Reviews

The Child Thief by Brom

corinnaed's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

phkmly's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

thedisfiguredpeach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

5.0

I liked this book but it was depressing/hard to read at times because it had some pretty dark themes.  Kept me engaged and excited throughout even if I did cry.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape

hmille1192's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.25

knightthyme's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

4.0

reginas_books's review against another edition

4.0

Previously rated 5 stars. Now rating it a 3.75 overall, but still would recommend it for its specific niche.

Read in high school and, having recently waxed nostalgic about this book with a friend, I decided on a whim to pick it up again. A decade later, this still holds up as a fascinating take on the story of Peter Pan. While still a YA, Brom goes deeper and darker than most. The author spent a lot of time on the Lost Boys and all the different reasons why they might have been willing to join Peter, which I greatly appreciated. Brom also extensively expands on the mythology of the island (read: "Neverland"), as well as the pirates that Peter is constantly fighting, which makes The Child Thief stand out above the multitude of other Peter Pan retellings that exist.

emleemay's review against another edition

5.0

If the girl could only have spoken to the other boys and girls, the ones that had followed the golden-eyed boy before her, she would have known that there is always something left to lose.

This is a story you know - in a way. You remember how it goes, right? A boy called Peter appears to children and promises to take them to a better place, a place where they will never grow up and never get old. Of course we all know this story. But... what if it wasn't all that it seemed? What if Peter held back dark secrets about the place he takes the children? What if there was a more sinister reason those children never got to grow up?

What I find most surprising is that I never realised how creepy and frightening the basic premise of Peter Pan could be when twisted ever so slightly. Think about it. A mysterious boy of unknown origin creeps through the windows of children's bedrooms and lures them away in the middle of the night. Why was I never completely freaked out by this? Well, now I'm terrified.



The Child Thief is a lengthy, complex, but extremely compelling fantasy that weaves in elements of multiple folklore retellings, Arthurian mythology, historical fact and gorgeously creepy artwork. It should not be mistaken for a young adult novel, it's extremely graphic and disturbing in parts, but beautifully written and tinged with that inescapable sadness reminiscent of the original Peter Pan stories. It's at once a bloody horror story and a lesson in growing up - even the eponymous protagonist of the novel is simultaneously horrifying and endearing.

We are the lost, the wild, the untamable.

In this story, Peter seduces the children who are lost, abused and forgotten - the ones who have nothing left to lose and gladly follow the golden-eyed boy who makes enticing promises. At its core, this is a heartbreaking tale about the abandoned and unloved, and those who don't realise they're loved until it's too late. There are a lot of lessons floating around in this novel, plenty of philosophical musings on life and death. Those who believe this is vastly different from the original Peter Pan have clearly forgotten the darkness of Barrie's stories before the sugar-coated Disney version. I always remember the haunting line Peter says: "To die will be an awfully big adventure."



It is a wonderful retelling for old fans, but it also stands on its own as an intricately-woven fantasy world full of wonder and danger. The characters face multiple threats from faeries, witches, pixies, flesh eaters and - perhaps the most bloodthirsty creatures of all - humans. The ending was sad in the perfect kind of way. I love that Brom has managed to create a main character that is some parts monster and some parts hero, you will probably find yourself wondering at times which he is and deciding that he is in many ways both.

Given the powerful effect this novel had on me and the way that it is completely unlike anything I've ever read before, how could I not give it five stars?

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captain_cupkirk's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Torture

se_ma's review against another edition

3.0

I thought it would be darker than this

notarealmustache's review against another edition

4.0

This book, like Lost Gods and Slewfoot, is a fever dream. Again, dialogue a little tough in spots, but good enough to overlook. Need more background on the Captain.