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There are currently 46 reader reviews for Outside Wonderland
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Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook
This book is about a family that has no idea their deceased parents watch everything they do, kind of like Lovely Bones meets Touched by an Angel. The plot is a bit trite but it was an enjoyable story and I liked the character development. The story kept my interest and it would probably make a good book group discussion.
Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
Outstanding.
I read Outside Wonderland in one setting because I couldn't put it down. It is a fascinating story, very unusual with believable characters and events. The idea of how Heaven (or whatever) might be is beautiful. This is a beautifully written and the Epilogue is something to be read again and again. Simply amazing.
Karen L. (Troy, IL)
Outside Wonderland
Couldn't put the book down. The life situations that the Stenen's went through were believable. A storyline going for each of the Stenens but still their lives were intermingled with joy, sorrow, happiness and loss. I had to keep reading to see what choices each of them would be making. The chapters with parents "watching over" them didn't really add anything to the book for me and I found myself just skimming them by the end of the book.
Karen E. (Sandy, UT)
Outside Wonderland
A very sweet book that slowly pulls the reader in. The further I got into this book, the more enjoyable it became. Presented as more whimsical than spiritual, the idea of parents in the afterlife watching their children grow was still a comforting thought. But the life lessons were there and the point that eternity is just a short lifetime away was clear. An enjoyable book!
Tricia L. (Auburn, WA)
An intriguing read.
What a lovely picture of parents staying near their children even after death to guide them through life. I enjoyed this book, and was interested in the characters.
Lisa H. (Salisbury, MD)
Through the Looking Glass
Siblings Alice, Griffin, and Dinah, named for characters out of "Alice in Wonderland" lose first their mother in a freak accident, then their father. We get a small glimpse of them in their younger days before the story fast forwards to the adult siblings. All appear successful on the surface, but are struggling with relationships, and perhaps the unresolved issues of growing up without their parents. For the most part, the characters were likable; however I found them a little too cliche, and one dimensional. I wish they had been developed more fully. I would have liked to have had a few more glimpses of their
…more childhood.
I looked forward to the parents perspective of their children's lives as they caught sight of them from heaven. I liked to think of these scenes as their view of earth "through the looking glass." The dialogue in these interludes was idyllic and the best parts of the novel.
This was a pleasant novel, easy to read. I give it 3.5 stars. (less)The three Stenen siblings, orphaned as young children, are going through adult crises unaware that their deceased parents are observing from "somewhere other". Cook's characters are realistic and her writing is spell-binding. You will be left asking yourself if we can ever be truly separated from those we have deeply loved.
Virginia B. (Foster, RI)
Outside Wonderland
"Outside Wonderland" is an enjoyable read. The three siblings left behind by their parents' untimely and sudden deaths are engaging characters who immediately caught my interest. I found myself engaged in their individual struggles to form meaningful relationships and find some happiness in a world they could not trust. The commentary of the mother who fleetingly observes her three children's progress from some other timeless place reminded me of the narrator of "Lovely Bones" who has also died and looks back on the living.
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