megmcc06's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
arabellasbookshelves's review against another edition
3.0
Give me Disney retellings any day of the week and I will devour them. I actually really liked Wendy in this book and found the enemies to friends relationship between her and Tinkerbell one of, if not, my favourite element of the entire book.
cindeereads's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much it is now my favorite Peter Pan retelling for the wonderful character that is Wendy and adding so much more to Tinker Bell to make her more than a jealous girl who only cares about Peter Pan. I loved the characters so much especially Wendy and Tinker Bell they had a great friendship that was rocky at times but they became the best friend to each other neither had ever had. I loved Wendy for her no nonsense attitude along with with kind and passionate nature. I loved Tinker Bell for being more than what she was in the original story she became a fully well developed character that was more than her feelings for Peter Pan. I loved the plot so much it started out as one girl's want for adventure and became so much more to a story about acceptance and perseverance and how one character just could not give up on something that it drove them mad. So overall I loved this book I will look forward to more of these books soon.
thegayfayshay's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
caughtbetweenpages's review
adventurous
lighthearted
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
3.0
I am a sucker for any Peter Pan adjacent thing, especially one that affirms the Great Truth of Wendy actually being the protagonist of the story and one of the strongest beings in Neverland because of how her imagination shapes it. I did enjoy the acknowledgment that only an older Wendy could make of other kids’ contributions to Neverland as it’s a dream world and they’re all dreaming, and how many of those kids were less fortunate than she and her brothers—any critique of capitalism, especially by way of the English, is also a big win in my book. I liked seeing how and when those kids’ contributions showed up.
I did miss the presence of Michael and John, and I sort of resented them getting Patriarchy Redpilled to some extent, because their ultimate love and respect for their sister is a really important part of the story for me (it does come up in this book, too, but a little too late and a little too indirectly for my tastes). I know that Wendy’s isolation was meant to be one of the things that drove her to Neverland in this plot, so that can be forgiven, if begrudgingly. I can also aaaaaalmost forgive the shoed in romance arc with Thorn the fairy prince, though it got too little page time to feel realistic or good or believable and too much to be ignorable. Ah. Cest la vie. The friendship between Wendy and Tinkerbell made up for it, in any case, as did the inclusion of a Lost Girl. It’s about time we get some better friendships between women in the Pan-on (get it? Pan canon? …I’ll see myself out).
What I can’t forgive is as follows:
1. The implication of romance between Peter and Tinkerbell. Nah, dude. Devotion doesn’t have to be romantic in nature. It’s more effective if it’s friendship or familial in nature!
2. Hook just being a crazy old man without his honor and devotion to good form.
3. Hook having a weird black magic arc to And that being the Big Physical Stake, so basically the big stake of the novel being bunk.
4. Basically all about Hook. Having Wendy fully say “omg you’re obsessed with Peter because he clearly represents your yearning for your lost youth” was eyeroll worthy enough, but to have the pirates join in with Pan scholar-ly discourse like it’s The Only Answer really sucked. And also Hook is the main villain so to have him so pitifully unmanned and having all his villainy so ineffectual up to that point really killed any tension the story could’ve had on that front. Where’s the sinister menace of someone cleverer and more calculating than you who can do you harm? Idk, but it certainly wasn’t in this book.
All that said, the goods did outweigh the bads for me, especially because I don’t look to these twisted tales to be deep dives into the folklore mythos of the stories they’re based on. It’s book candy, the way Disney is tv/movie candy. And it did entertain me, so.
I did miss the presence of Michael and John, and I sort of resented them getting Patriarchy Redpilled to some extent, because their ultimate love and respect for their sister is a really important part of the story for me (it does come up in this book, too, but a little too late and a little too indirectly for my tastes). I know that Wendy’s isolation was meant to be one of the things that drove her to Neverland in this plot, so that can be forgiven, if begrudgingly. I can also aaaaaalmost forgive the shoed in romance arc with Thorn the fairy prince, though it got too little page time to feel realistic or good or believable and too much to be ignorable. Ah. Cest la vie. The friendship between Wendy and Tinkerbell made up for it, in any case, as did the inclusion of a Lost Girl. It’s about time we get some better friendships between women in the Pan-on (get it? Pan canon? …I’ll see myself out).
What I can’t forgive is as follows:
1. The implication of romance between Peter and Tinkerbell. Nah, dude. Devotion doesn’t have to be romantic in nature. It’s more effective if it’s friendship or familial in nature!
2. Hook just being a crazy old man without his honor and devotion to good form.
3. Hook having a weird black magic arc to
Spoiler
destroy Neverland and Peter that kind of fails? Not just because of the magic but because he’s just ridiculously defeatable even without planning or the other team having Peter with them?4. Basically all about Hook. Having Wendy fully say “omg you’re obsessed with Peter because he clearly represents your yearning for your lost youth” was eyeroll worthy enough, but to have the pirates join in with Pan scholar-ly discourse like it’s The Only Answer really sucked. And also Hook is the main villain so to have him so pitifully unmanned and having all his villainy so ineffectual up to that point really killed any tension the story could’ve had on that front. Where’s the sinister menace of someone cleverer and more calculating than you who can do you harm? Idk, but it certainly wasn’t in this book.
All that said, the goods did outweigh the bads for me, especially because I don’t look to these twisted tales to be deep dives into the folklore mythos of the stories they’re based on. It’s book candy, the way Disney is tv/movie candy. And it did entertain me, so.
marysusang's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
msbandthebooks's review
4.0
Put on this audiobook while I worked for the last few hours and it was so lovely! I think the narrator did a good job and made the story an enjoyable experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
sophie_mustdie's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-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
3.5
wombat_88's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0