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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Well, this was not really my cup of tea. However, if you love non-stop abuse, deceit, violence, betrayal, torture and dismemberment, all with a rather well-done underpinning of western European mythology and a dash of Peter Pan, then this may be just the book for you.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This little trickster is lowkey fucked up! I knew this was a “darker” Peter Pan story, but the body count is pretty damn high for a book about a (supposed) group of kids. Love it tho.
This is my second book by Brom; while I don’t think it comes close to the brilliance of Slewfoot, it’s still a great read. I like the story of Peter Pan, and the more modern explorations of how fucked up the actual story is—like yeah, stealing kids away to a land where they never grow up is kind of messed up! Especially the way he does it in this book! Lotsa death and maiming, with Peter being an impish little shit throughout it all. I really loved his character—the plot got a bit meh for me at points, but every section following Peter I think was brilliant.
This is my second book by Brom; while I don’t think it comes close to the brilliance of Slewfoot, it’s still a great read. I like the story of Peter Pan, and the more modern explorations of how fucked up the actual story is—like yeah, stealing kids away to a land where they never grow up is kind of messed up! Especially the way he does it in this book! Lotsa death and maiming, with Peter being an impish little shit throughout it all. I really loved his character—the plot got a bit meh for me at points, but every section following Peter I think was brilliant.
This is NOT the Peter Pan you've ever seen in movies. It's a violent, cruel, and treacherous story that seamlessly weaves in so many centuries of history and turns the children's story on it's ear. Any book that can tie together Avalon, the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, Colonial America, the Civil War, the Civil Rights era, poverty and drugs in America today and child abuse by using Peter Pan is worth reading. Peter is NOT friendly or heroic. If you'll read the author's commentary on his impressions from the original story by Barrie, he points out the clear references that even the original Peter was a murderous back-stabber who barely resembled the sanitized theatrical waif we have come to expect. There is a lot going on throughout this book and I felt the end was a bit rushed in an effort to tie it all together, but I still modified my original 4 star rating up to a 5 star. The story is simply too rich and original and fabulous for 95% of the time to allow the remaining 5% of "pretty good" to lower my rating.
If you don't mind reading a violent story where many (MANY) children fight to the death and profanity is the norm (as it would be with these children), I recommend this book!
If you don't mind reading a violent story where many (MANY) children fight to the death and profanity is the norm (as it would be with these children), I recommend this book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story was both too long and too short. It’s too long, because so much happens and there are so many different storylines and time jumps. It’s too short, because there is not enough focus on some of the storylines. This may have been better as a series, so that each section and story arc is more fleshed out. Or, perhaps the editing needs to be tighter.
Also, for future readers, massive trigger warning for CSA right on the first page of the book (within the first 5 minutes on audio). Expect future allusions or explicit mentions of CSA and child molestation throughout.
Also, for future readers, massive trigger warning for CSA right on the first page of the book (within the first 5 minutes on audio). Expect future allusions or explicit mentions of CSA and child molestation throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Typos and grammatical errors make me lose respect for a book on whichever page I find them, and then it's hard for me to get back into the text. I finished the book, because that's what I do, but I wasn't terribly impressed. Gratuitous violence, cursing for the sake of cursing - the first few chapters set the tone of an author trying too hard to be edgy in his first novel.
Neat idea - decent execution...not fantastic.
Neat idea - decent execution...not fantastic.
dark