Princess Alyss of Wonderland

This is a companion book to Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars books, in which we hear the “real” story of Alice Alyss of Wonderland. Lewis Carroll got it all wrong, and this is Alyss’s scrapbook from when she was in London, showing Alyss’s innermost thoughts on imagination, her experiences in London, the betrayal of Lewis Carroll, and her own self-discovery.

The Response
Okay, so I didn’t particularly like Seeing Redd, and I decided I wasn’t going to read anything else in this series, but omg!!! I saw this book and FELL IN LOVE. Yes. I am in love with an inanimate object. Do you want to know why?

This book came with letters!
And fold-out maps!
And lovely “playing” cards! (Though only have half a deck, so it doesn’t show more really count as REAL playing cards.)
And beautiful page designs and illustrations and wonderful stuff!

How could anyone who loves beautiful books walk away from this?

And you know what? It’s okay that I didn’t like Seeing Redd, because this all covers before Alyss gets back to Wonderland in The Looking Glass Wars. Also? Because it takes place before all of that other stuff, it’s not even really necessary to know what the story is really even about.

My one quibble with this book is that Alyss sounds much older than the eleven years she’s supposed to be when she started this scrapbook – it says in the first entry that she arrived in London four years ago, when she was seven, and then proceeds to talk in a very grown-up tone for the rest of the entry.

But! That is my ONLY quibble! The rest of it was lovely and wonderful and GORGEOUS.

The Bottom Line
Even if you’ve never read The Looking Glass Wars, as long as you know the basic premise – that Lewis Carroll got the story all wrong, and that Alyss was really a princess trapped in our world – then you should get this book. It is all things WONDERFUL and I have positively DROOLED over it. show less

I picked this up when I picked up The Looking Glass Wars that is to say, during New York Comic-Con 2009 when the author spun me a grand tale that had me enchanted. I count myself extremely lucky as this seems very hard to find now!

I'm a fan of those '-ology' books honestly, I like books like that with little hidden messages and interactive things to read and handle. Its a great way to get kids interested. This book doesn't disappoint me at all in that respect. There is nine different little letters and flip open cards to read as well as the beautifully illustrated playing cards to 'Wage the War' in Wonderland.

The book itself is written like a diary-scrapbook, meant to be a companion to the series as Alyss jots down what she remembers show more about Wonderland and doesn't want to forget ever. There are dozens of illustrations throughout the book--some are clearly meant to be 'hand drawn' by Alyss while others are pictures she clipped from places--photos offer a little insight into the time period when she lived in this world.

This isn't a book that someone who hasn't read at least the first book should be trolling through, it offers clarification and details about the events, but is not a stand-in for the real thing. Like a real journal the way Alyss describes things are from her viewpoint and perceptions (and this a young girl) so they are colored by her feelings entirely.

The book is beautiful, simply put. Whether its for a little girl who loves Alyss or someone like me who's beyond her 20's but still feels enchantment, its a wonderful companion piece. show less

This books is a Alyss Heart's scrapbook from her early days spent in London. It is extremely adorable but does require some knowledge of the series by Frank Beddor. I love the little letters that are included. I do wish it went a little further into Alyss' life.

This books is a Alyss Heart's scrapbook from her early days spent in London. It is extremely adorable but does require some knowledge of the series by Frank Beddor. I love the little letters that are included. I do wish it went a little further into Alyss' life.

This books is a Alyss Heart's scrapbook from her early days spent in London. It is extremely adorable but does require some knowledge of the series by Frank Beddor. I love the little letters that are included. I do wish it went a little further into Alyss' life.

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

I fell in love with Frank Beddor's Alyss Heart in THE LOOKING GLASS WARS. If you're a fan of the story, then you'll be impressed with this scrapbook, which includes beautiful illustrations, fun little cards, pull-out flaps, and more.

Don't come into PRINCESS ALYSS OF WONDERLAND looking for a lot more information on the story, though. This is a companion of sorts to Frank Beddor's story of Alyss, Hatter Madigan, Dodge Anders, The Cat, the city of Wonderland, and Redd.

It's a beautifully designed compendium of letters to and from Alyss and journal type entries, but doesn't tell you a lot more than what you already learned in the first book. But if you put it together with THE LOOKING GLASS WARS and SEEING show more REDD, the second book in the series, this is a fine addition to your library. show less

This books is a Alyss Heart's scrapbook from her early days spent in London. It is extremely adorable but does require some knowledge of the series by Frank Beddor. I love the little letters that are included. I do wish it went a little further into Alyss' life.