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readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Thank to Libro FM and the publisher for providing me with an advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Helen.
I absolutely adored Cemetery Boys so I had high hopes for this Peter Pan retelling, but sadly they weren't met. The story follows Wendy, as she tries to discover more about Peter, a mysterious boy who appears one night, while also looking into the disappearance of her brothers five years before.
The main reason this didn't work for me was that the plot felt weak and not many critical moments happened between the inciting event and final few chapters. There was lots of travelling back and forth between the woods and Wendy's home, but little was actually achieved from these trips. The twist at the end was the novel's saving grace, but the characters felt under-developed and the writing seemed unlike Aiden Thomas's usual well-crafted style.
Content warnings for PTSD, kidnapping, grief, anxiety, death of family members.
Buddy read with Helen.
I absolutely adored Cemetery Boys so I had high hopes for this Peter Pan retelling, but sadly they weren't met. The story follows Wendy, as she tries to discover more about Peter, a mysterious boy who appears one night, while also looking into the disappearance of her brothers five years before.
The main reason this didn't work for me was that the plot felt weak and not many critical moments happened between the inciting event and final few chapters. There was lots of travelling back and forth between the woods and Wendy's home, but little was actually achieved from these trips. The twist at the end was the novel's saving grace, but the characters felt under-developed and the writing seemed unlike Aiden Thomas's usual well-crafted style.
Content warnings for PTSD, kidnapping, grief, anxiety, death of family members.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, and Child death
allygator's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such a unique Peter Pan adaptation. Aiden Thomas is a genius for making such a classic story into a YA horror/mystery -- it works so well. I couldn't put this down, it was so engaging and fast-paced and I was so invested in how the story was going to end. I loved the characters, and I was so tense trying to figure out what was happening to them. I was so nervous to pick this up after loving Cemetery Boys so much, but I was not disappointed. This has definitely cemented Thomas as an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to read what he puts out next.
I loved how well this book touched on trauma and PTSD, it felt very authentic and it made Wendy a much more compelling character than she was in the original story. I wasn't sure how much I would love her romance with Peter, but it wasn't overwhelming in the story and I honestly kind of enjoyed it. The trauma within Wendy's parents was really well-written and had me crying at some points.When Peter speaks to Mrs. Darling in John and Michael's voices when she sleep talks??? I had a whole crisis.
I also really enjoyed Jordan's character, though I wish she had more page time. In general, this was a lot less diverse than Thomas' debut, but it didn't really detract from the story for me. The ending had me shaking it was so good, it was so bold and scary because it definitely could happen in today's world.
All in all, this was such a good retelling; I highly recommend picking it up.
I loved how well this book touched on trauma and PTSD, it felt very authentic and it made Wendy a much more compelling character than she was in the original story. I wasn't sure how much I would love her romance with Peter, but it wasn't overwhelming in the story and I honestly kind of enjoyed it. The trauma within Wendy's parents was really well-written and had me crying at some points.
I also really enjoyed Jordan's character, though I wish she had more page time. In general, this was a lot less diverse than Thomas' debut, but it didn't really detract from the story for me. The ending had me shaking it was so good, it was so bold and scary because it definitely could happen in today's world.
All in all, this was such a good retelling; I highly recommend picking it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Child death, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Kidnapping, Child death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
anniereads221's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am so glad i was able to reread this a year later, this book still means so much to me, i loved this peter pan retelling that gives such a fresh take on the tale, but a take that i even thought about before this book and when i realised where this one was going i knew it would have such a special place in my heart
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, Child death, Alcohol, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Grief
roseofphantom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amazing and heartbreakingly beautiful!! This is seriously one of the best retellings/continuations of Peter Pan I have ever read! The pain and heartache was so genuine and the personalities felt real! I really enjoyed that the author kept Peter Pan's childishness and irksome nature and occasionally selfish tendencies without making him a jerk or a despicable person. It definitely makes him into a character that is true to Canon but also appropriate for our times. Wendy was such a real and beautifully constructed character and I can't think of any other word for this besides beautiful!! If you even have the faintest idea of Peter Pan, you will still enjoy this book. If you like books that make you ugly cry, you will love this book. If you're into fantasy, romance, you will love this book! A perfect blend of mystery and fantasy, of heartache and heartbreak!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The ending of this book is what saves it. I was going to rate this read two stars before the resolution came about and I saw what Thomas was trying to do with the story. But for the most part, I didn't really enjoy reading this book. The pacing was not it - there was no sense of mystery, tension or urgency despite the high stakes because those stakes were relegated to the background. Most of the plot ended up being Peter and Wendy essentially going on dates. Yet I couldn't feel invested in the romance because Peter is this kind of immortal being and Wendy is 18. Finally, I thought that the book lacked the magic and whimsy which made the original story so memorable.
But like I said, the ending saved this book. It provided a satisfying resolution. Apart from this I also liked Wendy as a narrator and I enjoyed the detail Thomas put into their description. I'm still going to keep reading their books as they always have intriguing and original premises, I just hope I can click more with their books in the future!
But like I said, the ending saved this book. It provided a satisfying resolution. Apart from this I also liked Wendy as a narrator and I enjoyed the detail Thomas put into their description. I'm still going to keep reading their books as they always have intriguing and original premises, I just hope I can click more with their books in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Car accident, Medical content, Child death, Death, Blood, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Vomit, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Confinement, and Torture
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked this book a lot overall, but I did have a couple of issues with certain aspects of it.
I really enjoy Aiden Thomas's writing style. It's beautifully descriptive and always delivers just the right amount of information.
The plot structure and a lot of the relationships are actually very similar to Cemetery Boys. I felt like Cemetery Boys had stronger characters and Lost in the Never Woods had stronger plotting, but the details of the two books are very different and other readers might not agree with me on that. Both books explore grief, but they do so in very different ways.
The actual Peter Pan adaptational choices are creative and interesting. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were some choices and twists that really worked and made this old story feel new. Peter and Wendy felt like the same characters but reinterpreted in an intentional and interesting way. The take on the shadow was particularly compelling. The cops, especially a particular detective, felt like a new take on the pirates, which I thought was a fantastic choice. I also think it was wise of Aiden Thomas to fully write out Tiger Lily et al and create a new best friend character for Wendy named Jordan. I liked Jordan a lot and would have liked to see more of her.
I listened to the audiobook, and I highly recommend it. Avi Roque narrates both of Aiden Thomas's books, and they're fantastic. I will listen to any book they narrate.
I want to preface this critique with a disclaimer: I don't think that authors from marginalized backgrounds owe us diversity. They don't owe us identity-based trauma. They don't owe us autobiographical narratives. I fully support Aiden Thomas's decision to write a book that is not diverse because this is simply the story they wanted to tell.
But the whiteness and the heteronormativity of this book did bother me. And I think it's because of the subject matter.
See, a lot of this book is about missing children, and in reality, children of color go missing all the time and get less media attention and fewer resources than white children who go missing. Children of color are absent from a lot of conversations about missing children, and ultimately, they were totally missing from this book, too. I know that Oregon, where this book is set, is very white, but this just felt like a weird blind spot. Maybe I noticed this more because Cemetery Boys addressed this exact issue directly. Maybe that means that I'm holding the author to an unfair standard, but I think I would have had this issue no matter who wrote this book. And maybe all Peter Pan retellings are going to struggle when it comes to racial issues due to the inherent racism in the original text. I don't know.
Otherwise, my only real issue with this book was the romantic subplot. I didn't personally like it, but it was necessary for the plot and executed better than I expected.
Honestly, I think the reason I didn’t like this book more is just the inherent fact of it being a Peter Pan retelling. I don’t think that the Peter Pan story is fixable. I think it’s inherently problematic to ship Peter and Wendy together. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more Peter Pan retellings after this.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I absolutely recommend it if the premise sounds interesting to you!
I really enjoy Aiden Thomas's writing style. It's beautifully descriptive and always delivers just the right amount of information.
The plot structure and a lot of the relationships are actually very similar to Cemetery Boys. I felt like Cemetery Boys had stronger characters and Lost in the Never Woods had stronger plotting, but the details of the two books are very different and other readers might not agree with me on that. Both books explore grief, but they do so in very different ways.
