Review of Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Title/Author: Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard
Publisher/Date published: Amulet Books, January 7th 2014
How I got this book: bought it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland — where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So do you guys remember how much I LOVED Splinterd?? Cause I have so much love for that book, it's not even funny. And I was beyond exstatic to hear that it would be a TRILOGY instead of a standalone and I would be getting the answers to the questions I still had at the end of Splintered. So obviously I was doing happy dances when my pre-order came early!

And you guys, A.G. Howard did not disappoint with Unhinged! It was wonderful and mad and twisty and I just wanted to ignore EVERYTHING and read this whole book in one sitting. Alas, there were some things that demanded my attention, but this meant I could live in the amazing world A.G. Howard has created for several days, so it was all good in the end.

Alyssa is still her quirky, off-beat self, and I loved seeing the struggle between her human-side and her netherling-side and the pull she feels towards both Jeb and Morpheus. Well, she's not really fighting the pull to Jeb and while I did really love him in Splintered, I think my heart belongs to Morpheus in the end. There's just something about that boy that makes me smile and want to hug him and wants to shove Alyssa towards him so they can be happy in Wonderland together! For all of his trying to hide it, he's actually doing everything he can to help Alyssa and I love him for it.

There are so many secrets, secrets being kept by Alyssa's mother, by Morpheus, by Alyssa herself... It's an intricate web that obviously would come crashing down at some point and I loved seeing it unwind. There were some shocking revelations and I was SO feeling for Alyssa! It's all such a beautiful mess!
Also, I totally love all the Wonderland madness! It's dramatic and at times sort of straight forward and logical and at other times utter madness and it just makes my heart happy. I love the jewels and the wings and the talking insects and just YES!

I liked that we got to see so much more of Alyssa's homelife and while her dad annoyed me at times, he's actually a really good father and truly cares for Alyssa and her mother. And it was good to see Alyssa be so protective of her 'real world' friends and family and how scared she was as Wonderland came dripping into it.

What I'm trying to say: I freaking loved Unhinged and OMG THAT ENDING! AAAAH! I CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS WAITING FOR THE THIRD BOOK! So if you haven't started this series yet: you should. Please. Because it is that amazing.

My rating: 5 stars