Gamebooks aren't a thing in Belgium, so I only discovered them over the last few years as an adult. After good experiences with DestinyQuest and especially Heart of Ice (recommended!), I bumped into this one online. Getting good reviews and liking the theme (a darker reimagining of Alice with some steampunk), I decided to give i a go. Enjoying it so far.
Oh and the book contains some really nice pencil drawings like the front cover.
A gamebook is an interactive book where you make choices. The books are typically divided into numbered sections. Each section is a small scene/paragraph and at the end you are instructed to make a choice and based on that choice you are directed to another numbered section. Typically you, the reader, are a character with either some stats (agility, endurance...) and you roll a D6 to test if you made a jump or opened a door. Another system is by using keywords and based on whether you have a keyword or not, you read another numbered section.
They were popular in the States in the 80s and mainly geared towards children. They are now making a resurgence because those children are now adults ;-) You have all kinds of themes, from typical fantasy to pirate, to sci-fi or in this case a reimagining of Alice in Wonderland where you are playing Alice.
The whole concept also found its way into boardgames like Legacy of Dragonholt, Agents of Smersh or now recently Sleeping Gods (or Near and Far).
Below is an example of such a section from the very beginning of the book:
I like that cover illustration, too. The very dangerous lookin' Cheshire Cat, lookin' huge, up in that tree. All of it, though.
Ah..., what's a Gamebook? Please forgive my ignorance. 🙁
Love the book cover illustration! Thanks for sharing!