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Wonderland
This novel is available in a newer edition from a different publisher.
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
393 people want to read
About the author
David-Matthew Barnes
109 books50 followersDavid-Matthew Barnes is the award-winning author of fifteen novels, three collections of poetry, seven short stories, and more than seventy stage plays that have been performed in three languages in twelve countries. He writes in multiple genres, primarily young adult, romance, thriller, and horror. Five of his stage plays have received off-off Broadway productions.
As a film producer, he has helped bring fifty films to the screen including many independent films, horror movies, and international films.
He has been selected for three Sundance Collab screenwriting workshops. He was named a finalist for the Sundance Institute YouTube New Voices Lab.
David-Matthew is the winner of the Hart Crane Memorial Poetry Award, the Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Award for playwriting, the Slam Boston Award for Best Play, and two Elly Awards for playwriting from the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance.
To date, he has written eight produced screenplays. He is a graduate of the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA.
David-Matthew is a member of the Dramatists Guild, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
He lives in Sacramento, California where he serves as the founding Artistic Director of Pioneer Players, a nonprofit theatre company producing uplifting shows including plays for young audiences and original works.
As a film producer, he has helped bring fifty films to the screen including many independent films, horror movies, and international films.
He has been selected for three Sundance Collab screenwriting workshops. He was named a finalist for the Sundance Institute YouTube New Voices Lab.
David-Matthew is the winner of the Hart Crane Memorial Poetry Award, the Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Award for playwriting, the Slam Boston Award for Best Play, and two Elly Awards for playwriting from the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance.
To date, he has written eight produced screenplays. He is a graduate of the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA.
David-Matthew is a member of the Dramatists Guild, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
He lives in Sacramento, California where he serves as the founding Artistic Director of Pioneer Players, a nonprofit theatre company producing uplifting shows including plays for young audiences and original works.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 6, 2013
Wonderland was interesting. I thought it was going to be a retelling of Alice in Wonderland but it wasn’t. I really liked the LGBT aspect of the book. Most of the characters were either gay or bisexual. I find it easier to identify with books about LGBT characters for some reason. The book is a YA book, but I think adults will enjoy it as well. The book teaches that even though the people we love may die, they never really leave us. Destiny loses her mom to cancer, but she still has good memories of her. I liked all of the characters. Even though Bettina was a pain in the ass, I liked her fashion sense. My favorite character was Topher. Even though he faced adversity every day, he never gave up. He could have stopped running and let the bullies catch him but he never did. I hope that the author writes a sequel. I would love to watch everyone’s relationships progress. I would also love to learn more about Bettina and whether or not she does have the gift of sight.
October 29, 2013
This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
==
Do you believe in magic?
That’s one of the integral questions in WONDERLAND. Almost everyone asks Destiny if she believes in magic, from her uncle to her new best friends. And she says she does, which leads her on a fantastical adventure.
Within hours of moving to Avalon Cove, to live with her new guardians after her mother’s death, Destiny meets Tasha. The two immediately hit it off, becoming best friends, and within a few more hours, Destiny has another new friend, Topher, and is on her way to Wonderland. Wonderland is a mysterious place Tasha and Topher insist she visit. But when Destiny sees the decrepit mansion, she wonders if they’re pulling a trick on her.
But they aren’t. For as soon as she steps into Wonderland, Destiny is whisked away to a magical place. It is very reminiscent of Alice falling into the rabbit hole. The mystery behind Wonderland, as well as its inhabitants, is one I’ll leave up to you to find out. That mystery is what kept me reading the book, because at first, I was a little skeptical. But trying to figure out what Wonderland was, and what was going on, kept me interested.
The reason I was skeptical because Destiny, as well as her friends, learn that their true loves are at Wonderland. And then they fall in love immediately after seeing those true loves. Insta-love is not a favorite trope of mine, but here, I set aside my disbelief and went with the story. In the end, I was pleased I did, because I liked how everything came together, how Destiny, Tasha, and Topher found their true loves. I decided to look at it as each character having their soulmate in Wonderland, which worked nicely when I found out the truth.
I also liked that the characters were so accepting and open with each other. Destiny has two gay uncles for guardians. Topher is gay and chased daily by bullies, but Tasha and then Destiny stand up for him. Tasha is bisexual, but prefers women, because “girls are way hotter than boys (p. 9).” Dominic even has two mothers. A little unrealistic? Maybe. But I hope that the acceptance of these characters will help any readers who may have doubts or fears in their own minds.
WONDERLAND is an enjoyable, fast read. I rated it as a “good read” (3 stars by my scale) because I wanted more. Due to the short length, about 260 pages, most of the book is focused on Wonderland and its mysteries. I personally wanted a longer page count, so there could be more character and relationship development. For everyone, from Destiny to her friends to her uncles. The ending was a little quick, too -- again, I wanted more. After all the struggle Destiny and the others go through to find their true loves, it would have been nice to spend some time with each couple.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was also on the blog tour for this book.
See more of my reviews:
==
Do you believe in magic?
That’s one of the integral questions in WONDERLAND. Almost everyone asks Destiny if she believes in magic, from her uncle to her new best friends. And she says she does, which leads her on a fantastical adventure.
Within hours of moving to Avalon Cove, to live with her new guardians after her mother’s death, Destiny meets Tasha. The two immediately hit it off, becoming best friends, and within a few more hours, Destiny has another new friend, Topher, and is on her way to Wonderland. Wonderland is a mysterious place Tasha and Topher insist she visit. But when Destiny sees the decrepit mansion, she wonders if they’re pulling a trick on her.
But they aren’t. For as soon as she steps into Wonderland, Destiny is whisked away to a magical place. It is very reminiscent of Alice falling into the rabbit hole. The mystery behind Wonderland, as well as its inhabitants, is one I’ll leave up to you to find out. That mystery is what kept me reading the book, because at first, I was a little skeptical. But trying to figure out what Wonderland was, and what was going on, kept me interested.
The reason I was skeptical because Destiny, as well as her friends, learn that their true loves are at Wonderland. And then they fall in love immediately after seeing those true loves. Insta-love is not a favorite trope of mine, but here, I set aside my disbelief and went with the story. In the end, I was pleased I did, because I liked how everything came together, how Destiny, Tasha, and Topher found their true loves. I decided to look at it as each character having their soulmate in Wonderland, which worked nicely when I found out the truth.
I also liked that the characters were so accepting and open with each other. Destiny has two gay uncles for guardians. Topher is gay and chased daily by bullies, but Tasha and then Destiny stand up for him. Tasha is bisexual, but prefers women, because “girls are way hotter than boys (p. 9).” Dominic even has two mothers. A little unrealistic? Maybe. But I hope that the acceptance of these characters will help any readers who may have doubts or fears in their own minds.
WONDERLAND is an enjoyable, fast read. I rated it as a “good read” (3 stars by my scale) because I wanted more. Due to the short length, about 260 pages, most of the book is focused on Wonderland and its mysteries. I personally wanted a longer page count, so there could be more character and relationship development. For everyone, from Destiny to her friends to her uncles. The ending was a little quick, too -- again, I wanted more. After all the struggle Destiny and the others go through to find their true loves, it would have been nice to spend some time with each couple.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was also on the blog tour for this book.
See more of my reviews:
January 3, 2013
I really liked the premise of the book and the idea was really good, but it lacked the character development and strong plot that would have bumped it up to 5 stars. Barnes weaves a web of intrigue in this novel that left me guessing for most of the novel. What is Wonderland? Why have Destiny, Tasha, and Topher been brought there? What is with all the vagueness? I kept asking myself these same three questions over and over again throughout this book. I feel that the description for this novel is about deceiving. It made me believe that Destiny was going to meet Dominic and that they were going to develop a relationship. Wrong. Here we have a prime case of instalove. Barnes threw the characters together for five minutes (and that is not an expression-it was literally five minutes) and all of a sudden Destiny is in love with Dominic, Tasha with Juliet, and Topher with Pablo. The book felt shorter than it was and I wish there had just been more there for me to read. It needed a bit more characterization, a bit more relationship building, and a hell of a bit more time for the characters to interact before I could believe they were actually in love. Overall the book was entertaining and I think I’ll give the author another try. I am not saying I wouldn't recommend this book to others, because I would. I would just caution them not to rush to put it at the top of their To-Be-Read pile.
July 25, 2013
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
I picked up this book fully expecting an Alice in Wonderland re-telling. I mean with a title like “Wonderland” why wouldn’t you? I soon found out that wasn’t quite what David Matthew Barnes had in store for his readers. Wonderland is a unique and mysterious story. There are still a lot of great references back to the classic tale – a tea party, a white rabbit etc. A great mixture of the old and the new.
The premise of Wonderland is really neat. After moving to Avalon Cove, Destiny meets two locals – Topher and Tasha – who take her to this amazing place called Wonderland where there is only one rule – you have to believe in magic. And if she can accept this one rule she will soon meet her one true love. I’m not usually one for the whole “love at first sight” thing. But I did enjoy the sort of fairy tale feel this novel had that let me suspend my disbelief for 200 pages.
Throughout this story I found all the central characters extremely likeable. Destiny is just a nice person, Tasha is head strong and doesn’t let anyone push her around and Topher (my favourite of the three) is incredibly brave. Even though he is chased and bullied every day he keeps his chin up and stays optimistic. And I adored Destiny’s uncles! They reminded me so much of my own uncles (except that their singers, not magicians).
My only real complaint with Wonderland is that is all felt a bit rushed. At only 200ish pages there just wasn’t enough exploration of the plot and characters. I liked the characters but you never really get to know them. They’re thrown together and then events happen really fast. They also accept everything that happens a little easily. I think the book could have benefited from more explanation and more actual time in Wonderland itself.
Recommendation: A good read for those looking for something quick and light. A fun cast of characters and a romantic story would make this a great beach read. But those who are anti-insta love should stay
I picked up this book fully expecting an Alice in Wonderland re-telling. I mean with a title like “Wonderland” why wouldn’t you? I soon found out that wasn’t quite what David Matthew Barnes had in store for his readers. Wonderland is a unique and mysterious story. There are still a lot of great references back to the classic tale – a tea party, a white rabbit etc. A great mixture of the old and the new.
The premise of Wonderland is really neat. After moving to Avalon Cove, Destiny meets two locals – Topher and Tasha – who take her to this amazing place called Wonderland where there is only one rule – you have to believe in magic. And if she can accept this one rule she will soon meet her one true love. I’m not usually one for the whole “love at first sight” thing. But I did enjoy the sort of fairy tale feel this novel had that let me suspend my disbelief for 200 pages.
Throughout this story I found all the central characters extremely likeable. Destiny is just a nice person, Tasha is head strong and doesn’t let anyone push her around and Topher (my favourite of the three) is incredibly brave. Even though he is chased and bullied every day he keeps his chin up and stays optimistic. And I adored Destiny’s uncles! They reminded me so much of my own uncles (except that their singers, not magicians).
My only real complaint with Wonderland is that is all felt a bit rushed. At only 200ish pages there just wasn’t enough exploration of the plot and characters. I liked the characters but you never really get to know them. They’re thrown together and then events happen really fast. They also accept everything that happens a little easily. I think the book could have benefited from more explanation and more actual time in Wonderland itself.
Recommendation: A good read for those looking for something quick and light. A fun cast of characters and a romantic story would make this a great beach read. But those who are anti-insta love should stay
November 4, 2013
Destiny Moore leaves Chicago to live with her new guardians, Uncle Fred and Clark, on Avalon Cove. Her uncles are an adorable couple who go together better than peanut butter and jelly. However, Destiny soon believes Avalon Cove isn't as picturesque and serene as it seems. She meets Tasha and Topher, two teens who are semi-loners, who bring her to the looming and foreboding Wonderland dilapidated manor. At Wonderland Destiny meets the glamorous Adrianna who assures Destiny that like her name, she has a destiny awaiting her.
Adrianna informs Destiny, along with her two friends, that each will have the chance to find their true love but have a very important choice. As Destiny agrees to become a magician's assistant to her uncle she battles the most important question of the novel, Is magic real?
I thought this was a very well-written and imaginative novel. I had this intense sense of foreboding during the duration of my reading experience. I truly could not predict where the author was going to take me on this literary journey. However, I could not relate nor connect with the characters besides Topher. Topher is bullied by Neanderthal-type boys at school and my heart went out to him. Topher hid behind his female friends to defend him and in the end gained his own self-confidence to defend himself, which turned out to be the most redeeming part of the novel.
Tasha was a self-proclaimed bisexual who stated that girls were much more hotter than boys and she literally ended up with her own Juliet. But, I couldn't believe Destiny's choice nor find it believable since there wasn't enough chemistry in my opinion between her and Dominic. If I were her I would honestly say I would have made the more moral choice and chosen the other path. All in all this was a unique novel and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a great young adult LGBT book!
Reviewed at: Lipstick Lesbian Reviews.
Adrianna informs Destiny, along with her two friends, that each will have the chance to find their true love but have a very important choice. As Destiny agrees to become a magician's assistant to her uncle she battles the most important question of the novel, Is magic real?
I thought this was a very well-written and imaginative novel. I had this intense sense of foreboding during the duration of my reading experience. I truly could not predict where the author was going to take me on this literary journey. However, I could not relate nor connect with the characters besides Topher. Topher is bullied by Neanderthal-type boys at school and my heart went out to him. Topher hid behind his female friends to defend him and in the end gained his own self-confidence to defend himself, which turned out to be the most redeeming part of the novel.
