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syd991's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I first read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade, and decided to pick it up again after I remembered how much I loved it.
It’s not hard to see why I loved it when I was younger, interesting characters and a thoughtful plot that pays homage to the original story, Peter Pan. However, the story plays very much on the Disney story, and is much more of a children’s story, unlike it is classified here (As of the time I’m writing this).
The language used to describe some of the characters, the Indigenous population depicted in the book, is less thoughtful. It uses slurs to refer to them for the majority of their appearance, even after they have given their actual name. This is done mostly by the villains, who, as far as I’m aware, do not know the name of the people. This is no excuse for the language used. As this is a series, I do hope the language improves later, but I have not read any of the other books yet. I’m not Indigenous myself, but the portrayal of Indigenous populations in this book is quite disturbing, especially considering the original Disney version’s racist portrayal, and the fact that this is marketed towards children as well, teaching them not only the wrong language, but many racist ideas. The description of their language is “grunts and clicks”, and are automatically assumed to be violent.
Apart from this, the story is quite interesting. However, the language used did turn me off of the book quite a bit. If you’re looking to read this, or read it to children, I do suggest being mindful of the language used in the book, and explaining to children respectful terms that they can use to refer to other people, as well as the harmful effects of using slurs.
It’s not hard to see why I loved it when I was younger, interesting characters and a thoughtful plot that pays homage to the original story, Peter Pan. However, the story plays very much on the Disney story, and is much more of a children’s story, unlike it is classified here (As of the time I’m writing this).
The language used to describe some of the characters, the Indigenous population depicted in the book, is less thoughtful. It uses slurs to refer to them for the majority of their appearance, even after they have given their actual name. This is done mostly by the villains, who, as far as I’m aware, do not know the name of the people. This is no excuse for the language used. As this is a series, I do hope the language improves later, but I have not read any of the other books yet. I’m not Indigenous myself, but the portrayal of Indigenous populations in this book is quite disturbing, especially considering the original Disney version’s racist portrayal, and the fact that this is marketed towards children as well, teaching them not only the wrong language, but many racist ideas. The description of their language is “grunts and clicks”, and are automatically assumed to be violent.
Apart from this, the story is quite interesting. However, the language used did turn me off of the book quite a bit. If you’re looking to read this, or read it to children, I do suggest being mindful of the language used in the book, and explaining to children respectful terms that they can use to refer to other people, as well as the harmful effects of using slurs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism
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