Book Review

Yes! Another book inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

I adore all things “Alice” and I especially enjoy stories like Weariland which are inspired by the original tale but have a unique spin. You also have a chance to win a signed copy of the book!

Weariland By Mary Shotwell (Release Date: May 10, 2016)

For fifteen-year-old Lason Davies, it all started with a text.

“HIDING PLACE.” 

The last words of her murdered grandmother haunt Lason as she travels to England with her sheltering mother for the funeral. The crime is a sensation, but the clamoring reporters and news photographers aren’t the only ones interested in their arrival. 

As her mother’s behavior borders on erratic (on a good day), Lason encounters a stranger from Weariland, a dreary world once known as Wonderland. He petitions Lason’s help in finding a secret family heirloom, a key to saving his land—and to Lason’s past. Lason is swept in an adventure through Weariland’s unpredictable realm, encountering colorful, fantastical characters and discovering her family’s elusive history. But if she isn’t careful, she may never return… 

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My Thoughts…

I really enjoyed Weariland. The tone of the book is like a gritty, crime novel and yet it is still a fantasy which I found very appealing since I tend to enjoy darker stories as a general rule.

Lason, derived from Alison I suspect, receives a disturbing text message from her grandmother Alice. The next thing she knows she is on a plane to England with her mother because her beloved grandmother has been murdered. Unbeknownst to her mother, Lason has been having a secret relationship with her grandmother via text and she was the last one to hear from her before she was murdered.

Lason’s mother had a falling out with her family years ago and because of that, Lason is afraid of revealing what she knows to her mother Caroline (after Lewis Carroll?) or the police. Upon arriving in England, strange things start to occur, including the arrival of a very odd “person” who claims to know what happened to Lason’s grandmother and demands Lason’s help.

Can you guess who this stranger may be? After that, the story takes a decidedly fantastical turn and it is wonderful. The storyline, characters and settings are unique and intriguing and the writing is great! Mary Shotwell definitely knows how to reel in her readers. I was hooked instantly.

You really don’t have to be an Alice enthusiast to enjoy Weariland but if you are, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the inventiveness and creativity of the author. For everyone else, it is just a really great story that I highly recommend.

Rating… B+

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About the Author

Mary grew up in northeast Ohio, so it was only natural for her to pursue a degree in marine biology. After studying dolphin behavior and estimating great white shark populations, she earned her Ph.D. in Biostatistics in Charleston, South Carolina. It was there, during the arduous dissertation process, where she had the idea to write a book. 

With Alice and the crazy characters from Wonderland staring her down from her bedroom poster, Mary envisioned what that fantasy realm would look like in current day. Creative writing served as a natural escape from technical writing, wedding planning, pregnancy, and job hunting. 

Mary is excited to debut Weariland (Merge Publishing, 2016), a novel introducing Lason Davies, a teenager who learns about her family’s past in a world once called Wonderland. She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband and three children.

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