The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella

Alice wants to be a Wonder and compete in the Wonderland Trials, but she’s just an ordinary Normal girl in this inventive take on Alice in Wonderland for teens.

The Wonderland Trials (The Curious Realities, Book 1) by Sara Ella. Enclave Escape, 2022. 368 pages.

Reading Level: Teens, Ages 12-15.

Recommended For: Ages 12 and up.

Once a trap where nothing made sense, last night it became a place where I felt free and bold and brave. Where I didn’t feel like Alice—the Normal girl destined for ordinary things someone else planned. Instead I held the power to unlock my own destiny.

To see past the locked door that’s always held me back.

To believe in something more. Just out of reach.

~Wonderland Trials, p. 103

Alice always thought she was a “Normal”: the sort of people that are supposed to inhabit the world. The sort of people kept safe from the Wonders, those born with a special Gene. Normals work hard and conform. Wonders have creativity and personality. But Alice has been listening to underground radio all about Wonderland and the upcoming Wonderland Trials. She’s desperate to see Wonderland someday and hopeful that she herself actually has the Wonder Gene. When she does, in fact, get to experience Wonderland, it’s like nothing she expected. And, perhaps more importantly, she herself is both more than and less than she hoped.

As should be fairly obvious by now, The Wonderland Trials is a reworking of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The Wonderland Trials might not be quite as clever as Lewis Carroll’s original tales, but it is remarkably clever nonetheless. The better you know Alice and her original world (and not just the Disney version), the better you will understand the characters and nuances Sara Ella brings out in her new version. At times, the narrative is quite complex and inventive. Characters are nicely nuanced, and the plot will keep readers engaged. Pay attention to all the names, all the seemingly small “hat tips.” By the end of the story, Alice understands both Wonderland and herself better, {spoiler alert} she’s had her first kiss, and she also knows her sister better than before. This Alice in Wonderland story is laced with more spiritual tones than Lewis Carroll included, but they are subtle and woven in nicely. Don’t miss Sara Ella’s note at the end!

Recommended for young women who enjoy a good, clever fantasy read. We’ll be watching out for the second book!

Considerations:

• Language: “Bugger” (the book is set in England, and, therefore, an English slang term is used)
• Worldview: Although the book has clear Christian overtones (particularly at the end), Alice muses often about choosing her own destiny beforehand. Worth a possible discussion, depending on how many stories with similar messages your teen has plowed through.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: Swift by R. J. Anderson (we’re big fans of Anderson’s work! Swift is another fantasy book also published by Enclave)
• A Round-Up: Enclave Escape Round-Up (brief reviews of three more series from Enclave)
• A Resource: Fantasy Books for Teen Girls

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