Synopsis:
For sixteen years, Ashlyn Jones has heeded her parents’ warnings and followed their rules. But after taking a tumble in the forest, she awakens in a strange land where there are no rules—where signs lack direction, the sky hovers on the edge of night, and all paths lead to the glittering red palace of a wicked queen. Although she’s told there’s no way home, Ashlyn is determined to find one, enlisting the help of a dreamy girl found sleeping in a tree.
But everyone is a little mad here, from the smiling cat to the whimsical man in the top hat. And the more she interacts with this strange land and its stranger inhabitants, the more Ashlyn questions the life she’s fighting so hard to get back to. Maybe she was just as trapped in her role as the dutiful daughter as she is here.
Unfortunately, she’ll be even more trapped if the queen gets ahold of her…
Review:
*I read this novella as part the judging group The Secret Scribes for the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS) semi-finals phase. The following review is strictly my personal thoughts as each novella will be reviewed by two judges to be as objective as possible.*
Curiouser And… is a dark, gripping, and fun retelling of Alice in Wonderland but takes a turn into some themes that might be uncomfortable for some readers. All told through a YA lens and protagonist.
So I went completely blind into the semi-finalist round. I did not read any blurbs or the previous round reviews, and I’m glad for it because this novella caught me off guard in a spectacular way. I really don’t like retellings or portal fantasy, but even as it unfolded here, I was fully enchanted. The prose, the plot, the twists, the characters, they were all just hitting perfectly for me.
Good girl Ashlyn follows the rules and obeys her parents in every way, even when it goes against who she is. On a trip to a remote cabin in the woods (spooky film tropes be damned), Ashlyn ends up seeing a rabbit captured by a tree. While saving it, she falls into an old well, waking up in this strange world where the sky is always dusk and full of stranger people. Once she meets a sleeping girl trapped in a tree, she’s thrust into many Wonderland scenarios as she tries to find her way back home.
First things first, there are so many Alice in Wonderland beats here that I won’t dive too deep into but list: a cat with human teeth guiding our heroine through the forest, a character obsessed with time, a mad character, some knights, a giant chess board, a queen in charge. You know the deal, but many of these beats have some unique twists on them so they were enjoyable.
But this retelling wouldn’t be as strong if it weren’t for Ashlyn and the heavy themes involved. Ashlyn is queer, so that goes fully against her parents’ ideals and it’s not until she meets Azalea (sleeping girl in the tree) that she starts to grow into herself, and I just loved this arc for Ashlyn. She also starts to see a world where she can be a person outside of her parents, and, again, just loved this. Azalea is also a compelling character. A quietude about her because she’s been trapped in this other world for so long and Ashlyn helps her realize some things about herself.
Now there is a twist about this version of Wonderland that I won’t go into for spoiler reasons, but I had an inkling this was the case very early on, so I was pleased it was true. I will say I do wish the twist went even further (ie what Azalea did) but I know that could be even darker than the author intended (and more difficult for many reasons).
The Wonderland bits were really enjoyable but I do admit the second half of the story did get a bit rushed after the girls met the Queen. But I did love the reveal that happened here, very interesting take on Wonderland in general.
The prose is beautiful, and I really think that’s what made me so engrossed early on. It’s lyrical in its simplicity. The pace is very steady, minus the tad rushed ending, and there is a lot of action to go with the character growth. I do want to highlight the opening and closing structure, I thought that was very fun and truly fit this story type well.
Overall, Curiouser And… blew me away. I really loved this novella and it hit me in all the right story feels. For portal fantasy or retelling lovers, this novella is definitely for you!
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