Anna James has written a continuation of a classic that will sit quite comfortably on the shelf next to the original – everything about it is perfection. The prose, the characters, the story and even the appearance of the Cheshire Cat are just flawless. I loved every word. Alyce is Alice’s granddaughter who doesn’t really believe all her grandmother's adventures about rabbits, Queens, and caterpillars but then an invitation to tea arrives! Absolutely fantastic.

I am never disappointed when I pick up an Anna James and this is such a wonderful read. I absolute love reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and so my interest was piqued with the title.
From the onset, there is this charmingly chatty narrator style and little odes to the original story, but this is also uniquely brilliant.
The story is set in 1919 and Alyce (with a y) remains at Specula House with her Grandmother Alice. The Great War has ended and the imaginative tales her grandmother used to tell her are no longer told, and the house once filled with love and laughter has become silent and sad. Alyce finds herself by the pond talking to her grandmother's cat - Dinah - when a strange NOITATIVNI (invitation) to tea arrives from MH, MM and D and Alyce, after a watery mishap, finds herself sinking into a magical world. A world that is both familiar to the reader of Alice's Adventures, but also delightfully new.
This is such a cleverly crafted read, for Anna James has also managed to remind us of the futility of war and very eloquently made reference to the scientific believe that we are all made of stars. A beautiful read.
Thank you to both the publishers and to NetGalley for an early read.

I was nervous but excited to read this - it’s one of my favourite childhood stories- could a return for Alice’s granddaughter be a disappointment?

I think Lewis would be overjoyed to be honest. It’s more than perfect. It has the perfect balance of madcap and whimsy. It could have been written by Lewis himself.

My only complaint is that it is too short! I would have loved more.

My thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Children's for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Anna James' Treehouse Series and of course Carroll's Alice stories so this was perfect.

Alyce (with a Y) lives with her grandmother (Alice) in 1919. Her sailor Dad has died during the First World War . Alyce receives a mysterious invitation to a tea party. Once in the other world she has a quest to recover a missing hour, which has disrupted the world,, due to a dispute between the King of the Sun and the Queen of the Moon.

We meet lots of familiar characters along the way;- The Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit etc. We also have new characters like Alyce's companion the Fox. Who wouldn't want a great friend like him?

James captures the quirky and distinctive tone of the originals and seasons it with her own warm humour. As with all the best children's books there is dark as well as light as Alyce struggles with her grief. Again as with all children's books adults would find something "nourishing" in this book too and would recognise the satire (compare with Pratchett or Kafka even?) . It would also be a great book to share,. as it reads well aloud.

As a magical adventure it sparkles and shimmers. It's entertaining. I give out 5 stars rarely but this truly deserved it. Can't wait to re-read it. a "sequel" that encapsulates the spirit of the original and gives you more besides.

I read this last night, glorious nonsense in true Carrol fashion. @acaseforbooks.bsky.social was the perfect author for it & I'm really looking forward to seeing a finished copy @harpercollins.bsky.social! #KidLitUK
Quoting bleet: Another muppet flail for a *gorgeous* proof of Alice With a Why by @acaseforbooks.bsky.social, publishing in June by @harpercollins.bsky.social #KidLitUK. It will have illustrations, inside by Matthew Land & cover by Isobelle Ouzman, & I'm expecting a beauty.

4.25 ⭐

I really, really enjoyed this one.

I loved how whimsy it was and just how well it paid homage to the original story. It honestly brought my so much joy & nostalgia.

Anna James has honestly mastered these characters and I could hear their voices in my head when I read this book.

I would love to honestly read more!

Alice With a Why - Anna James

“Begin at the beginning and go on until you come to the end: then stop.” - Alice’s Adventures in wonderland

What a wonderful book, funny and beautifully written. I grew up with an Uncle who was Alice in Wonderland mad and he would have loved this book!
~ R.I.P Speedy.

…”I know I shouldn’t rip up books,” said Alyce to Dinah. So you mustn’t look at me like that. But really what does it matter in the end? If I were a book, I should like to be a different thing for a while.” 👧 🐱

I need a caterpillar, he made me laugh. I’d leave my unfinished books with him. 🐛 📖
I need a fox too, what a charming character. 🦊 ⭐️


I highly recommend this book to any Alice in Wonderland fan, it’s perfect for youngsters and an older audience and it’s my personal favourite read so far this year! - May just have to read it again 😉

Anna James is a favourite author in our house. The first book in her Pages & Co series, Tilly and the Book Wanderers, will always be considered one of those very special books that made my younger daughter a reader. Since she also adores Alice in Wonderland (with a special request for me to make a Cheshire Cat cake for her 7th birthday), she’s sure to enjoy Alice with a Why as well. At 15, I know she’ll love the nostalgia of this story as much as I did.

It’s 1919. Alyce (with a y) is living with her grandmother – also Alice. Her father, a wonderful inventor and naval engineer, died in the Great War leaving a huge gap in his place. Alyce’s mother has gone to look after her own mother and taken baby Archimedes with her. Their home, once a bustling war hospital, is now quiet without all the soldiers to chat with. Her grandmother used to tell them all so many imaginative stories of things that happened to her when she was young but now a sadness has settled in and there are no more stories.

One day, Alyce is chatting with her grandmother’s cat, Dinah, and making paper boats to help her remember her father, when she comes across a strange invitation to tea from “MH, MM and D”. It looks like it’s addressed to ‘Alice’ – which Alyce knows must be her grandmother. A mishap on the pond causes Alyce to sink into a magical world.

In this new world, nothing makes sense. A series of unusual characters talking in rhymes and riddles set Alyce on a quest to find the “Time Being” and stop the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon. At each stage of her journey, she hears stories of a previous Alice who did so many amazing things and discovers just how amazing she is as well.

Alice with a Why is a wonderfully modern twist on a well-loved classic story. There is a joy in understanding the literary references and being ‘in the know’ as old favourites like the Mad Hatter, the mock turtle and the caterpillar perched on his mushroom greet Alyce and set her next challenge. Through each short, engaging chapter, Anna James beautifully captures Lewis Carroll’s fast-paced, haphazard style. Poems, songs, questions and clues push through Alyce’s sadness to reveal the joy of words, unique friendship and the secrets of her grandmother’s past. Readers will find themselves immersed in this delightful exploration of language as they attempt to puzzle out the answers and help Alyce find her way home.

Thank you to Harper Collins Children’s Books and NetGalley for an early read of this fantastic book!

Anna James + Alice in Wonderland: I mean, what else could you possibly want!

It's a really good, fun novel. I was worried it would just be a copy of the original, but it's not. Anna has given us enough of the classic that we know what it is, but with enough freshness for it to be its own story.

We've got the characters we've always loved - the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse etc - but with new ones - Alyce, the Queen of the Moon and the Sun King. It gives us everyone and everything we want but she adds her own creative spin on it so it doesn't feel like she's just regurgitated the original story.

It's so whimsical and magical, and really took this somewhat grumpy and pessimistic 31 year old, and brought her back to the innocence and wonder of being a child. I was just so happy reading it.

I think it would be perfect for schools, or for bedtime reading. I wonder if the Amazon recommended reading age of 7-9 is a bit too young. I would have assumed it'd be something like 8-10 or 10-12. But honestly, I think it'd suit all ages, young, old, and middleish.

My advanced digital copy didn't have any of the illustrations in it, and so I am really looking forward to seeing the finished copy as I can just imagine how beautiful they're going to be and how much they'll add to the story.

It's been years since I last read Alice in Wonderland, and this has made me want to return to it - good thing I've got three copies!

Wow, that is just a beautiful story. Fun, adventurous and encapsulating so many key elements that make a story joyous. Fabulous characters, an amazing journey that evokes the best from the original Alice in Wonderland but also reminds you of The Little Prince as well as The Phantom Tollbooth. Emotional, exciting and delightful. The comments from the narrator give a unique personality to the story with drops of humour that make you smile and make you re-read sections again and again.

Alice With a Why by Anna James is a thoughtful return to Wonderland, blending familiar whimsy with themes of grief and identity. Set in 1919, Alyce—granddaughter of the original Alice—finds herself drawn into a Wonderland at war, where stolen time and fading magic mirror her own personal loss. James captures the spirit of Carroll’s world while adding emotional depth and a fresh mythos.

While the reimagining is clever and the characters charming, the pacing can feel uneven, with moments where introspection slows the adventure. Still, this is an imaginative and well-crafted story that balances nostalgia with originality. A solid read for those who enjoy a darker, more reflective take on classic tales.

This book is a masterpiece. It reimagines a classic and breathes fresh air into it whilst maintaining the same atmosphere of the original. When I first started reading it, I felt like I was in a rabbit hole already as things and characters seem confusing in a deliberate way. It really is a stroke of genius. Will definitely buy it when it comes out.

This review is solely on the writting as sadly the illustrations where no included in the eARC. And I do think this illustrations would enhance the read more, given the placement mentions, and indications. So will have to wait and see the finished book for the illustrations.

The two Alice's (Alice and Alyce) is a interesting way to revisit Wonderland, we had the typical twist and play on words, the nonsense with then later makes sense. It was like reading Alice in Wonderland but this time on a different adventure.

So Alyce recieves an invitation that was ment for her grandmother Alice who originally ventured to Wonderland. Anna James takes elements and characters from the original and adds new challenges, troubles and adventure and we get to see some out but also meet some new characters.

Sometimes when authors take a classic, and write a sequel or prequel, they can lose the original authors sprinkle magic in the story. That is not the case in this book. This honours the original Alice in Wonderland whilst giving the story a new wave of magic.

I've already pre-ordered the special edition. It's a book I want on my bookshelf for years to come and I know my kids will love it once they are older.

The story brings in old characters as well as new characters. The fox stole my heart, and the metaphor of the fox had me nearly in tears. This is a wonderful book.

Thank you for the ARC! I liked this but overall felt that I had outgrown the story a little- it felt a bit childish to me which is the point I suppose, but not what I was looking for

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read a copy. Alice with a why started and finished really well, but I felt a bit lost in the middle. It was very much in the style of Alice and it was a nice length to read. I enjoyed the new setting and the adventure. I do wonder if it would have been a better experience reading a hardback copy as it looks as though there are to be plenty of images which would have made a difference I think. The front cover is beautiful.

I am very much looking forward to the next Chronicles of Whetherwhy.

3.5

Alice With a Why is an upcoming middle-grade novel by Anna James. As a fan of her Bookwanderers series, I was eager to read this new adventure. The story follows Alyce, who lives with her grandmother, the original Alice, until a mysterious invitation from the Mad Hatter and his friends arrives. Though meant for Alice, it is Alyce who ends up in Wonderland, only to find the whimsical world in trouble once again.

This is a short middle-grade book, almost novella-length. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story. A significant factor may have been that my advanced reader copy lacked the illustrations, which are meant to enhance the experience. Despite this, I would love to revisit the finished version with the artwork included. One (un)expected outcome of reading this book was that it inspired me to finally pick up Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a classic I had never read before.

Return to Wonderland in this extraordinary reimagining of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by one of our most brilliant storytellers
LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOVVVEEE, LOVED IT!!!… Absolutely stunning!!!… I was completely swept away!!…

I thought this was spectacularly charming and a welcome return to the nonsense and whimsy of Wonderland. Alyce (with a Y) receives an invitation (actually a noitativni) and falls into the lake, where somehow she can breathe and discovers herself at a tea party with much broken crockery and no sugar!

Alyce is set a mission to stop a war between the Sun King and Queen of the Moon. Their war has taken all the stars from the sky and the constant changing between night and day is making everyone unsettled.

She must find “The time being” to help her set the war to end but cannot find this being. Instead she meets some very familiar characters- the Cheshire Cat, The Butcher, Baker and Candlestick maker and most importantly, a charming fox who endeavours to help her on her journey.

While the familiarity of Wonderland was present, it was also a delightful reimagining of this classic. Alyce has her own journey through, different to that of the original Alice, who happens to be her grandmother.

Whether there is a moral, metaphor or special meaning is up for each reader to decide but I think this is a rather special story. Alyce and Alice are grieving, the war has just ended and this provides them with an opportunity to re-connect since their loss.

Perfectly written!

Our same old (literally) Alice and her granddaughter Alyce not only in Wonderland but also in postwar England.
We have the Queen of the Moon, the fox, the Mad Hatter to name a few.
The Caterpillar makes little but also a lot of sense at the same time as usual.
Alyce and Wonderland are much like the original in nature.
Quick and fun read. Nice way to reconnect with your children.
Wish this were longer.