Anna James is a superb writer and this homage to Alice in Wonderland on the 160th anniversary of the original Alice proves that the madness and menace of Wonderland remains as fresh as ever. Fans of the original books will enjoy revisiting old friends, but my favourite character has to be the wonderfully loyal and wise fox. James deals with loss with the lightest and most poignant of touches, just beautiful!

This is an absolutely delightful homage to Alice in Wonderland, written in a way that beautifully captures the nonsensical tone of Carroll’s original without feeling derivative. James’ Alyss (with a y) is reminiscent of her grandmother Alice but brings enough distinction and her own circumstances - being left to live with a strange relative, the loss of her father, the horrifying reality of being a child during the First World War. It touches on sad and serious themes while remaining an accessible read for children and absolutely full of joy and whimsy.
My only disappointment was that the electronic review copy I was reading didn't include the illustrations, which I'm sure bring an extra dimension to the story.

A great addition to the Alice in Wonderland canon. Full of the same quirky characters you know and love with the addition of more of the same. True to the original tales. A fun quick read.

TBH, this is my first time reading a book from this author. It’s about a girl named Alyce, who turned out to be Alice’s granddaughter (THE Alice, you know!). The story itself was quite simple: Alyce needs to stop the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon. Along the way, Alyce met the legendary Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. Not to forget the Sailor Fox who helped Alyce on her journey. Actually, I was hoping that this Alyce would have more adventures like her grandmother, so for me, the book was kinda boring. Nevertheless, some of the conversations made me laugh. Maybe if you loved Alice in Wonderland, then you’ll enjoy this one too.

I always wanted to go to Wonderlabd as a kid. Sadly not my turn, but Alyce, granddaughter of the original Alice is up, when she mistakenly receives an invitation to a tea party meant for her grandmother.

It’s a fun and feisty follow up; many of Carroll’s original characters return, along with a smattering of new ones. Anna has got Carroll’s style down perfectly; I do wonder what a modern young reader will make of this, but I’ll be encouraging my ten year old to read this.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.

One of my favourite books from my childhood is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by C. S. Lewis, so when I saw a reimagining I was immediately desperate to read it, and I was not disappointed! This had all the whimsy, playfulness and charm of the original. The characters were nostalgic with Alyce adding a new dynamic to the established world and the plot was fun and interesting in its commentary.
Overall this is perfect for middle-grade readers who enjoy lighthearted and whimsical stories, as well as anyone who previously enjoy‘Alice in Wonderland,’ no matter their age.

As I am an avid Alice fan, I was very curious to read this! It's a lovely little story, only 100 pages, but it is a true representation of the Wonderland world. It has some familiar characters from the original stories as well as some new ones, and is as brilliantly bonkers as Lewis Carroll's tales. Anna James creates some fantastic visuals, letting her imagination run wild. However, I cannot wait to see the illustrations, which unfortunately were not included in the e-copy.

Playing around with such a classic tale can easily fall flat, but I thoroughly enjoyed this, it is a great tribute to Carroll whilst retaining originality.

Imagine that Alice is now old and has a granddaughter who mistakenly got Alice’s invite to a tea party with the mad hatter. Presenting to you Alice with a Why. It does feel like it follows on with the same sort of premise as Alice in wonderland. Same madness and nonsense mixed with some of your favourites characters, just with her granddaughter Alyce with a new adventures, new challenges and just a super fun read for any Alice fan 💖

This is a gorgeous, wonderful imagining of a new Alyce - the original Alice's granddaughter ("with a why" as she is described!) - on her own journey through Wonderland.

I haven't read the original Alice books for years, but I have watched various versions of the films in recent times thanks to having a daughter at the right age for them. Even though I can't say I remember the writing style all that well of the originals, I feel that the author got the tone just right for this. It's whimsical and nonsensical, but also witty. The strange thing is that some of the little jokes, like Alyce searching for the "Time Being", would have seemed like nonsense to me if I'd read it as a child, but as a grown up, they're like little in-jokes. I'm sure there are ones that I missed in there too!

This Alyce has heard her grandmother's tales of adventure in Wonderland but isn't quite sure she can be believed. That is, until she finds a strange invitation and tumbles after a paper boat into a new world herself. The new Alyce meets a few of the old cast of characters, including the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, the Mock Turtle and Cheshire Cat, but she also meets some new friends, including a wise fox who accompanies her on her journey. This journey is, like the original Alice's, somewhat accidental where each step makes sense at the time - including finding the Time Being, helping the Sun King and Queen of the Moon find a truce in their war, and searching for the right papers to allow her passage through the land.

Unfortunately as my version was an advance copy from Netgalley, I didn't have the illustrations -the author actually refers to them at points, speaking to the reader directly (which is a lovely touch and very fun!). I'd love to get my hands on a physical copy in the future to see the illustrations and to share it with my daughter. She's just turned 6 and I feel like she would be just on the edge of the age where she might enjoy it, but it's one of those stories that gets better with time.

This is a lovely, faithful new rendering of a classic which I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.

Wonderland has reopened and awaits its Alyce.

