Juno Dawson has her own incredibly unique style of writing which I have previously really enjoyed. I found this book interesting and some elements of the retelling were put together really well. However, I found this being marketed as YA quite concering. Despite being a very open and realistic parent to my teenager and pre-teen, some of the drug use and attitudes towards casual sex in this book feel like a step too far for YA fiction. I wouldn't want to see this being read by anyone under the age of a mature 15/16.

I've read a number of books by the lovely Juno Dawson. They're often wild rides, but I really struggled to get on with this one. I did feel that some of the references to Alice in Wonderland seemed almost shoehorned in and I struggled to connect with some of the characters in the way I was hoping. Compared to Clean and Meat Market, I just didn't love it quite as much. 

However, as always, Dawson paints a wonderfully visceral picture of London full of wit and sharpness.

Alice is a sharp, intelligent, deeply flawed and deeply relatable protagonist. Her honesty, sometimes scathing self reflection and hopeless crushes make for a read at turns humorous and painful both. Two parts mystery and one part longingly romantic, Wonderland was a pacy book I swept through and enjoyed thoroughly.

I've not come across Juno Dawson's work before, but you can certainly bet on the fact that I'll be reading more of their works. Wonderland is a complex, spiraling and absolutely wonderful exploration of life, love, sexuality and mental health wrapped up in an absolutely crazy drug-induced ribbon. It's not the type of book I usually pick up, but I am really glad I did as I flew through it and adored every second.

When Bunny goes missing, nobody really seems to care. She's known for this sort of thing after all, and everyone knows she'll turn up in a month or so. No harm, no foul. But Alice isn't so sure and when she finds an invitation to Wonderland stuffed at the back of Bunny's locker, she is determined that it has something to do with Bunny's disappearance. But nothing is as it seems at Wonderland, and Alice may have bitten off far more than she can handle.

Wonderland is an undeniably crazy book, full of the chaotic shenanigans of those with far more money than sense. But with all of the crazy, it is also a serious and careful exploration of mental health, sexuality and transgender identity. Alice is a wonderful character, and Dawson writes her insecurities and struggles exceptionally well, so I really empathised with her. The mystery of what has happened to Bunny is drawn out well throughout the narrative as well, and is made all the more interesting because the boundary of what is real and imagined can become so blurred throughout the novel. 

There are some strong trigger warnings here though and I certainly wouldn't recommend this for younger readers; there is sex, swearing, sexual violence and references to suicide. It's a dark yet refreshingly entertaining read, Dawson doesn't shy away from reality and yet she writes with a wit and verve that prevents the book from being dragged down by it's own darker elements. So, this is crazy, thought-provoking and funny and I have to say that I loved every second of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

TW: suicide, sexual assault, drug use, alcohol abuse, and more.

I think this is such a clever twist on the classic Alice in Wonderland, combining many things that I'm always looking for in books including mental health rep and queer rep. 

Very trippy and a wild ride, but a brilliant read.

Wonderland is set in modern day London, following a transgender Alice with bright blue hair. She lives in a world of the upper rich class filled with privilege and lavishness but she struggles with her mental health and is over come with a lot of issues. When her friend, Bunny, goes missing, Alice makes it her mission to find her. She literally makes it her obsession that we shall note is not healthy for her at all. After spending time with Bunny, Bunny is missing without a trace. Alice finds clues and tries to search for her. These clues lead her to a exclusive party for those in at the top of society, known as wonderland. 
Whilst on the hunt for bunny, Alice will come upon many struggles including her mental health and one of the many socialite enemies that she has, Queen Paisley Hart who is determined to ruin Alice with all of the secrets that she has hidden up her sleeve. 

This trippy take on Alice in Wonderland is what I loved. I loved that Juno Dawson was not afraid to go there with subjects such as mental health, rape, gender and privilege. She uses her voice as a trans woman to project a mind-altering tale of friendship and betrayal with these issues mixed in which gives a refreshing look at these issues. This engaging book had me gripped to its pages and I’m so glad to have read it. 

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this as an e-arc. Overall this book is a 3 out of 5 stars.

LOVED this book. The genius way Juno re-wrote the Wonderland story into present day with some rather accurate depictions of the classic characters as people you might find in society today, I'm looking at you Tweedle Twins.

What a wonderful, bizarre journey Juno takes us on. A trans protagonist where being trans isn’t the point, up but just part of a character. A twisted look at privileged teens in London society and the excesses and eccentricities they have. Brilliant.

Juno Dawson seems to have a talent for writing characters -- especially in the "trilogy" (Clean, Meat Market, and Wonderland) -- that I (and I'm sure a lot of people) cannot relate to in the slightest, in terms of living with a huge amount of wealth. But I've never once feel alienated by her books. They're always so fascinating to get a glimpse into the life of people on the "other side" - the ones who live lives that I can only just imagine.

Wonderland, just like Clean and Meat Market, sucked me in and didn't let go. It's so full of mystery, intrigue, and a kind of dirty glamour that I know I would absolutely never want to experience for myself. It's full of twists that I never saw coming, darkness, and even murder. I loved every page.

This book, I'd say more so than Juno's others, deals with a whole bunch of heavy themes that affirm that it is definitely not for younger readers. It's classed as YA, but I'd almost say it verges the line between older YA and adult. (This is where the "New Adult" age range needs to be a thing.) It has a huge list of trigger warnings -- including, but not limited to drug and alcohol abuse, serious mental illness, suicide, rape, and I'm sure others that I'm not able to pinpoint but others might. It is a DARK story, so readers just need to be aware of that.

As always, I can't wait to see what Juno comes up with next!

very interesting book that was a pleasant light read to have on a cold afternoon inside. Though the book had very similar themes to other books I have read, the revelations revealed by the characters throughout the book made it something special. It perfectly combined both heavy themes and making it readable for any audience and for that I commend it.

Juno’s talents know no ends. This was bloody brilliant. An absolute ride and so fun I read it in 2 sittings interrupted only by work. The characters were all so real and believable. The premise itself was bonkers and such good fun. And it was so nice to see a trans own voices story. I’ve been there for Juno’s releases since her debut Hollow Pike and it’s always exciting to see what she is doing to do next!

MY review is part of my June Reading Wrap Up on my Youtube Channel https://youtu.be/EeHywG9jLmg

It has also featured in the following videos

New Releases Book Haul https://youtu.be/-f39yG4sDLE
Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag https://youtu.be/ZF6jruhrcsU
Best Books of 2020 (so far...) https://youtu.be/RIRts3FucfE

A dark retelling of a classic with dark themes. Felt almost as if I was taking drugs while reading at times, but I think that is testament to the power of her writing taking us into Wonderland. 

Dawson is very good at weaving an intricate web, dealing with heavy issues and really forging those connections with characters. This is currently face out on the shop shelves.

This was bloody brilliant! I loved Juno's take on the traditional Alice story set in High Society London. The Alice in this book is marvellous. I don't know that I liked any of the other characters, but I loved their story.  I loved the way that it linked to Clean and the characters in that book. Reading this was like falling down a rabbit hole for sure. Highly recommended and one that I will definitely be rereading.

This may be my new favourite Alice In Wonderland reimagining ever. This book was dark and gritty and a mental health trip where you call feel yourself falling down the rabbit hole with Alice. With a super diverse cast, an intriguing mystery and storytelling style to kill for, this is without a doubt my favourite of Juno's books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

At first I wasn't sure about this novel - the 'Alice in Wonderland" references seemed a bit shoe-horned in and clunky. But the narrative drives through to an interesting conclusion, and the fact that the protagonist is trans makes it worthwhile in itself as sorely-needed representation. The emphasis on mental health and finding yourself was also very sensitively done. I've not read any of Dawson's other books but this has made me want to read more.

Wonderland felt like a wild, drug infused haze, full of high society drama and eccentricities. It felt like Gossip Girl meets Heathers, with Juno’s signature level of depth and empathy. No author takes high society party girls and gives them such multifaceted dimension, weaving in topics of mental health and gender identity, quite like Juno does.

Wonderland was so raw, never shying away from tough topics. I really appreciated the honesty that Dawson brings to the character of Alice in terms of her gender identity. Alice is a young transwoman attending an all-girls school where no one knows her past history. She grapples with the anxiety over being ‘outed’ and how her peers would react to the knowledge of her being trans, and throughout the book we do see different characters learn this and how they react to it.

Something that I’ve not seen before in YA, yet feel is incredibly important, is how Juno treats Alice in such a sex positive light. Alice is a sex positive character, looking for sexual experiences with both men and women, and has not yet had bottom surgery – she’s very nervous about how this will be perceived, yet throughout the book Alice learns that she does not need to physically change her body in order to be a sexy, beautiful woman, yet the topic of fetishisation was touched on in a very poignant way. To read the perspective of a young trans woman embarking on sexual exploits with different people, and to not feel the need to conform to a stereotypically ‘female’ body type is wonderful and I hope will be meaningful and eye-opening to a lot of young people who pick up this novel. I don’t want to speak on the accuracy of this representation, but it is Own Voices.

Alice and other characters spend most of Wonderland in a alcohol and drug fuelled haze, which gives such a whimsical feel to the story – complete with larger than life plots which feel reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars, Dawson has woven a unique take on tropes I love to see in TV. This is what Juno does so well every time – raw, high class, elegant, dangerous drama but with more depth and sensitivity that I’ve seen anywhere else. This is the Alice and Wonderland retelling that every modern teen needs in their life. Wonderland is my third Juno Dawson book, and I can’t wait to read more from her!

