Alice in Wonderland High

Alice in Wonderland High by Rachel Shane (Received a Finished Copy from BEA15)

When sixteen year old Alice sets out to make a difference in her small town of Wonderland, the last thing she expects to do is make herself a target for laughter and ridicule.  But starting a petition for a local farmer’s market  isn’t something her peers and classmates fully understand. It isn’t even something her best friends understand.

Defeated and dejected Alice is lost. Not sure what to do next or how to live up to her environmentalist parents expectations, Alice is ready to give up. That is until she meets Whitney.

Whitney, a mysterious girl who seems to have more than a few tricks hidden up her sleeves, is the kind of girl Alice needs on her side. For one, she gets a lot of attention – both warranted and unwarranted.

Little does Alice know that through Whitney her eyes will be opened to a whole underworld of dark environmental secrets that, not only her small town, but her deceased parents, have been keeping.

Is Alice ready to uncover the truth?

Alice in Wonderland High, written by author Rachel Shane, is a modern day retelling of the classic Alice in Wonderland with an environmental twist.

Shane’s writing is simply but strong. Through her words, she easily weaves a story that is both engaging and honestly realistic. What makes it so is her unique take on a this beloved classic.  Personally, I really loved the liberties that Shane took to make this story her own. What I found most unique and intriguing is that she made Wonderland a real place, rather than a fantastical world only to be entered by way of a dream or a rabbit hole.

Beyond that, Shane has crafted a cast of memorable characters. Each of Shane’s characters fit perfectly into their high school trope’s while maintaining their Wonderland-ish traits. Take Chess for instance. He’s the dark, brooding type that is shrouded in mystery. It’s that mystery that make him alluring and easy to fall for.

Then there’s Whitney. From the outside she’s the queen bee of Wonderland High.  But when readers get to truly know her, they’ll quickly find out that this natural born leader is constantly … well late!

And what about Alice? Alice, when we first meet her, seems to be a goody-goody, constantly afraid to truly stand up for what she believes in. But only readers get to know her, and see her true self they’ll quickly realize that she is someone who is fiercely dedicated. She’s dedicated to those she holds most important, and she’s dedicated to carrying on the legacy and the mission of her deceased parents.  And she’s always down for some environmental mission.

Alice in Wonderland High has a strong environmental message. Admittedly, this was the one aspect of the book that made me nervous. Going into the book I thought it was that aspect that was going to make the book hokey for lack of a better term. But it so seriously wasn’t. It really worked, and it really made me think about the environmental state of our own world.

I really liked that saving the environment one mission at a time was Alice’s main goal. And I found that that aspect really linked her to the classic’s Alice who was on a mission to, not only save her own head, but also find out the real reason of what exactly the white rabbit was late for.

Shane’s Alice in Wonderland High, for me – a true Alice in Wonderland fan – was a really fun read. And I think that you too, dear readers, will also really enjoy it. Especially if you are as big of an Alice fan as I am.

(Cover Image from GoodReads)