madamegeneva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Blood and Violence
rosenau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Toxic relationship, War, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death
viselik's review against another edition
I will be giving this book another shot eventually! I do adore what they did do with Jamie and his backstory, I just kinda got too annoyed at Peter by the end of it.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Torture, Vomit, Terminal illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
icarusandthesun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i first read lost boy around 2 years ago, give or take a few months. and i was in love. baffled. shocked. totally immersed and utterly impressed by all of henry's brutal, brilliant and exciting ideas.
[this was the book that sparked my passion for re-tellings (of peter pan and others)!]
jamie and peter's relationship is so frighteningly interesting and nuanced; the manipulation, the jealousy, the betrayal, the absolute madness - i loved it all.
the book is very character-driven, and with that i mean most of the book is the characters getting slaughtered or slaughtering each other. the plot beyond that was scarce, but that's okay because the pages were filled with other things, namely clever ideas, fantastic revelations and intrigues (but sometimes, sadly, also kinda lengthy scenes).
there's only one thing i didn't like, neither back then nor now, and it's the whole thing surrounding sal.
Spoiler
i didn't hate her character in and of itself (i guess she was even meant to debunk certain female stereotypes), but i hated the effect she had on all the others and the story.i hated how the revelation that she's a girl seemed to change everything, from the boys' thinking to their language to even the narration (suddenly noting her physique and random blushing and so forth). and i hated how jamie came to the very quick realisation that he loved her right there on the battle ground. it was strange.
her whole arc didn't fit into the story and she brought a certain aspect to the book that i didn't enjoy. perhaps it was the romance that was obviously inevitable (because she's the only girl and jamie the main boy, which is just so stupid). perhaps it was the possibility of a happy ending. i don't know. the book seemed to lose its tone and charm as soon as jamie fell for her and even became a little unenjoyable from this revelation on until her inconsequential death. it got better after that, though.
but the ending was great. like really. it was impactful and so so SO thrilling.
still one of my favorite christina henry books, even after nearly 2 years.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Vomit and Gun violence
cozywithraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Spoiler
the mermaids aren't really described and only appear once, the pirates are only interacted with once. The Many Eyes are a cool touch and I like how they're described. And the ending doesn't tie together the crocodile eating Hook's hand, or Hook becoming captain or even just arriving at the pirate camp.Graphic: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Vomit and Kidnapping
Narcissismi_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Child death, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
hazelrinn's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, one crit now I'm done basking in the good. I wish the romance pair was fleshed out a bit more, it's a bit flat even if I like both characters from it.
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic friendship
definitelynotnina's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Body horror
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual violence and Outing
iamlexy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
ksuazo94's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Child death, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Confinement, Grief, Animal death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Violence, Medical content, and Blood