Simon James Green

A novel that will have you laughing out loud one minute, and swooning the next! In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where he gets to know the other teen misfits who work there. Alex starts to come out of his shell, and even starts to develop feelings for co-worker Ben ... who, as Alex's bad luck would have it, has a girlfriend. Then as debtors close in on Wonderland and mysterious, threatening notes start to appear, Alex and his new friends take it on themselves to save their declining employer. But, like everything in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it seems...

Alex in Wonderland

A novel that will have you laughing out loud one minute, and swooning the next! "Simon James Green is one of the most hilarious, heart-flippingly romantic, charmingly observant writers in the game right now." Becky Albertalli, author of Love, Simon In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where hegets to know the other teen misfits who work there. Alex starts to come out of his shell, and even starts to develop feelings for co-worker Ben... who, as Alex's bad luck would have it, has a girlfriend. Then as debtors close in on Wonderland and mysterious, threatening notes start to appear, Alex and his new friends take it on themselves to save their declining employer. But, like everything in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it seems...

Jude Moon

4.5/5 ✰.

 “Being human means being flawed, imperfect, messy. But you can't beat yourself up for that. And I don't think you can beat other people up for it either.” - Simon James Green, Alex in Wonderland.

Is this book the best book I've ever read? I don't think so. The best written? I don't think so either. However, this book made me Feel a lot of things at once; it made me cry and it made me laugh, and more importantly, it made my time reading it easier to get through, so that is what makes a great book for me.

Let's begin saying how exposed I felt because of Alex??? That boy and me are the same person in too many aspects it was even scary to read. Okay, in a more serious note I must admit I hadn't felt as connected to a character in a long time as I was with Alex. I loved reading a protagonist so real and close to me, it's one of the best feelings I can find in literature. Adding to Alex's personality and characterization, I also loved his relationship with Ben. YA literature has given me a lot of great couples, but it has also given me so many relationships based on miscommunication I can't even take it anymore. That's why seeing these two go throughout the story figuring out how they work out as friends and as something more while maintaining an open conversation whenever problems arose was incredibly satisfying to read. Oh yeah, give me open communication, just what I like.

I don't have much to say about this story apart from the general comments on it being super easy and fast to read and the plot being quite fun and entertaining also. I think YA still lacks stories starring queer teenagers which don't revolve about being queer, and I feel like this book manages to do just that: normalize gay boys having summer romances and adventures like any other teenage boy. It makes me very happy <3.

Alex in Wonderland

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