Author: Sara Ella
Recommended Age: 15+
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery
Books in Series:
- The Wonderland Trials (2022)
- The Looking-Glass Illusion (2023)
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Alice Liddell only ever wanted to be free from her mundane life in Oxford, England. Free to find her parents who abandoned her, free to fulfill her destiny playing cards in London, and free to understand the truth about the forbidden Wonders and the mysterious Wonder Gene. But when her only sister, Charlotte, is revealed as having the infamous Wonder Gene, Alice realizes that her own life may be in danger. Safety lies in finding the elusive Wonderland before Alice too is arrested.
Notes from The Radical Reader:
- Noble Characters: Alice enjoys playing illegal games, dealing in illegal contraband, and befriending illegal fugitives. Ever since the Queen of England outlawed any Wonders from her kingdom, people like Alice have had to fight to rediscover normalcy and act like the true Normals they are. But as Alice begins to realize what it truly means to be Wonder, her desire to discover Wonderland becomes more than a dream. As this young girl matures into eventually becoming Team Ace in the infamous Wonderland Trials, her true character and nobility shine through as the natural leader she is born to be.
- Captivating Plots: Uncertain of who she is, where she has come from, and how she fits into the grand scheme of Wonderland, Alice Liddell must learn the truth about Wonderland and the Wonders who populate it, before her sister, Charlotte, is killed and Alice also becomes a fugitive. Desperate to evade the law and discover Wonderland, Alice turns to the conniving Chesster Shire, the elusive Blanche de Lapin, and the mysterious Detective Dinah FeLin before any dream of discovering Wonderland is gone.
- Elaborate Worlds: Set decades in the future, one of England’s leading scientists, Catherine R. Pillar has discovered the Wonder Gene. This Gene, responsible for producing some of the greatest heroes and minds in history, is now viewed as a threat. When Catherine R. Pillar disappears and her work is destroyed, those who are viewed as Wonders are branded and forced into submission. Those who are elusive enough to escape the law can escape to Wonderland. But is Alice Normal? Or is she Wonder?
Noteworthy Elements:
- Profanity: No explicit swear words. “Darn” and the expression, “Get me the blazes out of here” are both mentioned once.
- Sexual Tension: There are no explicit sexual scenes. One girl is described as “curvy” on two occasions. There is some mild romance, but nothing inappropriate or sexually suggestive in any way.