Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy #1) by Frank Beddor

Beddor, Frank. The Looking Glass Wars. Speak, 2007. 400 pages. ISBN-10: 0142409413. ISBN-13: 978-0142409411.

Plot:
Alyss Heart is the beloved princess of Wonderland. Her mother, Queen Genevieve, is a benevolent ruler, but Genevieve’s sister, Redd, is evil and has sworn revenge on Genevieve for taking what she saw as her rightful place as ruler of Wonderland. On Alyss’s seventh birthday, Redd atacks Wonderland. She kills Alyss’s parents and the father of her best friend, Dodge, but Alyss escapes with Genevieve’s bodyguard, Hatter Madigan. The two of them jump through the Pool of Tears, a portal to earth. They are separated in the process and Alyss ends up as a street child in London, while Hatter spends the next 13 years getting into trouble as he searches the world for her. Soon, Alyss is taken in by the Liddell family, who change her name to Alice and raise her as their daughter. At first Alyss insists on telling everyone who she really is, even going so far as to tell her entire life story to the Charles Dodgeson who promises to write a book about her. He creates the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but Alyss is outraged that he fictionalized her life story in such a way. Eventually, though, even Alyss begins to forget who she is as she grows up and even agrees to marry Prince Leopold. Hatter discovers her shortly before her wedding.

Meanwhile, in Wonderland, things are getting worse. The few rebels who are still loyal to Genevieve are planning to take back the queendom, but they can’t do it without Alyss. Dodge has grown up to be a good warrior, but he’s a bitter man set on revenge. When a wounded Hatter arrives back in Wonderland, Dodge decides to go after Alyss himself, kidnapping her from her wedding. Now that she is back in Wonderland, the rebels expect her to lead them, but Alyss isn’t sure that she can.

Critical Evaluation:
This is such a great premise for a book. Taking the story of Alice in Wonderland - one that already has controversy concerning the truth surrounding it - and turning it into a “true” science fiction novel is a clever move. Beddor includes all the well-known characters but gives them a twist. His use of their names and certain qualities are enough to make them recognizable to anyone familiar with the original story, but they’re still quite different from the original. The story celebrates the power of imagination and Beddor was certainly using his when he created his Wonderland.

This book contains features to satisfy all manner of readers. There are elements of fantasy, science fiction, romance, history, and plenty of action. Beddor created a fascinating world complete with its own politics, fashion, weapons, inventions, and various types of inhabitants. Though he’s created an impressive world, he didn’t fall back on his fantastical environment to support the story; the plot is also complicated and exciting. The supporting characters are entertaining and really round out the story. However, it’s the main characters, particularly Alyss, Hatter, and Dodge, who are impressively written. Beddor gives them each their own secrets, motivations, love and pain in a very convincing way. He writes both male and female characters well. Beddor is a imaginative writer who has created a captivating novel that leaves the reader hungry for more.

Reader's Annotation:
This is the true story of Alyss Heart, the rightful heir to the Wonderland throne.

Author Information:
Frank Beddor was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from the Catholic private school, Benilde-St. Margaret's School, in 1977. He was a competitive skier and was the World Freestyle Skiing Champion in 1981 and 1982. After he left competitive skiing, he turned to film work. He had a few small acting parts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He then worked as a producer of films and video games, including the successful film There’s Something About Mary.

While in London for the U.K premiere of There’s Something About Mary, he visited The British Museum and was inspired to write his Looking Glass Wars series. The book was rejected by every major publisher in America before being published in the U.K. After becoming popular there, Penguin agreed to publish it in America. Beddor has also written graphic novels, created a card game, a video game, an apparel line, a musical CD, and a possible musical theater production all based on his Looking Glass Wars novels.

Genre:
Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:
English: Comparison to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Booktalking Ideas:
  • Introduce this as the "real" story of Alice in Wonderland.
  • Discuss what it would be like to be thrust into a completely strange world.
  • Talk about the power of imagination.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
14 and older

Challenge Issues:
Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:
  • Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
  • If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
  • Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
  • Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:
Everything related to Alice in Wonderland has experienced a resurgence in popularity recently. This is a great twist on the traditional story.