A real new adventure full of logic, illogic, friendships, wordplay opponents and a lot of strange creatures! And above all the magic we are used to from Alice in Wonderland. And there may or may not be a moral to the story.

All in all, a great retelling about Alice's granddaughter and entirely in the style we are used to from Wonderland. Especially thanks to the playful writing style. While the original story doesn't really have a plot, this one does. And in this journey, you find yourself in numerous corners of the land where no story has ever been told.

I read this book without the accompanying illustrations! However, I want to re-read this to discover the full story with all the pictures.

When I discovered this book I knew I had to have it. I collect Alice in Wonderland books and I also collect all possible retellings. Considering the author and how amazing her Bookwanderer books were I had high expectations. I was even more excited when I discovered this book on Netgalley. Luckily Harper Collins granted me a copy and I could start reading.

This was everything I had hoped it would be and maybe even a little bit more. It's not easy to write a sequel to the original Alice in Wonderland story. That's partly because the writing of the original book is insanely creative and the logic completely bonkers. This book comes insanely close! I've been laughing out loud so often and everything that happened was so logical and illogical at once!

I also loved the plot of this book. I know, the original Alice in Wonderland story doesn't really have much of a plot. This one does and it works. It allows Alyce to travel through Wonderland, to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and to make her own friends and enemies. And it allows us to revisit this amazing world while also discovering new parts of it.

I also can't wait to get my physical copy. This digital arc didn't include the artwork yet and I can't wait to see some of those new characters and settings come to life! I hope that, partly because of this book, a lot of new readers will discover the amazing world of Wonderland and I hope that those who read this book first, will get curious enough to also pick up the original!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

My question is "Why?". This book is OK as far as it goes but really, it is very slight and what is the point of it? The new plot is uninspiring, the whimsy and wordplay seem forced and the book consists largely of cameo appearances by many of the original characters. There are some new characters and some good puns and more subtle references to the original books but I am not sure who the book is aimed at - I don't think children will get a lot of it and the plot and lack of any depth makes it unsatisfactory for adults.

It is very short but even so, I quickly lost interest and struggled to continue with it. It has an air of a creative writing exercise - write a new version of Alice - which has then been expanded to a book.

2.5 up to 3.

A warm hearted, joyous read that I was captivated by and completely fell in love with. Highly recommended.

This is such a fun and unique twist on a classic story we all know and love. I really liked the writing style and found myself gripped throughout the whole book..A really fun read!

The visuals in Alice with a why were breathtakingly beautiful. It was whimsical and was a breath of fresh air. This Fairytale ( I consider it one) had really brilliant word plays and I loved each character and their traits.. Alyce, despite not knowing much, managed to make the adventures really enjoyable. I am sure the Duchess is quite disappointed that there wasn't moral in the end. Perhaps not all stories (and art in general) have morals and are supposed to be enjoyed quite like the caterpillar does. I can't wait to see the illustrations, as my imagination isn't quite creative enough to capture the beauty of each character.
4.5 star read

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this book, as I'm not a fan of Alice in wonderland but I do enjoy Anna James' writing. so I thought I'd give it a try.
sadly for me, it is much more AIW than Anna, and I just wasn't enjoying all the silliness.
however, I think for those who are big fans of Alice in wonderland/Alice through the looking glass, they will really enjoy this 'sequel' as I feel it stays true to the style of writing and concepts that were used.
so overall, not for me. but Alice fans should love it.

Alice with a Why is written with just the right amount of nostalgia for the original. Even if you’ve not read the original a reader could enjoy this great title. It flows along with the reader cottoning onto each character as Alyce enters the Wonderland her Grandmother had told her stories about but with new twists along the way. All the favourite characters are included with their original quirks but none gratuitously as all deserve their place.
As an adult I spotted the solution and the situation which exists today and many children will pick up on it too, but it’s a great read.

A delightful, adventurous, magical return to Wonderland. The fun, the exploration of Alice and Alyce’s relationship and the connection between the two stories was so lovely. Five stars.

“‘I do wish you could see the stars all the time.’

‘They’re always there, whether you can see them or not.’”

(I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for accepting my request to read this arc in exchange for an honest review ♡)

As some who adored Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland when I was younger, I was so excited to find this arc and be accepted for it! It gave me the opportunity to explore Wonderland again, without having to revisit the stories that I’ve already read several times over. It was everything I had hoped it would be, delightfully pulling me back into my childhood with its beautiful madness, rhyming melodies, and subtle but distinct lessons.

James is a wonderful, charming writer, successfully managing to capture the whimsical essence of Carroll’s original, whilst also managing to extend the world beyond its source. Along the way you meet familiar characters, such as the Hatter, the Hare, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Caterpillar, but you’re also introduced to new characters like the Sun King, the Moon Queen, and the Sailor Fox. Alice With a Why is charming and fun, and I’m certain that any child, teen, and adult can become easily enchanted by this sweet, little continuation of the Alice in Wonderland universe!

Waw, such a great read! Love it! Really brings back the nostalgic childhood stories! I simply loved the new adventure that Alyce has in Wonderland!