Overall Rating and Opinion of Splintered

Discuss the May 2014 book of the month Splintered by A. G. Howard.
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How do you rate Splintered?

1 star - poor, recommend against reading it
1
1%
2 stars - fair, okay
10
14%
3 stars - good, recommend it
40
58%
4 stars - excellent, amazing
18
26%
 
Total votes: 69

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Daniel Constancio Jr
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Re: Overall Rating and Opinion of Splintered

Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

Ah, an admirer of the ORIGINAL Alice in Wonderland.

That's cool that you're honest and give great feedback.
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Shaederbug
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Post by Shaederbug »

The book kept me interested enough that I would read large passages at a time. I don't think I will read the whole trilogy though. I feel like the book is written for young adults.
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Heather
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Post by Heather »

This is not the kind of book I normally read, but I really enjoyed it. Since finishing it, I have recommended it to two people. One thing that really kept me intrigued was the character of Morpheus. I just couldn't figure out if he was good or bad and it was interesting to see it go back and forth. He obviously cared about Alyssa, but then he'd go and do something that made you question everything. This was kept up all the way until the end. I didn't know this was book one of a trilogy when I read it, but I suspected there would be more by the ending.

As far as it being a trilogy... I love it. My favorite books to read are books in a series. I hate when a good book ends and I can't read anymore about the characters I have come to know and love. A trilogy or a series of books lets me keep reading. I love that I get to find out what happens next. My very favorite books are all parts of huge series.

-- May 29th, 2014, 10:39 am --
Shaederbug wrote:The book kept me interested enough that I would read large passages at a time. I don't think I will read the whole trilogy though. I feel like the book is written for young adults.
It is a young adult novel. Which I don't normally read, but I did like it. I have since recommended it to 2 young adults. :)

And I noticed that next month's book is a young adult novel also...
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Daniel Constancio Jr
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Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

The main character Alyssa is our leader for this story, although she admits that she has mental disorders, we are followers of her delusion journey. My last question for everyone who reads this story would be: "Can you trust her?"
Since we are in her story we are reading from her point of view, can you identify that she could be at any condition.
We could be hearing her thoughts, but she could be an elderly lady, or she could be in a coma forever stricken to a bed, or she could be drunk.
We are at her mercy, "Do you trust her?"
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Post by jhollan2 »

I think perhaps you are missing the point of the fantasy genre, Daniel. In the beginning, Alyssa fears that she has a mental disorder like her mother, but basically the whole point of the rest of the novel is that she discovers she is half-netherling and what she experienced was a result of her being more than human and able to hear things that humans can't. Her mother is also revealed to have been deliberately faking her mental illness to protect Alyssa from Morpheus. It's not really a question of her being an unreliable narrator due to a mental disorder, because none of the characters actually have mental disorders. She isn't delusional, so I don't think that it is issue of whether or not to trust her narration.
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Heather
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Post by Heather »

I don't think that Alyssa has mental disorders. Of course she thinks she does at the beginning... she can hear bugs talk. But we see that it's true- the bugs are talking to her. In this fantasy novel, Wonderland is a real place. She is relieved to find out that she is not, in fact, crazy. She is also relieved to find out that her mother isn't either... as well as her great-great...I forget how many greats-grandmother- the original Alice. The story tells us that no one is crazy. It was all true.

In my opinion, yes, we can trust Alyssa. While the whole notion of her being completely nuts and the whole story being made up in her mind is interesting, this is a young adult novel and I don't think it's meant to be that deceptive. There is nothing in the book to hint that it is all just the made up nonsense of a delusional person. I think it tells it how it is.
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Daniel Constancio Jr
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Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

It's good you're totally absorbed with Alyssa.

That's great.

But, once in awhile, in reality when you meet a person, don't you wonder about the other person's sanity.

I mean, could they be sane or disturbed.

This is a point for the story and a lot of readers do get sidetracked.

But, it's all good...
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Post by 85Vivian+ »

I don't think it matters whether she is crazy or not. As others have said, this is juvenile literature and never "brought me in" to the point I wanted to finish it or start any other books of hers.
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Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

@jhollan

Sorry that others responded but the response was for the name indicated.

-- 27 Mayam14, 8:45 p.05 --

@85Vivian

So, you careless about character persona?
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Post by 85Vivian+ »

No. I just didn't "care" about the character.
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Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

@85Vivian+

Oh, well.

Tell us what would you would've written as a character...
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Post by David Dawson »

Daniel Constancio Jr wrote:@85Vivian+

Tell us what would you would've written as a character...
Surely not liking a character is a legitimate issue to have with a book? For me personally liking the characters isn't always necessary, although I can see why it would be in Splintered, but it does seem a little unreasonable to demand that people could do better themselves before they express a negative opinion of a book.
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Daniel Constancio Jr
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Post by Daniel Constancio Jr »

True, so true.

But, I like the book for reasons of "learning."

I love books that have opportunity to "study and learn ways to be a better writer."

It doesn't matter if it's bad or good...

I love them period.
And other people's curious ideas on how much negativity is applied on this book.

How about you?
Do you learn?
85Vivian+
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Post by 85Vivian+ »

I am not a writer. I'm a reader. I have never claimed to be able to do better than Ms. Howard. My opinion is strictly my own, based on the thousands of books I have read in my 66 years. I only know what I like, and I did not like this book.
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Post by CatGitane »

I really loved all the references, allusions, but mostly how the author described Wonderland's inhabitants as netherlings, creatures from another world. This was very creative and fitted in the Alice in Wonderland's state of mind. Also, I must say the cover is striking and shows what to expect pretty well and that the PURPLE font really touched my heart. It's rare to read anything else than black. It was a good change. However, I disliked the presence of too much romance. At some point it's as though I had chosen to read a romance novel instead of an Alice in Wonderland 'remake'. I hate when it's too cheesy, and most of it was not necessary for the story to progress and get to the intended ending. And I agree with PashaRu, the trilogy thing isn't very... appealing. I think this one book really wraps the story up and leaves you with a good feeling about it. I would be proud to have it on my shelf as a oneshot book, but now it seems the author wants to stretch it until it breaks... which is sad and happens too often nowadays. Don't ruin a good story.

Still, overall, it's a mesmerizing adaptation of Alice in Wonderland in Modern Times (when I say adaptation, I mean 'playing with the story', not that it's Alice herself...), quite interesting, thrilling, and inventive, yet true to its core, meaning the wonderful novel by Lewis Carroll. It was a delight to read, except for the sucky romance parts. I shall mostly always talk good about it, but I'm not sure I'll read the sequels, afraid that it'll actually completely ruin it.
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