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A review by plumpaperbacks
Dust by Kara Swanson
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’d literally never heard of this book until I found it on Libby and was intrigued by the cover. Impulsively, I added it to my TBR and put the book on hold. I started reading as soon as it came in, and as soon as I started, I was hooked. (No pun intended.)
I don’t know exactly what it is about Dust that captivated me so quickly, but I had a feeling from the very first chapter that it would be a five-star read and I was right. It’s a much darker retelling of Peter Pan than any I’d seen before, starring not Peter and Wendy but Peter and Claire, the latter being a girl with mysterious, unbeknownst-to-her ties to Neverland. Wendy has come and gone, grown up several generations ago; instead we follow Claire as she searches for her lost twin brother, and Peter as he tries to get back to Neverland. For her, it’s a story of recovering from past trauma and realizing she’s not the broken girl she sees herself as; for him, it’s one of acknowledging mistakes and righting wrongs. For both of them, it’s one of self-doubt, healing, friendship and love.
I loved the two of them instantly, and that love only grew as I kept reading, as did my love for Peter’s friend Tiger Lily, who was also on Earth. I admired Claire’s dedication despite the odds against her, both physical and emotional, and found that even though there was some heavier content in them, Peter’s chapters were so fun to read. For most other characters of his age (nineteen), I’d chide his immaturity and tendency to make jokes out of everything, to pout when things didn’t go his way, but it felt appropriate for his character. I appreciate that Swanson, though she did make him a bit older than is canon for various reasons, didn’t take away his childlike playfulness and naïveté. That’s a core part of his character, and it fit well into his character development over the course of the book.
While some parts of the story were predictable, partially due to my knowledge of the original fairytale and partially due to my ability to read incessantly between the lines, it didn’t matter. I had so much fun reading this, more fun than I’ve had with most of my reading—rereads aside—lately. I was fully invested and unwaveringly eager to read more, but I wasn’t stressed; my heart didn’t pound, I didn’t feel like crying, it was just a good time, and that was a nice change of pace.
The last thing I want to touch on—albeit briefly, to avoid spoilers—is how much I loved Claire and Peter’s relationship. Their friendship was lighthearted and fun to read, especially the banter, yet when it counted, they were still there for each other. And maybe their progression to crushing on each other will seem too much like insta-love for some, but to me, it was just adorable. I felt that they had a good platonic foundation first, rather than just immediately being tempted by infatuation or lust. I love them so, so much. Also, I found it particularly amusing when Peter didn’t know how to handle his crush and was mentally panicking about the possibility of him experiencing puberty. XD
I’ve got high hopes for the sequel, for which I may or may not be ditching the rest of my monthly TBR so I can read it immediately. Dust is definitely one of my top books of 2021—quite a feat, given how late in the year it is and how many other spectacular books I’ve read—and if Shadow is anywhere near as fun, phenomenal and exciting, this duology may very well end up one of my all-time favorites.
Representation
I don’t know exactly what it is about Dust that captivated me so quickly, but I had a feeling from the very first chapter that it would be a five-star read and I was right. It’s a much darker retelling of Peter Pan than any I’d seen before, starring not Peter and Wendy but Peter and Claire, the latter being a girl with mysterious, unbeknownst-to-her ties to Neverland. Wendy has come and gone, grown up several generations ago; instead we follow Claire as she searches for her lost twin brother, and Peter as he tries to get back to Neverland. For her, it’s a story of recovering from past trauma and realizing she’s not the broken girl she sees herself as; for him, it’s one of acknowledging mistakes and righting wrongs. For both of them, it’s one of self-doubt, healing, friendship and love.
I loved the two of them instantly, and that love only grew as I kept reading, as did my love for Peter’s friend Tiger Lily, who was also on Earth. I admired Claire’s dedication despite the odds against her, both physical and emotional, and found that even though there was some heavier content in them, Peter’s chapters were so fun to read. For most other characters of his age (nineteen), I’d chide his immaturity and tendency to make jokes out of everything, to pout when things didn’t go his way, but it felt appropriate for his character. I appreciate that Swanson, though she did make him a bit older than is canon for various reasons, didn’t take away his childlike playfulness and naïveté. That’s a core part of his character, and it fit well into his character development over the course of the book.
While some parts of the story were predictable, partially due to my knowledge of the original fairytale and partially due to my ability to read incessantly between the lines, it didn’t matter. I had so much fun reading this, more fun than I’ve had with most of my reading—rereads aside—lately. I was fully invested and unwaveringly eager to read more, but I wasn’t stressed; my heart didn’t pound, I didn’t feel like crying, it was just a good time, and that was a nice change of pace.
The last thing I want to touch on—albeit briefly, to avoid spoilers—is how much I loved Claire and Peter’s relationship. Their friendship was lighthearted and fun to read, especially the banter, yet when it counted, they were still there for each other. And maybe their progression to crushing on each other will seem too much like insta-love for some, but to me, it was just adorable. I felt that they had a good platonic foundation first, rather than just immediately being tempted by infatuation or lust. I love them so, so much. Also, I found it particularly amusing when Peter didn’t know how to handle his crush and was mentally panicking about the possibility of him experiencing puberty. XD
I’ve got high hopes for the sequel, for which I may or may not be ditching the rest of my monthly TBR so I can read it immediately. Dust is definitely one of my top books of 2021—quite a feat, given how late in the year it is and how many other spectacular books I’ve read—and if Shadow is anywhere near as fun, phenomenal and exciting, this duology may very well end up one of my all-time favorites.
Representation
- indigenous side character of color
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, and Death
Ableism is tagged due to repeated use of ableist language, e.g. the word “crazy.” All things tagged minor occurred prior to the story, but are mentioned on page; suicide attempt most prominently, but still infrequently.