Happy Sunday, everyone! Today, I’m so excited to welcome you to my stop on the BBYNA (Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award) book tour for one of 2020’s finalists: Ever Alice by HJ Ramsay. This wonderful book cam in 10th place.
Now here is some information about BBNYA:
I received this book to read and review as part of the BBNYA 2020 competition and/or the BBNYA tours organised by the @The_WriteReads tours team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the 2021 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or our Twitter account, @BBNYA_Official . If you would like to sign-up and enter your book, you can find the BBNYA 2021 AUTHOR SIGN UP FORM HERE. Please make sure to carefully read our terms and conditions before entering. If you are a book blogger or reviewer, you can apply to be part of BBNYA 2021 by filling out this form (also remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up)!
BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society (If you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website!) And the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.
Book Title: Ever Alice
Author: H.J. Ramsay
Publisher: Red Rogue Press
Release date: August 1, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Historical Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Alice’s stories of Wonderland did more than raise a few eyebrows—it landed her in an asylum. Now at 15 years of age, she’s willing to do anything to leave, which includes agreeing to an experimental procedure. When Alice decides at the last minute not to go through with it, she escapes with the White Rabbit to Wonderland and trades one mad house for another: the court of the Queen of Hearts. Only this time, she is under orders to take out the Queen. When love, scandal, and intrigue begin to muddle her mission, Alice finds herself on the wrong side of the chopping block.
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Author Information
H.J. Ramsay has loved fantasy ever since she was a child. Growing up, she was influenced by movies like Legend, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth as well as books and short stories, such as The Collected Works of Brothers Grimm. She is drawn to fantasy with a darker side to its glittery world and the idea that things are never what they seem. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles and teaches writing classes at her local community college. Ever Alice is her first published novel.
My Review
I love a good Alice in Wonderland retelling, and Ever Alice is definitely a good one. Reading this intriguing retelling really showcases why this beautiful book won a BBNYA award.
Having Alice sent to an asylum to fix her differentness was unique and really added a new level to this story. When Alice doesn’t conform to the surgery to help fix her so-called madness, she escapes the asylum and ventures back to Wonderland with her friend, White Rabbit. But when she returns, nothing is what it used to be, and now she’s tasked with taking out none other than the Queen of Hearts. And so begins an epic, scandalous, battle in the backdrop of Wonderland.
The characterization is phenomenal and spot on for this story. Alice grows throughout this book and learns more about who she is and how strong and capable she is. And the Queen of Hearts is, in every way, evil and maddening. Even though, as the reader, I saw that her ways were wrong, whereas the Queen believed she was delivering justice and that all her wrongdoings were justifiable. She’s the perfect opponent for Alice. But all the characters in general were well developed and had the perfect roles in this story.
I loved that Ramsay included many characters readers are familiar with, but also introduced new characters, ones who might have a wicked agenda. Ramsay’s writing really brings this retelling to life. Her writing is refreshing and she’s crafted a crisp, lush world that’s just as beautifully described as the original Alice in Wonderland. But what’s even better is that Ramsey gives her readers more details and landscape of Wonderland than what readers get in the original. Reading about an expanded Wonderland was enthralling.
Overall, Ever Alice is a great book to read if you love Alice in Wonderland retellings. Ever Alice is a book that is bound to keep your eyes hooked to the page and one you won’t soon forget!
acourtofcoffeeandbooks.com 
Fantastic review, I’m so glad you enjoyed this book!
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