TW: attempted rape, drug use, overdose, death, suicide, sexual assault, self-harm, arson, grief, fetishisation, transphobia.

Juno Dawson honestly can't do any wrong. Once again, she brings forward a character who is so likeable yet tough, and has so much depth to her. I really enjoyed following Alice through her time in Wonderland (the part takes place over a long weekend so the pacing of the novel is fast which I also liked) and her thought process around different things. All of Alice's fears and then the joys she takes by plunging over the edge were all so sharp and kept me gripped to the end.

There was also some fun mentions and cameos of other characters from other Juno Dawson's books in this one. Lexi from Clean is mentioned a few times, as Alice's school crowd ran with her or knew of her, and Felicity from Margot & Me is actually Alice's therapist which was a small scene but it was SO lovely seeing Felicity again!

Alice is a transwoman, and is pansexual in this book, and I really loved seeing this representation and how Alice talked about her gender identity, and the ups and downs she's had to go through and then also her slow realisation on her sexuality and realising she is also pan. She has sexual relationships with both men and women in this book, and we love to see it! There were some real discussions about the daily upkeeps and things trans girls have to think about when they have transitioned but haven't had an operation such as tucking and I haven't seen that I a book before.

I also loved how accepting everyone was and really do think and hope that the way most people react when Alice confirms she's trans, is how people will continue to react in the future and it won't actually be a real deal. And Alice's realisation that she can meet people who are attracted to her and the genitalia she has, or doesn't have, doesn't actually make a difference to the desire and the sexual relationship she can have with people.

There was one small chapter in this book which was a bathroom scene, and a list of questions Alice was asked about her trans identity and it was so much but also so enlightening. It was exhausting to read and I really wish people, certain people who shall remain nameless, could read such a chapter and realise the type of questions the trans community deal with on a daily basis when all they want to do is urinate in peace.

The Alice in Wonderland references and connections in this book are very in your face but I really liked it, and it was just a fun thing throughout the book. And even though the connections were really obvious, I still felt clever when I connected them up with the classic tale.

I really felt like Alice had a lot of growth in herself and her confidence in her own identity and continuing to travel the world as a proud, beautiful woman and not being afraid to step up and be seen.

Juno Dawson's books are YA but are aimed at mature teenagers rather than 13/14 year olds and I love that. I really feel like Juno understands the teenagers who are reading her books and created characters that while are going through so much, can be really relatable and are good people. She knows that teenagers will understand and be able to handle the darker parts of her stories and doesn't condescend or try and cocoon them in fluff and bubble wrap like precious beings that could break at the slightest mention of a penis or popping pills.

Juno Dawson remains one of my favourite writers and I CANNOT recommend her books enough.

Wonderland was one of the wildest books I’ve ever read and I loved it. With our main character Alice, we are brought on a journey to Wonderland- a annual party held by very, VERY rich teenagers- while she desperately searchers for her friend Bunny. Of course being an Alice in Wonderland Retelling- EVERYTHING IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS.

Not to be punny but this book truly was wonderful. Now not the sunshine and rainbows type because believe me this was dark read. However, the twist and turns had my head spinning and I love that quality in a book. The plot was so entertaining. I worried because it’s set mostly during the party, that it would get boring but believe me, if anything it got more exciting as the book continued. 

Alice was such a messy, unreliable narrator and I LOVED HER SO MUCH. Due to most of the plot surrounding Alice I can’t say much without spoiling. However let me leave you with one of my favourite Alice quotes.

“Why any girl would bestow the gift of her vagina to those oafs is quite the enigma.” 

In addition to Alice, the side characters were so developed. Juno Dawson’s writing truly is phenomenal and I adore how they link in to the original Alice in Wonderland. Especially the mad hatter and Cat. 

Alice has money and all of the characters in this book are filthy rich; Wonderland not only explores Alice’s illness and desperate search for Bunny, but it explores privilege- especially the rich and how they get away with everything. Alice is ready to take on the elite? Are you ready to see who comes out victorious?

I will admit the reason this isn’t five stars was the ending. It just wasn’t concluded as good as I expected. The rest of the book was amazing; I felt the ending then let it down. I still highly recommend. Especially if you’re looking for a YA that focuses on the things teens do- exploring their sexuality, drugs, alcohol - that most YA tend to run from, or if you’re in the mood for a unique retelling. 

I would also like to point out that even through Wonderland is part of series it can be read as a stand alone.

I believe Juno Dawson never writes a bad book - great characters and fabulous themes. This one was more exotic than her others but as usual it doesn’t disaapoint