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Insanity #3
Circus
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...
There is a loose rabbit with a ticking bomb in the streets of the London.
Come closer, you won'd believe your eyes...
Alice & the Pillar follow a set of clues, meticulously weaved by the most mysterious Wonderland Monster of all.
Here is the Maddest Show on Earth ... The Circus!
Where Alice's most unexpected secret will be revealed.
A secret that will turn tables on good and evil, and complicate Alice's struggles with life, love, and sanity. Will Alice regain part of her sanity back? Catch a bigger monster? Maybe find love in the most unexpected places of all?
There is a loose rabbit with a ticking bomb in the streets of the London.
Come closer, you won'd believe your eyes...
Alice & the Pillar follow a set of clues, meticulously weaved by the most mysterious Wonderland Monster of all.
Here is the Maddest Show on Earth ... The Circus!
Where Alice's most unexpected secret will be revealed.
A secret that will turn tables on good and evil, and complicate Alice's struggles with life, love, and sanity. Will Alice regain part of her sanity back? Catch a bigger monster? Maybe find love in the most unexpected places of all?
ebook
First published February 1, 2015
91 people are currently reading
1956 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Jace
93 books2,042 followersBestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A traveller and collector of out-of-print books from all over the world, obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Many of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2015 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in Yerba Buena San Francisco California. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music or enjoys the silence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
September 26, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
"You know how to get to Wonderland?" a kid who was watching the Pillar earlier asks me.
"She's insane, kiddo." The Pillar pats him. "Here, pull my finger." The kid does. The Pillar farts. The kid runs away.
This book is the best one yet, well I haven't read the 4th one, but I digress!
There are so many things going on in the book I almost felt myself going mad. I feel that way every time I read this series, but this book took the cake. No pun intended.
The Queen of Hearts is nutzy cuckoo as always, but this time obsessing over a flamingo!
The Hatter has Alice and Pillar going all over the place looking for a poor little bunny with a bomb in it that is going to blow up London, among other things.
I love Inspector Dormouse, he is hilarious. I won't say anything about his character, you can read that for yourself. I do like the banter between him and Alice.
Alice is training in None Fu and is pretty good. She finds out her sisters, Lorina and Edith have a big ole secret and it's not good... not good at all.
There is a mysterious girl named Mary Ann... who is she? Go find out :)
The end was crazy and threw me for a loop. I'm not sure what all is going on or what all is happening or what all is real!!!!! I'm just as mad as they are!
Another wonderful book by Cameron Jace!
"You know how to get to Wonderland?" a kid who was watching the Pillar earlier asks me.
"She's insane, kiddo." The Pillar pats him. "Here, pull my finger." The kid does. The Pillar farts. The kid runs away.
This book is the best one yet, well I haven't read the 4th one, but I digress!
There are so many things going on in the book I almost felt myself going mad. I feel that way every time I read this series, but this book took the cake. No pun intended.
The Queen of Hearts is nutzy cuckoo as always, but this time obsessing over a flamingo!
The Hatter has Alice and Pillar going all over the place looking for a poor little bunny with a bomb in it that is going to blow up London, among other things.
I love Inspector Dormouse, he is hilarious. I won't say anything about his character, you can read that for yourself. I do like the banter between him and Alice.
Alice is training in None Fu and is pretty good. She finds out her sisters, Lorina and Edith have a big ole secret and it's not good... not good at all.
There is a mysterious girl named Mary Ann... who is she? Go find out :)
The end was crazy and threw me for a loop. I'm not sure what all is going on or what all is happening or what all is real!!!!! I'm just as mad as they are!
Another wonderful book by Cameron Jace!
July 25, 2015
I am a mad, mad girl in a mad, mad world, it's not a bad, bad thing if I am crazy.
Another crazy-wonderful-insane installment in this messed up yet lovely world;-).
It starts off yet another Wonderlander causing trouble and Alice/Pillar off to save lives. But once again all is not what it seems.
We do get some answers about Alice's past.. but yet I am not sure what to believe. A few things had me thinking 'okay, that kinda makes sense' while others had me scratching my head.
Is she the 'Real Alice'? Signs do point that way but yet there are some instances where things don't add up. I'm sure there'll be a few more twists before the whole shebang comes to light and it probly won't be a straightforward path;-).
The Wonderland Wars are gaining speed and there is an insane/improbable plan involved that may not be so out there after all.
The ending I had to read twice, WTH Pillar? Haha, that clever bastard. I demand an explanation ;-)!
Makes me even more anxious to have book four in my hands now.
The flashback scenes with a certain part of the story *hugs certain people * Clears up a motivations I suppose, still want to smack people.
Highly recommend this series! :) This would make a good mini-series or movies methinks.
Another crazy-wonderful-insane installment in this messed up yet lovely world;-).
It starts off yet another Wonderlander causing trouble and Alice/Pillar off to save lives. But once again all is not what it seems.
We do get some answers about Alice's past.. but yet I am not sure what to believe. A few things had me thinking 'okay, that kinda makes sense' while others had me scratching my head.
Is she the 'Real Alice'? Signs do point that way but yet there are some instances where things don't add up. I'm sure there'll be a few more twists before the whole shebang comes to light and it probly won't be a straightforward path;-).
