“Let the Trials Begin”

‘Ello there, mates!!

You’re in for a treat today, for I have gone to all the trouble of adapting a double-spaced paper to un-double-spaced form for all of you. You’re welcome.

(aka I didn’t make time to write you all a normal post so dug this out in the hopes that it doesn’t bore you to tears)

This is no ordinary paper, however. I was tasked to write a critical review of an item of my choice for my college writing class last year. I, of course, selected my favorite book. The Wonderland Trials!! Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I received top marks and was asked if my paper could be used as an example for future classes. Free marketing for my favorite book?? Sign me up.

If reading academically assigned papers isn’t your cup of tea, that’s unfortunate. You’re going to have to wait until next week for something more to your tastes. Very sorry. (or ofc you can go look at someone else’s blog whilst you wait for my brain to start working again. Your choice)

No more disclaimers. Here ’tis, in all its intellectual glory.

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In The Wonderland Trials, (the first book in a fantasy duology written by Sara Ella which retells the tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) readers follow Alice on a topsy-turvy journey through London, Wonderland, and her wildest dreams. All Alice has ever wanted is to find her way to Wonderland and compete in the Wonderland Trials, a high-stakes series of annual games. But will she be prepared to face all that she’ll find there? The Wonderland Trials is a wonderful choice for Christian teens looking for a clean and engaging read because it has all the elements necessary for a great book: plenty of imagination, an eye-catching cover, subtle but commendable themes, a captivating plot, and new yet familiar characters.

Everyone has heard the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” The only reason this saying exists is because it seems everyone judges books by their covers. If it’s a dull cover with poorly done design, the book is likely to be passed over. If the book is eye-catching and draws one’s attention, then readers will gravitate towards it. The Wonderland Trials passes the cover test with flying colors! The book is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like a playing card done in appealing shades of blue, white, and gold, with gold sparkles around the outside edge drawing attention inward. There are also elements of foreshadowing featured on the cover, such as a key, a cup of tea, and Big Ben, the clock tower in London. Stephanie Whitman comments, “Sure, the cover was what initially grabbed my attention (I mean, come on, it’s gorgeous), but the story made me stick around.” A great story must be accompanied by an equally great cover, or potential readers will dismiss the book due to its unappealing cover design.

While the characters, plot, and world-building of novels can be intriguing and amusing, it’s still important to take note of the subtle themes that accompany the storyline. Several of the central themes of The Wonderland Trials include “found family,” trust, and arguably the most important of all, faith in that which is unseen. Lindsey Z. comments on this last theme, “I went into this book not expecting any Christian or faith content and that helped my enjoyment of the story.” The Wonderland Trials has a subtle allegory skillfully woven through it, and Sara Ella signs off with Hebrews 11:1. This verse discusses faith and belief without sight. This theme definitely applies to Christian young adults today, who at some point have all struggled with trusting when they can’t see. Throughout the story, Alice struggles to discern who is worthy of her trust and who is out to betray her. As she works through her confusion concerning trust, she erroneously accuses those who love her, but in the end she learns from her mistakes and finds out what it truly means to trust. This struggle is applicable to us as well. Sometimes, in our crazy world of differing opinions, we lose sight of who is trustworthy and who isn’t. And in her search for the family who left her behind, Alice discovers that those who truly matter are the family she’s found. We all have a true family, the one we’re born with. But those who care for us and put our best interests first are also worthy of the title “family,” and become a “found family” of sorts. Even as Alice pursues truth, the readers will uncover it with her.

Friends are particularly important in any teen’s life, and the characters from The Wonderland Trials are so relatable, yet still unique, that they’ll leave the readers wishing that they were real so that they could be friends. As Hailey Huntington states, “The characters were well-written, and had plenty of layers…Sara did a great job writing them, and I loved the found-family themes she wove into the characters and their dynamics.” The characters are so vivid that they seem to jump off the page. Madi’s renewed friendship with Alice and fear of losing her again is sweet, and the mysterious yet lovable Chess Shire is the perfect love interest and foil for the ever-practical Alice. Readers will see themselves in Madi’s loneliness after her friend moves away, Chess’s cheerful façade over insecurities, and Alice’s questioning where she belongs and what is still true. Lindsey Z. reflects, “I can’t say that any characters stood out to be a favorite for me, but I liked how they all had their strengths and weaknesses that they bring to the story plus their own backstories that we aren’t always privy to and how it affects them.” The same principle is true in regards to those with whom readers come into contact on a daily basis. Remembering this will help them better understand those around them.

Much as a book is impacted by the design of its cover, it’s also impacted by the way it’s written. If the book has gaping plot holes or glaring typos in it, the story suffers. Fortunately, that’s not the case with this topsy-turvy tale! The writing itself is poignant and humorous, and the story and plot are well
written and thought out, down to the last plot twist. The Wonderland Trials is written in British English, as opposed to American English. This is very appropriate, considering where the story occurs, and super fun for American readers. As Grace Johnson raved, “I loved the Briticisms! It’s extremely rare to find an American novel written in British English, but I love how Ella went that route—from her phrases to her spellings!” The Wonderland Trials is written in first-person from Alice’s point of view. This helps us get into her thoughts and unique perspective. Her internal dialogue is incredibly fun, and readers will appreciate the humor that comes through Alice’s thoughts. The story flows easily, and usage of suspense and tension is superb.

The Wonderland Trials is a beautifully written masterpiece and a clever nod to the original, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It’s a refreshing read and a bright spot in a bookstore full of books bristling with dark characters and even darker themes. Good books are hard to find, but The Wonderland Trials is definitely worthy of a second glance. By skillfully blending an aesthetic cover, great themes, loveable characters, a well-written plot, and a healthy dose of imagination, Sara Ella will take teen readers on a thrilling journey though Wonderland and that which lies beyond the borders of their own imaginations.

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So that is that, and I hope I’ve convinced you to read it. *shoves book at whoever made it this far* It’s not fangirling, which is my preferred method of discovering new books, but it makes good points. And it has sources!! which are boring (actually, I took them out of MLA formatting just for you so now they’re just links and therefore much less boring than they were originally) but must be included per the rules of using other people’s words.

Here they are (highly recommend checking out the link to Of Blades and Thorns; it’s my all-time favorite review of this book everrrr and also she was free to fangirl so consider it the enthusiastic cousin of my calm as a cucumber scholarly paper. The Madi to my Alice, so to speak).

• Hailey Huntingdon
• Of Blades and Thorns
• The Espresso Edition
• Books for Christian Girls

Also, I recommended this book to Luca over at Lighten Up the Page, and here’s her review: le review. It’s much less formal than mine, so give a hurrah!! for informal writing because where would we bloggers be without it.

I’ll tell you. We wouldn’t be blogging. We would be writing down intellectual thoughts in MLA formatting in some college library somewhere, eager to publish our works in scholarly magazines so that the rest of the academic world could read them.

But I digress.

I honestly do have more interesting posts in the works. Trust me. My procrastination game is just too strong. Just ask my friend Annie, who has been waiting for a letter from me for literal months now (I’m so sorry!! Honestly and truly I will finish that letter ANY DAY NOW AND SEND IT TO YOU!!!)

What’s taking up all your time?? Preferred methods of procrastination and/or distraction?? Is this format better than the random book thoughts of a few weeks ago?? (please don’t say yes; this took forever to write. there were probably also tears. idk, it’s been a year) Any book recommendations for me to supplant this one’s position as my favorite?? I’m all ears. Talk to me, squad.

Always,

🫖Ava🫖