Thursday, September 7, 2023

Book Beginnings, First Line Friday, & Friday 56: The Wonderland Trials (The Curious Realities #1) by Sara Ella

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two. I'm also linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday.

This week I'm featuring The Wonderland Trials (The Curious Realities #1) by Sara Ella. This is such a fantastic Alice in Wonderland retelling. The sequel comes out later this month and I'm so excited for it.

About the Book
Solve the clues. Face your fears. Survive the Trials.

All Alice Liddell wants is to escape her Normal life in Oxford and find the parents who abandoned her ten years ago. But she gets more than she bargained for when her older sister Charlotte is arrested for having the infamous Wonder Gene—the key to unlocking the curious Wonderland Reality.

Soon, Alice receives a rather cryptic invitation to play for Team Heart in this year’s annual—and often deadly—Wonderland Trials. Now she has less than twenty-four hours to find her way into Wonderland where nothing is impossible . . . or what it seems.

The stakes are raised when she discovers players go missing during the Trials each year. Will she and her team solve the clues and find the missing players? Or will betrayal and distrust win, leaving Alice alone in a world of her own? Follow the White Rabbit into this topsy-turvy fantasy where players become prey, a sip of the wrong tea might as well be poison, and a queen’s ways do not always lead one where they ought to go.

Book Beginnings / First Line Friday
Only someone as mad as a hatter - as the saying goes - would risk her life to win a game.

Friday 56
Taking a risk is one thing. But playing a game without rules?
You might as well cheat to win.
Absolutely, one hundred percent out of the question. I refuse. Not happening.

What have you been reading lately?

16 comments:

  1. Its been a while since I've seen an Alice retelling. This one looks interesting.
    Enjoy your current read!

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  2. Ooh this sounds lovely! I never really got into Alice in Wonderland itself, but this retelling sounds like an exciting take on the whole tale! I hope you have a lovely weekend :)
    Juli @ A Universe in Words

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    1. This is the best Alice retelling I've read. It's so good! Hope you have a lovely weekend too! :)

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  3. What a great first line! And I do love a good Alice in Wonderland retelling. It's really nice that the sequel comes out so soon. Happy Friday, Ashley! I hope you have a good weekend. :D

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    1. Thank you, Lark! I hope you've had a good weekend too! :D

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  4. This sounds like a good book, one worth jumping down the rabbit hole for!

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    1. LOL! Yes, definitely worth jumping down the rabbit hole for. :D

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  5. I like the snippets! I have not read an Alice in Wonderland retelling...it does sound good! Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thank you, Cindy! Hope you have a wonderful one too! :)

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  6. That opening line certainly captures my attention!

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  7. Hey there, I've been talking to Freda about taking over (hopefully temporarily) and relaunching the Friday 56. Were I to do so, Would you participate? How much forewarning would you want to prepare for it?

    No obligation (obviously), I'm just checking the temperature of those who participated in the last one.

    HC
    http://irresponsiblereader.com

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    1. I really enjoy the Friday 56 and have been missing Freda, so I'd participate. I'd say a week or two of forewarning would be good for me. :)

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