic, free spirited and bestow upon their precocious young children names like Eleanor Queen and Tycho. Which frankly…ok, there’s just no excuse for that, no matter how great of a queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was in your opinion, both times. I mean, it’s an absolutely ridiculous name for a kid to have, Eleanor, sure, that’s lovely, Eleanor Queen…no, just no. Don’t name your kids Sir or Queen or Prince, wait for them to distinguish themselves or marry into it. Seriously.
Anyway, that kid of gives you an idea about Bennetts, though, doesn’t it. The family matriarch is a recently retired 41 year old ballerina, mother of two, but really three, for all the uses her artistic bum of a spouse artistically named Shaw) has. For years she’s been the breadwinner, while he dabbled in various arts from music to mixology and helped with the kids. Now they’ve inexplicably decided it’s his turn to shine, despite the notable scarcity of previous successes, so the decision is mad, mainly for his sake, but also for the novelty of getting out of the 600 sq. ft. apartment, to old rambling place in upstate New York is acquired and, without any means of support outside of rapidly decreasing savings and almost no collective experience living outside of a major metropolis, The Bennetts are off to try the country life and let Shaw realize his latent artistic potential. Guess how well that’s going to work out for them?
Despite the sarcasm contents of this review, the book is actually neither terrible nor stupid. It is a credible entry into the realm of literary scares, it’s atmospheric, claustrophobic and disturbing in all the right ways. And only ever so slightly overwritten. The main/significant characters are female, the message is potently feminist, girlpower shines all the way through the snow. The kids, however oddly named, are really well realized as characters, almost more so than adults at times, and all too clever beyond their years.
All in all, pretty good. Smarter adult characters or more original of a premise might have pushed it right into the great territory. Nicely creepy story well told. For fans of literary slow burning scares. Warning…might induce chionophobia. That’s fear of snow, had to look it up, yes, a real thing. Learn something new every day.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Quotable Bandit…If you can’t invent the wheel, make sure to build a really good one. Which is to say…when you chose to use a very, very familiar/old/beaten to death genre premise of city folks relocating to a remote wooded area only to find out something’s seriously off about their new abode, you really gotta do something new and different with it. The author, to her credit, does. It begins with the tree, a giant ancient looking tree in the backyard and quite literally avalanches into a snowy nightmare from there.
The Bennetts are as typical of a Manhattan family as you can imagine, they are artistic, free spirited and bestow upon their precocious young children names like Eleanor Queen and Tycho. Which frankly…ok, there’s just no excuse for that, no matter how great of a queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was in your opinion, both times. I mean, it’s an absolutely ridiculous name for a kid to have, Eleanor, sure, that’s lovely, Eleanor Queen…no, just no. Don’t name your kids Sir or Queen or Prince, wait for them to distinguish themselves or marry into it. Seriously.
Anyway, that kid of gives you an idea about Bennetts, though, doesn’t it. The family matriarch is a recently retired 41 year old ballerina, mother of two, but really three, for all the uses her artistic bum of a spouse artistically named Shaw) has. For years she’s been the breadwinner, while he dabbled in various arts from music to mixology and helped with the kids. Now they’ve inexplicably decided it’s his turn to shine, despite the notable scarcity of previous successes, so the decision is mad, mainly for his sake, but also for the novelty of getting out of the 600 sq. ft. apartment, to old rambling place in upstate New York is acquired and, without any means of support outside of rapidly decreasing savings and almost no collective experience living outside of a major metropolis, The Bennetts are off to try the country life and let Shaw realize his latent artistic potential. Guess how well that’s going to work out for them?
Despite the sarcasm contents of this review, the book is actually neither terrible nor stupid. It is a credible entry into the realm of literary scares, it’s atmospheric, claustrophobic and disturbing in all the right ways. And only ever so slightly overwritten. The main/significant characters are female, the message is potently feminist, girlpower shines all the way through the snow. The kids, however oddly named, are really well realized as characters, almost more so than adults at times, and all too clever beyond their years.
All in all, pretty good. Smarter adult characters or more original of a premise might have pushed it right into the great territory. Nicely creepy story well told. For fans of literary slow burning scares. Warning…might induce chionophobia. That’s fear of snow, had to look it up, yes, a real thing. Learn something new every day.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
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