The Wonderland Wars are gaining speed and there is an insane/improbable plan involved that may not be so out there after all.
The ending I had to read twice, WTH Pillar? Haha, that clever bastard. I demand an explanation ;-)!
Makes me even more anxious to have book four in my hands now.
The flashback scenes with a certain part of the story *hugs certain people * Clears up a motivations I suppose, still want to smack people.
Highly recommend this series! :) This would make a good mini-series or movies methinks.
August 15, 2015
As I said earlier, Circus is my favorite book in Insanity series. Why?
Because:
- We learn more about Alice’s past;
- We learn if Alice is the Real Alice (or maybe we’re cruelly deceived?);
- We learn who Black Chess are. Finally;
-And so on.
BUT! I DID NOT EXCEPT SUCH BOOK ENDING, though at the same time I was wondering why the 4th book in the series is called “Hookah”. Damn you, Caterpillar! You’re so sweet, mad, willy monster from Wonderland.
I read the book in less than a day, which doesn’t happen a lot. I’m reading the Thirteen’s Tale for a three weeks already and something made me to read the Circus. And I thankful to this something. Because the book hooked me from the beginning and till the very end. And I did as Cameron said, how to read this book:
"Begin at the beginning and go until you come to the end. Then stop.
Which I did. I read this mad book."
Want to say, if you didn’t like cruel things in the 1st and the 2nd book –you’ll like the 3rd more, because it is less cruel... in a way. There are no watermelons, blowing heads and dancing corpses. There are riddles, the Mad Hatter, Wonderland and many cute, fluffy rabbits. Who, at the end of it all, twisted everybody around their little finger.
Starting with two chapters of prologue the reader is immediately sent to Hatter’s mad world, but is he as mad as it may seem on the outside? The author wrote a very twisted story and, frankly, I do not know how to live up to December because the fourth book must be awesome.
Let’s talk about the characters.
Alice Wonder – nineteen-years-old girl, who finally (really?) accepts her maddens. All people around her keep telling she is mad. All people (or monsters?) – keep believing she’s the Real Alice. But is it right? Throughout the book, Alice goes through a lot to remember her past. Pillar says she’s the One, Fabiola – she’s not. And only Alice knows, who she really is. You say this is mad? Yeah, you’re right, because the whole book is mad.
Pillar. Oh, Carter Pillar, you are such a suspicious character. You inspire confidence since the first book – 12 corpses on your conscience is nothing. But everybody keeps telling Alice you can’t be trusted. But why? We still don’t know the answer to this question. I hope we’ll know it in “Hookah” and his motives, and his thoughts, and why he is such a wig with Alice.
One of my favorite moments is when Pillar takes care of Alice:
"If you don’t tell us how to free her from the bracelet, I will eat you for dinner. Wait. That’s not quite impressive. I will kill you, cremate you, and then smoke you and get high on your grave."
The Hatter. The Hatter twisted everybody around their little finger. Why? You must read the Circus on your own to know the answer to this question.
A March Hare always seemed to me the maddest person of Wonderland. His presence in the book - one of the most important.
Special thanks to the author for Alice's sisters - I was puzzled until the end of the book, I did not know how they are related to her past, and who they really are.
More appreciation for being told about the gardens, which are created by Charles Jencks. The wonders of Garden of Cosmic Speculation – this is how the real Wonderland should look!
“So what is this garden exactly?” I scroll through my phone, staring at the unbelievably amazing pictures of the inside of the garden. Uncannily, it reminds me of Wonderland. I think whoever sees it would think of Alice’s books instantly. I wonder why Lewis Carroll movies haven’t been shot here.
I could tell more about the Circus, but I don’t want to tell spoilery moments, so… 5 of 5 stars! I loved the book! And I want December so mad! Did I just say mad? I mean bad, so bad!
P.S.: Cameron, does every book has own key? ;)
Because:
- We learn more about Alice’s past;
- We learn if Alice is the Real Alice (or maybe we’re cruelly deceived?);
- We learn who Black Chess are. Finally;
-And so on.
BUT! I DID NOT EXCEPT SUCH BOOK ENDING, though at the same time I was wondering why the 4th book in the series is called “Hookah”. Damn you, Caterpillar! You’re so sweet, mad, willy monster from Wonderland.
I read the book in less than a day, which doesn’t happen a lot. I’m reading the Thirteen’s Tale for a three weeks already and something made me to read the Circus. And I thankful to this something. Because the book hooked me from the beginning and till the very end. And I did as Cameron said, how to read this book:
"Begin at the beginning and go until you come to the end. Then stop.
Which I did. I read this mad book."
Want to say, if you didn’t like cruel things in the 1st and the 2nd book –you’ll like the 3rd more, because it is less cruel... in a way. There are no watermelons, blowing heads and dancing corpses. There are riddles, the Mad Hatter, Wonderland and many cute, fluffy rabbits. Who, at the end of it all, twisted everybody around their little finger.
Starting with two chapters of prologue the reader is immediately sent to Hatter’s mad world, but is he as mad as it may seem on the outside? The author wrote a very twisted story and, frankly, I do not know how to live up to December because the fourth book must be awesome.
Let’s talk about the characters.
Alice Wonder – nineteen-years-old girl, who finally (really?) accepts her maddens. All people around her keep telling she is mad. All people (or monsters?) – keep believing she’s the Real Alice. But is it right? Throughout the book, Alice goes through a lot to remember her past. Pillar says she’s the One, Fabiola – she’s not. And only Alice knows, who she really is. You say this is mad? Yeah, you’re right, because the whole book is mad.
Pillar. Oh, Carter Pillar, you are such a suspicious character. You inspire confidence since the first book – 12 corpses on your conscience is nothing. But everybody keeps telling Alice you can’t be trusted. But why? We still don’t know the answer to this question. I hope we’ll know it in “Hookah” and his motives, and his thoughts, and why he is such a wig with Alice.
One of my favorite moments is when Pillar takes care of Alice:
"If you don’t tell us how to free her from the bracelet, I will eat you for dinner. Wait. That’s not quite impressive. I will kill you, cremate you, and then smoke you and get high on your grave."
The Hatter. The Hatter twisted everybody around their little finger. Why? You must read the Circus on your own to know the answer to this question.
A March Hare always seemed to me the maddest person of Wonderland. His presence in the book - one of the most important.
Special thanks to the author for Alice's sisters - I was puzzled until the end of the book, I did not know how they are related to her past, and who they really are.
More appreciation for being told about the gardens, which are created by Charles Jencks. The wonders of Garden of Cosmic Speculation – this is how the real Wonderland should look!
“So what is this garden exactly?” I scroll through my phone, staring at the unbelievably amazing pictures of the inside of the garden. Uncannily, it reminds me of Wonderland. I think whoever sees it would think of Alice’s books instantly. I wonder why Lewis Carroll movies haven’t been shot here.
I could tell more about the Circus, but I don’t want to tell spoilery moments, so… 5 of 5 stars! I loved the book! And I want December so mad! Did I just say mad? I mean bad, so bad!
P.S.: Cameron, does every book has own key? ;)
December 13, 2015
The deeper you get into Circus, the more you want to read it. A mystery within a mystery for sure!! And the twists! the final one was the biggest one!! So, in Circus Alice chases a rabbit with a bomb stuck in it that threatens to explode at any time. Through the chase, she will enter circus and get a small taste of who she was. But that taste is more than enough to leave you want for more. Two more crazy books to go, Can't wait!!
May 1, 2019
These stories are so fun and fast to read. Circus is the 3rd book in the Insanity series. Alice Wonder is a nineteen year old girl locked up in an asylum for driving a bus full of kids into a tree. Everyone on the bus died, except Alice. In the asylum she meets the Hookah smoking Professor Carter Piller, who killed 12 innocent people.
In each book Alice must face a Wonderland Monster and save the world. In each book Alice finds out more about her past and who she really is. Think, muchness. The Wonderlanders do not believe she is the "real" Alice and Alice doesn't know for sure if she is either.
Soon I think it will make all the difference, for there is a war a brewing. A Wonderland War! Wonderlander vs the human race. Who will win? How many more monsters will come out of the wood work? Will Alice find the six impossible keys?
So excited to read more. I own the 4th book Hookah. I think I'll pick it up very soon.
In each book Alice must face a Wonderland Monster and save the world. In each book Alice finds out more about her past and who she really is. Think, muchness. The Wonderlanders do not believe she is the "real" Alice and Alice doesn't know for sure if she is either.
Soon I think it will make all the difference, for there is a war a brewing. A Wonderland War! Wonderlander vs the human race. Who will win? How many more monsters will come out of the wood work? Will Alice find the six impossible keys?
So excited to read more. I own the 4th book Hookah. I think I'll pick it up very soon.
June 9, 2016
"The Maddest Show on Earth always started at six o'clock.
It also ended at six o'clock.
Any time in between was, you guessed it, six o'clock."
What a mad, mad, world. My mind is blown.
This book was amazing and everything I could ask for in this magnificent third installment of this maddening series.
God, where do I even start!?
Since page one, I was deeply intrigued and anxiously excited to know where this book was going. I was not dissapointed, like at all.
I've always wondered where the Mad Hatter was hiding in this series as it is a famous and well known character in the Alice In Wonderland storyline, I was thrilled to finally see him in this book.
The
After last week's Muffin Man, our favorite mad people, Alice Wonder and Doctor Carter Pillar, are are it again now trying to catch the bombing-rabbitbefore it, well, bombs.
They are set towards a trail of clues to find the rabbit before its too late but in the way, Alice will find the truth of her mysterious past, the truth of the Wonderland Wars, and maybe a way to stop the maddening Queen of England destroy humanity.
This book was insane, and brilliant and so very intense. I loved how this series is going, I'm so in love.
This is creative and mad beautiful, I need more people to notice this series and read them! they are AMAZING, probably one of my top 3 faves, is2g.
Ok my thoughts; Even though this book is actually and sadly real short, the story doesn't seem rushed and goes into a well fast-paced writing that keeps you turning the pages non-stop. The writing overall is mysterious and hilarious, the one that keeps you entertained.
I'm also impressed at how well this book was thought through, this must have took some serious hours of thinking and research to come up with all of this. Unless he's insane, obviously. I'm jk. No, but seriously, Cameron Jace is brilliant and I really do value probs all the hours he took on research to make the story more interesting and believable so that's a great praise for you, my friend!
Moving on, the plot of this omg. This book took such a more twisted turn to the overall storyline of this series which is saying much comparing it to the two other books. And I can proudly say I'm loving it.
Some of the things revealed are so heartbreaking and unbelievable I found myself crying at it, like tbh.
Alice, is such a strong character compared to how she was in the first book. She has grown herself to this insanity inside herself, and Its quite calming for her I guess.
Poor Alice also found herself not knowing really what is real and what is not and I've truly come to thinking that it must be real hard feeling that way, being in an actual fight with you own mind should be really mind breaking, no pun intended. She also unravels new secrets that are equally as shocking and unbelievable, like really i didn't know if I should laugh or cry at the irony. (Not laugh in a mocking way, for godsake)
But as in parts was twisted and confusing, this series always manages to make me laugh and it did. I love how Alice has come like 100% done with all of this shit she is like being a sassy bitch and I love her.
"You are saying you are pushing my imagination to the limits until I won't be able to imagine anymore. Right? And that only then I will be forced to retreat back to reality. Is that how you treat all of your patients? Because I don't think I've ever heard about this."
"It's a scientific process," His rocking chair creaks againsts the floor. "We call it the Rabbit Hole"
"You're kidding me right?"
I died laughing, lmao. Alice can't handle the irony, I feel you homie.
Moving on, I'll like to add like the Pillar wasn't really as involved in this book, and it kinda frustrated me bc I love him and his sassy remarks, but it was also great seeing Alice unraveling answers and shit by herself. Yas.
Omg, Alice also went to her home, for some clues obviously. But we finally get an inside on her two sister, Lorina and Edith, and oh god I was so confused + a None Fu fight worth reading + plot twists.
+ We met, the March Hare, yay! Whom is nuts, obviously. And is like in this super high tec asylum. But he is really great, I really look forward to see more of him.
+ The Queen and Duchess, Margaret Kent, are organizing and Event, no one knows about + the Queen obliges the Duchess to kiss her hand + The Queen sent a flamingo to the asylum. Real gr8.
Omg, the ending. I don't know why but the ending are always my favorite part of every book, and if an ending was bad i literally always give it -1 star in rating sorry.
But this ending, omg this ending, didn't disappoint AT ALL. I'm brave to say It was even better than the first or second's book endings.
It was full of answers, that lead us to more questions, and madness, and jump scares, and kickass, and tiger lilies, and Alice's Syndrome, and confusion, and plot twists !! It messes up with your mind, I like to say. You'll have a very new perspective of the Wonderland Wars at the end of this book. And on EVERY character, I'd like to add.
Gosh, this ending was SO intense and explosive. I wasn't expecting NONE of what we got when I read it, I needed to re-read it a couple of times bc it was all too much too handle. So many plot twists and turns and omg. My mind is really exhausted. Def a must need.
Overall, this book was amazing, and maybe slightly better than the second one. Ok, when I read the first one I thought it was amazing and like anything I had read before and thats why I read the second one, which I finished and thought was much better than the first one and I was really surprised but then I read this one, and this just KICKASS. Even though the three books I love them unconditionally, I need to remark this series goes better and better.
If you haven't read this, you should, like RIGHT NOW.
Beware of who you trust and your own mind!
"I am mad, mad girl in a mad, mad world, it's not a bad, bad thing if I am crazy."
July 18, 2015
Love this series!!!
I have been obsessing about this series and was lucky enough to catch this release during one of my bi-monthly checks of all my favorite authors' releases, when I saw "Insanity 3-Circus" had finally been released!!! Read it in two days (only took so long because I had to work in between) and it was as amazing, if not better, than all the others so far! Circus brings together a lot of Alice's past and helps with answering parts of some questions, and some of the motives of Black Chess are brought to light by the Queen. Alice is invited to the group but opts to try to begin gathering the "good guys" before the Wonderland Wars. Cannot wait for the fourth book, I just love this series!!!
I have been obsessing about this series and was lucky enough to catch this release during one of my bi-monthly checks of all my favorite authors' releases, when I saw "Insanity 3-Circus" had finally been released!!! Read it in two days (only took so long because I had to work in between) and it was as amazing, if not better, than all the others so far! Circus brings together a lot of Alice's past and helps with answering parts of some questions, and some of the motives of Black Chess are brought to light by the Queen. Alice is invited to the group but opts to try to begin gathering the "good guys" before the Wonderland Wars. Cannot wait for the fourth book, I just love this series!!!
July 20, 2015
This book embodies everything that I like about Cameron Jace. The stories grow more nuanced at the same time as running amok with madness and fun.
I envision that somewhere Cameron is there's a "Beautiful Mind" style wall with pictures of characters and references and little red strings connecting each of them to each book. Each character has a sense of continuity yet at the same time, grows in context of new situations, new characters, and new attitudes.
We're starting to see more of Alice's past in this one, and puzzle pieces are starting to come together before the upcoming Wonderland Wars. I actually thought we might go to war in this one, but what I thought I could predict about the Circus was delightfully twisted into a totally different way.
My only lament? Margaret Kent is kind of becoming a wuss in this series. I had this view of her as this delicious, evil, scheming mini-Queen, and here she seems to be totally controlled by the Queens whims. I hope she snaps out of it!
I envision that somewhere Cameron is there's a "Beautiful Mind" style wall with pictures of characters and references and little red strings connecting each of them to each book. Each character has a sense of continuity yet at the same time, grows in context of new situations, new characters, and new attitudes.
We're starting to see more of Alice's past in this one, and puzzle pieces are starting to come together before the upcoming Wonderland Wars. I actually thought we might go to war in this one, but what I thought I could predict about the Circus was delightfully twisted into a totally different way.
My only lament? Margaret Kent is kind of becoming a wuss in this series. I had this view of her as this delicious, evil, scheming mini-Queen, and here she seems to be totally controlled by the Queens whims. I hope she snaps out of it!
June 12, 2016
Interesting. Can't wait to read the next one!!!!!!!
June 9, 2017
Пропуснах да напиша ревю на втората книга не случайно. "Figment" ми допадна. Имаше повече развитие, повече неща се разкриха, всичко стана още по-шантаво, отколкото беше в първата част, ала не успях да я харесам толкова, колкото харесах тази. "Circus" е любимата книга от поредицата (за сега). Разкриха се толкова неща, появиха се още герои, Алиса отново не спря да щъка ту насам, ту натам, Джейс отново успя да ме удиви с това колко интересни факти и места бе включил. Нямам думи. Откакто започнах поредицата не ми излиза от главата и въпреки че у нас има поне към двайсетина непрочетени книги, аз продължавам упорито да чета поредицата "Insanity".
..
..
..
Лоша книга.
Лоша поредица.
Но най-вече лош автор.
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..
..
Лоша книга.
Лоша поредица.
Но най-вече лош автор.
July 28, 2015
Circus may be my favorite installment of the Insanity series thus far. This time, Alice has to track down a rabbit with a ticking time bomb that someone, presumably The Hatter, has set loose. Along the way, Alice learns about what exactly happened that led to the Wonderland Wars (the circus) and why some Wonderland characters are caught in the human world or stuck in Wonderland. Alice also learns more about her past with her family, but we still have yet to learn more about her experiences in Wonderland, assuming she is the real Alice. I think we still have quite a journey with Alice left to go, as it has become apparent that the Monsters are all after one thing: the 6 Keys, so they can return to Wonderland.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2016
If the first book of the series had the effect of a 'Gun Shot',
and if the second book of the series had the effect of a 'Grenade' going off,
This, 3rd book of the series had the effect of a 'Nuke Explosion' !!
and if the second book of the series had the effect of a 'Grenade' going off,
This, 3rd book of the series had the effect of a 'Nuke Explosion' !!
December 1, 2023
The epilogue💔
October 22, 2015
Alice and the Pillar are off to try to stop another one of the Wonderland Monsters as he terrorizes London. And this time,a rabbit with a ticking bomb inside it has been let loose in London and the trail leads them to the Maddest Show on Earth! At this circus, more of Alice's secrets will be revealed, and you'll find out more about why the Wonderland "monsters" are so determined to wage war against the humans and to make their way back to Wonderland. Their methods are questionable but as their backstories reveal what the people of the "real" world have put the Wonderlanders through, I found myself empathizing with the monsters and their vendetta. More of the Wonderlanders who are managing to fit in with human society are revealed.
Honestly, Cameron has done it again with Circus. Often, in some of the "longer" series, I find myself struggling to make it through one or two of the "middle books". But, this has not been the case with Cameron's Insanity series. Each one has had me spellbound, wanting to find out what's going to happen next. At the end of each book, I find myself excitedly waiting to read the next. The characters are very well written. They are well rounded and have depth. There are no "pure" villains or heroes. Every single one has flaws and strengths. I have found myself empathizing with every single villain, and at times, wondering if the "good guys" were really that good. I like that they're not cut and dry, obvious which team they are on.
http://amzn.to/1RoRVO9
Honestly, Cameron has done it again with Circus. Often, in some of the "longer" series, I find myself struggling to make it through one or two of the "middle books". But, this has not been the case with Cameron's Insanity series. Each one has had me spellbound, wanting to find out what's going to happen next. At the end of each book, I find myself excitedly waiting to read the next. The characters are very well written. They are well rounded and have depth. There are no "pure" villains or heroes. Every single one has flaws and strengths. I have found myself empathizing with every single villain, and at times, wondering if the "good guys" were really that good. I like that they're not cut and dry, obvious which team they are on.
http://amzn.to/1RoRVO9
October 21, 2015
"To a degree, we're all mentally ill, Alice. It's just that on a scale of one to ten, you're infinity in your illness. Infinity means straitjacket in an isolated cell."
Holy shit! I'm now almost entirely convinced that Cameron Jace has at least a bit of insanity in him to come up with all this insanity fiesta -- that is a compliment, by the way. I mean the things I've read so far complete blow my mind. My mind is still reeling from all that.
And don't get me started on that ending. I had my suspicions before but I didn't want to believe in my theories. Guess, I should have then that ending wouldn't make such an impact on my mind. Mind-blown!
I'm not sure of Pillar's physical characteristics since it's been a while since I last read the first book. For some reasons though, I keep on picturing him as Red Reddington from The Black List. Anyone? Yes? No?
Anyway I'm really looking forward to the next book!
February 4, 2017
This was another great book in what is now one of my favourite series.
Alice in this book is fighting time and an explosive bunny that supposedly the 'Hatter' sent out into the streets of London. Alice also discovers a whole host of things about her past and her family and her time in Wonderland. And she finds out why the Wonderland Monsters are so evil to humans.
The most noteworthy secondary characters in this book are The Queen of Hearts and The Pillar. The Pillar is the same as in the other books, mysterious and awesome; he's appearing to be a bit like Snape that you won't know whether he's a good guy or a bad guy until the end. The Queen of Hearts (The Queen of England) comes into this book a lot as she tells the other Wonderlanders on her team what her master plan is.
The storyline is excellent and original and the pacing is brilliant leading all the way through, dropping a few bombs on the way and then scaring the pants off the readers at the end with the evilness of some of the key characters.
5 stars, this series goes from strength to strength.
Alice in this book is fighting time and an explosive bunny that supposedly the 'Hatter' sent out into the streets of London. Alice also discovers a whole host of things about her past and her family and her time in Wonderland. And she finds out why the Wonderland Monsters are so evil to humans.
The most noteworthy secondary characters in this book are The Queen of Hearts and The Pillar. The Pillar is the same as in the other books, mysterious and awesome; he's appearing to be a bit like Snape that you won't know whether he's a good guy or a bad guy until the end. The Queen of Hearts (The Queen of England) comes into this book a lot as she tells the other Wonderlanders on her team what her master plan is.
The storyline is excellent and original and the pacing is brilliant leading all the way through, dropping a few bombs on the way and then scaring the pants off the readers at the end with the evilness of some of the key characters.
5 stars, this series goes from strength to strength.
Read
February 27, 2016This one definitely had a lot more going on than in the second one and it kept my interest up to the end. I was glad to finally learn a little bit about Alice's past, but the cliffhanger at the end is driving me crazy! lol. I have no idea what is going to happen in the next book and I wish I had a copy of it right now so I could continue reading about Alice. I hope I get the rest of them soon!
March 14, 2016
This was for me the best book so far in the series. i loved the crazy wonderful world that Cameron Jace dreams up. A lewis carroll of his time! if you haven't started to read this series yet, you must!!
January 31, 2024
As always it is an enjoyable experience with Alice figuring out who she is and who she isn't. Also, she's wading through who she can and can't trust and learning parts of her past. I won't give away the story, but please take a dive down the rabbit hole for yourself!
July 19, 2015
I can't remember the last time I read an entire series of books in the span of 2 days. This series is one of a kind! I can't wait until the fourth book comes out!
February 2, 2021
Cameron Jace
Is a very clever author
Is a very clever author
August 14, 2016
Enserio, adoro esta saga. Muy muy mucho.
October 3, 2015
Another great book in the Insanity series!
April 27, 2019
“My insanity is my sanity. I am both, but I am one. If any of this makes sense.”
After being locked in an asylum for killing her friends in a bus crash and not remembering who she is, why she did it or anything before the asylum it's fair to say Alice Wonder starts to question her sanity when she is approached by fellow inmate Pillar to help hunt down and find Wonderland monsters. That's the premise of the first two books, Wonderland characters we know wreaking havoc on the streets of London leading to the impending Wonderland Wars.
I love the idea of this series, it takes the idea of the weird and wacky Wonderland we love and runs with it, full tilt crazy. The second book ended with Alice really starting to question things when she wakes up and discovers she paralysed and that the 'reality' she thought was real is really a figment of her imagination to escape the awful truth. She really did kill her friends and Wonderland and its monsters are a way for her to bury herself in her mind.
“The world is such a useless place, that’s all I can think of now. It’s full of hypocrites, liars, and selfish people.”
My biggest worry about this book was that we would still be left in the dark about a lot of our main characters past and what's to come. In the previous books, and this one Alice is constantly talked about like she's not there, people know about her and her past but won't tell her because she has to discover it for herself. After realising that there are 8 books in the series I got a little worried how long it would be before we found out anything.
So, pros and cons, we got get a bit more information, although still focusing on the villain of the week story we get a first real look at how Wonderlanders came into our world and their motives, plus finally we get a glimpse into who Alice is. This book is told via multiple view points thank goodness because we learn more than Alice does. The biggest downside, there felt like endless filler chapters that felt very repetitive. Joe blogs is waiting for some big reveal, a chapter back to Alice and then back again to Joe Blogs and still nothing is really happening. I get wanting to build suspense and for the character to be emerged in the crazy atmosphere but it felt so unnecessary.
“Mad is beautiful,” I say. “It has its flaws, but when shared with the good-hearted it’s beautiful.”
This series still has some great potential and doesn't shy away from the madness, which really works in its favour. There is a lot of second guessing to be had, especially once the idea of her really being paralysed and in denial cropped up, but I feel like that plot thread is going to be under used and forgotten about. For me; it needs to cut the pointless two page chapters and get on with it. But despite that I still gave it 4 stars because I got about half way and suddenly found myself really gripped and wanted to keep reading on my lunch break.
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After being locked in an asylum for killing her friends in a bus crash and not remembering who she is, why she did it or anything before the asylum it's fair to say Alice Wonder starts to question her sanity when she is approached by fellow inmate Pillar to help hunt down and find Wonderland monsters. That's the premise of the first two books, Wonderland characters we know wreaking havoc on the streets of London leading to the impending Wonderland Wars.
I love the idea of this series, it takes the idea of the weird and wacky Wonderland we love and runs with it, full tilt crazy. The second book ended with Alice really starting to question things when she wakes up and discovers she paralysed and that the 'reality' she thought was real is really a figment of her imagination to escape the awful truth. She really did kill her friends and Wonderland and its monsters are a way for her to bury herself in her mind.
“The world is such a useless place, that’s all I can think of now. It’s full of hypocrites, liars, and selfish people.”
My biggest worry about this book was that we would still be left in the dark about a lot of our main characters past and what's to come. In the previous books, and this one Alice is constantly talked about like she's not there, people know about her and her past but won't tell her because she has to discover it for herself. After realising that there are 8 books in the series I got a little worried how long it would be before we found out anything.
So, pros and cons, we got get a bit more information, although still focusing on the villain of the week story we get a first real look at how Wonderlanders came into our world and their motives, plus finally we get a glimpse into who Alice is. This book is told via multiple view points thank goodness because we learn more than Alice does. The biggest downside, there felt like endless filler chapters that felt very repetitive. Joe blogs is waiting for some big reveal, a chapter back to Alice and then back again to Joe Blogs and still nothing is really happening. I get wanting to build suspense and for the character to be emerged in the crazy atmosphere but it felt so unnecessary.
“Mad is beautiful,” I say. “It has its flaws, but when shared with the good-hearted it’s beautiful.”
This series still has some great potential and doesn't shy away from the madness, which really works in its favour. There is a lot of second guessing to be had, especially once the idea of her really being paralysed and in denial cropped up, but I feel like that plot thread is going to be under used and forgotten about. For me; it needs to cut the pointless two page chapters and get on with it. But despite that I still gave it 4 stars because I got about half way and suddenly found myself really gripped and wanted to keep reading on my lunch break.
Don't forget you can follow & subscribe.
Bookstagram | BookTube | Goodreads | Booklikes
March 5, 2018
The third book in the series and I'm looking forward to another Wonderland murderer, though in this book nobody gets murdered...Then again there is a killer bunny running rampant in London waiting to explode...mayhem and madness all around an d that is why I like these books.
Aside from seeing a cute bunny with a bomb hopping around in my imagination, the thing I liked most about this book is that there finally seems to appear a goal in this series: collecting the Wonderland keys! I also like how we are finally, piece by piece finding out more about Alice's past. I really want to learn more about her (and about the other wonderland creatures). Also this Jack/Adam dude is really starting to get on my curiosity nerves...he is barely mentioned in this book, but when he is it just turns around everything that we've learned about him in the previous book...I do hope this will get further explored in the next book.
I'm guessing from the title that the next book will dive further into the Caterpillar's past, and about time but he for the moment is the most mysterious Wonderland creature around even though he can be considered a main character. Safe to say that I need to continue this series.
After having finished this books I can only add my own sentiment to that of the hatter. In this series the normal people are just as mad or even worse than the Wonderland loonies and this really urges me on to explore this world further. Not to mention put our own normal world into perspective...I guess the famous line "we are all mad here" does seem to hold some truth after all.
Aside from seeing a cute bunny with a bomb hopping around in my imagination, the thing I liked most about this book is that there finally seems to appear a goal in this series: collecting the Wonderland keys! I also like how we are finally, piece by piece finding out more about Alice's past. I really want to learn more about her (and about the other wonderland creatures). Also this Jack/Adam dude is really starting to get on my curiosity nerves...he is barely mentioned in this book, but when he is it just turns around everything that we've learned about him in the previous book...I do hope this will get further explored in the next book.
I'm guessing from the title that the next book will dive further into the Caterpillar's past, and about time but he for the moment is the most mysterious Wonderland creature around even though he can be considered a main character. Safe to say that I need to continue this series.
After having finished this books I can only add my own sentiment to that of the hatter. In this series the normal people are just as mad or even worse than the Wonderland loonies and this really urges me on to explore this world further. Not to mention put our own normal world into perspective...I guess the famous line "we are all mad here" does seem to hold some truth after all.
August 11, 2024
"Insanity: Circus" by Cameron Jace is a captivating addition to the "Insanity" series, and it had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who's MADly in love with the Hatter—my all-time favorite character from "Alice in Wonderland"—I was eager to see how Jace would bring this iconic figure to life in his unique, twisted world.
The Hatter's impersonation in the opening plot was nothing short of mind-boggling. I found myself questioning everything, insanely convinced at the back of my mind that something was off, that this wasn’t really him. This feeling of uncertainty kept me teetering on the edge of my own rabbit hole, almost experiencing a bit of Alice Syndrome myself—caught between reality and the madness of Jace’s imagination.
What can I say? This book, and the entire series, is an absolute page-turner. The plot twists, especially with the concept of parallel realities, took me on a wild ride, almost like a trip back to my childhood (minus the bomb-toting rabbits, of course). The way Jace captures the madness of trying to exist in a world where you don’t quite fit in is both thrilling and relatable, making the story resonate on a deeper level.
And that cliffhanger—wow! It's so finely crafted that resisting the urge to dive straight into the next book is impossible. Cameron Jace, you've done it again. Hat's off to you for creating such an enthralling series!
The Hatter's impersonation in the opening plot was nothing short of mind-boggling. I found myself questioning everything, insanely convinced at the back of my mind that something was off, that this wasn’t really him. This feeling of uncertainty kept me teetering on the edge of my own rabbit hole, almost experiencing a bit of Alice Syndrome myself—caught between reality and the madness of Jace’s imagination.
What can I say? This book, and the entire series, is an absolute page-turner. The plot twists, especially with the concept of parallel realities, took me on a wild ride, almost like a trip back to my childhood (minus the bomb-toting rabbits, of course). The way Jace captures the madness of trying to exist in a world where you don’t quite fit in is both thrilling and relatable, making the story resonate on a deeper level.
And that cliffhanger—wow! It's so finely crafted that resisting the urge to dive straight into the next book is impossible. Cameron Jace, you've done it again. Hat's off to you for creating such an enthralling series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2018
5 stars, best one in the series to date!
Come one, come all - it is time for Alice and the Pillar to defeat another Wonderland Monster! But this book is a lot of exposition as well, uncovering the past not only for Alice but also Wonderland. What is the circus, and why won't anyone talk about it? Will Alice and the Pillar be able to stop the monster of the week and the rabbit he set loose with a bomb inside of it?
What I think this book will be about:
What this book is really about:
"Sometimes, when we're fixated on reaching the end, we miss the important things along the way."
This book is all about paying attention to the little clues and that which is around you. And in life, because Jace uses madness as a metaphor, if we focus on the end we miss out on the journey along the way - and in this journey that we call life it is the sum of those things along the way that make up the life.
Come one, come all - it is time for Alice and the Pillar to defeat another Wonderland Monster! But this book is a lot of exposition as well, uncovering the past not only for Alice but also Wonderland. What is the circus, and why won't anyone talk about it? Will Alice and the Pillar be able to stop the monster of the week and the rabbit he set loose with a bomb inside of it?
What I think this book will be about:
What this book is really about:
"Sometimes, when we're fixated on reaching the end, we miss the important things along the way."
This book is all about paying attention to the little clues and that which is around you. And in life, because Jace uses madness as a metaphor, if we focus on the end we miss out on the journey along the way - and in this journey that we call life it is the sum of those things along the way that make up the life.
January 13, 2020
Turns out I was right and things got a lot more intense in book 3 for Alice and the Pillar. Lots of reviewers had said this was the best one so far and I wholeheartedly agree. There was a lot of action, a lot of background and lots of ground was covered. Also, we got introduced to some new characters which is always fun. I’ve been waiting for the Hatter since the series started, the March Hare made an appearance and the Queen of Hearts was as outrageous as the day she was imagined. One of the most intriguing parts of the book was all of the stuff that went on between Alice and her sisters. Talk about having a dysfunctional family! I’m starting to read the books faster and faster now. Can’t wait to get into the next one.
May 24, 2020
AND THEN EVERYTHING STARTED TO MAKE NONSENSE!!!!
This book opened my eyes to so much about this world and the reality of it all. With each sentence and paragraph I began to get an underlying message....an important one at that.
It is something we all struggle with daily...
Treating others as they would want to be treated.
Circus opens the door as to why some of the Wonderlanders are the way they are...
I have no many theories on who plays what role and yet...
The only one who still remains a huge mystery is Pillar....while you do discover more about who he is and "his plans", Cameron Jace will still floor you with spilled tea.
This book opened my eyes to so much about this world and the reality of it all. With each sentence and paragraph I began to get an underlying message....an important one at that.
It is something we all struggle with daily...
Treating others as they would want to be treated.
Circus opens the door as to why some of the Wonderlanders are the way they are...
I have no many theories on who plays what role and yet...
The only one who still remains a huge mystery is Pillar....while you do discover more about who he is and "his plans", Cameron Jace will still floor you with spilled tea.
February 3, 2025
This series just keeps getting weirder and weirder and deeper and deeper and curiouser and curiouser. We went all the way down the rabbit hole in this one. Seriously. Alice goes in the rabbit hole to try to stop something called 'the circus' before the Wonderlanders affected by this event decide to take over the world and enslave humanity. Alice is dealing with trying to save the world, again, all while grieving Jack and trying to figure out what is real and what isn't. Who is insane and who is sane? What does that even mean? Once again, there are tons of breadcrumbs and easter eggs to find throughout about the Alice series and Lewis Carroll's life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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