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karsenryanluis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence
the_ash37's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
*the plot twist*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, Violence, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Stalking
be aware of the plot twistdirectorpurry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping and Gun violence
lastcomment314's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A haunting story, Lost in the Never Woods tells the story of one girl coming to terms with a party she has forgotten while the world around her tries to save the children who have recently gone missing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Vomit, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
saltylane's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked the book okay, but the “final battle” ending felt… idk, like it didn’t really make sense? I don’t know why, but even when things were going on—like action/fighting—I would sometimes get bored. I’ve noticed this author tends to describe things excessively with interiority, sometimes repeating the information in slightly different ways multiple times… I don’t know if it counts as “telling” rather than showing, though, since it can be important to get a character’s feelings on what’s happening.
The author also often includes a “best friend” who would be great to get to know more about and get to interact with in the story… but then gives them very little “screen time” and focuses on the two characters with a romantic connection. Maybe they have a hard time juggling multiple character interactions at once?
Overall, I think this book has a very interesting and unique spin on the “Peter Pan” story. I feel like the author struggled to find a believable way to end the main conflict, which is a shame because the surrounding plot seemed pretty solid. The writing style wasn’t for me, but I’m sure others can easily enjoy the book regardless.
The author also often includes a “best friend” who would be great to get to know more about and get to interact with in the story… but then gives them very little “screen time” and focuses on the two characters with a romantic connection. Maybe they have a hard time juggling multiple character interactions at once?
Overall, I think this book has a very interesting and unique spin on the “Peter Pan” story. I feel like the author struggled to find a believable way to end the main conflict, which is a shame because the surrounding plot seemed pretty solid. The writing style wasn’t for me, but I’m sure others can easily enjoy the book regardless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Medical content, Stalking, Vomit, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
citrus_seasalt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars! The first third pleasantly surprised me with its quality(I’d heard this was the most “meh” of Aiden’s catalogue and went into this with my expectations fairly low), I loved the intrigue and the genuine mystery. But then, not much was added onto the plot after that, which made it a narratively weaker story than Aiden’s other two works, and the ending twists were strange? I think most of the plot holes were smoothed out but I got some questions about Neverland and how all of that business works.
The romance, in concept, is kinda weird! I didn’t like it, and although I got that the same sense of tenderness present in Aiden’s other romances was MEANT to be captured here too, I just wasn’t feeling it as much. (Which was a bummer, because even with TST, I had my fair share of critiques about it but enjoyed that aspect of it a lot?? And, y’know, romance was something so beautiful and integral to his debut, “Cemetery Boys”! Yadriel and Julian are one of like…four book romances that make me yearn for the feeling of falling for someone lol.) (Anyhow, Aiden Thomas, please do not try to write another straight romance lmfao.)
The spooky atmosphere was very well-written, though. Even if it only got a few parts to really shine and be written in detail, it one of the best aspects of the story, in my opinion!
This concludes my endeavors of reading every book Aiden Thomas has written so far. Yay.
The romance, in concept, is kinda weird! I didn’t like it, and although I got that the same sense of tenderness present in Aiden’s other romances was MEANT to be captured here too, I just wasn’t feeling it as much. (Which was a bummer, because even with TST, I had my fair share of critiques about it but enjoyed that aspect of it a lot?? And, y’know, romance was something so beautiful and integral to his debut, “Cemetery Boys”! Yadriel and Julian are one of like…four book romances that make me yearn for the feeling of falling for someone lol.) (Anyhow, Aiden Thomas, please do not try to write another straight romance lmfao.)
The spooky atmosphere was very well-written, though. Even if it only got a few parts to really shine and be written in detail, it one of the best aspects of the story, in my opinion!
This concludes my endeavors of reading every book Aiden Thomas has written so far. Yay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism and Kidnapping
Minor: Blood
mads_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Alcoholism
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
An atmospheric, contemporary reimagining of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan that presents a decidedly less light-hearted, darker take on Neverland and it’s lore which definitely (in my opinion) added a whole new depth to Peter and Wendy’s story as we explore life AFTER Neverland.
Five years ago Wendy and her brothers’ John and Michael disappeared from their small town in Oregon, But only Wendy came back…
With no memories of her time missing, Wendy has spent years coming to terms with the loss of her brothers. But on the night of her eighteenth birthday, local children start disappearing—with similarities to her and her brothers’ own disappearance that has everyone worried.
And things only get more complicated when a strange boy called Peter Pan arrives, desperate for Wendy to help him track down his shadow before more kids go missing.
Having read a really slow paced Peter Pan retelling at the end of last year (and which put me into a bit of a reading slump), I was a little hesitant to delve into this. But I’m soo glad I finally did as it was a really enjoyable and intriguing take on Peter Pan.
The contemporary setting definitely helped to revitalise the source material and I was glad to finally find a reimagining where Peter isn’t some soulless caricature. Here he has nuance and a host of complex feelings that we explore through every interaction with Wendy.
Wendy, likewise, is also an endearingly complex character grappling with her childhood trauma, and the guilt surrounding her brothers’ disappearance. With no memories whatsoever Wendy has struggled for years to move on— without closure she (and her parents’) are trapped in a cycle of hope and grief that never seems to end. Her journey was genuinely heartbreaking and darker than most of the YA Fantasy/ coming of age books I usually read, but the message (of loss, grief and learning to move on) was really well done.
The pacing was a little slow, but the sheer amount of emotion conveyed (through Peter, Wendy and the people closest to her) more than makes up for it.
This is the second book by Aiden Thomas that I’ve ever read (the first being The Sunbearer Trials which I LOVED) and I they may have just earned auto-buy status—I’m definitely excited to check out Cemetery Boys now!
And a massive thank you to Bethan over at Macmillan for the wonderful finished copy.
Five years ago Wendy and her brothers’ John and Michael disappeared from their small town in Oregon, But only Wendy came back…
With no memories of her time missing, Wendy has spent years coming to terms with the loss of her brothers. But on the night of her eighteenth birthday, local children start disappearing—with similarities to her and her brothers’ own disappearance that has everyone worried.
And things only get more complicated when a strange boy called Peter Pan arrives, desperate for Wendy to help him track down his shadow before more kids go missing.
Having read a really slow paced Peter Pan retelling at the end of last year (and which put me into a bit of a reading slump), I was a little hesitant to delve into this. But I’m soo glad I finally did as it was a really enjoyable and intriguing take on Peter Pan.
The contemporary setting definitely helped to revitalise the source material and I was glad to finally find a reimagining where Peter isn’t some soulless caricature. Here he has nuance and a host of complex feelings that we explore through every interaction with Wendy.
Wendy, likewise, is also an endearingly complex character grappling with her childhood trauma, and the guilt surrounding her brothers’ disappearance. With no memories whatsoever Wendy has struggled for years to move on— without closure she (and her parents’) are trapped in a cycle of hope and grief that never seems to end. Her journey was genuinely heartbreaking and darker than most of the YA Fantasy/ coming of age books I usually read, but the message (of loss, grief and learning to move on) was really well done.
The pacing was a little slow, but the sheer amount of emotion conveyed (through Peter, Wendy and the people closest to her) more than makes up for it.
This is the second book by Aiden Thomas that I’ve ever read (the first being The Sunbearer Trials which I LOVED) and I they may have just earned auto-buy status—I’m definitely excited to check out Cemetery Boys now!
And a massive thank you to Bethan over at Macmillan for the wonderful finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
shadowspinner's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death
lifeinsilver's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death, Child death, Grief, and Violence