Plot and characters are two of the book's strong points. The story begins in media res, so there's no drag time. Open the book to page one, and bam, you're in the middle of an adventure! The plot follows number-focused Chism and color-obsessed Hatta on what appear to be two separate and very different journeys, but fate has a way of interweaving seemingly disparate threads into a single cloth, and connections from the past have a way of reappearing in the present and shaping the future. Ultimately, their world is irrevocably transformed.

Characterization plays a large part in the book's appeal. Chism, a slight but fierce teenager who embodies the heart of a seasoned warrior, maintains a logical head in battle, but he has a volcanic temper that threatens to blow away all the good he's done for himself so far. The author drops a few clues about Chism's background, but we don't find out until later just how harsh his life has been or why he "would never stand by while an innocent was abused by someone who should be a protector." He's noble at heart, deft at hand, and more of a man than most men.

My favorite character is the colorful Hatta. He's witty, charming, likable, socially awkward, and full of whimsy, but he spends too much time in his own head trying to figure out how to act appropriately. He's being pulled toward a heroic destiny but doesn't feel up to the job and says, "Of course, I can’t make any promises because there is a chance I’m mad.” Hatta's an amiable fellow who's never quite sure how to respond when confronted by terseness in others. His innocence and compassion make him an easy character to love. ( )

This is Written exceptionally well. I love this story of Hatta and Chism. I was worried that it might now get the 'voice' of Hatta and Cheshire quite right but it was great. The story line is full of twists and turn and I couldn't put the book down. Anyone who loves the Alice in Wonderland and Jabberwocky plot will love this book. The Mad Hatter has always been my second favorite character with Cheshire being my first favorite, and this book makes it even harder to choose between them. A great fun read that makes you truly appreciate the devotion between these two brothers. ( )

Hatter is a delightful story based in part on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. Basically this is the back story to the Mad Hatter and how he became mad.

The writing is superb! The sentences are crisp, with enough detail to really envision the story, but not too much that it bogs down. The dialog and characters are well written. And the plot -- well, I had a hard time putting this book down.

The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars and not 5 is the Queen of Hearts' reactions. Yes, she had to fit the story in Carroll's works, but why she was this way and how this story got her there just didn't fit in my opinion.

Great read for something light, yet with deep messages of brotherhood and friendship! ( )

DNF

Hatter is a companion novel to Daniel Coleman’s Jabberwocky which I haven’t had the chance to read. Hatter can be read without reading Jabberwocky first. There are references to events and characters from Jabberwocky over the course of Hatter, but it didn’t cause any confusion for me. If anything it made me want to read Jabberwocky so I could learn more about this very cool world.

As a huge fan of all things Wonderland, I was curious to see how the author would portray its well known inhabitants. As the title suggests we get to know The Mad Hatter better in Hatter. The narration alternates between the voice of Hatta and Chism. The two couldn’t be more different. I’m not usually a fan of books told from the POV of more than one character, but in the case of Hatter it worked well. I enjoyed the multiple story lines and was anticipating how the author would bring them all together. He did an amazing job with the conclusion, and I was thrilled to see no questions left unanswered.

The world the author created was really stellar. I especially loved when a Wonderland character would show up on the scene. I enjoyed experiencing how the author portrayed each one, as well as the backstory he created for them. Some were exactly how I’d imagined and others definitely were not. It was fun to see them through the eyes of both Hatta and Chism. With the two characters being so very different, it was interesting to see how their opinions of the secondary characters would vary. Hatta almost always saw the best in people. His kind and forgiving nature never ceased to amaze me. Chism was much more jaded and this caused him to see others in a much different light than the eccentric Hatta. The differing perspectives really helped to keep Hatta interesting, and I thought the entire plot flowed at a perfect pace. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Alice’s world as much as I do. ( )