Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Title: Unhinged
Series: Splintered, #2
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books
Date Published: January 7, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

My Thoughts and Ramblings:

Unhinged is the second book  in the Splintered series by A.G. Howard.  In my experience, second books tend to be more of a miss than a hit. Fortunately, I found that I really enjoyed Unhinged for the most part.

Unlike in Splintered, where most of the story takes place in Wonderland, Unhinged mostly takes place in the human realm. I really enjoyed seeing how Rabid and Morpheus reacted to that. Especially Morpheus. Speaking of Morpheus, can I just say that I like him even more than I did in Splintered? He's not exactly the kindest or compassionate person. However, there is just something very alluring about him. He had so many layers to his personality, and I would constantly guess his motives and intentions.  I am almost positive that he puts on a front in order to protect his heart, however. Ok, enough gushing about Morpheus.

Yes...there is a bit of a love triangle in this series, and normally I hate them. But for some reason, I don't mind it this time. I like Jeb, I do. I think he would do anything for Alyssa. But there was just something...off or missing about him. I can't put my finger on it. There were a couple of times that I wished he would have stood up for himself more.  I don't know...I guess I just liked him better in the previous book.

As I said, I don't really mind the love triangle so much, and that's because there are so many other things to like about Unhinged, and the series in general. Howard is so creative, and I am just fascinated by all of her characters, descriptions, and just the whole ongoing plot. Then there were the revelations. A couple of the things that I learned made my jaw drop and another made me grin from ear to ear.

I am really hoping that we will see more character growth in Alyssa in the next book- Ensnared. In some aspects we already saw that. She does stand up for herself and she's coming to grips with her powers. At other times, she could be so impulsive or naive. Unhinged ends in a cliffhanger, and I have a feeling that we will see Alyssa reach new heights.