Unhinged

Gr 9 Up—The sequel to Splintered (Abrams, 2013) continues the adventures of Alyssa Gardner, a descendent of Alice Liddell, Lewis Caroll's inspiration for Alice and Wonderland, who has inherited her ancestor's connection to Wonderland, and her madness. Alyssa is back up from the rabbit hole but still not safe. Having made the decision to renounce her title as Queen of Wonderland to live in the human world with her boyfriend, Jeb, she is still enticed by the mysterious netherling Morpheus to return to the magical realm, or otherwise it will be destroyed. Much to Alyssa's horror, Morpheus manages to come to the human world and even enroll in her school. Fans will be pleased that Morpheus plays a more prominent role in this book, since he is more intriguing as a romantic figure than Jeb. Alyssa's mother, newly released from a mental institution, is also given a larger role, and the teen's relationship with both parents is fleshed out. Like Alyssa's half-mad, half-sane world, this installment feels unbalanced at times, but stays entertaining. The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eager for the next entry in the series.—Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA