Wonderland by Zoje Stage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Upon her retirement from a professional ballet company in New York City, Orla is ready to settle in to care for her two sensitive children, Eleanor Queen and Tycho, while her artist husband gets his chance to focus on his work.
Her husband, Shaw, has handled most of the child-rearing up to this point, as Orla’s career required long hours outside of the home.
The couple decide to move to Northern New York, an area closer to where Shaw grew up.
They are thinking the open space and slower lifestyle will be good for the children. Plus, the beauty of nature is really what Shaw wants to encapsulate with his art.
They decide on a beautiful old farmhouse with plenty of acreage, far from neighbors, or even a town. It’s already the holiday season and snow covers the ground, giving the children something exciting to focus on.
It seems to be exactly what they wanted, until it’s not.
The seclusion quickly gets to them and mysterious events start occurring on the property, like the appearance of the Aurora Borealis, 10-feet of snow falling in one night, and the trees seem to be creeping closer to the house.
Additionally, Shaw and Eleanor Queen both seem to be channeling some sort energy from the woods. It’s all a bit overwhelming.
When things turn dangerous, Orla must do whatever she can to protect her family from the entity trying to trap them.
Dark and dangerous, this book explores some weighty and thought-provoking subjects.
Wonderland is a slow burn and one that you need some time to think about. I think the longer I sit with this, the more I will grow to appreciate it.
The quality of Stage’s writing, cannot be denied. I love it, but also realize this book will not be for everyone.
I do feel the end dragged on a bit more than it needed too and began to feel monotonous because of that.
Overall though, I think this is a wildly creative and thoughtful story. I will keep coming back for anything she writes.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Mulholland Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. I genuinely appreciate it!