Review: Wonderland by Juno Dawson
Wonderland is a quick paced psychedelic exploration of the highs and lows of the lives of the upper class told through the eyes of Alice who attends the elusive Wonderland party in an attempt to find her missing friend Bunny. I am a huge fan of Juno Dawson’s work and Wonderland was no exception. I was fully immersed in this experimental story which really embodied the nature of the party it was portraying.
Alice such an original lead and I loved her determination and her self-awareness; she constantly battles with her inner saboteur and her character is all the more realistic as a result of her visible flaws. I also loved the open conversation surrounding Alice’s transitioning and the varying attitudes towards her as a transgender woman which can be uncommon in fiction books but is so important to document as a reflection of our modern society.
As with Dawson’s other works this book is not afraid to shy away from the gritty areas of society dealing with complex issues such as drug use and sexual assault which are also so important to have an open conversation about as they are both real issues dealt with in modern society. Because of the nature of this book it is definitely better suited for older readers so please be aware of this going into this book.
I was utterly absorbed in this world as I was with both Clean and Meat Market, which are too set in high society London. As these three books are a part of the same loosely connecting trilogy I loved the references that were made in relation to its two predecessors. Alongside this I also loved the connections to Alice in Wonderland and the parallels drawn to the story was super fun and intriguing to see throughout the story.
Wonderland was an utterly captivating read that I was curiouser and curiouser to see unfurl, I loved this adventure down the rabbit hole and I was desperate to discover where this trippy story was heading. Dawson’s fiction is always so addictive and this story was no exception.
This review is written by our volunteer YA reviewer Rose Gant.