A trippy, high drama, modern re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland, focussing on the excesses of wealth and political divisions in society.
A blurring of reality through drugs and mental health crises creates the otherworldly aspect of Wonderland, giving the book its fantasy feel. This is counterbalanced by strong themes of Identity, mental health and gender politics, including a short but brilliant section that beautifully rebuffs the bathroom debate.
A step away from Juno’s previous work, this fully embraces the dramatic whilst still highlighting the political. It’s a joy to see such an honest, positive portrayal of a trans character, reflecting reality and never, ever shying away from her experiences.

Wonderland is definately the best re-imagining of Alice's adventures that I have ever read. Juno has left behind the fantasy and created a modern setting, centred around a weekend long extravagant party known as 'Wonderland'. Alice follows Bunny into Wonderland, and there we peep through the looking glass at über rich teens and their disturbing relationships, fuelled by drugs and alcohol. 
These heavier topics are not shied away from and Juno has created very realistic characters with a myriad of complex problems such as; dealing with identity, mental health, suicide, self harm, depression and sex that many teens will identify with.  
Wonderland contains delightful nods to the original characters and plot, and this homage is very, very clever. It's a pure delight to read.

"I've been known to visualise killing up to six people each morning before breakfast". We aren't in Kansas anymore, or are we? 

Dawson's Wonderland is a mixture of the classic, including direct quotes with bacchanalian teenage high society. Wonderland is a place where anything consensual goes and anything non consensual is largely punished. 

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Substance Abuse, Incest, Bipolar, Suicide, Murder. Essentially one to avoid if you have any triggers. 

Alice is a transgender teenager at boarding school when her friend and previous love interest Bunny goes missing she is confused by the lack of concern and begins looking for her. Alice uncovers a world of her school society she never expected and is thrust into some genuinely terrifying experiences. I felt the story line with Paisley was a really interesting one but that the ending felt rushed, there is an inherent sense of her being free to proceed as she wishes.  I can only presume that this is all gearing up for a second book.

Alice lives in a world of stifling luxury and privilege, but none of it means anything when your own head plays tricks on your reality. When Bunny, Alice's troubled friend goes missing, Alice becomes obsessed with finding her. Whilst on the trail of Bunny's last movements, Alice discovers a mysterious invitation to 'Wonderland', the party to end all parties - three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome.

Will Alice find Bunny there? Or is it really a case of finding herself? Because Alice has secrets of her own and socialite queen and ruthless Paisley Hart is determined to uncover them, whatever it may take.

Alice is all alone, miles from home and without her essential medication. She can trust no-one, least of all herself and now she has a new enemy that wants her head.

Wonderland is a whirlwind of a book that I couldn't put down. It is the trip down the rabbit hole that we are all needing at the minute. Juno has written a book full of pure escapism, mind-boggling mystery and just pure wonder. I've adored Juno's previous books so I was beyond excited to read this one and let me tell you, I loved it!

It has been years since I read the original Alice in Wonderland but I do remember a lot of the story. Even if you haven'r read the original you can dive right into this book. It is full of references to the original, such as the famous quotes and the famous characters. All the beloved characters are in this book, Alice, the white rabbit, the queen of hearts and the caterpillar but they have all be shaken up with a modern twist. Alice is as charming as ever in this modern retelling and I adored her. She is a trans woman, learning her place in the world whilst dealing with her mental health. Alice is witty and relatable and just a pure gem, I loved her. One thing I absolutely loved about this book is the way that Juno made all the characters new, exciting and modern in clever ways.

Juno takes a classic story and makes it brand modern and intriguing, with themes that I wish were discussed in books more. Juno never shies away from the darker sides of teenage life and at times it is uncomfortable but it is something that needs to be read. Juno does an amazing job of writing about sex both negative and positive and I'm sure many teenagers need this in their lives at the minute. There is sex, drugs and violence in this book, as well as an upsetting and possibly triggering scene of sexual assault, but Juno writes about all of them with care, consideration and thought behind every word and that is incredible.

Although this is the weirder of Juno's books that I have read, this is something that was done intentionally. It is a retelling of a weird, wonderful and illogical story and I was here for all the weirdness. It allowed me to escape the world for a while and it was just what I needed.

Overall, I cannot recommend Wonderland enough. It has an intriguing plot, amazing characters and the talent and wonder that is Juno Dawson's writing. When this book is released into the world, very soon, I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy. Give it a go and fall into the rabbit hold of escapism and mystery!

I really love Juno Dawson's previous YA books Clean and Meat Market and really hoped this would be another 5 star rating but unfortunately it just didn't hit the same mark for me.

The character of Alice was one who I would like to know in a different context, as she was clever and sarcastic which I loved but I didn't engage fully with the slightly one-dimensional characters at times or the setting. I will continue to read Juno's books and really hope she writes more LBGTQ+ books as that was something I would love to see more of!

Reductive sexist trash, Tries to recreate Alice in wonderland as a porn parody.

