Splintered (Splintered #1) by A.G. Howard - Restarting August 1st 2017

[Rachael]

(view spoiler)[ I just don't understand Jeb.. What's holding him back? Why is he so afraid to be in love with Alyssa? You'd think after all they've been through together he'd be all about her if he was about her (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Rachael wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I don't know. I felt like slapping him at times. Just man-up already! (hide spoiler)]

[Rachael]

Wowww I'm so glad this drama is going down in front of Taylor

[Rachael]

The last line of the book was SO adorable.

(view spoiler)[ I hate when they take away one half of the couples memory! I guess how they make it into a series though. I'll be giving this 3 stars and I supposed I'll check out the next one even though every time I read fantasy I remember why I'm not really a fan (hide spoiler)]

[Irene]

Chapter 3:
(view spoiler)[I agree. This book is both dull and slow. Sigh. I'm wondering where this will go. It seems to be just another book about mental illnesses-ish. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

It's kinda slow all the way through unfortunately.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Rachael wrote: "The last line of the book was SO adorable.

[spoilers removed]"

I can't say I was desperate for the sequel either time that I read this.

[Jamie]

Finished Chapter 11 (this morning was the first time I have had to pick up a book in a few days! (view spoiler)["We turn to find Morpheus standing there with enough rage in his black eyes to send the Devil packing for heaven." Haha, that is a new one for me. I love it. Lots of unique imagery.
Morpheus' mirror hall does make me wonder what he thinks of Alyssa's creepy art. (hide spoiler)]

[Irene]

Chapter 7:
(view spoiler)[Okay, finally something's happening. I find it pretty weird though. If they have that guidebook then why are they making the same mistakes as Alice did? Like leave the keys, eat/drink too much instead of just a tiny bite? (hide spoiler)]

[Irene]

Okay, I didn't like this book.I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, and found them to be stupid :|

[Irene]

Rachael wrote: "She JUST NOW figured out [spoilers removed]"

This! It was so obvious!

[Irene]

Rachael wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

Agreed. I guess (view spoiler)[the book just needed to be mysterious and angsty-ish about it? (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Irene wrote: "Okay, I didn't like this book.I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, and found them to be stupid :|"

I wasn't impressed either.

[Jamie]

Finished! Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tati]

Opal and I will be reading this on November 20! Feel free to join!

(could one of the mods change the date, please?)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting November 16th 2015. Happy Reading ☺

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[Mei]

Please restart the thread to today, the 30th. I'm reading this with Priscilla. Thank you mods!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting December 30th 2015. Happy Reading ☺

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[Mei]

Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[Oh thank God. I thought Alison was dead. That would be remorseful since I want to know more from her life, before and during her asylum stay. More specifically, I want to know the other ancestors' life, beginning from Alice, to Alicia to Alison. Every single one of them, including their families!

I commend Tom (Alyssa's dad) for his patience and perseverance. It must really be true love if he can sacrifice that much. I know he just wants a normal, married life or even a love life, at that. But he can't have it if his wife is in an asylum. At least he still wants her back enough to think of other options, even if they are expensive and hurtful.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6: (view spoiler)[These items retrieved from the recliner, the childhood boy guide netherling, and the places are interesting! Really stretches your fantasy imagination. I didn't know it possible that a human other than from their family can enter Wonderland, just by desiring!

I wonder what Alyssa's dad and Jeb's family are doing. They must be worried after discovering both of them are gone. I want to know what this guide looks like, and why he exists in Alyssa's memories. Did he really spent time with Alyssa or was it just made a made-up memory? She seems to really know and remember eventually! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[This curse is interesting. I wonder if it will be revealed entirely by the end of this book. Guess there will be fragments of secrets about it left in book 2 and 3. What made Alice step to Wonderland in the first place? Why her? Why did it begin with her? Why their family? What was her mistake? And if she began the curse, why did she got out, to even tell the story? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[Wow... what Alison did for her daughter, that's amazing, and horrible at the same time. Pretending and intending to do those things, FOR 11 YEARS? What a love she has!

