Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* McKinney delivers an explosive, kick-ass debut, described by the author herself as, "What if Buffy fell down the rabbit hole instead of Alice?" This Alice is a black teen girl who is first seen fleeing a hospital after learning of her dad's death. She then stumbles upon Wonderland resident Addison Hatter and witnesses him battling a Nightmare, an evil entity from the dream realm of Wonderland that, as a mortal, Alice isn't supposed to be able to see. Her ability to see these dark, pernicious beings marks her as a human who can kill Nightmares instead of simply sending them back to Wonderland. As a result, Addison begins training Alice to battle Nightmare creatures. When Addison is poisoned, Alice must find an antidote by journeying into the heart and bowels of Wonderland—a place that is as dangerous as it is whimsical, as deadly as it is beautiful. McKinney breathes new life and fierce empowerment into Carroll's classic. Her Wonderland is menacing, lush, and unique and populated by nuanced characters that are fleshed out and refreshingly authentic. This is the Alice in Wonderland retelling the world has always needed. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews
In this compelling reimagining of Carroll's famous heroine, we are introduced to a black Alice who courageously battles monsters appropriately called Nightmares in the dream realm of Wonderland. Alice also battles grief in the loss of her father, violence in her Atlanta neighborhood, and a clingy mom. In this action-packed fantasy remix, readers will simultaneously cheer our heroine and hang on for the ride. Copyright 2019 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
McKinney's debut novel introduces a no-nonsense, cosplaying, dark-skinned Alice with coily hair charged with defending two worlds while still making it home for curfew. The same night 17-year-old Atlanta resident Alice Kingston's father dies, she's attacked by a Nightmare, "a manifestation of humanity's fears," and saved by "punk rock Prince Charming" Addison Hatta, guardian of a gateway in the Looking Glass pub between our world and Wonderland, a dreamscape of Earth. Hatta recruits Alice to fight alongside him, and from that first meeting the story races readers through her metamorphosis from lost, grieving teen to a still-grieving, world-saving, dagger-wielding "black Buffy." McKinney beautifully exposes the immensity of the pressure Alice feels to balance her duties as daughter, friend, and Dreamwalker, emphasizing the precariousness of Alice's position as a black girl alternately worried about the threat of police violence in her community and the mysterious menaces in Wo nderland. The nuanced representations of relationships, platonic and not (there is a dreamy, romantic lesbian love story), between the inclusive cast of characters are highlights of the text. Uneven pacing leads to sometimes feeling one step beyond the action and without sufficient worldbuilding. While representations of race on Earth are clearly established, in Wonderland they are conflated and lacking in nuance (Addison is white, and other Wonderland residents are described as appearing Latinx and East Asian). A thrilling, timely novel that ensures readers will be curiouser for a sequel. (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
PW Annex Reviews
Ever since police in Atlanta, Ga., killed an unarmed black girl at a school football game, Alice Kingston's mother has watched Alice like a hawk. The attention is proving problematic for the 17-year-old black Dreamwalker, who secretly guards the city's Gateway to Wonderland (the "collective unconscious of the entire world") and slays any monsters (aka "Nightmares") that attempt to cross over. Alice is pondering retirement when her mentor, Addison Hatta, contracts a mysterious disease dubbed the Madness. Fellow Dreamwalkers Dimitri and Demarcus Tweedlanov join Alice on a quest to secure help from the White Queen, but when they find the queen similarly afflicted, Alice realizes that she might have to risk more than a grounding in order to save the day. Relentless action, spiraling stakes, and a fierce heroine distinguish debut author McKinney's fantasy update of
School Library Journal Reviews
Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews
A Nightmare attacks Alice outside the hospital the night her father dies, and she is rescued by the mysterious Addison Hatta. That first encounter sends her down a path full of wonder, danger, and magic. She trains with Hatta to become a Dreamwalker, a human who crosses the Veil into the dream realm of Wonderland to fight the Nightmares. As she transforms from typical teen to superhero, Alice juggles both supernatural responsibilities and her everyday life in Atlanta as daughter and friend, including real-world challenges ranging from birthday parties to fears about police shootings and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. After a choppy prologue and opening chapter, much like Alice when she first experiences her increased speed, A Blade So Black finds its pacing and balances exposition, description, and action to move the story forward with rich imagery, emotional development, and otherworldly battles. Distinct mannerisms and speech patterns bring all the characters to life in relatable ways, with authentic, if occasionally awkward and repetitive, dialogue and narration. The narrator shares Alice's perspective, so the world of Wonderland unfolds for readers as it does for Alice. Some readers may feel frustrated with how the story jumps forward, at times developing beyond the page and keeping readers in the dark about vital world-building information. Others, however, will see an invitation to enter the world more fully through their own imagination. Those readers, like Alice herself, will dive headfirst into the action, anxious to discover what happens next.—Cheryl French 4Q 4P J S Copyright 2018 Voya Reviews.