Alice But Not Alice

Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

I am not a fan of the Alice in Wonderland books, so I was not exactly thrilled when the theme for my August Lit-Cube was Steampunk Alice in Wonderland. The swag in my box changed my mind and so did this book.

This was not a Wonderland story in any way, though the characters were all characters from Lewis Carroll's classic novel. Being as I am not a part of the steampunk movement (although what I've seen is way cool), I am not sure what makes this a steampunk novel. That did not detract from the story for me though; meaning I didn't dwell on what made this steampunk.

Alice is a reformed criminal, if you will, in this book. She was a pickpocket and a thief in general. When she was ten, she and her younger sister, Bess, were plucked from a factory by a wealthy man called Jabberwocky. Bess was to be a companion for Jabberwocky's mother, but Alice was to be a part of his criminal enterprise because she was quick and smart.

At any rate, Alice had been away from this line of work for over a year, but gets brought back in to clear the debt of Henry, the man (the hatter) who is in love with Bess. Alice is brought in by William, also known as the Caterpillar, to steal a priceless gem for the Queen of Hearts. Alice is in love with William.

I don't want to say too much because this book is short and I am afraid it will give too much of the book away. Definitely one to read, and when time permits, I'll probably check out the other books this author has written.