Aimed at children and is reductive revisionist trash

It is brave to take such a phenomenal story and link a new story with it in anyway and it is no surprise that Juno Dawson has done this to perfection. This utterly compelling, fresh and modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland, highlights Alice's quest to remember who she is and in doing so she needs to explore questions of gender, identity and battle with her mental health. She does this all whilst uncovering a wild and dark world of murder, mystery and intrigue - all beginning at with the disappearance of her friend Bunny Lindell. Alice follows her trail to Wonderland, a fabled 3 day long party full of debauchery for London's richest and most morally ambiguous teens. What happens there will have you reading into the night to finish it.

I think this is the first first person YA novel I've read with a transgender protagonist since Art of Being Normal, despite reading several NF books. Considering I've been reading YA for work for almost a decade that surprises me, but I guess we all felt it was Juno's book to write. That aspect of the book seems very well done, covering a lot of ground whilst not being an "issue" read in any way (as AoBN was). I love that nobody cares about Alice's secrets, and I love that she's sexy, and openly sexual. The Alice in Wonderland aspects are a bit hit and miss, some points are over laboured. I liked the genuine blurring of reality and the otherworld through drugs and mania, and it was a shame the last 50 pages brought clarity that some of the more outlandish plot points (incest!) were real where ambiguity would have made a more sophisticated ending.

Wonderland is a wonderful fresh and modern take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. It's a fast paced exploration of privilege and gender. It doesn't shy away from tough topics like mental health, drugs and sex, it tackles them head on very boldly and satisfyingly.

Bunny is missing and Alice has to find her. When she finds an invitation to Wonderland in Bunny's pigeon hole at school, she knows she has to attend if she has any hope of finding Bunny. So she goes down the rabbit hole...

What is it about Alice in Wonderland that captures the hearts of countless readers? 

Is it the imagery? Is it the nonsensical world and logic, or is it the allegory to madness and the fantastical?

And in Juno Dawson’s Wonderland, it’s all of the above.

Alice in Wonderland has now been reimagined for the modern day, with a Gossip Girl-esque twist, in a world of the ridiculously rich and spoiled. This is the first Juno Dawson I’ve read, and I’ve heard nothing but praise and boy was I happy to see this live up to the hype. 

Our main character Alice is the only outsider in this mad world of the rich. Struggling with mental illness and loneliness, Alice embarks to a party called Wonderland, in order to find her love interest Bunny who has mysteriously disappeared, leading to an action packed weekend full of twists and turns.

I absolutely adored all the Alice in Wonderland references; we have famous quotes, our Alice, our White Rabbit, The Queen of Hearts, our Caterpillar — all our beloved characters shaken up with new life, but it didn’t distract from the story. However, Alice has had the biggest change from her origins, becoming a trans woman, and having a mental illness, which she struggles with throughout the story, but she never loses her charm. She’s funny and relatable, and she’s our guide to the world of Wonderland, being introduced to it all just like she is for the first time.

But the biggest difference is the mature themes. Dawson never shies away from the darker elements of teenage life, and it can get very uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend this younger teens. There’s a lot of sex, drugs, violence, and attempted sexual assault. Despite that, I liked how unflinching it was. Just be prepared for it to get graphic.

If I did have a negative it would be that the ending escalated very quickly, to the point where I did wonder how we got here, but then I did remember this was an Alice retelling, where trying to be logical is pointless. It wasn’t too much of a leap, and if it was the original Alice the ending would’ve been weirder, so the ending didn’t bother me as much. It’s just that the build up had been pretty steady throughout the story, until the last few chapters. 

Overall, I can’t recommend this enough. It has great characters, an intriguing plot, and the talent of Juno Dawson’s writing. It examines class structures, the decadence of the wealthy, and teenage mental health and well-being.

Give it a try, and get ready to fall into the addictive rabbit hole.

Having read Clean and really enjoyed it, I was intrigued to go back into the world Dawson created there. This is not a sequel, but it does allude to characters and incidents in Clean and is set in the same social circles. It's a clever, modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland through the medium of drugs, clubs, parties and the ever changing kaleidoscope of the high class party scene. Alice, who is the main character here, is trans and it is fascinating to read her thoughts and feelings, particularly given that Dawson herself is a highly visible and well known Trans figure. It was interesting that Alice finds herself literally and metaphorically in a world in which the normal rules don't apply and this window into a chaotic fantasy land is, at this point, the only one in which she can come to a true understanding of herself and find an acceptance that is not so readily available in 'reality'. I am in awe of the way that Dawson consistently writes about difficult subjects in such an accessible and readable way. I think she is the natural heir to Melvyn Burgess' mantle in terms of subject matter and style, but I like her work considerably more.

By cleverly re-imagining familiar characters and scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Juno Dawson takes the reader down a rabbit hole for a wonderfully surreal party with an elite group of wealthy, beautiful and not-very-nice teenagers. I, for one, felt disorientated and exhausted by the end of it all! As well as being delightfully playful, the narrative explores some dark themes and the quality of the writing and observation is just exquisite. This is a real masterclass in how to make something unique and memorable of your own from a story that so many people already know. Excellent.

