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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Wow, this is a fascinating book! It's about Wendy Darling (yes that Wendy from Peter Pan), and she's all grown up with a family. Peter flies into the home that they are living in, and takes Wendy's daughter - Jane with him to Neverland. This book talks about Wendy flying to Neverland to make sure Jane is ok, and it also flashes back to Wendy right after her first trip to Neverland and the years in-between. It's so good, read it!
A fractured fairy tale. Peter Pan is the same as always, making his own rules. Wendy has grown up, and this time it's her daughter who is stolen away to Neverland.
As a child, the darker elements of the Peter Pan story eluded me. There was a tv show adaptation that gave me nightmares and I remember getting chills when Peter's children are kidnapped in Hook, but it was always Captain Hook that scared me. Him and that relentless crocodile. It wasn't until I read the original book that I realized that the truly scary person was Peter himself.
It's been a few years, but I still remember the darkness in the story. As an immortal child, Peter is inconstant and casually cruel. In a battle he will turn on the other Lost Boys, not out of malice, just because he's so caught up in the moment he forgets who the enemy is. When Wendy is in danger, he laughs at the fun of it. And, at the end of the book when he returns to Wendy, he has forgotten who Tinkerbell is.
It's this darkness that A.C. Wise captures so well in her novel. She gives us an adult Wendy who has faced only trauma and persecution since her days in Neverland. Her brothers are able to forget, but she clings to it, even when that belief drives her family to commit her to an institution. When she emerges, she finds the strength to heal and build a life and a family of her own. However, all of that is ruined when Peter returns and kidnaps her daughter.
Wendy must find her inner strength and journey back to Neverland to not only save her daughter, but to confront Peter and what's left of Neverland. Wise's Peter is neither a young boy looking for adventure, nor an abandoned child hungry for a mother. He is a force of nature. Dangerous and wild. Reckless and careless in that way only children can be.
I devoured this book in a matter of days. The format is non-linear, bouncing between the present day, Wendy's past in both Neverland and the asylum, as well as her daughter, Jane's experience in Neverland. The effect is disorienting and keeps the reader on their toes. The tension remains high throughout the book because Peter is unpredictable and even though no one can die in Neverland, there are many fates worse than death.
In Neverland, the horror comes from Peter's relentless drive for youth and fun, but the outside world is no less horrifying. Racism, prejudice, abuse, war, are all dealt with in this book. It's not a happy read, but not all is bleak. The love and connections between Wendy's family, both the one she's born into and the one she creates for herself are strong and heartwarming.
If you've ever felt uneasy about Peter Pan or enjoy dark, unsettling (and beautifully written) reads, pick up this book.
It's been a few years, but I still remember the darkness in the story. As an immortal child, Peter is inconstant and casually cruel. In a battle he will turn on the other Lost Boys, not out of malice, just because he's so caught up in the moment he forgets who the enemy is. When Wendy is in danger, he laughs at the fun of it. And, at the end of the book when he returns to Wendy, he has forgotten who Tinkerbell is.
It's this darkness that A.C. Wise captures so well in her novel. She gives us an adult Wendy who has faced only trauma and persecution since her days in Neverland. Her brothers are able to forget, but she clings to it, even when that belief drives her family to commit her to an institution. When she emerges, she finds the strength to heal and build a life and a family of her own. However, all of that is ruined when Peter returns and kidnaps her daughter.
Wendy must find her inner strength and journey back to Neverland to not only save her daughter, but to confront Peter and what's left of Neverland. Wise's Peter is neither a young boy looking for adventure, nor an abandoned child hungry for a mother. He is a force of nature. Dangerous and wild. Reckless and careless in that way only children can be.
I devoured this book in a matter of days. The format is non-linear, bouncing between the present day, Wendy's past in both Neverland and the asylum, as well as her daughter, Jane's experience in Neverland. The effect is disorienting and keeps the reader on their toes. The tension remains high throughout the book because Peter is unpredictable and even though no one can die in Neverland, there are many fates worse than death.
In Neverland, the horror comes from Peter's relentless drive for youth and fun, but the outside world is no less horrifying. Racism, prejudice, abuse, war, are all dealt with in this book. It's not a happy read, but not all is bleak. The love and connections between Wendy's family, both the one she's born into and the one she creates for herself are strong and heartwarming.
If you've ever felt uneasy about Peter Pan or enjoy dark, unsettling (and beautifully written) reads, pick up this book.
Really, really liked this for so many reasons. Apparently the only way I can enjoy Peter Pan retellings is if they're fairly dark, and this was. Wendy has been through a lot since her time in Neverland, but she finds a strength in herself that I love to see. I adored Wendy, I loved seeing her relationships with people like Ned and Mary and Jane, and I was LIVING for the idea that she goes back to Neverland under her own power to take back what was stolen from her...in more ways than one.
3.5 - some really good ideas and really interesting elements but some of the themes didn't really hold and felt bizarrely put of place given the general tone of the book. It almost felt like too little was done with too much?
3.5/5 stars.
i liked parts of this book. some parts kept me very entertained and i couldn’t stop reading. i was a little bored with others.
the story is very interesting. i liked reading about wendy’s life. a solid read for sure.
i liked parts of this book. some parts kept me very entertained and i couldn’t stop reading. i was a little bored with others.
the story is very interesting. i liked reading about wendy’s life. a solid read for sure.
I love a good Peter Pan retelling! Even better, when the story centers around the dark side of the fairy tale. There is no such thing as a happily ever after in the real world.
I loved the dark theme and interpretation of Peter Shadow as a monster of Neverland told from both perspectives, Wendy and her daughter, Jean, we say Netherlands in a whole new light.
Wendy, after leaving Neverland suffers from PTSD, as no one believes her stories. Wendy must overcome her struggles to save her daughter from the world of make-believe. This is amazing story of the bond that her mother and daughter sure.
I loved the dark theme and interpretation of Peter Shadow as a monster of Neverland told from both perspectives, Wendy and her daughter, Jean, we say Netherlands in a whole new light.
Wendy, after leaving Neverland suffers from PTSD, as no one believes her stories. Wendy must overcome her struggles to save her daughter from the world of make-believe. This is amazing story of the bond that her mother and daughter sure.
Review coming soon!
**CW for this book: Child abuse, psychiatric facility scenarios (medication, treatments, etc.), cutting, drowning, burning, suicidal ideation (not specified, but hinted), racism (specifically against indigenous people), murder (adults and children), assault, kidnapping, homophobia
**CW for this book: Child abuse, psychiatric facility scenarios (medication, treatments, etc.), cutting, drowning, burning, suicidal ideation (not specified, but hinted), racism (specifically against indigenous people), murder (adults and children), assault, kidnapping, homophobia
