A review by cuppacora
Wonderland by Juno Dawson

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 Word Review: Family, friendship, retelling, belonging, power.

5 More Words: Strength, life, change, debauchery, wealth.


I have put off reviewing Wonderland for the longest time, because I didn't want the London Trilogy to end. Clean and Meat Market are utterly magnificent, messy, masterful, and Wonderland joins them being marvellous. I loved how Lexi got a couple of mentions from characters too, it was like it all circled somewhat back around to the first book.

Wonderland takes the excess and the messiness of the previous books and takes it to new extremes. It truly displays the power of wealth, what you can get away with when you have the privilege of old money.

Alice is rich, but she's not rich. She can spend a grand with barely a bat of an eyelid and minimal guilt due to her mum's success, but she's still an odd one at school where most of the wealth is generational and unimaginable. The privilege is... It's something else. The excess is beyond what I can comprehend. Think Gossip Girl but very British and far messier.

Alice goes through a lot in Wonderland - she confronts her own feelings and behaviour, she is in physical danger, she has to get through transphobia and the fetishising of who she is. It's a difficult read at times.

I loved how the story and the mystery was slowly revealed, and how the personalities of everyone involved came to the surface. With the Wonderland event everything was heightened, and it was forced proximity with added drugs and entitlement. 

Wonderland is a ride. It's wild and scary and powerful. A fast paced, messy mystery. I almost couldn't keep up. I loved the way it played with the themes and aesthetics of Alice and Wonderland. Mystery, attempted murder, drugs, secrets... It's the best kind of mess.