Unfortunately because of my chronic disability I cannot currently read and review ebooks, so I will be unable to review Wonderland by Juno Dawson until my local library reopens and buys it in in paperback format. Apologies that my pre-publication hype review comes up first on Goodreads Community Reviews when I cannot read the book.

But here are some posts I've done about the previous Lexi's London books, I've had great fun with them. Especially the Meat Market swear count.

http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/2018/03/clean-by-juno-dawson.html
http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/2018/04/a-playlist-for-clean-by-juno-dawson.html
http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/2019/03/meat-market-by-juno-dawson.html

I’m always excited about a new Juno Dawson book. Her previous two novels, Clean and Meat Market, were a breath of fresh air for the UK YA market.

In Wonderland, Alice spends the night with the mysterious Bunny who promptly disappears. In a misguided attempt to track her down, Alice stumbles into a clandestine festival of debauchery called Wonderland where drugs, sex and secrets are very much the headline act. 

Most of the characters are (purposefully) extremely unlikeable. I did like Alice, especially her mental health and gender storylines, but she- and most of the other characters- felt a bit one dimensional. As her journey through Wonderland unfolds, the drama spirals into absurdity and I felt like the ending fell a bit flat.  For me, Wonderland didn’t live up to her previous books but a fun read nonetheless.

We’re all mad here’

This novel is the perfect follow-up to Clean and Meat Market, Dawson never fails to entertain, captivate and shock.. and Wonderland is absolutely no exception. 
Alice (Dodgson, previously known as Charles, a nice touch), is our heroine this time, and parallels with Carroll’s classic feature throughout. When her friend Bunny goes missing, it seems only Alice cares, and a chance discovery of an invitation meant for Bunny to ‘Wonderland’ - THE party to be at - Alice decides to gatecrash certain that she’s following Bunny there. Wonderland is a hedonistic weekend festival hosted by ‘it girl’ Paisley, and endless quantities of drugs makes for a wild weekend.. which quickly turns into a nightmare for Alice. 
This is a fast-paced, punchy read, with great reimaginings of Carroll’s characters, and featuring cameos from Dawson’s previous novels. Quite graphic in parts, this is not one for the younger teens, but this book is a great retelling of a trip in Wonderland. Clever, compelling and very on point. I like this a lot. An easy 4 stars.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Juno Dawson and Quercus Children’s Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

I’m a big fan of Juno and do really like her books. Unfortunately I struggled to connect with this one and ended up setting it aside. Look forward to reading more from her in the future but this one just wasn’t working for me right now. Gave it three stars as I feel it could very well be my mood, rather than any real reflection on the book.

Wonderland totally blew my mind. I've read several of Juno's books and each one is so filled with authenticity it feels like the characters are right there - not in the book but leaping off the page. This is definitely a YA book tackling some serious issues. Set within the social circles of London's elite it is sizzling with tension right from the off. Alice is transgender and finds herself caught up in a weekend of hedonistic debauchery. Examining the lives of people with extreme privilege and how having everything can actually leave you with very little. Mental health problems among young adults can be extremely serious, and through Alice's journey into 'Wonderland' we see how she has coped with the difficulties she has overcome. If you have read Birthday by Meredith Russo, or any of Juno's other books you will be drawn into this just as easily. It wasn't at all times an easy read - but books are there to challenge us, make us stand up and think. Which Wonderland does impeccably.

I thought Wonderland was fantastic, and is possibly Juno’s best. It’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling, and the way Juno weaved in the original plot and characters while staying true to the story she was telling, was amazing. I loved Alice, with all her secrets and self-doubt, and I really liked the way it tied in with Clean (and, to a lesser extent, Meat Market). I definitely recommend it, although be aware that there are a number of content warnings listed at the front of the book.

Loved this! The retelling of Alice In Wonderland I had no idea we wanted and I'm not sure we deserve - as it's just so well executed. For me, It's up there with Kiran Millwood Hargrave's 'Deathless Girls' (a prequel of Dracula about his wives) in terms of high quality reinvention of a canon text.
Wonderland is essentially Gossip Girl meets Made In Chelsea but psychedelic. The book is littered with all sorts of references to the original story but with a modern twist - the Caterpillar is now an all-knowing student with a gossip app, the Queen Of Hearts is the most popular - and cruellest! - girl at school. The story it follows, of a young girl/woman going through the Rabbit Hole into a strange and new world is very much there, but still manages to feel like it's own new story.
Alice is a fantastic protagonist -  so dry, sharp and scathing. Her reportage of the various indulgences she is force to bare witness to, and occasionally partake in..., make for often hilarious reading.
PSA: I'll be recommending this to students in year 10 or 11 and above, as it does get pretty raunchy and the drug consumption is frequent. 
This is a fun, engaging and gripping read that makes for an irresistible binge!