Book Review: Alice With a Why

Book #88 for 2025: Alice With a Why by Anna James, 4/5 ★
235 pages / publishes Jan 2026 / preorder here

Goodreads blurb: England, 1919. Alyce – with a Y – lives with her grandmother, the original Alice, having lost her father during the great war. When a mysterious invitation to a tea party hits her square in the face, Alyce realises her grandmother’s strange stories of a place called Wonderland might have some truth to them after all. But the land Alyce finds herself in feels different to the Wonderland of her grandmother’s stories – for it is trapped in its own war. The Sun King and the Queen of the Moon are fighting over a stolen hour, and soon Alyce is tasked with setting it right. With the help of the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and a Sailor Fox, Alyce will have to solve Wonderland’s problems and, eventually, find her way back home.

My Review: As a lifelong Carroll fan and huge fan of James’ work, I felt confident this one would be worthwhile…and it certainly was! James did an excellent job capturing the whimsy and light adventure of the original work, while still maintaining quick pacing and providing a more accessible read for a young, modern audience. The familiar characters were lovely to encounter, and the addition of Alyce’s fox companion was a delight. It could have been a bit more of an adventure, but I think it will hit well for middle grades readers regardless. Really the only thing I was disappointed by were the illustrations. Oh well, still an excellent, fun read that will hopefully encourage some fans to try out Carroll if they haven’t before.

Thank you to Penguin Kids for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.