So Morpheus has been convincing every girl from the lineage to come... but why don't they want? What's in it for them if they come or don't? Don't they want the curse to be broken? There's something here... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10: (view spoiler)[I like this so far, fast paced! Exactly right for a fantasy book like this.

That birthmark has a lot of abilities. I wonder what it does aside from healing and unlocking a door from the tree. What makes it so special and who else has it, aside from Alyssa's ancestors? Morpheus has it, too. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10: (view spoiler)[“After that, making things right for the tea party guests will be the only thing left undone.” —Morpheus

Easier said than done, mate. I'm not sure if this is easy as it sounds and is really the only thing left undone. It seems like there is a lot to do. (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Chapter 11: (view spoiler)[“Alice was a female,” I answer, still in a spin over the wings question. “Only a female can undo her messes.” —Alyssa

Hmm... I'm not sure I'm still convinced by that! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11: (view spoiler)[You have seriously crossed the line there, buddy! You do not kiss another girl when you already have a girlfriend! I know the author intends Jeb and Alyssa to be together, but I don't really know what Taelor is doing in the picture aside from making Alyssa feel bad and a hindrance to their soon to bloom romance. Nope. This just makes me rage. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11: (view spoiler)[An ageless ally but seeming enemy rages over Jeb because of jealousy?! Huh. I'm not sure what I feel about this. What makes him FALL IN LOVE with Alyssa? It just doesn't add up... Since he's probably with the Ivory Queen. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[I do expect this dinner to be ruined at any moment... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[“She asked for an endless supply of wishes. Then her tears wouldn’t stop falling. That’s how the ocean was born in the first place. We almost never got that fountain stopped. If you try to outsmart magic, there’s always a price to be paid.” — Morpheus

Very wise words! So that's why the ocean was there in the first place. I thought it was just a metaphor that it contained Alice's "tears", turns out it is true. And not just outsmarting magic, though, instructions/law, or even sin or God, if you believe in one. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13: (view spoiler)[It must be the pie's doing why Alyssa's suddenly acting silly and funny. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13: (view spoiler)[WOW, REALLY??!! SO THEY BROKE UP BEFORE PROM, meaning they broke up even before he went to Wonderland? I don't know why but I'm starting to hate him and get annoyed in the romance department. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16: (view spoiler)[I love how Howard included a quest wherein it's just Alyssa, alone, facing it. It would well better gauge her character without Jeb. (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Chapter 17: (view spoiler)[I KNEW IT! Morpheus is making her do these quests not just to break the family curse! But he swore an oath, did he? If she's gonna be queen, Jeb and her are both not coming home to the mortal world! And she is Queen Red's offspring? How? How was Alice Lidell caged, as well? If she was trapped there as an old woman, what happened in the mortal world? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18: (view spoiler)[What a jaw-dropping revelation. I'm on the edge of my seat!

“The netherling characteristics only pass to the females, because Wonderland is ruled by queens.”—Alyssa

So that's why! Now I'm convinced.

But I still can't wrap my mind around the idea that it wasn't the real Alice that was her ancestor, but Queen Red! How twisted was that, to have real Alice's childhood stolen! That's why everyone believed her to be crazy.

And I don't have any idea how they'll execute the 'temporary queen'! Huh. Who will be the next queen, then? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19: (view spoiler)[You know, it's rather silly that they made her fight the bandersnatch wearing a gown. She could've worn a more appropriate attire and then wear the gown afterward, though!

