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jams's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve spent almost two months trying to find a remotely coherent way to articulate my feelings on this book seeing as most my reactions while reading amounted to “dude, mood” “wait what” “oh Damn” and “please can every character just get some therapy”. This book absolutely destroyed me emotionally. In the best way possible. Peter Pan has always been a favourite of mine and Cemetery Boys my favourite book of 2020 so when I found out about this adaption it shot to the very top of my most anticipated releases and did not disappoint. In fact it exceeded my expectations.
Wendy as a character is so loveable and her anxiety, fear and guilt are so real that I truly felt every emotional hit as they came. Pair that with Peter’s lightness, his unending love and need to care for others and you get this really sweet dynamic of two teens trying to do better and get each other through a really awful time. I truly think LITNW is some of the best written trauma I have seen in YA.
This is a book about trauma, grief and having to grow up too soon. Yet it balances these heavier themes with amazing moments of humour and fluff, and ultimately feels incredibly hopeful.
Anyway I think it's safe to say that Aiden Thomas is a favourite author of mine now and I absolutely cannot wait for his future releases.
Wendy as a character is so loveable and her anxiety, fear and guilt are so real that I truly felt every emotional hit as they came. Pair that with Peter’s lightness, his unending love and need to care for others and you get this really sweet dynamic of two teens trying to do better and get each other through a really awful time. I truly think LITNW is some of the best written trauma I have seen in YA.
This is a book about trauma, grief and having to grow up too soon. Yet it balances these heavier themes with amazing moments of humour and fluff, and ultimately feels incredibly hopeful.
Anyway I think it's safe to say that Aiden Thomas is a favourite author of mine now and I absolutely cannot wait for his future releases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Stalking
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Car accident
content warnings: loss of family members, grief, severe trauma/ptsd, anxiety/anxiety attacks, compulsion, night terrors and insomnia, kidnapping, some descriptions of injury and violencebookcrushin's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is an emotional and dark retelling of Peter Pan that will have you processing grief right alongside Wendy Darling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Gun violence, Blood, and Car accident
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Swoon Reads and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this to review! Ever since Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas has definitely been on my radar. Probably an auto-buy author for me now! I can’t wait to get my final copy in the mail because the cover is just gorgeous.
This book is much slower paced than Cemetery Boys. Most of the action comes in the last third of the book, and there is a lot of build up to the main event. This is mainly due to the fact that much of this book is an exploration of the trauma that Wendy experienced and working through that trauma. Thomas once again shows their mastery of writing character as even the side characters, like Wendy’s best friend Jordan, felt fully fleshed out to me.
There were just a few things about this that didn’t make it a five star read for me. Most of it has to do with the timeline, specifically the five years between Wendy’s brothers disappearing and the events in this book. It leaves some plot holes that don’t necessarily make sense by the end of the book. What was happening in that five year gap, specifically in Neverland?
I will say, I think the plot twist was a little less obvious in this one. And possibly more heartbreaking. There are some excellent nods to Peter Pan throughout, so if you’re a fan of that classic story, you’ll definitely enjoy this twist. All I can say is that I can’t wait to see what Aiden Thomas does next!
This book is much slower paced than Cemetery Boys. Most of the action comes in the last third of the book, and there is a lot of build up to the main event. This is mainly due to the fact that much of this book is an exploration of the trauma that Wendy experienced and working through that trauma. Thomas once again shows their mastery of writing character as even the side characters, like Wendy’s best friend Jordan, felt fully fleshed out to me.
There were just a few things about this that didn’t make it a five star read for me. Most of it has to do with the timeline, specifically the five years between Wendy’s brothers disappearing and the events in this book. It leaves some plot holes that don’t necessarily make sense by the end of the book. What was happening in that five year gap, specifically in Neverland?
I will say, I think the plot twist was a little less obvious in this one. And possibly more heartbreaking. There are some excellent nods to Peter Pan throughout, so if you’re a fan of that classic story, you’ll definitely enjoy this twist. All I can say is that I can’t wait to see what Aiden Thomas does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
Thank you to Libro FM and Fiewel and Friends for an ALC of this book.
In this dark reimagining of Peter Pan, Wendy Darling has just graduated High School and is still recovering from the trauma of disappearing for 6 months with her younger brothers when she was 12. Even though she made it back when her brothers didn't, she has no memory of the time she was gone, but frequently has dreams of Peter, the fairy tale her mother told her when she was younger, but he couldn't be a real memory, could he? When children start disappearing, Wendy knows she has to remember her past in order to save them.
This book is definitely even darker than I expected. It starts off very slow, but the ending is fast-paced and very, very dark. I really enjoyed the descriptions in this book, and I love Aiden Thomas' writing. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but didn't feel extremely connected to them.
