Book Review | Ever Alice | By H J Ramsay

Before we begin, since I was a part of the #BBNYA 2020 panel, I tried to be extremely critical of this book. My review and ratings are based on that.

Let’s talk a little bit about BBNYA.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. It is organised by @TheWriteReads

If you are an author and wish to learn more about the 2021 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website (https://t.co/1Kgaq5gW8L) or the Twitter account,
@BBNYA_Official

If you would like to sign-up and enter your book, you can find the BBNYA 2021 AUTHOR SIGN UP FORM HERE. Please make sure to carefully read our terms and conditions before entering.

If you are a book blogger or reviewer, you can apply to be part of BBNYA 2021 by filling out this  form (also remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up)!

BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society(https://t.co/ghOxJ0NwrG) (If you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website!) And the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.

BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society(https://t.co/ghOxJ0NwrG)

(If you love beautiful books like the one above, you NEED to check out their website!) And the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

Ever Alice takes place years after the original Alice in Wonderland. Alice is now fifteen and is placed in a care facility to get better. Taking such a huge risk which is, retelling a book as fascinating as Alice in Wonderland is a feat in itself. I don’t want to compare this with the original as the details of the predecessor is fuzzy in my mind. But I remember the spirit of the story which I definitely got from this. The book is told from both Alice and the Queen of Hearts perspective. That kind of brought the fresh outlook, we look for in a retelling.

The pacing of the story takes a rollercoaster ride in my opinion. It starts by luring you in, but slows down in the middle. However, towards the third half the book picks up pace nicely.

Characters and Conflicts

Alice has an innocence throughout which makes the reader root for her even if she is fifteen years old now. She seems to be evolving gracefully. It is a great joy to see all those memorable characters back into action. The White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and of course, the Queen of Hearts. Since Alice is now a teenager, there are new entries like the prince.

As for conflict, the book goes deeper especially with mental health. It has layers that we get to know only when we reach the end of the story which is fascinating by the way.

Conclusion

Overall I enjoyed this second adventure with Alice. Perhaps it is the familiarity that made me feel like the story is moving slowly in the middle. However, once it picked up on action, I was all into it and had a great time infused with nostalgia. It is one of those books that leaves you with thoughts long after you finish it.

About the Author