The actual Peter Pan adaptational choices are creative and interesting. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were some choices and twists that really worked and made this old story feel new. Peter and Wendy felt like the same characters but reinterpreted in an intentional and interesting way. The take on the shadow was particularly compelling. The cops, especially a particular detective, felt like a new take on the pirates, which I thought was a fantastic choice. I also think it was wise of Aiden Thomas to fully write out Tiger Lily et al and create a new best friend character for Wendy named Jordan. I liked Jordan a lot and would have liked to see more of her.
I listened to the audiobook, and I highly recommend it. Avi Roque narrates both of Aiden Thomas's books, and they're fantastic. I will listen to any book they narrate.
I want to preface this critique with a disclaimer: I don't think that authors from marginalized backgrounds owe us diversity. They don't owe us identity-based trauma. They don't owe us autobiographical narratives. I fully support Aiden Thomas's decision to write a book that is not diverse because this is simply the story they wanted to tell.
But the whiteness and the heteronormativity of this book did bother me. And I think it's because of the subject matter.
See, a lot of this book is about missing children, and in reality, children of color go missing all the time and get less media attention and fewer resources than white children who go missing. Children of color are absent from a lot of conversations about missing children, and ultimately, they were totally missing from this book, too. I know that Oregon, where this book is set, is very white, but this just felt like a weird blind spot. Maybe I noticed this more because Cemetery Boys addressed this exact issue directly. Maybe that means that I'm holding the author to an unfair standard, but I think I would have had this issue no matter who wrote this book. And maybe all Peter Pan retellings are going to struggle when it comes to racial issues due to the inherent racism in the original text. I don't know.
Otherwise, my only real issue with this book was the romantic subplot. I didn't personally like it, but it was necessary for the plot and executed better than I expected.
Honestly, I think the reason I didn’t like this book more is just the inherent fact of it being a Peter Pan retelling. I don’t think that the Peter Pan story is fixable. I think it’s inherently problematic to ship Peter and Wendy together. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more Peter Pan retellings after this.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I absolutely recommend it if the premise sounds interesting to you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief
emfass's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.25
Read this book in anticipation of Aiden Thomas coming to visit the Bad Bitch Book Club - they were an utter delight and I also now have a huge crush on them. Aiden told us during their visit that although Cemetery Boys was published first, Lost in the Never Woods was written first, as their thesis project for their MFA in Creative Writing.
I haven't yet read Cemetery Boys, but was so excited for this one because Peter Pan is probably my favorite story, and I absolutely love retellings. I think this story does some very interesting things with exploring the psychological connections to the Peter Pan story, and in the way it explores grief and trauma and memory. It was much darker than I expected, but I really liked the fresh take on the story of Peter Pan and Wendy.
There were a few times I struggled with the pacing and staying engaged. The reveals at the end are a great payoff and make perfect sense for the story, but parts of the plot leading up to that felt a little slow...though on the flip side, that also allowed for slowing down enough to sit with some of the after-effects of trauma. (Also I just seem to be in a grumpy reading slump in general right now, and am having trouble getting swept away in books like I was just a couple months ago.)
CW: Kidnapping, grief, death, gun violence, child death
I haven't yet read Cemetery Boys, but was so excited for this one because Peter Pan is probably my favorite story, and I absolutely love retellings. I think this story does some very interesting things with exploring the psychological connections to the Peter Pan story, and in the way it explores grief and trauma and memory. It was much darker than I expected, but I really liked the fresh take on the story of Peter Pan and Wendy.
There were a few times I struggled with the pacing and staying engaged. The reveals at the end are a great payoff and make perfect sense for the story, but parts of the plot leading up to that felt a little slow...though on the flip side, that also allowed for slowing down enough to sit with some of the after-effects of trauma. (Also I just seem to be in a grumpy reading slump in general right now, and am having trouble getting swept away in books like I was just a couple months ago.)
CW:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Medical content, and Stalking
oonareads's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Violence
carolinebrooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence