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mezzano's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Lost in the Never Woods is Aiden Thomas' sophomore novel, but shares dark and spooky vibes which were apparent in his debut, Cemetery Boys. Other than that parallel, Lost in the Never Woods is incredibly different than its predecessor and deserves to be viewed as its own independent piece. Lost in the Never Woods is at its heart, a story about mourning and grief. Wendy Darling, despite nearly an adult, is traumatized by an incident she can't fully remember which resulted in becoming separated from her two younger brothers. As she volunteers at the hospital her mother works in, she tells the children there stories of the boyish and adventurous Peter Pan. Her memories begin to resurface in strange ways, which leads her to wonder if there's more to Peter than a figment of her imagination.
The strength of this novel is certainly its characterization of its secondary main character, Peter Pan. Peter is a growing boy who should not be tumbling towards adulthood, which is clear by his charismatic and boisterous actions and behaviors. Despite most Peter Pan retellings focusing on Peter being a static character, Thomas makes their story rooted in character development. As Wendy is trying to find answers to bury her own grief and find the other children who have gone missing in her small Oregon town, Peter has a secret which he needs to share in order to keep the missing children safe. What results is a clever twist in an age-old story which is satisfying despite its slow build up.
Lost in the Never Woods has a main female lead, but does not have much diversity outside of the narrative. Many of Wendy's conversations with her best friend Jordan are full of strife or "boy talk," which leaves their relationship feeling two dimensional throughout the story. Wendy's parents are an interesting study on grieving parents--with a mother consumed in work and a father who is overprotective--but they play a minor role in the story. The story is overwhelmed by Wendy and Peter's issues, meaning they are by far the characters readers learn about and emphasize with the most. Unlike Thomas' earlier work, there is also no clear LGBTQIA+ or BIPOC representation in the novel. Peter is described as a boy with "auburn hair and blue eyes," while Wendy's race is left ambiguous. While this is not necessarily a deficit to Thomas' story-telling capabilities, readers of Cemetery Boys may be surprised by the lack of representation throughout this novel.
Lost in the Never Woods was originally written as a thesis for Thomas' MFA in Creative Writing. When reading the novel, readers may be reminded of its more academic origins by the frequent use of motifs (such as the acorn introduced early in the story) and its over-arching theme (grief and mourning). In many ways, this story also feels less polished despite more editing time compared to Thomas' other works. The humor, while present, doesn't linger. Most of the relationships in the story are surface level, excluding the relationship Wendy shares with Peter. Despite this, the story is strong, easy to follow, and leaves the reader thinking about its ending long after the pages run out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for an advanced copy of Lost in the Never Woods in exchange for an honest review. This book has a beautiful cover and will make a great addition to any bookshelf--young and old alike! Make sure to preorder the book or pick it up from your local bookstore on March 23rd, 2021!
The strength of this novel is certainly its characterization of its secondary main character, Peter Pan. Peter is a growing boy who should not be tumbling towards adulthood, which is clear by his charismatic and boisterous actions and behaviors. Despite most Peter Pan retellings focusing on Peter being a static character, Thomas makes their story rooted in character development. As Wendy is trying to find answers to bury her own grief and find the other children who have gone missing in her small Oregon town, Peter has a secret which he needs to share in order to keep the missing children safe. What results is a clever twist in an age-old story which is satisfying despite its slow build up.
Lost in the Never Woods has a main female lead, but does not have much diversity outside of the narrative. Many of Wendy's conversations with her best friend Jordan are full of strife or "boy talk," which leaves their relationship feeling two dimensional throughout the story. Wendy's parents are an interesting study on grieving parents--with a mother consumed in work and a father who is overprotective--but they play a minor role in the story. The story is overwhelmed by Wendy and Peter's issues, meaning they are by far the characters readers learn about and emphasize with the most. Unlike Thomas' earlier work, there is also no clear LGBTQIA+ or BIPOC representation in the novel. Peter is described as a boy with "auburn hair and blue eyes," while Wendy's race is left ambiguous. While this is not necessarily a deficit to Thomas' story-telling capabilities, readers of Cemetery Boys may be surprised by the lack of representation throughout this novel.
Lost in the Never Woods was originally written as a thesis for Thomas' MFA in Creative Writing. When reading the novel, readers may be reminded of its more academic origins by the frequent use of motifs (such as the acorn introduced early in the story) and its over-arching theme (grief and mourning). In many ways, this story also feels less polished despite more editing time compared to Thomas' other works. The humor, while present, doesn't linger. Most of the relationships in the story are surface level, excluding the relationship Wendy shares with Peter. Despite this, the story is strong, easy to follow, and leaves the reader thinking about its ending long after the pages run out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for an advanced copy of Lost in the Never Woods in exchange for an honest review. This book has a beautiful cover and will make a great addition to any bookshelf--young and old alike! Make sure to preorder the book or pick it up from your local bookstore on March 23rd, 2021!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, and Child death
Moderate: Medical content, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Drug use, and Drug abuse
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