Sunday 16 November 2014

REVIEW; Insanity, by Cameron Jace




Rating: 

Genre: Thriller, Fantasy, Young Adult

Recommend: Yes/No

SPOILERS

Summary:
Alice Wonder is a patient in Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum after murdering her classmates, including her boyfriend. Locked up with only her flower as company, she dreams of escape and attempts to trick the guards in an effort to run away. Her family believe she is insane but Alice is given a chance to prove her sanity when another patient takes an interest in her. Professor Caterpillar convinces Alice that she is the real Alice from Wonderland and that she is needed to help him. There is a mass killer on the loose, going by the name of the Cheshire Cat and according to the Professor, only Alice can help him catch the monster and in doing so find the real Wonderland. Alice is allowed out of the Asylum to pose as a student as she helps decode the clues and edge closer to catching the killer and saving lives.


My Thoughts:
I was really intrigued by the blurb of this novel and it sounded like exactly my type of mind-bender novel... however, unfortunately I just didn't 'get' it and DNF'ed at 51%. It really takes a lot for me to give up on a book but when I've been attempting to get through it after a few weeks and it's a struggle to pick up, I can't ignore them signs. 

I loved the start/introduction of the whole story. The writing appeared to be quirky and Alice was an intriguing character. 

Overall, the whole plot/story seemed rushed and just stitched together in a haphazard way that I couldn't follow. I expected this to be a mental challenge but it seemed too bonkers for me. I just lost interest and got frustrated at it. I couldn't engage properly with any of the conversations between the characters and it left me feeling like they had no depth or substance to them. 

I found Pillar's involvement with Alice and how everything occurred after she agreed to help him, just unbelievable and disjointed. I don't mean unbelievable in a realistic way as this is a Fantasy novel but their interactions just didn't come off as sound and the circumstances/events that are created just didn't fit with how the novel began. 

I give one star simply for the beginning of the novel as it really set my hopes high and was captivating but unfortunately it got too crazy as I went on and I just couldn't continue. It may be a novel I'll return to in a few months to give another try as it has got such great ratings.