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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hadn’t heard of A. C. Wise before a few months ago, when I read her story, “The Amazing Exploding Women of the Early Twentieth Century” in issue 122 of Apex Magazine. I loved it and started following her on Twitter, where I found out she would soon be releasing her first novel. I preordered it on a whim and I’m so glad I did.
Wendy, Darling brings us back into the life of Wendy, from J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, just has Peter has returned many years later to steal away her daughter, Jane. From there, the novel follows three lines: Wendy searching for her daughter in 1931; Jane, trapped in a darker Neverland with an ominous Peter Pan; and Wendy in 1917-1920, trapped in an institution by John and Michael, after refusing to give up her belief in the flying boy and his magic island.
The novel is well-paced and immediately gripping, but the thing I applaud the most is how Wise has made Barrie’s characters her own. She managed it beautifully, making Wendy, Peter, and the rest familiar, yet darkly different. Peter is both the boy we remember, and something shadowy and sharp-toothed, with danger lurking just behind his glinting eyes. And anyone who wanted to believe in fairytales as a child (or adult), whose imagination has ever run wholly wild, will empathize with this Wendy, unable to let Neverland go, even at the cost of hospitalization and a strained relationship with her brothers. The soft Wendy we knew becomes fierce and motherly, but in a real and raw way, not the playful pretend of her childhood. There a few other familiar characters prancing through the pages of Wendy, Darling (and some new ones to fall in love with), but I’ll leave you to discover them, yourself.
Not only is this new Neverland cast in sinister shadow and dark magic in a way that draws the reader in and brings them into its mythology and magic, but Wise also skillfully brings the reader into the adult lives and relationships back in London in a way that is heartfelt, deep and true. I’m not much of a crier, but a few of the scenes between Wendy and Michael brought me to the edge of tears.
If you’re hoping for a wonderful fantasy in A. C. Wise’s Wendy, Darling you’ll get it. You’ll also get a touch of horror and a bit of romance. It’s a story of siblings, a mother-daughter tale, and also a retelling of the dark side of fairy tales, of the terrible things that can happen when we let childhood go…or the things that happen when we don’t. This book has something for everyone who ever believed in magic, in monsters in the closet, or anyone who has longed for love and childhood lost.
Wendy, Darling brings us back into the life of Wendy, from J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, just has Peter has returned many years later to steal away her daughter, Jane. From there, the novel follows three lines: Wendy searching for her daughter in 1931; Jane, trapped in a darker Neverland with an ominous Peter Pan; and Wendy in 1917-1920, trapped in an institution by John and Michael, after refusing to give up her belief in the flying boy and his magic island.
The novel is well-paced and immediately gripping, but the thing I applaud the most is how Wise has made Barrie’s characters her own. She managed it beautifully, making Wendy, Peter, and the rest familiar, yet darkly different. Peter is both the boy we remember, and something shadowy and sharp-toothed, with danger lurking just behind his glinting eyes. And anyone who wanted to believe in fairytales as a child (or adult), whose imagination has ever run wholly wild, will empathize with this Wendy, unable to let Neverland go, even at the cost of hospitalization and a strained relationship with her brothers. The soft Wendy we knew becomes fierce and motherly, but in a real and raw way, not the playful pretend of her childhood. There a few other familiar characters prancing through the pages of Wendy, Darling (and some new ones to fall in love with), but I’ll leave you to discover them, yourself.
Not only is this new Neverland cast in sinister shadow and dark magic in a way that draws the reader in and brings them into its mythology and magic, but Wise also skillfully brings the reader into the adult lives and relationships back in London in a way that is heartfelt, deep and true. I’m not much of a crier, but a few of the scenes between Wendy and Michael brought me to the edge of tears.
If you’re hoping for a wonderful fantasy in A. C. Wise’s Wendy, Darling you’ll get it. You’ll also get a touch of horror and a bit of romance. It’s a story of siblings, a mother-daughter tale, and also a retelling of the dark side of fairy tales, of the terrible things that can happen when we let childhood go…or the things that happen when we don’t. This book has something for everyone who ever believed in magic, in monsters in the closet, or anyone who has longed for love and childhood lost.
A really intertaining, magical, interesting read and I recommend it for a fun light reading. But I'll have to steal this review
It was good to be back in Neverland
It was good to be back in Neverland
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really good! Love the twists on the original story and loved all the characters. Felt dark and tense at points and also made me laugh in others. An enjoyable read.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A. C. Wise brings back the original tale of Peter Pan and reminds readers that the magical boy was not meant to be the fun-loving, innocent child that Disney turned him into. In Wendy, Darling, Wise emphasizes the mother-daughter relationship so effortlessly that you will have a hard time remembering the joy you felt as a kid, seeing Jane experience Neverland for the first time.
Familiar faces return, the consequences of Wendy leaving the island evident in the way they perceive Peter and the world around them. My one complaint about this book would have to be the ending. Too many questions are left unanswered, so many repercussions unknown.
Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed Wendy, Darling and would highly recommend it for someone who does not shy away from seeing the dark side of their childhood.
Familiar faces return, the consequences of Wendy leaving the island evident in the way they perceive Peter and the world around them. My one complaint about this book would have to be the ending. Too many questions are left unanswered, so many repercussions unknown.
Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed Wendy, Darling and would highly recommend it for someone who does not shy away from seeing the dark side of their childhood.
I love a twist on an old classic and this did not disappoint! The afterstory of Wendy and Peter was fabulous!