Oh the secrets and lies and confusion. If you're reading this for the first time, it's okay if you don't get everything. Repeated reading is recommended.

Note: Alice in the Country of Joker is the third installment of the Alice in the Country of Hearts series; all of which are based off Otome dating games. The second installment is called Alice in the Country of Clover which must be viewed either in game format or through the spinoffs from the original Alice in the Country of Hearts manga.

This series has 7 volumes. ( )

Alice cannot move from one realm to another without first visiting Joker, so everyone tries to help her out, from Blood to Peter. However, Alice decides to try visiting Joker on her own and isgiven bitter candy that brings up vague memories of a funeral she once attended. Later, Joker manages to bring Alice to his prison, bringing Alice closer to the dark truths everyone is trying to protect her from. She is saved by Nightmare. While Alice is having fun playing Halloween tag at the Hatter Mansion, Peter is with Nightmare, hiding Alice's diary in an effort to protect her from her own memories.

Someone tore out the first few pages of this library book. I did not appreciate that. People, I know the full-color pages are nice, but library books are not your personal property. If you want the pretty pages, scan them, make color copies, or go buy the book.

Once again, there wasn't much in the way of romance – just Peter's desperate puppy love and Blood's general sexual aggressiveness. The mystery is more prominent here, and it's interesting. What's Joker's game, and how do Alice's memories of Clover, the funeral (her sister's? except everyone seems to want to convince her it was the funeral for one of her parents), and Elliot's past experience as a prisoner tie together? Joker indicates that Peter's presence is reminding Alice of her past.

This volume was confusing, but intriguing.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )