A review by _fallinglight_
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Well 3 stars bc I struggled too much to finish this book it was exceedingly slow burn so it only contributed to make me feel detached to the story. I had to coax myself every day to pick up the book but when I did I was very into the mystery. I have to say that maybe I felt this way bc I've never read anything about Peter Pan or seen any movies so I barely knew the basics. Nevertheless, I grew fond of Wendy and wanted to know how the whole mystery was resolved. The simplicity of this retelling is sweet and if it had been a few pages shorter I feel it would have delivered so much better. The scenes with Peter and Wendy were really cute and amusing but they felt kinda weird as well bc the little kids were being terrorized while they were having fun, it was an odd feeling. Like I understand they couldn't be tracking them 24/7 but it was still weird for me lol I also just didn't feel the romance part between Wendy and Peter, so that's why I appreciated Peter and Wendy's farewell that wasn't ridiculously melodramatic, it was heartfelt without being corny. I know this book has its dark themes but the softness in how it's written takes precedence, but I don't like how Wendy's neglectful and contemptuous parents faults were brushed aside and it wasn't explored why they treated their only living daughter like that. I also didn't like how Jordan felt devoid of personality and was more like a support blanket. I usually dislike characters written that way and take more issue with it when they're POC. But maybe I'm just being sensitive idk. But again on what I did like, I liked the explanation of Peter's purpose. It was sad and painful but makes sense. (Or maybe this is canon, idk??) Overall, it's not the most thrilling story but beautiful moments in text and the mystery make it a strenuous but still worthwhile and delightful read. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings