This book is basically filled with every stereotype you can find about high school and in the end, you will actually love it exactly for that reason. I decided to read this to get rid of my book hangover when I finished the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hopkins. At first, I was skeptical about reading it, mostly because I can not stand high school stereotypes, but since Jennifer Mathieu will be at Bookcon I decided it would be best to read one of her books before I go.
Before you read it you must know that you will be asked at least twice if the book is about Alice in Wonderland despite the cover (trust me it happened to me five times in one day). And since many people refuse to look at the back of the book even though they already are holding it, you will have to explain that if it is not Alice in Wonderland then what is it?
The book itself has an amazing message that will make you think next time you hear a rumor about someone. Throughout the book you are confused on what to believe. There are various times in which you are certain Alice did everything people accused her of but in a single moment your opinion changes. It is an exciting mystery and the different point of views add life to the novel.
I personally enjoyed that Alice's point of view does not come up into the end of the story, leaving you to decipher what is true without hearing the second person's side of the story. The small town atmosphere helps show how fast rumors spread. Since i do have a tenancy to go to smaller schools, I have witnessed how face rumors spread in a small area. The story has a lot of meaning in what lies and rumors can do to you.
The characters are unique and have more to their character than the stereotypes Mathieu has bestowed on them. Kurt, the school freak and nerd, is the only person who knows the truth about what happened between Alice and Brandon. Kurt keeps the secret hidden because he loves Alice through all her flaws and wants to be her friend more than anything. Josh was in the car when Brandon dies. Josh is one of the major jocks of the school and I believe may of had a thing for Brandon. He is afraid he caused the accident so he put the blame on Alice. Kelsie is from a super religious family and will do anything to be on the inside. She is trying to move on from a bad event in her life. Elaine is the most popular girl in their school and is a bitch. Throughout the story you realize that she is very insecure and jealous of Alice making her bitchy. The characters do annoy you at times but once you see why they are the way they are, you begin to understand them.
The only thing that irked me a little was the writing style of a few of the character's point of views, but you get used to it after a couple chapters.