It's sad Jeb won't remember any of this! :( I know I said I dislike him, but it would be nice for him to have these memories. Anyway, if he really loved Alyssa, with or without these memories, he'll still find a way to confess or show his feelings.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21: (view spoiler)[“A pang of sympathy hits me. She’s always been so isolated—Morpheus must’ve seemed like a dream come true. Even if she can’t find the right guy, there are other ways to curb her emptiness, friendships she can forge. Maybe she just needs a nudge in the right direction.”—Alyssa

I like what she said here. It's important for Ivory to shape and build herself, on her own or with her friends, not dependent on a guy. (hide spoiler)]

Ending: 4 stars. This could be a standalone instead, but it would be nice to be introduced to more of what this world Howard created offers. Curious to see what happens to Wonderland and the mortal realm. (view spoiler)[And how Red seeks her revenge, how Morpheus will try to seduce Alyssa, how Jeb and Alyssa be as a couple, the Gardner family now that her mom's back from the asylum. Of course, from this point on, I'll be expecting more dialogues and participation from Alison. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting April 11th 2016. Happy Reading ☺

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[Danielle]

Thank you, I looked for this thread and couldn't find it :) Sorry!

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

I'm in!

[Jora Jordan]

Im in too.

[Ashley]

Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[ This has been strange so far, and I'm waiting for things to get more exciting. So far it's been a bit boring. I already don't really like Jeb. I know he's trying to look out for Alyssa but he's doing it in a way that makes him seem rude and controlling. I'm curious as to who this other guy is, since he's clearly the other side of the love triangle. (hide spoiler)]

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

I'll try to start today. If not then tomorrow.

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

Whoops worry I've been forgetting to post.

Chapter 1-6: (view spoiler)[ I really like it so far. Mostly because of Alyssa. She's crude and ferocious. But deep down, she's afraid of ending up like her mom. I haven't made up my mind about Jeb. I get that he's protective of Alyssa but it also seems hypocritical. Clearly, he has feelings for her. So why date someone else? Especially when that person constantly torments Alyssa. I actually even like Taelor which is weird. I'm supposed to hate her because she's the mean girl. But she's not as cruel as the typical mean girl. I love that the author painted her with hints of humanity. (hide spoiler)]

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 5: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Well it is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, so I think it should be strange. But I get where you're coming from. It's a slow paced book. The author took a while to build Alyssa's personality along with other characters in the book. But I think things should start picking up now that they're going down the rabbit hole. I'm with you on Jeb. I'm not really into him especially if he's going to be in the love triangle with Alyssa. Taelor said that Alyssa's holding Jeb back but I think it's the other way around. I think Jeb's holding Alyssa back. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

Chapter 10: (view spoiler)[ I agree Nicole, that it was bound to be strange since it IS Wonderland. I've come to terms with things being quite peculiar. My biggest complaint with this book is that everything seems too convenient. There are some things that should've required a lot of thought that Alyssa got right off the bat as some sort of stroke of luck with a guess or she magically had the knowledge already in her head. I just feel like some of the more difficult things were too easy for her. I also still don't like Jeb, haha. (hide spoiler)]

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Ashley (view spoiler)[ I don't like him either. It's true. Things are going way too smooth for her. Before she got to wonderland, she just started researching this stuff but she already knew how to use most of the materials passed down by her mom. I mean I guess it could be that she's been there before. But it still doesn't seem realistic for her to remember everything right away and know what to do all of a sudden (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

Chapter 14: (view spoiler)[ Aside from things being too easy previously, I think the biggest downside to this book is Jeb, in my opinion. He's so irritating and it's like his sole purpose so far has been to see how much he can toy with Alyssa's emotions. Seriously though, he takes her to extreme highs to feeling like utter crap so quickly that even she doesn't know what happened. Sure, she's made some mistakes and thoughtless decisions, but you don't have to bring it up all the time to make her feel bad. Plus it's like a testosterone battle between him and Morpheus and it's like they aren't even in a contest against each other, it's Jeb making Alyssa feel bad ABOUT Morpheus. (hide spoiler)]

[Jora Jordan]

Im so far behind. I do see why people say the book is weard, but it doesnt seem that weard to me at this point.

