Unbirthday
Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford. She'd rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian's lively salon, ignoring her sister's wishes that she stops all that "nonsense" and become a "respectable" member of society. When Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects—the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There's something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts' tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds.
Unbirthday was one of my top favourite books in the Twisted Tales series. Braswell is my favourite of the contributing authors, so I was delighted to see she had written the latest book in this series. Braswell did a fantastic job taking an older, but still curious, Alice and bringing her back to the nonsensical world of Wonderland. She showed that although Alice had grown up, she had new skills that made her the hero Wonderland needed her to be.
Excluding Alice’s sister, Alice actually has a very supportive family. Her parents encourage her eccentricity; it’s clear she takes after her mother with her whimsical nature. One can even argue that Alice’s sister does support Alice, she just has a very different idea as to what Alice’s life should look like. Her judgement and scolding come from a place of love, even if it is misguided.
I like how Braswell tackled the themes of nationalism and discrimination against minority groups and immigrant populations; essentially an “us vs. them” mentality that is making its way through not only her town of Kexford, but England as a whole. Immigrants and those who aren’t seen as “full-blooded” English are treated as less than. Alice, her aunt, and her parents don’t agree with this view, and oppose the mayoral candidate who is trying to further divide the town. We’re seeing this in our world as well, especially in the United States. I only hope those who read Unbirthday find new ways to have tough conversations with their loved ones about this.
Unbirthday is a wonderful tale that will have Wonderland lovers on the edge of their seats.
Unbirthday Rating: ★★★★★
Unbirthday was one of my top favourite books in the Twisted Tales series. Braswell is my favourite of the contributing authors, so I was delighted to see she had written the latest book in this series. Braswell did a fantastic job taking an older, but still curious, Alice and bringing her back to the nonsensical world of Wonderland. She showed that although Alice had grown up, she had new skills that made her the hero Wonderland needed her to be.
Excluding Alice’s sister, Alice actually has a very supportive family. Her parents encourage her eccentricity; it’s clear she takes after her mother with her whimsical nature. One can even argue that Alice’s sister does support Alice, she just has a very different idea as to what Alice’s life should look like. Her judgement and scolding come from a place of love, even if it is misguided.
I like how Braswell tackled the themes of nationalism and discrimination against minority groups and immigrant populations; essentially an “us vs. them” mentality that is making its way through not only her town of Kexford, but England as a whole. Immigrants and those who aren’t seen as “full-blooded” English are treated as less than. Alice, her aunt, and her parents don’t agree with this view, and oppose the mayoral candidate who is trying to further divide the town. We’re seeing this in our world as well, especially in the United States. I only hope those who read Unbirthday find new ways to have tough conversations with their loved ones about this.
Unbirthday is a wonderful tale that will have Wonderland lovers on the edge of their seats.
Unbirthday Rating: ★★★★★