Hookah

Insanity #4

by Cameron Jace

A Plague Scarier than Death

Alice and the Pillar have to stop a Wonderland Monster who'd lashed out an incurable disease onto the world. Their biggest challenge is that the world loves this monster so much.

A Cure Larger than Life
The only way to save the world is to travel to the other side of the globe, and peek into one of Lewis Carroll and the Pillar's darker pasts.

A Truth Madder Than Fiction
This time, the price of saving the world is too high. Alice will have to live with the consequences of the maddest logic of the world surrounding her.

Will Alice find who the Pillar really is? What he wants? Is she brave enough to handle the one Wonderland Monster she'd thought was a good friends? And even so, is the world ready the truth?

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror, Fairy Tales, Urban Fantasy

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2015

About the author

Bestselling 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.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth is madder than fiction

Another fun and crazy ride... We get a few more answers to some question, though some of those answers lead to more questions ;-)

I have this nagging feeling in my head about Tom Truckle but can't put my finger on it , grrr. Hopefully the answer to him will be in the next book.

A hint at the end about the Pillar and a certain someone certainly has my interest peaked... really hope this isn't the last we hear of him. The timing of it and what he said has me really curious, definitely more to the story there. And with Fabiola back to her old self, and her tattoo... hmmm

The part with Lewis Carroll and his darker alter ego Carolus Ludovicus was very well done. I love how that was presented and where Mr. Jace went with it... Clever plan too of his, with everything that went on. And now we know she is the Real Alice for sure. I am DYING to know what she doesn't remember and the truth of her first journey through Wonderland.

Fun too how so much of Wonderland has impacted history with this and the lives the Wonderlanders have made for themselves.

The one scene near the end with them stabbing the cure into the world leaders butts was hilarious. Wish there some snapshots of that *sighs* My imagination will suffice ;-)

The March Hare... I just want to hug him and keep him safe, and the fact that he is a part of the Inklings is intriguing, curious to see where he'll fit in exactly.

I need the next book now haha, highly recommend this series!

[Phoenix2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hookah was better than the last two of the insanity series, with many twists (so many twists!!) and new mysteries that add so much to the plot!! Alice is finally mature and knows what she is capable of and what she wants. There was almost no Jack :( but Pillar did get me thinking, is he bad? is he good? is he gone for good? hope not!! Loved Hookah, so 4 out of 5!!

[Nele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully mad and wonderfully insane!
This book just makes me want to have more insanity in my life. I laughed out loud at some of the phrases in the book.
"I've always wanted to blow up my employees"
"No more Sundays"
"Do I look good for the end of the world?"
And "the world is a marshmallow bubble of mess"

I absolutely loved the madness in this one. And this isn't the end, so more books to come. Can't wait
=> A dose of insanity a day keeps the doctor away

[Naty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toto je stále rovnako dobré a šialené.

[Concetta Phillipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've been reading along the Insanity series, volume 4 is a real triumph. The characters get more nuanced, the action becomes inter-continental, and you get more of everything you want in the story! What I really liked about Hookah was the focus on the background of the Pillar. So much of what we've seen of him hinted at things going one way or the other (good or evil, both or neither) and this brought his background and his foreground together to make him a complete character. And because well, the Pillar deserves his book! :-)

I really want to go back and read some more of the original Alice books again (I haven't read them since I was a child) because of how many nuanced and interesting references there are in this book, even while twisting the story in a new direction as we edge closer to the Wonderland Wars. Trying not to spoil anything, the evil side of the Wonderland Wars is growing in scale with some possible "villains with a good side" and "heroes with a bad side" and I really appreciate that. Margaret Kent remains my favorite villain in the story to this point, because I have great empathy for her situation with the queen (I have the same one with my boss!) and because I think she might surprise us along the way. Like the Duchess in the original Lewis Carroll books, she's not all bad and not all good, either.

Lest my entire review be positively glowing, I will say that this story jumps around quite a bit. I read it through the first time as written, then I started jumping around to re-read certain people's stories in the various chapters, and that helped me make sense of some of the more detailed/complicated storylines. I had to do the same thing with the Game of Thrones books, when you have such a huge cast of characters to cover in one story, you've got to move the action along to various characters in the same series of events.

note: I'm a huge fan of any of the Cameron Jace series and received a review copy. I liked it so much I went ahead and bought the final copy as well.

[Jessica George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet!

I love love love this series...it's amazing and keeps getting better! I am sad this one has ended, it means now I have to wait for the next one again! These books are so fun and creative, and I hate finishing them because then I inevitably miss the characters. This book brought all the minor characters (in the series) to life in 3-D and made the storyline even more interesting. Alice and (some of) the Inklings attempt to save the world again, with the Pillar's help and guest appearances by many of the others. Some of the minor characters get more in depth storylines this time, which I really liked. A must-read for fans of the series, fans of Alice in Wonderland and fans of Cameron Jace! But don't let the Pillar leave, he's awesome!!! I cannot picture this series with him not being a central character...Alice needs him to lighten the mood and help her to keep herself together and on pointe! Recommend!

[Bookish Devil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is like Old wine in a New bottle,
where the Wine gets better and better with age :P

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as the last one but I'm still really enjoying this series so far. The overall plot and all individual stories are starting to come together; the humour is still weird af and it's all just so mad and queer. And I hope I will enjoy the next book quite as much!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

I love these books. I find the characters interesting and love the development and interactions that happen as the story and books progress. They are dark and depressing at times but still highly enjoyable.

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In book 4 of Cameron Jace's fourth installment of his Insanity series, Alice and the Pillar are off to save the world from yet another of the Wonderland Monsters. They have three days to find a cure for the "incurable" plague that has been unleashed. They have to figure out who cooked the plague up and find a way to stop it. Also, was that Lewis Carrol who is the enemy this time?
I have been enjoying the Insanity series so much. And this book was no exception. More questions were answered about the coming Wonderland Wars and the reasons behind it. More information was given on Lewis Carrol's history and that of some more of the Wonderlanders who are stuck in the real world. People are beginning to realize that the Wonderland Wars are inevitable and beginning to choose sides. I absolutely cannot wait until book 5 comes out!!!
http://amzn.to/1XraAwH

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great book in the series. I am absolutley loving this series and how different it is each book is from the one before.

Alice in this book is encountering Lewis Carroll's evil alter ego who is killing people by making them tell each other the truth. Alice has to travel to the other Wonderlanders spread across the world in order to find the cure for the poison that is killing people.

The most noteworthy secondary character is again Pillar but in this book we get a much bigger glimpse at his past and what drives him than in previous books, making him feel like an ultimately good character, just wrongly motivated.

The storyline was brilliant and the pacing was very good. I am seriously loving this series and the different twists each book brings, I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

5 stars

[Chris B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those series that started out fantastic. I'm reading along, enjoying myself, recommending the series to all my friends... but then I start losing interest. The author starts getting "preachy" about healthy eating and how dangerous the truth is. I start losing momentum as the story arc starts drifting along. I find myself wishing the series was much shorter (see The Mortal Instruments). Overall, I have given up. I will probably talk to a few friends who managed to finish the series and find out the basics of how it resolves for my own peace of mind, but I've got other books to read.

[J. Duck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story and characters continue to develop as Alice and Pillar try to save the world once again, this time from an end of the world plague that has everyone at each other's throats. Who is this new Wonderland Monster? None other than Lewis Caroll himself.

From England to Columbia to the Vatican, this story doesn't slow down for a moment.

Wonderland characters are choosing sides for the upcoming conflict: The Wonderland Wars.

Let the madness continue...

[Thandeka Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathe taking

I am in awe. I been taking to new heights with this book. It was everything and more. The wonderland wars are on their way and I'm still waiting to know anyone's history with one another and alice. The revenge, the hate, the love I'm just in awe. I need book five like yesterday. Cameron Jace just keep out doing his self I'm hungry for more...

[keysha tipton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

I have loved this series and I've recommended it any time one of my friends ask for a suggestion of a book series to read. I love the characters so much. Each one is so rich and detailed that it's hard to put it down, you can't wait to see what happens next. This is by far my favorite series.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is still hands down the weirdest book series I have ever read. But in a good way. Is Pillar good or bad? Is Alice the Real Alice? And what is it with Lewis Carroll?

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another crazy trip down the rabbit hole. I couldn't put it down. I absolutely love this series! Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Hannah Holland]

This series may become the Never Ending Story of Wonderland. There are two more current books to read and I'm already anticipating for the release of book 7 in the Insanity series.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adoro esta serie.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – Alice is on another adventure. In this all new book she is learning that she has so much more to learn about herself and those in which she chooses to keep company with. This book is a rather fast paced book, that is really difficult to put down once you start to read it.

Within the pages of this wonderful book we start to get answers to an number of the questions that we have. However, with those answers comes even more questions. One of my biggest questions at this point is how does The Pillar know as much as he does? I mean we are told that anyone from Wonderland isn’t suppose to be able to remember a lot about it, but The Pillar knows far more then one would expect him to know at this point in the storyline.

I really enjoyed learning more about the characters in this book. It’s been an incredible ride, for sure. The truth I suppose is probably the only thing that can kill one, because the truth can hurt, it can hurt far more then anyone one person is capable of imagining.

A couple of the things that had been mentioned near the end of the book has peaked my interest. I really love how the books in this series ends and leaves a hook and a line to reel you forward to the next book. This book did just that and I cannot wait to start reading it in the near future. I am sure I will not be disappointed in reading further into the series. Book five here I came!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read the previous one and I must admit that this made it a lot harder to get into this story again. I just get the feeling that this is getting more and more complicated. By then end of it I think I'm back into the world though I still don't remember what "the circus" was exactly...and rereading it now after the fact just seems dumb. I'm guessing I will find out sooner or later any way.

As for my review: this book, this entire series even, is all over the place. That is usually a bad thing but then again this is an Alice in Wonderland retelling with an insane asylum as a central meeting place for a lot of the characters. So in one way or another it being all over the place kinda fits. In any case I'm back into this world and will try to read Wonder sooner (I don't read series back to back, that's just not my style; I like going from one world to another even if there are cliffhangers).

[Justin Schaber · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the 4th book in the series, it ought not be a surprise what sort of tilt it takes. While I don't see it ever competing for any sort of serious literary award, it is entertaining and a fairly quick read. Despite being filled to the brim with well arranged nonsense (as is rather the point), it manages to do a solid job of continuing to build the characters into something you can grasp hold of. And it does rather tug at the heart-strings from time to time.

Or maybe I'm just a sucker for a strugglingly crazy Alice.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t love this series going into it but the further down the rabbit hole I get the more I enjoy it. (See what I did there!) This one got really good. There was a lot of action and we finally learned more about the Pillar. The only thing I don’t like as much is the actual upcoming Wonderland War. I really like when Alice and the Pillar run around chasing down one monster after another. I don’t want that to stop for the bigger picture. I like the detective duo aspect of things. Oh well, everything changes. Hopefully for the better. 4 stars.

[Hannah Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book drove me absolutely BONKERS.

Cameron Lewis put such a plot twist on Lewis Carroll himself, as well as Alice too. Both didn't allow me to put my kindle down until I finished the book.

You receive their conjoined background in greater detail within this book and it will leave you hurting for Lewis Carroll and many of the other characters.

I promise I cried quite a few times.

This installment has many important details for the series so I won't say more. Just go check it out for yourself and you will understand.

[Jorjina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of the series

I absolutely love this series. Even with the errors (some grammar oopses and missing words, but you can fill in what’s missing and still enjoy the story), it’s a real page-turner. I anxiously await the twist at the end of each book, and this one didn’t let me down. I love all the characters, especially Pillar, who you never know what to expect from him. Can’t wait to get my hands on book 5!

[Victoria Frow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good. Love how you get to see another side to the well loved characters that make them seem more real and human. A bit close to home at the moment as I am reading this in January 2021 and the main element of this story is about how the characters will combat a seemingly unstoppable plague. Also love how this author can make jokes about how the Disney movie of Alice in Wonderland has made us forget about the source material. Love this series.

[Janet Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for answering my questions

This book was a great read I have found so far that Cameron Jace writes books that are unput downable. So be warned if you read this story you are likely to be losing sleep and you might even be upset that there are things to do besides read more also be warned this book brings many more questions to be answered

[Danielle Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are a genius Cameron Jace!!! I look forward to reading every book you write and I am never disappointed. Hookah was an action packed adventure with another interesting and mysterious villain. I enjoyed learning more about the characters in this book as well and I already got the next book downloaded and ready to go :)

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wild ride, full of mystery and Alice fighting the mad monsters of Wonderland. The plot has progressed nicely, and the modern world is on the cusp of the Wonderland Wars. Fabiola, the Pillar, and Tom Truckle revealed some more of their secrets, and are becoming more complex characters on closer inspection. Looking forward to seeing what adventures the next book will bring!

[Renetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

So you’re here reading this, curious if I’m still enjoying this series. I’ve made it this far so I can only answer, “Hookah, Hookah!” and hope you believe me.

Seriously though I am totally hookah’d on this series. Haha

I got more but I’ll save them for later. I’m off to process everything I just read before starting the next book. What a fantastic read!