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Jora take your time. I'll probably finish by tonight but I'll discuss it even after I finish.

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

Done! Sorry I got carried away and just kept reading. A LOT happened. My final thoughts:

(view spoiler)[ Okay so some serious shizz went down in this book. I love the never ending adventures. It really does follow the tale of Alice in Wonderland. And Wonderland is supposed to be eventful and this book depicted that perfectly. I didn't like how it kind of lost the plot towards the end. So many things were happening that I got lost in the end. I still don't like Jeb. He still holds Alyssa back but I loved her character development. The romance was just weird for me in this book. I like Morpheus more for her but even that felt disconnected. Overall, a fun read. I liked it but it wasn't perfect. My rating: 3.5. (hide spoiler)]

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Guys, I picked this book up so I will read it with you tonight and tomorrow.
I can see some of you already finished it but some are still reading so I'd like to discuss it with you as I read. :)

[Ashley]

Chapter 20: (view spoiler)[ It's almost as if Morpheus can't make up his mind. I don't know what to believe. I saw his betrayal coming but supposedly he also loves her considering he sacrificed himself for her, so I don't know what to believe. I didn't really like him as a character anyway. I found some of the battle/fight scenes hard to follow along. (hide spoiler)]

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Finished chapter 6

I have to admit (view spoiler)[ I am not his fan either.
And I also think he is a bad boyfriend because he went on his prom with his girlfriend and spent the time with others and danced with her for only two times.
At the same time, he has no problem accepting for his girlfriend's father to rent a place for hi in London.

I am rooting for the other guy already even though we haven't even met him. (hide spoiler)]

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Nicole wrote: "Whoops worry I've been forgetting to post.

Chapter 1-6: [spoilers removed]"

I love Taelor too!
I actually don't like Jeb so...

The book is great so far!

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 14: [spoilers removed]"

I agree with you complitely, I think that Jed is the worse love interest ever!

[Irena BookDustMagic]

OmG, I just realized that in my book (I have a Croatian edition) it is Jed, and in original it's Jeb.
WTF???
At first I tought you all are spelling it wrong but now I see that Croatian publisher is the one who made a stupid move.
Why would you change the name, for God's sake??

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Ashley Yeah that's what I thought too. I think that's one of the strong points of this book. It's unpredictable and even when you know something's going to happen, it does happen but not in the way you expect.

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Irena Taelor is probably the most tolerable rival/mean girl I've ever read about. I was rooting for Morpheus way before we met him too. Love interests are supposed to make the main characters stronger. Jeb doesn't do that and he's comes off rude too.

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Irena Lol that's interesting. But he still sucks despite the name change.

[Irena BookDustMagic]

In chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ Morph is manipulative it makes me like him less then I did.
However, I still like him way more then Jeb. (hide spoiler)]

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Irena For love interest's sake, I don't like him for it. But for his character and his position in Wonderland, I think it suits him. (view spoiler)[ I don't think people can survive or get where he is without being being manipulative. Unfortunately, it translates to how he acts around Alyssa (hide spoiler)]

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Nicole wrote: "@Irena For love interest's sake, I don't like him for it. But for his character and his position in Wonderland, I think it suits him. [spoilers removed]"

I agree with you. It actually makes me appreciate him.

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Ashley wrote: "Chapter 20: [spoilers removed]"

I also find (view spoiler)[ fighting scenes hard to follow. (hide spoiler)]

[Jora Jordan]

Chapter 12. (view spoiler)[ I dont care foe how jeb is acting in regardes to alyssa. He really is a big hinderence to her acomplishing her goal. He doesnt know whats going on when she does and yet he continues to stand in her way at every turn. It doesnt make sence.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Nicole's Book Diaries]

@Irena Yep. I was always lost in those.

@Jora Exactly! (view spoiler)[ He always says it's because he cares about her. But he just holds her back. If he really cared about her then he'll consider what she wants and respect it. (hide spoiler)]