Review: Insanity

Title - Insanity

Author - Cameron Jace

Genre - YA Fantasy Retellings

Published - December 19th 2013

Publisher - CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Format - Kindle 

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

Review

Alice has spent the last two years locked up for the murder of her classmates including her boyfriend the only thing is she doesn't know how. Her mother and sister visit but it’s clear they all think she’s insane after telling stories as a child about the monsters of wonderland it’s no surprise. When a killer on the loose draws the attention of a serial killer locked up for murder he reaches out to Alice intent on using her to help catch the killer.

Alice agrees to join Pillar on the attempt to catch the series kill who is killing young girls after all it’s her first chance of freedom in two years. Pillar is sure that she is the Alice from the books but even Alice doesn't believe that but she still wants to save the girls. Together they save Constance from the Cheshire cat but he steals her back forcing them to hunt down other wonderland beings. Will they be able to find Constance before it’s too late? Will she be locked up for good? What about her past?

I wasn't sure how I felt about Alice after all she had no memories and was living in a mental asylum. As the book progressed Alice’s character got better and I really started to like her, she just kept getting better. I wasn't sure about Pillar but while he may not be a good guy I found myself liking him even if he is a killer. The author introduces several other characters I'm hoping to see more of in future books as well as some we haven't met yet.

I've had Insanity on my TBR list forever but just never found the time till now to give it a shot.  I was drawn into Alice’s world right from the start she lives in a world filled with the sane and insane and madness around every corner.  I think the author has done a fantastic job taking the Alice concept using his own ideas to make it new and refreshing. The idea of them living among the humans was really creative as well as the wonderland monsters. The characters are engaging I was able to connect with them I even liked the bad guys. Insanity is a fast paced action packed story that is hard to put down. While this is my first book by the author I know already it won’t be the last I’m looking forward to checking out his other books. I also can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment of Alice. 

4 out of 5 stars