Words on Unhinged by A. G. Howard (Splintered #2)

Alyssa thought that after leaving Wonderland, her life could go back to normal. Jeb remembers nothing of Wonderland, and he now acts as her newfound boyfriend. Prom is coming up, and Alyssa's family is whole again now that her mother has come back to live with Alyssa and her father.

And yet, Morpheus refuses to leave her alone. He tells Alyssa - many times - that Wonderland is in trouble. Big trouble. Queen Red's spirit has found a netherling to inhabit, and she wants revenge. Alysaa took everything from her. Red want to return the favor. Wonderland is decaying, and Red is bringing the battle to the human world. Morpheus is so desperate for Lyss's help that he comes to her, taking a human form and having the nerve to enroll at her school.

Morpheus's arrival rattles the stability that Alyssa has worked so hard to create in the wake of her trip to Wonderland. Alyssa's mother may not be what she seems, and Morpheus continues to unravel Alyssa's normal life by not only telling her dark truths about her mother's past, but also doing everything he can to drive a gap between Lyss and Jeb.

As much as she hates to admit it, Alyssa cares about Wonderland, and Morpheus, more than she'd like to admit. She hates that there seems to be no escaping Wonderland and her childhood friend. Alyssa must try to defeat Red. Even harder, she'll have to realize that keeping both her normal life and her life as a Netherling may not be possible, let alone easy. She might have to make a choice between fantasy and sanity.

I have to say, I'm not big on Alyssa and Jeb as a couple. I don't know - they just don't seem right for each other. The most obvious reason is that Lyss is almost a netherling, like it or not. Jeb is a human, and if Lyss took back her throne, it would never work out.

We don't learn a whole lot about Alyssa's mother in the first book, so I'm glad I ot to see more of her know. The thought that maybe she has her own agenda isn't one I would want to think about if I were Alyssa, having just got my mother back.

Then there's Morpheus. I kind of like that guy, jerk or no. He's hard to figure out, which is a little frustrating, but it also makes him more interesting as a character. He really does care about Alyssa, but he also seems like he would give her up for the good of Wonderland. Maybe he wouldn't like it, but he may do it. Of course, over the course of the book, it's harder for me to say that. He saves Lyss's life multiple times.

I think this was a worthy sequel. We see new characters and a lot of good character development, and the action and adventure that was in the first book continues to keep coming. I really enjoyed reading Unhinged. The ending of the book was a bit of a suprise, and I can't wait to see how Lyss gets herself out of her current situation! Since the series is a trilogy, there's only one more book to go - Ensnared. I have my fingers crossed that everything will turn out all right. 4.5 stars.

#retellings #magic #lovetriangles