My biggest complaint with this book was the romance. It honestly did not feel necessary and I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I think this would have been improved without the romance.
Pub Date: March 23rd, 2021
In this dark reimagining of Peter Pan, Wendy Darling has just graduated High School and is still recovering from the trauma of disappearing for 6 months with her younger brothers when she was 12. Even though she made it back when her brothers didn't, she has no memory of the time she was gone, but frequently has dreams of Peter, the fairy tale her mother told her when she was younger, but he couldn't be a real memory, could he? When children start disappearing, Wendy knows she has to remember her past in order to save them.
This book is definitely even darker than I expected. It starts off very slow, but the ending is fast-paced and very, very dark. I really enjoyed the descriptions in this book, and I love Aiden Thomas' writing. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but didn't feel extremely connected to them.
My biggest complaint with this book was the romance. It honestly did not feel necessary and I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I think this would have been improved without the romance.
Pub Date: March 23rd, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism
quirkybibliophile's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thoughts and Themes: I was so glad to get a chance to read this one because of how much Cemetery Boys meant to me. I had started reading this one on e-book when Libro.Fm gave me an advanced listening copy so I switched over to audiobook. I had just started listening to this one when I saw other people’s reviews on it and their concerns but decided to read it for myself and I am so glad that I did.
I do not recall seeing any other Peter Pan movie besides the Disney one and I definitely have never read the story. It’s hard for me to talk about how much I enjoyed this book because the parts that I enjoyed come in the explanation of the story. That whole explanation was so great but it also would give you all some spoilers so I’m keeping that out of my review.
I think that even if you are familiar with the original Peter Pan story , this one is going to surprise you because of how different it is. I liked that this one has familiar characters so it feels nostalgic but the background story is differen.t I like the way this changes from the original story and I love the inclusion of Peter’s shadow as a potential villain to this story. This story felt a lot like revisiting movies from my childhood as I remembered watching Peter Pan with my parents. At the end of this story, I actually ran to my parents room to ask if I had gotten the original story wrong and if Peter Pan was supposed to be such a dark tale.
I really liked all of the tropes that were included in this story and there are moments that I was laughing and moments in which I was tearing up. I know that a lot of people had issues with this story not having queer characters in it but for me it was still a story that was written by a queer author. This story was so different from Cemetery Boys but it also has some similar themes and feelings to it. It still gave off the feeling of teenagers hiding something from the people around them to protect themselves and ultimately needing to save themselves.
Characters: I knew I would love the characters right as I started reading the story because how could I not love Peter Pan. He’s one of my favorite Disney characters so I love getting to read other’s interpretations of him. I also liked how this Peter grew up physically but mentally he was still a child, this aspect of the story made him so much more likeable and fun.
I was also really glad to see a different interpretation of Wendy and be heartbroken for her. I thought it was great to see Wendy dealing with her grief and to see PTSD play out in a character so young. I also thought it was great to see PTSD play out in a character for other reasons than what has been typically shown through media.
I liked that we got to see a glimpse of Jordon, Wendy’s best friend and see how she plays a role in this story. While we don’t really get to know her, I still liked the pieces that she is included in and the role she plays in Wendy’s life.
Writing Style: I actually read this one on e-book and listened to pieces of it on audio so I want to comment not just on the writing style but also the narration. The narrator on the audio version of this book is great and easy to listen to. I liked how they changed the voice for each of the character’s talking and how the tone shifted along with the pacing of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief
Moderate: Child death and Death
perpetualpages's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
CWs: Explorations of familial loss, grief, and trauma; some descriptions of anxiety/anxiety attacks, compulsion, and alcoholism (in parents); allusions to night terrors and insomnia; instances of kidnapping; some descriptions of injury and violence
☆ Check out my spoiler-free reading vlog for LITNW!
As someone who absolutely loved Cemetery Boys, the bar was pretty high for Lost in the Never Woods, but Aiden Thomas did not disappoint.
LITNW is a story that goes hard in the paint when it comes to exploring trauma, reactions to trauma, and mental health. Wendy is an extremely traumatized, extremely anxious person, who is still grappling with the disappearance of her brothers and how that's completely shifted her family's entire dynamic. While she's surrounded by people who intellectually know what she went through all those years ago, very few people actually understand how she feels and how the situation haunts her. That desperation and uncertainty she feels really underpins the writing style in the story. It's a narrative that moves quickly, almost frantically, and leaves the reader feeling breathless with each new discovery and the terrifying implications of those discoveries.
I think that's what makes the dynamic between Wendy and Peter so fascinating and so emotional. Peter represents magic, wonder, and in many ways safety, and Wendy is slow to trust him because everything he represents is just another unknown. Wendy is terrified and alone when the story begins, and she's used to making herself small to make everyone's life easier. But Peter is gradually breaking through her walls, offering her a potential connection to her brothers and her past, and sort of reintroducing her to wonder and joy. At the same time, he's validating her fears and feelings, which she has always thought to be "irrational." Peter also represents a chance for redemption, because Wendy has spent all this time harboring guilt over the fact that she couldn't keep her brothers safe, especially since she sees it as her job to protect the people she loves.
She and Peter are very similar in that way. They see it as their responsibility to take care of others, even if it means taking on their pain, and they are both convinced that all the bad things happening in town are because of their own failings, because they weren't able to "be better" in some way. I think that really speaks to the lasting impact of trauma and nursing guilt instead of addressing it. I think the story also has a lot to say about how the act of growing up is almost traumatic in itself, because in many ways, growing up means learning how to be hurt, and Wendy and Peter are being forced to confront that pain in a very literal, magical sense.
To me, Peter and Wendy represent a reconciliation between pain and joy, and this evil shadow magic growing in the woods represents how pain is a living, breathing entity that grows stronger and strengthens its hold over us the more we feed into it. When we learn to extract joy from painful moments, hope from hardship, and love from loss, we become more powerful for it. That concept is what really struck me the hardest in this story, and I really appreciate how the story converts survivor's guilt into power.
It is such a different story from Thomas' debut, but in some ways it is very much cut from the same cloth. There's joy, there's humor, there's an impossibly tragic yet hopeful romance, but there's also a really honest look at the hard choices survivors have to make and the destructive power of grief. While there were some supporting characters I wanted to see more from, I was still completely immersed in this creepy, atmospheric story and I was completely blown away. Aiden was already an auto-buy author and this tremendous story just solidified that fact even further!
☆ Check out my spoiler-free reading vlog for LITNW!
As someone who absolutely loved Cemetery Boys, the bar was pretty high for Lost in the Never Woods, but Aiden Thomas did not disappoint.
LITNW is a story that goes hard in the paint when it comes to exploring trauma, reactions to trauma, and mental health. Wendy is an extremely traumatized, extremely anxious person, who is still grappling with the disappearance of her brothers and how that's completely shifted her family's entire dynamic. While she's surrounded by people who intellectually know what she went through all those years ago, very few people actually understand how she feels and how the situation haunts her. That desperation and uncertainty she feels really underpins the writing style in the story. It's a narrative that moves quickly, almost frantically, and leaves the reader feeling breathless with each new discovery and the terrifying implications of those discoveries.
I think that's what makes the dynamic between Wendy and Peter so fascinating and so emotional. Peter represents magic, wonder, and in many ways safety, and Wendy is slow to trust him because everything he represents is just another unknown. Wendy is terrified and alone when the story begins, and she's used to making herself small to make everyone's life easier. But Peter is gradually breaking through her walls, offering her a potential connection to her brothers and her past, and sort of reintroducing her to wonder and joy. At the same time, he's validating her fears and feelings, which she has always thought to be "irrational." Peter also represents a chance for redemption, because Wendy has spent all this time harboring guilt over the fact that she couldn't keep her brothers safe, especially since she sees it as her job to protect the people she loves.
She and Peter are very similar in that way. They see it as their responsibility to take care of others, even if it means taking on their pain, and they are both convinced that all the bad things happening in town are because of their own failings, because they weren't able to "be better" in some way. I think that really speaks to the lasting impact of trauma and nursing guilt instead of addressing it. I think the story also has a lot to say about how the act of growing up is almost traumatic in itself, because in many ways, growing up means learning how to be hurt, and Wendy and Peter are being forced to confront that pain in a very literal, magical sense.
To me, Peter and Wendy represent a reconciliation between pain and joy, and this evil shadow magic growing in the woods represents how pain is a living, breathing entity that grows stronger and strengthens its hold over us the more we feed into it. When we learn to extract joy from painful moments, hope from hardship, and love from loss, we become more powerful for it. That concept is what really struck me the hardest in this story, and I really appreciate how the story converts survivor's guilt into power.
It is such a different story from Thomas' debut, but in some ways it is very much cut from the same cloth. There's joy, there's humor, there's an impossibly tragic yet hopeful romance, but there's also a really honest look at the hard choices survivors have to make and the destructive power of grief. While there were some supporting characters I wanted to see more from, I was still completely immersed in this creepy, atmospheric story and I was completely blown away. Aiden was already an auto-buy author and this tremendous story just solidified that fact even further!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Violence
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