This was not what I was expecting at all. Even after reading and falling in love with Lost Boy last year, I was somewhat apprehensive about reading this. I adore Alice in Wonderland and I had high hopes for Henry's version of it. However, while Lost Boy is primarily a fantasy story with some slow-developing horror elements peppered in, Alice is definitely straight-up horror.
The entire premise of this book is heavily focused on sexual abuse so that is something to be aware of if you don't enjoy reading about that topic. In this universe, Alice has been sent to an insane asylum by her family after she was kidnapped by the White Rabbit, a fantasy crime lord. This world is run by various crime lords all themed around characters from Alice in Wonderland and most of them guilty of abusing girls in increasingly horrific ways. Early on, Alice escapes from the asylum with her friend 'Hatcher' and they go on a quest to defeat the Jabberwocky/avenge Alice's past.
The fantasy world itself is a blend of Victorian/steampunk elements, Wonderland, generic fantasy and magic. The worldbuilding is woven into the story excellently and I don't feel like you are missing anything super important, although certain things are left a bit sparse if they're not directly relevant to the plot. There is a lot going on in this book and it is impressive how Henry sets everything up without it cluttering the story.
Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt about this plot for the majority of the book. Maybe it is because I am much more emotionally invested in Alice in Wonderland than Peter Pan but it felt very uncomfortable to have one of my favourite stories warped into a tale of such graphic sexual and physical violence. Ultimately though I did really enjoy the story and by the end, I was very much in love with it. I still prefer Lost Boy for its subtlety but Alice packs a powerful punch and it isn't a book I will forget for a long time.
Overall, if you think you can stomach the intensely graphic nature of this book then I would definitely suggest checking it out. It is a fascinating read and Henry remains one of my favourite authors for her superb writing style and skill in creating both characters and worlds. I just hope maybe my next read of hers isn't quite so brutal.
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