Eighth grade is a hard place to be, and Celia and Tyrus each struggle with being different.  In their real world, they are like chalk and cheese.  They feel disconnected from the other kids that surround them every day.  Bullied and tormented, they struggle with how to be themselves and to stand up against the mean people who want everybody to be a clone and fit into “the” box.   

Celia and Tyrus are the main characters with many others who contribute greatly to the story line.  Celia is a bit of a rule follower but also a little snarky and pessimistic while Tyrus is more kindhearted and books are his safe haven.  Joining them is Sylvan who is a small rabbit.  She comes from a long line of rabbits who love Wonderland and only want what’s best for it.  Sylvan is instrumental in helping Celia and Tyrus discover their purpose and she’s often their cheerleader.  Sometimes she’s encouraging them and sometimes she’s having to push a teensy bit harder. 

Thrown together under unlikely circumstances, Celia, Tyrus, and Sylvan navigate and travel through Wonderland.  As they interact with some fascinating, yet eccentric characters, they discover several things about themselves.  The first is that they are stronger together because friendship is a powerful tool.  Second, it’s okay to be unique, even if unique seems weird to others.  The third is that the pendulum will always swings back at some point. 

This whimsical story is basically a shout out to Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice’s Adventure In Wonderland.  The author is a huge fan of Dodgson and creates an amazingly fun world that draws the reader in and doesn’t let go until the end.  The great thing is that it’s not necessary to have read the original book in order to enjoy this one.  All of the characters are intriguing.  The bad ones are frightful in a kid-friendly way and the good ones are delightful.  The pacing moves quickly right from the beginning.  Young or old, boy or girl, this could be a fun read for any age.

J. Scott Savage has written three other series with at least eleven books.  From the way this one ended, I think there’s a strong chance there will be a sequel.  Also, based on his fun writing style, I would suggest checking out his other books.  

Review of an Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Shadow Mountain

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  Mention that a girl’s father died 3 years ago; an animal really wants to eat 2 young teens, no bloodshed; implied carnivorous plants; another animal wants to eat 2 young teens but they fight their way free; mention that an animal has previously torn invaders apart; a boy of 12 was attacked by an animal and turned into an animal; a story of 2 children who died by falling, no details; mention that when a certain woman is unhappy, she often sends people off to be beheaded, no gory details; a woman threatens to play a game with people’s chopped off heads; animals are used to play a game but are unharmed; 2 young teens find several people and animals who have been beheaded but are still alive and doing well, they share heads; a giant wasp attacks a butterfly, implied that it killed her, a little descriptive; a man is attacked by soldiers, a fight ensues, a small amount of blood mentioned later; 2 soldiers dangle a young teen boy over the edge of a balcony several floors up in the air; a woman commands a young teen boy thrown to his death and a young teen girl to be taken to the guillotine and beheaded; a man hits a small animal and it slams into a wall, no death; a long scene where 2 young teens are bullied, called names, embarrassed, and had food thrown at them; an imaginary man encourages 2 young teens to kill themselves.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of Father, dyslexia, speech anxiety, IEP (individualized Education Plan), bullies, kids called names and made fun of at school, mean monarchs, beheading.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None