Tasha was a self-proclaimed bisexual who stated that girls were much more hotter than boys and she literally ended up with her own Juliet. But, I couldn't believe Destiny's choice nor find it believable since there wasn't enough chemistry in my opinion between her and Dominic. If I were her I would honestly say I would have made the more moral choice and chosen the other path. All in all this was a unique novel and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a great young adult LGBT book!
Reviewed at: Lipstick Lesbian Reviews.
January 11, 2014
read this in one sitting, and it was such a sweetly written book!
Its hard to describe it without giving the whole story away, so i wont say much about the storyline!
But it is a total feelgood book, giving you a chance to take a closer look at what you believe in and if its right?
it all begins with Destiny who moves to live with her Great Uncle and his boyfriend, Clark in Avalon Cove after her mum passed away from cancer and gave guardianship to them.
The Uncle runs a magic show and shop and its struggling to keep above board. The first day destiny is plonked in front of the cash register in the gift shop when a girl, who's name is revealed as Tasha stops at the window and they instantly strike up a friendship. Tasha introduces her to her friend Topher who is constantly on the run from 3 bullies because hes gay. tasha protects her friend.
The question everyone asks is "Do you believe?"....Destiny isn't sure why this is such an important question, but all becomes clearer as the book goes on.
The writing flows fluidly, no empty areas where you drift off or skim read, no bad language or adult content, so totally appropriate for the younger readers, and as i said - a feel good book thats a nice easy read.
Made a pleasant change from my usual doom and gloom of the paranormal world!
Read on behalf of Bewitching Tours for an honest review
Its hard to describe it without giving the whole story away, so i wont say much about the storyline!
But it is a total feelgood book, giving you a chance to take a closer look at what you believe in and if its right?
it all begins with Destiny who moves to live with her Great Uncle and his boyfriend, Clark in Avalon Cove after her mum passed away from cancer and gave guardianship to them.
The Uncle runs a magic show and shop and its struggling to keep above board. The first day destiny is plonked in front of the cash register in the gift shop when a girl, who's name is revealed as Tasha stops at the window and they instantly strike up a friendship. Tasha introduces her to her friend Topher who is constantly on the run from 3 bullies because hes gay. tasha protects her friend.
The question everyone asks is "Do you believe?"....Destiny isn't sure why this is such an important question, but all becomes clearer as the book goes on.
The writing flows fluidly, no empty areas where you drift off or skim read, no bad language or adult content, so totally appropriate for the younger readers, and as i said - a feel good book thats a nice easy read.
Made a pleasant change from my usual doom and gloom of the paranormal world!
Read on behalf of Bewitching Tours for an honest review
January 13, 2013
I have been waiting for this book since the author announced it would be coming out. I was intrigued by the concept and it did not disappoint. There are moments when there are Alice in Wonderland elements, however, it is not that at all. There is more romance and magic involved. Quite a few twists and turns as well.
The character I enjoyed the most was Topher. Not only is his name interesting, but I liked his character and how he begins to stand up for himself in the face of his bullies. I would have liked to have seen more of the story but from his point of view.
The only issue I had with the book was towards the end. I felt that it wrapped up so quickly! I wanted more! Adrianna tells Topher and Tasha what to expect, but I didn’t want that at all. I wanted to see, from their perspectives, what happens in order for them to save their soul mates. I wish it had been more difficult for Destiny, too. I felt that it was almost too easy for her at the end.
Aside from this, I did enjoy the novel. Perhaps a sequel with Topher in the lead roll?
The character I enjoyed the most was Topher. Not only is his name interesting, but I liked his character and how he begins to stand up for himself in the face of his bullies. I would have liked to have seen more of the story but from his point of view.
The only issue I had with the book was towards the end. I felt that it wrapped up so quickly! I wanted more! Adrianna tells Topher and Tasha what to expect, but I didn’t want that at all. I wanted to see, from their perspectives, what happens in order for them to save their soul mates. I wish it had been more difficult for Destiny, too. I felt that it was almost too easy for her at the end.
Aside from this, I did enjoy the novel. Perhaps a sequel with Topher in the lead roll?
May 15, 2013
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
January 29, 2014
Wonderland is a really really not good book. Yeah, it was bad. Like really bad. Like not just ‘plot holes you can drive a truck through’ bad but ‘this makes no sense at all’ bad. Read the rest of the review at Bisexual Books
January 12, 2013
I loved the idea, I just had a few issues with the characterisation and some of the dialogue... I was sent an arc for this to review which I will do when I can assemble some thoughts!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews