The Secret of Safe Passage

Taking Wonderland #1

by Martin Baynton

Ali is a troubled teenager with a quick wit, a love of science and zero tolerance for bullshit. When she stumbles into Wonderland she refuses to accept it's real - until it starts killing her. Now Ali must decode riddles buried in the original storybooks if she is to survive Wonderland and defeat the dark forces intent on breaching out.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2021

About the author

Martin Baynton is a British Author, Illustrator and TV producer. His latest novel, Truth and Transformation (Taking Wonderland #2), is book two in a fantasy trilogy, Taking Wonderland. Best known for his children’s books, his Jane And The Dragon series was adapted and produced for television by Weta Workshop. His books have been widely published in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia, and he has illustrated books written by authors such as Russell Hoban and Kenneth Grahame.

Martin has also written for the stage and television and has created award winning TV shows including The WotWots, the Kiddets and The Book Hungry Bears.

Born in London, Martin was educated at Hereford Cathedral Prep, Ledbury Grammar School and Hereford Art College. He studied electrophysiology at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London University and the Institute Of Child Health. In the mid 1970s, he joined St Bartholomew Hospital's medical electronics department to develop biofeedback technology with biofeedback pioneer Dr Ann Wooley-Hart.

Martin moved to New Zealand in 1987 with his young family and became a New Zealand citizen.

Reviews

[Bright Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Talking Wonderland The Secret of Safe Passage by Martin Baynton. The book was built around the stories of Wonderland we already know but then puts a wicked twist to them.

Ali is a rebellious teen who has been suspended from school. She is sent to her estranged Aunt and Uncle’s home to reflect on her behavior. While there she finds that the women in her family line have a special talent—and she has it too.

Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller.

I can’t wait for book two in the series: Truth and Transformation.

Thank you Netgalley and Martin Baynton for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Ali is a interesting and entertaining character and is likable. I loved how this is a spin on the Alice In The Wonderland story and the author did a wonderful job incorporating that into the story. Overall, I would reccommend this book! 10/10! Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoy the feeling when I don't want to stop reading. And I will admit I stayed up reading this because I wanted to get to the end and did not want to put it down.

I am a fan of Alice in Wonderland reimaginings - I feel the world gives so much opportunity for fun spin offs and interpretations. In The Secret of Safe Passage: Taking Wonderland Book 1, the story follows Ali (short for Alice), a descendant of that Alice. It turns out the women in her family have the ability to cross into the Wonderland realm, but returning is dangerous, and could be deadly.

Ali is a spunky and incredibly bright teenager. Constantly getting into trouble with her attitude and throwing hands is only one of the side effects of her grief over losing her mother at a young age. It's just her and her scientist Dad, who is always going away on a research project for work. Things take a turn when she gets suspended from her private school, and sent to stay with a family member she didn't even know existed. There, she stumbles onto the mystery of traveling between the real world and Wonderland. The pull of Wonderland is addictive, and despite each return being more costly to her health, Ali keeps trying. Her ancestor knew the secret of safe passage between the worlds, and she's determined to find it as well. Except there are evil people ready to kill to find that secret.

What I loved: The pacing was great - the entire story takes place over a week. Each day she uncovers more family secrets and unravels more of herself. She sees herself as a scientist, and what she experiences is other wordly. Despite herself, she makes friends with a local boy and builds a bond with her aunt and uncle. Her witty comments to her family and the staff are enjoyable. The family secrets and slow reveal of how all the connections was what kept me reading and not wanting to put the book down. I very much enjoyed the Uncle and his silly antics. I didn't know what to make of the Aunt at first, as she seemed most strict but then the pull of the family secret got to her as well. I enjoyed the creativity of the story spin off. In this world, the Alice is who wrote the books, as a code to her future niece. Somehow, she knew this Ali would be there to resume the search.

Some issues I had: It could use a bit of polish and there were times I couldn't tell who was talking when the dialogue went back and forth. The extended family being kept secret didn't make sense - why wouldn't her father let her know she has this additional family who has been paying for her private school? Also, did her father not realize who he was working for, or was he trying to keep Ali safe by keeping all the secrets? Why is this secret agency so obsessed with finding the secret? I realize this is the first book but it would help to get some background on our villain.

The book raises a lot of questions but only answers some. Understanding this is a series and more answers should come, I am very interested to see when the second book will be released.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing take on the Alice In Wonderland story and is a good mix of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery. The premise is that Ali (Alice White), the main character, is the great-grandniece of Alice Grey, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Ali is a precocious young woman smarter scientifically than most of the people around her. Her mom died in tragic circumstances, so it's been her and her scientist father against the world, as they call it. She has been kicked out of several schools for anger issues, but as can be seen at the beginning, you can understand why she has such trouble maintaining her temper. But that said, her short fuse is part of her personal challenge. She is suspended and sent to a country home of maternal relatives that she doesn't even remember so that she can disconnect from the school and technology (no phones or computers) so that she can think about her own behavior and perhaps fall into line (yes, I'm reading between the lines). While initially dying to get out of there, she stumbles upon a mystery connected to her great(?)-grand aunt Alice and her own mother, drawing herself into a mystery that has been around for well over 100 years. Besides her aunt and uncle, there is Nurse Potts, hired to take care of her aunt (who recently had a fall), and the longtime housekeeper, the sour-faced Waxstaff, and Peter, the local vicar's son. While Ali was absolutely not likable at the beginning, I loved her aunt and uncle, and I really liked the personal growth that Ali went through as she learned just how culpable she was with her own actions.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, and while you have to ignore history and pretend that her great grand aunt (not sure how many generations are there, but I think they mention 170 years) really wrote the two Wonderland books as a way to save people lost in a parallel world and keep that world safe from evil people from our own world. But that's part of what I love about fantasy and speculative science fiction, so if this type of thing is your cup of tea, you should definitely check it out. For my part, I can't wait for the next two books in this trilogy!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finding this a tricky one to rate.

I've read quite a few books lately where the emotional throughline, the story, is handled effectively, but there are significant mechanical issues (the things a copy editor looks after; mostly punctuation, but also things like grammar and tense) and underdeveloped worldbuilding. This is one of those, except that instead of the worldbuilding being undeveloped there are a large number of small errors of continuity and fact. The overall feel, then, is of a story lacking a lot of polish, so much so that I hesitate to add it even to the bottom tier of my recommendation list.

Now, I did get a pre-release version via Netgalley. It's possible - though, honestly, not highly likely - that a skilled copy editor will go through it between the version I saw and the version that's published in about two weeks from now, and fix the two it's/its errors, the many comma splices, the many places where a comma is missing before a term of address, the many places where a question is missing a question mark, the carelessly dropped quotation marks, and the small words from sentences that are missing or substituted for different words. They may even fix up the bits of dialog where the response doesn't match the previous line, like the glaring one where person A describes someone as a "zombie" with no indication of gender, and person B says "Woman?" as if that word had been used in the preceding sentence.

If they're extraordinarily good, they may even fix up the subtle errors, like describing "charm" as a subatomic particle (it's a flavour of quark, which isn't quite the same thing), or claiming that "faster" should be corrected to "more quickly" when both are acceptable, or Ali saying that she was a blood donor several years before, even though she's 15 and the minimum age for blood donation in the UK is 17.

What all of that wouldn't fix was the big swallow at the start - in the prologue, in fact - where we get a major revision to well-known history. It doesn't work as a "secret history," because it doesn't conform to known facts; so it has to be read as an alternate history. In reality, Alice Pleasance Liddell was one of three sisters to whom Charles Lutwedge Dodgson, who transformed his first two names to the pseudonym Lewis Carroll via Latin, told the original Alice in Wonderland story, using her name for the protagonist. Alice was, at the time, 10 years old; she lived to the age of 80, marrying and having three children. Dodgson wrote several other works, none of which are as good (especially Sylvie and Bruno, which is awful) or as well known, but which are certainly in a similar style. In this version, Alice Carroll Grey, exact age unspecified, wrote both Alice books herself, filling them with secret messages about a real otherworld, and then disappeared into it after handing them over to Dodgson to be published as being written by him. She had to flee there because the White Rose, a sinister organization, was hunting her in order to get the secret of access to Wonderland (and safe return, which is harder, hence this novel's title). This organization has survived for 170 years since then without apparently achieving very much at all; the operatives are called Knaves and the head of it is Mrs King (i.e., obviously, the White Queen and/or Queen of Hearts). The original Alice's great-niece (there are probably several more greats, but even if there are there seem to be too few generations mentioned to account for the 170-year gap), also named Alice but going by Ali, discovers and begins decoding the secret when she's manipulated into getting suspended from school and sent to relatives she's never previously heard of at an old country house that's been in the Grey family since her Great-Aunt Alice's time.

Ali is not a nice person. Her mother died on a humanitarian mission when Ali was quite young, her father is away a lot for work (he's a scientist studying gravity waves, which involves being incommunicado in a Faraday cage down a mine in Wales for days at a time), and she's now an angry, stubborn teenager, given to striking out in rage, actual tantrums, and, even when not specifically angry, weaponizing her intelligence to make cruel remarks. Her elderly relatives, who are lovely, do manage to tame her down a bit, and she eventually grows as a person and realizes how awful she's been, but she's still a piece of work. Still, her character and her arc of growth are the best thing about the book, which from my particular perspective is damning it with faint praise, because I prefer, as a matter of taste, to read about people who are actually well-intentioned from the start and not awful. The storytelling and the handling of Alice's character show the skill that is notably lacking in the mechanics, the background, the continuity, and the incidental facts.

So: a very rough piece of work with a main character that I didn't care for. I hovered between three and four stars, and finally landed on three, because I don't recommend it. That isn't to say that someone with different tastes, who doesn't notice the same kinds of issues that distracted me so frequently, won't enjoy it.

[Kate Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredibly captivating. Martin does an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life. Baynton's work continues to amaze me and the many others that I have recommended his work to. The Secret of Safe Passage quickly became one of my new favourites and I look forward to reading anything that Martin produces in the future.

[Denika Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are fantastic and Alice (Ali) is a strong-willed, opinionated character who is a joy to read.

[Joan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Martin Baynton and BookSirens

Lovers of Alice in Wonderland and Alice thru the Looking Glass will love this story.
The story refers to many scenes, though out the novel to the Classic Lewis Carroll story. It is a fabulous original addition.

Ali is the main character on a research mission for her father. Ali is trying to find her great aunt Alice. Each time she travels to Wonderland and back again, she loses a part of herself. The women of her blood lineage have a special ability to travel to Wonderland. Her great Aunt Alice has left clues on how to find her in Wonderland. Read to find out about her adventure.

Alternative Dark Fantasy
Family Secrets
First Book in the Series

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only book one in a new series, which I hope to continue reading. I’d never read anything from Baynton before this, but when I read the excerpt, I was sold. I knew I could expect an unusual and engaging story, and that’s exactly what I got.

It’s a follow-up to the Alice in Wonderland series, with a twist. Ali, the MC, is the great-grand-niece of the original Alice, who disappeared as a young girl and is presumed to have been imprisoned in Wonderland. The story claims that the original work was written by the original Alice and published under the name Lewis Carroll, and is actually a series of puzzles and cryptic maps to instruct her ancestors to find Wonderland and protect it from those who would exploit it.

Although circumstances to get Ali to her aunt and uncle’s house may seem contrived at first, circumstances are even more sinisterly mapped out than we could have expected. As the clues come together and we begin to realize what’s happening, we begin to feel genuine fear for Ali and those she loves. It’s a tense and, at times, edge-of-your-seat story of an evil plot to plunder Wonderland, with Ali (an extremely intelligent and angsty teenager) as the reluctant hero. I highly recommend it.

You can stop here, but there were some wonderful quotes in this book and I just have to share a few random ones. These are the things that make me want to read a book. If you feel the same way, keep reading.

“Boredom is the incubator of new ideas.” (Ali’s teacher)

“Telling Ali the barn was out of bounds was a red rage to a bored bull.” (narrator)

“Knew a blind chap once,” said Lord Grey. “Terrific fellow, could burp piano sonatas from memory—Erik Satie mostly—and pitch perfect.”

“Thank you, darling,” said his wife, “it’s very taxing how some memories we retain while others get stripped away.”

Ali felt like she’d walked into a packet of marshmallows. (describing the decor of the tea shop) It was a pedal car on the information superhighway. (the computer at the tea shop)

All we need to know about time is that it’s a fickle devil. It starts out slow when you’re a child, positively drags along in your teens, then the damn thing breaks into a gallop and the years blink past. Finally, you get to our age and it slows back down.” (Lord Grey)

“I never apologise,” Lord Grey protetested, waving the idea away. “I make too many gaffes, I’d spend all day apologising. Not tenable. Best to deny everything, crack the odd joke and move on.”

Lady Grey “… weighed less than Potts’ right leg, yet had voice-wrestled the giant nurse into obedience.” (narrator)

[Woodrow Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book by accident. I don't know what I was expecting, but it has me hooked and I can't wait for the second in the series. I would describe it more as a mystery thriller than a fantasy, the young Alice at the heart of the story is a science nerd who comes across an annotated copy of Alice in Wonderland and the notes in the margins suggest it's a code book disguised as a kids book. Don't want to spoil the fun by giving anything else a way, but Baynton turns out to be one hell of a writer, I can't find anything else he's written for this age group but his writing is very evocative and all the characters came to life for me. Highly recommend it to anyone who likes an intelligent page turner.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It was different from most I have read and I loved it. I love the creativity of the characters and how they came about and how they fit into the story. I love the passage to Wonderland and the story behind it. Very imaginative about how and why the story was written. I forgot that there were going to be other books in the story and realized when I was coming to the end that it will end with a cliffhanger. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

[Sarah (Wondermajica) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Secret of Safe Passage, Martin Baynton breathes new life into the beloved Wonderland universe with a fresh new twist. This tale follows Ali, a spirited teenager and descendant of the original Alice. Her journey is a fantastic blend of fantasy, mystery, and a touch of attitude, making for an enthralling read that has left me desperate for the next book.

*Please note that there are minor spoilers mentioned in this review*


The story begins with Ali’s tumultuous first day at a new school, where her temper leads to an altercation with a very suspicious individual and subsequent suspension. Unable to get in touch with her father, the school assigns Ali to the care of Lord and Lady Grey, who has been secretly funding her education. This unexpected turn of events sets the stage for a series of discoveries that intertwine her fate with that of the famous Wonderland.

While exploring the Grey's property, Ali discovers a forbidden barn with old furniture and copies of Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Initially dismissing it as a dream, she later discovers a cryptic note from the original Alice, leading her on a mission to discover the secret of safe passage between the two worlds. She faces numerous challenges, makes new friends, and uncovers shocking revelations that test her resilience and wit.

Baynton masterfully blends elements of fantasy, mystery, and adventure, creating a story that builds on the foundation of Alice in Wonderland and brings it to a modern era. His ability to write a fresh and exciting narrative while still honoring the original works of Lewis Carroll is outstanding. Many have tried to rework and or add to the original and have failed to fully recreate the mood and whimsy of Wonderland. I am very happy to say that as a long-term Alice aficionado, Baynton is one of the very few successes. The Secret of Safe Passage is a must-read for all fans of Wonderland and Portal Fantasy.

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I both loved and hated this book - loved because it had such a wonderful and intriguing mystery and hated because now I have to wait a year for the sequel! Admittedly, I wasn't expecting to like the story as much as I did - I initially believed this was more of a children's book than general fiction. Still, I was soon proven wrong by the delightfully abrasive character of Ali. There were so many dimensions to her character that it made her feel like a real person, someone I could talk to as a friend rather than a fictional character. The blending of the "real world" with that of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" was done brilliantly to such an extent that at one point I sat down and seriously considered if Wonderland (or, at least, someplace like it) could actually exist given what we currently know about gravity wells and the multiverse theory. The only "criticism" I have, if you can even call it that, is the ending of the book. I won't give away any spoilers, I'll just say that it ended very abruptly and although I know that this is the first book in a series, it still felt to me that it was like finishing a TV show episode rather than completing an actual novel. But other than that, and asides from a few very small technicalities that didn't add up for me, it was an interesting and captivating story that I'll definitely be recommending to all my friends!

[James Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another book based on Alice in Wonderland. You've got a girl, Ali, and it turns out the Alice is her great aunt. Early on you have Alice, Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), the Men of the Rose and the writing of the book.

Years later Ali is in a classroom. She hits a bully and gets suspended (it really should be the other way around, though.) Her father is a scientist and has a Faraday Cage.

Then there's a barn that Ali is not supposed to enter. Being Ali, she enters it and manages to find a tunnel. The tunnel leads to a strange creature and a note from Alice about finding her.

She has a friend named Peter who ends up getting questioned by MI6 and some thugs. Ali's father goes missing but there is a letter from him which turns out to be in code.

I'm a major fan of Alice in Wonderland and I've read a lot of variations. They range all over the place in quality. It's really hard to capture the feel of Wonderland without overloading it with too much from the 'real world'.

I feel that this book is not really true to Wonderland. It's like you come up with a basic idea for a book such as young girl, strange tunnel, a secret and people who want to take that secret and you then just put a little bit of characters from Wonderland into it.

It just doesn't seem necessary and the two approaches never seem to mess that well. That's the way with this book.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and original take on the Alice adventures by Lewis Carroll. Ali is suspended from school and sent to live with elderly relatives in the countryside. Here she discovers a portal into Wonderland that had previously been used by her mother and other distant relatives. Getting there is easy but getting back isn't, so Ali sets out, using notes made by her mother and her great-great-aunt, to try to find a safe way of doing this. Others are also interested in accessing Wonderland safely, so Ali has to work secretly and quickly to find out as much as she can.
This is the first book in the series, and is primarily about Ali's search for safe passage. As such, I found it started out well but drifted off the pace as the book progressed. The story, at times, felt rather unpolished.
I didn't like the character of Ali. Others have described her as sassy but for me she is a precocious, irritating, over-confident and arrogant pain. Her elderly relatives, on the other hand, were quite charming characters.
Overall I'd say the book started out well but didn't retain my interest to the end.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.

[Jordan Charlesworth AKA Book Brilliance Xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review 📚
The Secret of Safe Passage by Martin Baynton - 4/5 ⭐

So we're taking a stroll through a wonderland we already know and love, but thrown in some twists and you've got yourself a book named called The Secret Of Safe Passage! I love a good fairytale twist so I am all over this. I was devastated when it ended but then I jumped for joy when I realised there was going to be a book 2! Thank you Baynton.

Ok so, characters were insane. In a good way obviously, not the psycho kill you way! The personalities and demeanour of each of them was spot on. They were written fantastically so you knew exactly what and who you was reading about. Great description and detail went in to each of them. Ali was easily my favourite, her entire character was perfect.

The story/plot of the book was pretty awesome. A rebellious teenager sets out on a journey that has magic and fantasy twists thrown at her. Phenomenal. It was paced really well and kept me reading, so there isn't much I'd complain about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Book Buzz for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it was an Alice in Wonderland retelling. I was so wrong in such a good way!
Ali is a smart-mouthed teenager who speaks fluently in sarcasm. She’s a true science nerd who won’t be easily fooled by magic and when she accidentally stumbles into Wonderland, she doesn’t believe it’s real. That is, until Wonderland starts killing her and she needs to decode riddles that were written by her great aunt in the Wonderland books.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and easy to read. The characters were well developed and the world building was descriptive yet easy to follow (fantasy readers will understand!). I felt that ending was rushed though. This is book one of a series, but it could have ended in a more polished way, in my opinion.
I rated this book 4 stars for the grammatical and wording errors, but I am excited for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Martin Baynton for an advanced copy of The Secret of Safe Passage. This review is left honestly and voluntarily.

[A J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ali is the great-grandniece of the original Alice who ventured into Wonderland. However, Ali is smart, practical and scientific-minded. She doesn’t believe in fairy tales and endeavors to find logical explanations for the events around her. Her pragmatism begins to waver when she stumbles into, what she interprets to be, a lucid dreamworld. Becoming violently ill as she emerges from her dream, she comes to realize that Wonderland may actually be a real world in the multiverse, and she urgently needs to discover a way to exit without dying.

Rather than writing a basic twist on an original tale, Baynton entertains us with a telling of what might happen if a descendant discovered the key to entering Wonderland to find the original Alice. I love that the voices in this story are all distinctly unique and that Ali and her “rellies” are so charming. The Secret to Safe Passage is funny, clever and engaging. This was the first book in the series and I am already gleefully diving into the next one.

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story follows Ali, a witty and science-loving teenager, as she finds herself in Wonderland, a place she initially denies as real until she faces its deadly threats. The author weaves a captivating narrative filled with riddles and dark forces that Ali must decipher and conquer to ensure her survival. I was drawn to Ali's resilient character and found myself rooting for her at every turn. Baynton's imaginative world-building and the clever incorporation of classic storybooks make this book a must-read for anyone seeking a thrilling and magical journey.

[anikaneum · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I was given an arc of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review).
Overall Rating:
-Characters: 2/5
-Plot: 2/5
-Setting: 3/5
-Description: 3/5
-Enjoyment: 2/5
I usually love retellings, especially ones that include my favorite stories like “Alice in Wonderland”, but this one fell short of my expectations. The characters were predictable and the main character’s flat personality hid behind cliche sassy remarks. The premise sounded interesting especially since it involved a modern spin on the story, but the action did not pick up until the second half of the book which made it hard to get into.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking Wonderland

This is a delightful, thought provoking book, which you takes you on a whirlwind adventure to wonderland, complete with the physical and emotional impact of such a journey. This is a modern day interpretation of this story, putting the possibility of such an adventure into one’s realm of thought.

The author took many creative liberties in recreating this story, while still crediting the original. This would be a great book to add to your collection, to be revisited over and over again. In a time in evolution when one needs a friendly and familiar escape from the mundane, I would suggest this book.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine fairy tales on steroids, but with a dash of scientific curiosity and a strong no-nonsense attitude. I couldn't put this book down as Ali faced dangerous challenges and decoded riddles buried within the very stories we grew up with. It's like someone mixed Alice in Wonderland with a pinch of Nancy Drew and a generous sprinkle of mystery. If you're up for an adventure that will make your heart race and your mind whirl, dive into this book and get ready for the unexpected – it's a wild ride worth taking!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a story!! Knocked a point off cause its a major cliffhanger. The characters .....ALL of them are exceptionally well drawn and the story sucks you in from the beginning. Thought the main character was a bit of a brat at first but the edges softened and I ended up so involved & she turned out to be a real kick ** heroine..Very twisty and different from anything i have read before. Thought i had guessed who was doing what but noooooo. Read it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on Wonderland and Criss crosses. Now the set up for a series it really captures you and draws you in. Was not easy to put down it was riveting the whole way.

It is a well written book for young adults and above. Forget what you know about wonderland this takes on a new strength. It was the cover that drew me to it but the writing made it even more. Uncover its mystery and enjoy. Was the perfect pick for the summer heat to settle and read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[S a v a n n a h J o · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little girl in me is screaming about this book. Martin Baynton did an amazing job reimagining Wonderland and creating a new Alice for us to love. ( With honorable mention to the amazing Aunt Martha and the delightful Uncle Bertie)

This book is so well written and the pacing is amazing. There is new information on almost every page and Baynton really said “watch what I can do” in the last four chapters. WHAT A CLIFFHANGER TO LEAVE US ON


I am really looking forward to reading the next two books in this series and definitely recommend reading this

[S a v a n n a h J o · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨This is going to be a no spoiler review✨.
Taking Wonderland is worth reading.

Martin Baynton did an amazing job reimagining wonderland and the little girl I was and the woman I am now came together to scream over a story. I was captivated by the storytelling and I truly enjoyed every single page of this book.
The beginning of every single chapter sucked me in and I fell in love with Ali, Aunt Martha and the delightful Uncle Bertie.
I am anxiously awaiting for book two and the opportunity to continue following Ali on this journey

[Katie McLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always love me a good Alice book/ retelling. I admit I rushed through this book to read it in time, and in doing so, I think I missed some things. But, I also think this book will be better on a second read. There were only a few grammar and spelling mistakes that needed to be fixed before publication (one of my biggest pet peeves but nobody is perfect). Alice, our main character of course, I absolutely loved. At first, I didn't like her, thought she was snotty, rude, entitled... But she snuck up on me and I find her absolutely hilarious. Peter on the other hand.. I don't know. I don't really like him because he's just kind of there. He doesn't have much personality in my opinion. I love the mysteries this book has included: why have the wonderland folks lost their memories? Who were they before and what happened? Where is great aunt Alice? What is the secret to safe passage? It's what really drew me in to this book. Alice is quite smart, always thinking in terms of science, logic, and math (STEM girl yasss). I could've used some more Wonderland in this book but I have a feeling the next book will be full of it. This novel does end on a cliffhanger. The book was well written, engaging (except Peter, go away please), and funny. It kept my interest more than I thought it would initially but I am pleasantly surprised. My first four star of the year :) I can't wait to read this again when this comes out and will be looking forward to the subsequent books in the series.

[Kristen Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Secret of Safe Passage” was a fun, twisted tale circling the Alice in Wonderland books, which I loved!

So much happened towards the end and so much story left to be told! I need to research when/where the 2nd book in this series is!

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review "The Secret of Safe Passage”. I am appreciative and leave my review voluntarily….. and request book #2 immediately or “off with someone’s head!”

[Venus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy wow!

I absolutely loved this book so much! What a talented author! I love Alice in Wonderland retellings in general, but this is one of the best I’ve read. The black-and-white illustrations are so true to the original, and even the story itself is true to the original style. Way to take inspiration from a genius. So excited about this book I can’t wait to read the rest of them! And excited to see what else this author has done!

[Laura_b · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and fantastical read. 4th generation Alice is an intriguing and humorous character. Fell in love with her from the start. The twist and turns of the story kept me unwilling to put the book down. Looking forward to the next book.