Rachel Reviews: Truth and Transformation (Taking Wonderland) by Martin Baynton
Revisit Wonderland where the curious elements of Carroll are given a twist all of their own by Baynton. Dark, fast-moving and entertaining!
To take Lewis Carroll's timeless "Alice" books and a selection of their uniquely bizarre and unsettling elements and craft them into something which has the same rich taste but a new author's seasoning is the move of a bold writer, I think.
Has Martin Baynton carried it off? Well, I would say from my point of view, yes. I mean, this is a very different book to Carroll's but it's a really good read with excitement and tension and some very dark moments indeed that have the flavour and essence of the original Alice; however, this book is something quite different, quite modern, a 21st century Alice book with science references and modern vernacular and it's all the more enjoyable for Baynton's insertions; I would add, though, continuing the food analogy, that it has a bitterness, a tang which the original "Alice" books may have had traces of but which were not so concentrated and which adds a darkness and less frivolous edge which will please modern readers.
This is the second book in Baynton's vision of Wonderland and we are following Ali, who is not Alice but her great niece, as she re-enters this other world to find her father and help her mother's friend, Waxstaff. She is in danger as are her associates in the outside world - Peter, Aunt Martha, Uncle Bertie, Dovecot - as well as those who help her in Wonderland - the Rabbit, the Hatter, the Queen.
This is fast-paced action from start to finish. I've not read the first so I will admit that the initial chapters required me to focus and try and thread together who the characters were, their relationships to each other and the back story which had obviously already been established in book one, but it wasn't hard to work out who to trust and who are the bad guys.
Baynton has imagination in spades and is able to create characters who are smart and likeable and brave, who are resilient in the face of danger and give you a warm feeling as you are invested in them and their success. There are chases, tension, mysteries, riddles and reveals. There are some nice touches too, such as the identities of the boys (no spoilers here), which I rather liked.
I'm looking forward to book three, but first, I think I will make time to visit book one!
Rachel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery:
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Comments (20)
Definitely adding this to my TBR list! Congrats on the top story, Rachel! Welcome to today's NYT Pips puzzle solution. https://pipsnythints.com/
I love your writing style, Rachel! Awesome review! This looks like a good book! Thx 4 sharing! 🩷🌸
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Oh you explained very well how this rewritten alice story would please modern readers. Makes me want to keep an eye out. Your excitement to read book one and three. Makes this all so exciting. Especially when you mentioned liking the identities of the boys and the characters being smart and likeable. I especially love that it brings that warm feeling. I like to feel, feelings of warmth, lol. Expertly presented and the covers I love, so I will keep an eye out. Congratulations on your top story Rachel ❤️🤗🎉👌🏾
Thank you for introducing me to this book. Of course, have to start with book one, but I know someone who would love this for Christmas. LOL, thinking about Christmas shopping already, shame on me. Congratulations on your top story, Rachel, and thanks again. Sounds nothing short of amazing!
Not me scurrying off to Google if he was a relation of Matthew Baynton...
Great review. Fall is coming and this book and Book 1 could just be the right curl-up-cup-o-tea reading for me. Thanks and congrats on TS!!
Congratulations Rachel...
I must read this! I love Alice in Wonderland and Though the Looking Glass, so I think, for what you say about this book, that I will find interesting to see this take of the classic. 🐰
Well don
Congratulations Rachel, you are kicking goals lately - well done.
Great review, Rachel, you made me wanna read the book. Growing up I loved Alice in Wonderland so it would be interesting to see how it got re-worked.
I never heard of these tales. I like the idea of revisiting Wonderland. Thanks and Congratulations
I love your reviews! You are so very good at those. Congratulations on the Top Story, too!
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
You did a wonderful job enticing me to read this series. As always your descriptions are a perfect blend of intriguing and cryptic so as not to give anything away while still showing us why we must read. But I'm absolutely in shock you would read book two before book one! Rachel! That's like reading the last page first! You didn't give us any spoilers, but you gave yourself all of them. It's going to take me a minute to get over this.
This is a wonderfully intriguing revisit of a classic. I’m tempted to wait for the release of the third and then binging all three! Wonderful review, Rachel! The book cover illustration is wonderful!!
You always peak my curiosity with your book reviews . Love your title !!!
Sounds yummy. Thanks for this review.
I know for a fact that I've never read this book but somehow Ali being Alice's great niece and her going into the other world seems very familiar to me. If this is book 2, why did you not wait to read this after reading book 1?