Summary/Annotation ->  This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girls pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers--precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carrolls "Alices Adventures in Wonderland." Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mothers mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alices tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alices mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. Praise for "Splintered: " STARRED REVIEW "Fans of dark fantasy, as well as of Carrolls Alice in all her revisionings (especially Tim Burtons), will find a lot to love in this compelling and imaginative novel." --"Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books" """Alyssa is one of the most unique protagonists Ive come across in a while. Splintered is dark, twisted, entirely riveting, and a truly romantic tale." --"USA Today" "Brilliant, because it is ambitious, inventive, and often surprising -- a contemporary reworking of Lewis Carrolls "Alices Adventures in Wonderland, with a deep bow toward Tim Burtons 2010 film version." --"The Boston Globe" "Its a deft, complex metamorphosis of this childrens fantasy made more enticing by competing romantic interests, a psychedelic setting, and more mad violence than its original." --"Booklist" " Protagonist Alyssa...is an original. Howards visual imagination is superior. The storys creepiness is intriguing as horror, and its hypnotic tone and setting, at the intersection of madness and creativity, should sweep readers down the rabbit hole." --"Publishers Weekly" "While readers will delight in such recognizable scenes as Alyssa drinking from a bottle to shrink, the richly detailed scenes that stray from the original will entice the imagination. These adventures are indeed wonderful." --"BookPage" "Attention to costume and setting render this a visually rich read..." --"Kirkus Reviews" "Wonderland is filled with much that is not as wonderful as might be expected, and yet, it is in Wonderland that Alyssa accepts her true nature. The cover with its swirling tendrils and insects surrounding Alyssa will surely attract teen readers who will not disappointed with this magical, edgy tale." --"Reading Today Online"