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allisonwonderlandreads's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
In this continuation of the familiar Peter Pan story, Michael's all grown up and headed back to Neverland. Peter's been captured and his power drained, so Michael will need all his childhood adventures and adult expertise as a Knight to set him free.
The more I read this book, the more frustrated I got. The first encounter in Neverland set a bad tone early. Michael is captured by Tiger Lily and her tribe. While this book avoids the most blatant racism of the source material, it doesn't do anything to distance itself either. The "natives" are single-minded vicious thugs with no further elaboration. To be fair, all the characters are remarkably flat, so that aspect isn't targeted at them. The worst part comes after the meeting when it is explained that because the tribe comes from Peter's imagination, they and several other creatures on the island lack independent thought. So get your pompoms for a rah-rah colonialism.
A consistently annoying theme is the treatment of women throughout. The women in Neverland largely just orbit Peter and to a lesser extent, Michael. They are described as petty and fight over Peter Pan's affection even though he's straight up a child... Like that's his whole thing in case you haven't heard. Tinker Bell once tried to kill Wendy for stealing Peter's interest. For his part, Peter only acknowledges Tinker Bell when he needs something and doesn't listen to her unless one of the boys confirms what she's saying. Mermaids are indifferent to everyone but Pan and are seductresses who wish death on anyone who challenges their claim to him, apparently. The only bargaining chip that works with Tiger Lily is the opportunity to remove her major competitor for Pan's interest. In a misguided, surface-level attempt at rounding her character out, we hear what a talented, fierce warrior she is as if that balances out her obsessive behavior. This same treatment is given to Michael's sister-in-arms, Vanessa. We hear about how magnificent she is in battle and how she had to work harder to reach her position "due to her gender." Which we can charitably assume is a vague but well-intentioned attempt to address structural sexism, but it could also be taken as a sexist comment on ability. And there's no way to tell because one iffy sentence is all we get. When Hook calls Vanessa a wench and tells her to be quiet "while the men talk," Michael prioritizes diplomacy with the pirate and asks Vanessa to put aside her anger. And then there's no further acknowledgment of what happened. FUN.
All of this supposedly comes from Peter, the pure spirit of childhood. So in addition to the faults of a child that the book readily recognizes (short attention span, illogical confidence, no concept of consequences for one's actions), we're meant to accept colonialism, sexism, and racism as parts of every child's natural makeup. And I think that's a terrible, white man-centric message. Adults shape children that way; there isn't a natural affinity toward white boys taking the lead with no real care for anyone else.
My final notes are that Michael is an annoying, broody protagonist, and the adventure lacked depth or a unique spark of life. I did not like this book.
planetlibrarian's review
1.0
*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*
DNF'd @ 32%
I want to start off by saying that the concept of this book is great. I loved that Michael was the focus, instead of looking to Wendy as the main character like a lot of Peter Pan retellings tend to do, and I liked the idea of a secret organization investigating and interacting with all sorts of deities and supernatural creatures. I read and really enjoyed Peter and the Starcatchers growing up, so reading the summary put me in the mind of a similar idea but for an older audience. Where things went very wrong for me was the execution of this book. The plot was hard to follow, it picks up years after Michael has already left the organization that tries to pull him back in for one more job, so there is a lot of context here that gets skipped over. The characterization is not strong, and the dialogue is hard to get through. The author throws a lot of concepts, like Peter Pan being a god known by another name, at readers very quickly with little explanation that hints are a very interesting world the author has crafted, but is overall not easy to follow or get into. There's no sense of why this organization is so invested in Peter, who's gone missing, or than even Michael himself, who's never been back to Neverland, would truly care enough to be pulled back into something it was made very clear he left for a reason. All in all, I liked the concept, but the finished product is too rough to tell a fun story i'm willing to stick with.
DNF'd @ 32%
I want to start off by saying that the concept of this book is great. I loved that Michael was the focus, instead of looking to Wendy as the main character like a lot of Peter Pan retellings tend to do, and I liked the idea of a secret organization investigating and interacting with all sorts of deities and supernatural creatures. I read and really enjoyed Peter and the Starcatchers growing up, so reading the summary put me in the mind of a similar idea but for an older audience. Where things went very wrong for me was the execution of this book. The plot was hard to follow, it picks up years after Michael has already left the organization that tries to pull him back in for one more job, so there is a lot of context here that gets skipped over. The characterization is not strong, and the dialogue is hard to get through. The author throws a lot of concepts, like Peter Pan being a god known by another name, at readers very quickly with little explanation that hints are a very interesting world the author has crafted, but is overall not easy to follow or get into. There's no sense of why this organization is so invested in Peter, who's gone missing, or than even Michael himself, who's never been back to Neverland, would truly care enough to be pulled back into something it was made very clear he left for a reason. All in all, I liked the concept, but the finished product is too rough to tell a fun story i'm willing to stick with.
danadoesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Thank you to BiblioLifestyle and Harper Voyager for the gifted copy of God of Neverland! All opinions in this review are my own.
My advice to someone wanting to pick up this book is to read J. M. Barrie's version first. While the original tale will provide some context for God of Neverland, I still felt like I was reading the second book in a series.
God of Neverland is an enjoyable read but I found it difficult to orient myself at first. Much of Michael's past is hinted at in the beginning but I couldn't tell if I was already supposed to know more about his time of being a Knight or if it would be revealed later.
Overall, this was a quick fantasy based on a classic tale that could benefit from a prequel novel.
My advice to someone wanting to pick up this book is to read J. M. Barrie's version first. While the original tale will provide some context for God of Neverland, I still felt like I was reading the second book in a series.
God of Neverland is an enjoyable read but I found it difficult to orient myself at first. Much of Michael's past is hinted at in the beginning but I couldn't tell if I was already supposed to know more about his time of being a Knight or if it would be revealed later.
Overall, this was a quick fantasy based on a classic tale that could benefit from a prequel novel.
catherinereads88's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
I absolutely love new takes on fairytales, and though Peter Pan wasn't exactly a favorite growing up, I'm learning that I love twists to the original story! God of Neverland was such an amazing new idea for this story and I really enjoyed that the protagonist was Michael, Wendy's baby brother, and we got to see him grown up and learn how the trip to Neverland affected the kids when they grew up. Learning that there is a secret society that deals with magical things operating in early 1900s England was such a treat. I loved Vanessa so much, she was such a badass and so confident. The mystery and adventure on Neverland was so engaging and the pace was pretty fast, which I love. I hope there is more to this series, and that it explores other childhood favorites in new ways, because I will definitely read!
sarahsbookstack's review
3.0
I thought this book was ok.
We get an adult Michael that goes back to Neverland because he gets word that Peter Pan is missing.
I love the world of Neverland which is a pretty dark version here. It all seemed to Michael, through his 4 year old eyes, to be a fun place to be. As an adult though, he saw the darkness of it.
I was both intrigued by the magic and bored with it... Those were the 2 ends... No in-between.
We get an adult Michael that goes back to Neverland because he gets word that Peter Pan is missing.
I love the world of Neverland which is a pretty dark version here. It all seemed to Michael, through his 4 year old eyes, to be a fun place to be. As an adult though, he saw the darkness of it.
I was both intrigued by the magic and bored with it... Those were the 2 ends... No in-between.
hckilgour's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I want to start by saying that there’s nothing inherently wrong with this book, I just didn’t care for it.
This is absolutely a fast paced book. There is very little down time. In some ways that’s good. In some ways it’s not.
The twist with the wraith was well done.
Will as a character, was kind of useless. I’m still trying to figure out why he existed. He was mostly there to be in disbelief.
I was also sad Dmitri never got explained. It was clearly such a big thing for Michael and he did get closure for it, but the reader never had the chance to understand much about the topic.
This is absolutely a fast paced book. There is very little down time. In some ways that’s good. In some ways it’s not.
The twist with the wraith was well done.
Will as a character, was kind of useless. I’m still trying to figure out why he existed. He was mostly there to be in disbelief.
I was also sad Dmitri never got explained. It was clearly such a big thing for Michael and he did get closure for it, but the reader never had the chance to understand much about the topic.
happitybookie's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Parts felt really rushed and didn't make sense really, but overall I loved this and couldn't put it down.
emilyh's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
God of Neverland is a fun read that calls back to the best parts of childhood. It's been ages since I watched Peter Pan but the callbacks filled me with the best nostalgia and this felt like a very fitting follow up to the original story. All our main characters are adults but the book is a reminder to never entirely leave childhood and its wonders behind. This felt like a love letter to the original Peter Pan while approaching from a more outside angle due to characters that didn't have Neverland adventures until now. Overall this was thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun fantasy adventure to read.
brewsandbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was a great light retelling of Michael Darling all grown up. I thought Ray Martinez did an excellent job building on the or of Peter Pan, pointing out how he worked as an integral part of Neverland and how we grew up with Peter Pan, showing us that the magic is within all of us. I really liked a lot of the plot and the mix of magical realism, as well as the discussion on some of the logic of the book.
That said, a lot of this book missed the mark for me. It felt like Ray Martinez set up a wonderful thing of "Neverland is about adventure, so a lot of time things happen that don't always make sense." Then got a bit too self aware and whenever there was a plot that didn't fully make sense within the plot, he just threw up his hands and said "that's Neverland!" and overexplained it to the point where I didn't care anymore. In addition, the plot was great for a lot of this, but in a lot of parts felt rushed and like I wanted MORE from it. Overall, I wanted this to be a bit better with the plot. I didn't mind the sense of wonder, it just also felt like too much in some parts and not enough in others.
That said, a lot of this book missed the mark for me. It felt like Ray Martinez set up a wonderful thing of "Neverland is about adventure, so a lot of time things happen that don't always make sense." Then got a bit too self aware and whenever there was a plot that didn't fully make sense within the plot, he just threw up his hands and said "that's Neverland!" and overexplained it to the point where I didn't care anymore. In addition, the plot was great for a lot of this, but in a lot of parts felt rushed and like I wanted MORE from it. Overall, I wanted this to be a bit better with the plot. I didn't mind the sense of wonder, it just also felt like too much in some parts and not enough in others.
sandykay's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Great story in which to find yourself immersed!
I found this book thoroughly entertaining! Not a retelling. Almost (technically?) a sequel. This book reimagines a story we know and creates a new world to love and explore. From an operational aspect, this book is excellent: the world building was great, the characters were fully formed and brought to life wonderfully, and the adventure itself was great.
This book is a visit to Neverland that I didn’t know I needed.
While bringing along some characters we have known for years – Michael and Wendy Darling – the introduction of a new set of characters only enhances those we’ve known and leaves the reader curious to meet the new. The focus is on the adventure and solving a mysterious disappearance, but as with all grown-up things, there are things that are nuanced and complicated and messy, as opposed to a children’s adventure of following the clues, solving the riddle, and living happily ever after. This book is a visit to Neverland that I didn’t know I needed and does a great job blending those various opposing worlds – childhood vs adulthood, reality vs imagination, overt vs subtle.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves adventures.
Stars 4
Would I Recommend? Yes