Alice in the Country of Hearts: Volume 1    by QuinRose & Soumei Hoshino Order:  USA  Can TOKYOPOP, 2010 (2010) Paperback      Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto For those of you who need to keep your Alice in Wonderland fix going, look no further than QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino's Alice in the Country of Hearts. This manga incarnation takes the classic story and twists it into one full of feuding sections of Wonderland filled with bishonen. Alice Liddell falls asleep on a warm day to find herself chasing Peter (who first appears as a white rabbit) down a hole and into a strange world. Before she knows what is happening, he gets her to drink a vial that prevents her escape from the world. After almost being killed when she finds herself at the Hatters' Mansion gate (home of the Wonderland mafia), she finds herself saved by the mysterious Blood Dupree who resembles her old boyfriend. Blood lets her go unharmed and she returns to the Clock Tower Plaza in the center of Wonderland, the only safe zone between Hatters' Mansion, Heart Castle, and The Amusement Park. There, she learns from Julius, the owner of the clock tower, that the only way she can escape is to refill the vial by interacting with the inhabitants of Wonderland. Despite her reluctance to meet more strange characters, she starts on a journey that takes her to all three areas. And in all three areas, she attracts new admirers, placing her in the middle of the war for Wonderland. QuinRose has taken an already intriguing story and twisted it enough to make it feel fresh and new, but still as exciting. It was interesting to see how Hoshino transformed classic Lewis Carroll characters into truly beautiful personalities. Her art greatly enhances the air of mystery that surrounds Alice's adventures at QuinRose's deft hand. Alice in the Country of Hearts is a must-read for fans of Alice in Wonderland. QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino have taken all of the appeal of the classic and turned it into an exhilarating shojo manga. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews