Ever Alice by H. J. Ramsay

Ever Alice is one of the finalists of the BBNYA (Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award). Even though it finished in the 10th place but was many peoples’ favourite book in the whole contest!

Category : Fiction

Genre : YA Fantasy

No. of Pages : 347

Format : E-Book

Publication Date : August 1, 2019

Read Date : February 6 , 2021

Rating : 4/5 

“All ways are the Queen’s Way!”

You know this if you have read the original Alice in wonderland (I know you have).

Alice has been to wonderland & has been talking about it to her parents. And according to them, she’s talking too much about it which isn’t normal for a 15 year old girl. So she ends up in an asylum. With all the meds & after deciding to stop talking about it she’s about to be discharged, but unfortunately for her a nurse gets her hands on Alice’s journal…full of wonderland sketches.

She’s taken to Switzerland for further treatment & gives in. Until, she realizes that she’s going to operated in the head. While resisting the procedure, she suddenly hears the White Rabbit who’s willing to take her back to Wonderland. What follows is Alice’s journey to wonderland & then back home….or probably not!! The people of Wonderland are on a mission here to kill the Queen of Hearts & Alice is required to be a part of it.

First things first…. fantasy to psychology to fantasy…a theme/genre I could never probably imagine; the author has done a commendable work here. The entire concept of making the readers believe Alice is mad & then taking us back to Wonderland to the Queendom of the Queen of Hearts. There are so many new characters here & so much is happening (read it as beheadings). I loved all the characters.

There are two story lines one the real world which appears in the beginning & at the end & then the Wonderland where runs a different plot & which covers most of the book. The Queen of Hearts is the character that’s most highlighted – her nature, her past, her angst, the reason why she is the way she is and her journey to becoming the Queen. As there are many characters in play, at times it felt like Alice became a sidekick, until she’s back in action towards the end. That said, it didn’t affect the storyline.

The language is simple & easy to understand. The touch of the weird ways of the Wonderland makes it totally acceptable as a second world. The author has put so much life into Wonderland by depicting their ways of life & customs & traditions. The story progression is on point, as it keeps the reader wanting to see if Alice succeeds in Wonderland & will she return. The connection of the real world & Wonderland towards the end has a nice twist & you need to read between the lines to understand. I did enjoy that part.

The cover is sort of cute & there is a meaning attached to it.

I would definitely recommend this book to all the lovers of Alice in Wonderland.

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I received this book to read and review as part of the 2020 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the @The_WriteReads Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about 2021 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or twitter @bbnya_official and follow this link to enter! BBNYA 2021 AUTHOR SIGN UP FORM HERE Please make sure to carefully read the terms and conditions before entering.

If you are Book Blogger or reviewer you can apply to be part of 2021 BBNYA panel via this form .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

H.J. Ramsay has loved fantasy ever since she was a child. Growing up, she was influenced by movies like Legend, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth as well as books and short stories, such as The Collected Works of Brothers Grimm. She is drawn to fantasy with a darker side to its glittery world and the idea that things are never what they seem. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles and teaches writing classes at her local community college. Ever Alice is her first published novel.