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chelregel's review
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
Man I destroyed this book in minutes! It was so good, and so quick. Also a very dark adaptation of Peter Pan, so be warned.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
kari_f's review
dark
emotional
tense
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I honestly went into this book fairly blind, knowing only that it was a darker take on the Peter Pan story. I have enjoyed screen adaptations showing Peter as something other than the delightfully mischievous, child-like sprite, so I was excited to dive into a literary version of this. On the whole, I'm glad I didn't have a ton of background on what the plot would be, and I enjoyed figuring it out along the way.
I was drawn in pretty immediately, trying to meld in my mind the traditional Peter Pan story and the protagonist's current reality. I loved how the plot progressed and we learned more about this highly dysfunctional and misunderstood family as we kept reading. There was so much secrecy and deception throughout the entire book (thus, the dysfunctional family aspect), and I found myself wanting to throttle each of the characters at some point in time. Because there were some tragically flawed and morally dubious characters, we also got a good amount of deep character development.
I enjoyed that so many characters from the original story were present and how each of them was represented in a unique way. The tone was dark and suspenseful, and I found myself intrigued enough that I didn't want to put it down! Though the book is pretty dark throughout, there were several enchanting and magical moments! The descriptions of the gardens and homes were beautifully done, and the depictions of magic had both whimsy and a sense of foreboding. There are definitely scenes where the reader will need to suspend belief, but isn't that what the Peter Pan story is all about in the first place?
There are multiple terrible decisions made by a variety of characters, and I wish we'd had a bit more resolution as far as making amends for those. We see a lot of guilt from a few of them, but reconciliation happens so quickly that it felt a bit surface level. Also, be aware that there are a few trigger warnings, including sexual assault, abandonment, abuse, and suicidal ideation.
Overall, I enjoyed this dark reimagining of the classic, whimsical tale!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse
robbiclaire's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A retelling of a classic fairytale that seemed to be a stark reminder that fairytales don’t exist - until suddenly it seemed to say, maybe they do.
The Darling girl here is a descendant of the infamous family, the granddaughter of Wendy. Just like many families, there is myth and there is truth in the family history. For Holly Darling, a past full of loss and tragedy has been tucked away so that she can stay in control of her life today - a teenage son, a thriving business, a very sick daughter hidden away in a faraway countryside house as a secret. As the book unfolds, the reader watches as her tightly held grasp on her life becomes threatened and she must face all of those whispers from her past.
There is magic here - it’s a book with the sound of bells, glittering pixie dust, and the alluring idea that childhood can last forever. But there is also violence, and I found myself wondering how much of the violence was necessary for the plot and character development. Turning a fairytale upside down is clever but we don’t always have to shake it this hard. The hints at the opioid crisis were timely and interesting. The objectification of women’s bodies felt like a plot point, not necessarily sincere. (Full disclosure: this is a fairytale I’m very fond of and it wasn’t very fun to see parts of it dismantled this way.)
4 stars for its creativity, for the way the story and characters evoked nostalgia. I’d knock a star off for some of my concerns noted above so let’s settle on 3.
CW: sexual assault, substance use, child death, mention of child sexual abuse, blood, hospitalization/medical trauma
The Darling girl here is a descendant of the infamous family, the granddaughter of Wendy. Just like many families, there is myth and there is truth in the family history. For Holly Darling, a past full of loss and tragedy has been tucked away so that she can stay in control of her life today - a teenage son, a thriving business, a very sick daughter hidden away in a faraway countryside house as a secret. As the book unfolds, the reader watches as her tightly held grasp on her life becomes threatened and she must face all of those whispers from her past.
There is magic here - it’s a book with the sound of bells, glittering pixie dust, and the alluring idea that childhood can last forever. But there is also violence, and I found myself wondering how much of the violence was necessary for the plot and character development. Turning a fairytale upside down is clever but we don’t always have to shake it this hard. The hints at the opioid crisis were timely and interesting. The objectification of women’s bodies felt like a plot point, not necessarily sincere. (Full disclosure: this is a fairytale I’m very fond of and it wasn’t very fun to see parts of it dismantled this way.)
4 stars for its creativity, for the way the story and characters evoked nostalgia. I’d knock a star off for some of my concerns noted above so let’s settle on 3.
CW: sexual assault, substance use, child death, mention of child sexual abuse, blood, hospitalization/medical trauma
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Child death
Minor: Child abuse
jswense's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Medical trauma, and Rape
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Incest
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