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bluelilyleest's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Transphobia
greycifer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I started reading this thinking it would be light fanfic, but was quickly pulled into an emotional and complex world of its own right.
Peter Darling sunk its hooks (ha!) into me and wouldn't let go; it left me an emotional wreck in the wee hours of the morning, but in a good way.
A must-read for transmascs who have ever felt the pull of escapism.
... and godsdamnit the yearning has intensified for my own little safe haven in the woods with my found family.
Peter Darling sunk its hooks (ha!) into me and wouldn't let go; it left me an emotional wreck in the wee hours of the morning, but in a good way.
A must-read for transmascs who have ever felt the pull of escapism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Violence, Blood, and Dysphoria
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Kidnapping
spinesinaline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
So good, what a delightful and tense story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Dysphoria
novella42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a brilliant execution of a truly fascinating concept.
I got lost partway through and had a hard time returning to it. My God, I am so glad I did. By 2/3 of the way through I couldn't put it down. The metaphors alone... Just. Wow. I couldn't figure out why a friend of mine gave it five stars, why another friend was singing its praises. By the end? Yeah. I get it now.
I can't tell how spoilery this is. CW for mental health and spoilers through maybe the first half of the book?It's not exactly how my own dissociation works, but it's damn near as close as any depiction of dissociation as a mental health survival skill as anything I've ever seen. How it feels to forget. How it feels to remember when you've forgotten something vitally important because it hurts so much. How it feels to willingly return to the unknowing. How it feels when it all falls apart.
I'm a little in awe. I definitely want to read this again.
Also, here's a tip I will second from a person commenting on the book in the Austin Public Library system: "After you read it, make sure you listen to the March 2017 Hopeless Romantic podcast episode where Chant and editor Amanda Jean recorded their thoughts at various stages of the writing and editing process for this book. Fascinating peek behind the scenes." Apparently Austin Chant co-hosts a podcast?! Yes, please! (Episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1b1Uz904rbNC0xeOPVuXJ4?si=Wnt96ik8Sd2dGVPgchTtZg)
I got lost partway through and had a hard time returning to it. My God, I am so glad I did. By 2/3 of the way through I couldn't put it down. The metaphors alone... Just. Wow. I couldn't figure out why a friend of mine gave it five stars, why another friend was singing its praises. By the end? Yeah. I get it now.
I can't tell how spoilery this is. CW for mental health and spoilers through maybe the first half of the book?
I'm a little in awe. I definitely want to read this again.
Also, here's a tip I will second from a person commenting on the book in the Austin Public Library system: "After you read it, make sure you listen to the March 2017 Hopeless Romantic podcast episode where Chant and editor Amanda Jean recorded their thoughts at various stages of the writing and editing process for this book. Fascinating peek behind the scenes." Apparently Austin Chant co-hosts a podcast?! Yes, please! (Episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1b1Uz904rbNC0xeOPVuXJ4?si=Wnt96ik8Sd2dGVPgchTtZg)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal death
jazzmarie22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
i had high hopes for this book because i love the original story of peter pan, but i’m always up for a retelling. unfortunately, i felt like it fell flat for me because it seemed very rushed. i think it’s only a little over 200 pages, and i feel like in order to really do the storyline justice, it needed to have been way more flushed out than it was. there were definitely good moments about the story, but in the end, it felt very incomplete.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
c_alexander's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
astropova's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Violence, and Dysphoria
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Blood
booksnbcys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and War
athenian_frog's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Holy SHIT! Oh my God?? Why did this short book take me out????? I am genuinely FLOORED by how much I enjoyed this, considering I wasn't so convinced in the first two chapters. Some parts made my eyes water while reading this in the dining hall, SHEESH.
The story touches on several different ideas like:
-having to take on prejudice as you grow older
-what it's like to risk leaving behind a safe place/community
-the struggles of having a family who doesn't understand you/accept your identity (mainly a queer identity in this book's case)
-OH and having to face the world's difficulties when the person/people you once shouldered these difficulties with is gone. Like how just bc you've lost them doesn't mean you have to close yourself off entirely. There will be people who can come to understand you and support you.
There's also a little bit about how LGBTQIA+ people have been made to feel unsafe in the "real" world, with lines like:
"He was a dream. Someone to warm my bed where[in Neverland] it was safe to imagine such things."
The romance was also more gradual than I had anticipated, in a good way. There's some initial attraction but its kind of set aside in the MC's head until he decides to unpack it, and understand what he's feeling. They ended up being a very mutually supportive duo.
The side characters were good, personally my favorites were Earnest and Tinker Bell. I think the captain's crew could have had a lil more substance to them but I kind of understand why they weren't bc of reasons the narrative explains.
Last point: the internal AND external voices all gender Peter correctly, aside from his original family. Even when not in Neverland, very few gendered remarks are made about AFAB body qualities. I thought this was a cool decision.
The story touches on several different ideas like:
-having to take on prejudice as you grow older
-what it's like to risk leaving behind a safe place/community
-the struggles of having a family who doesn't understand you/accept your identity (mainly a queer identity in this book's case)
-OH and having to face the world's difficulties when the person/people you once shouldered these difficulties with is gone. Like how just bc you've lost them doesn't mean you have to close yourself off entirely. There will be people who can come to understand you and support you.
There's also a little bit about how LGBTQIA+ people have been made to feel unsafe in the "real" world, with lines like:
"He was a dream. Someone to warm my bed where[in Neverland] it was safe to imagine such things."
The romance was also more gradual than I had anticipated, in a good way. There's some initial attraction but its kind of set aside in the MC's head until he decides to unpack it, and understand what he's feeling. They ended up being a very mutually supportive duo.
The side characters were good, personally my favorites were Earnest and Tinker Bell. I think the captain's crew could have had a lil more substance to them but I kind of understand why they weren't bc of reasons the narrative explains.
Last point: the internal AND external voices all gender Peter correctly, aside from his original family. Even when not in Neverland, very few gendered remarks are made about AFAB body qualities. I thought this was a cool decision.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Violence
A trans male character is consistently deadnamed by their family, but we don't see their family anyways too often. The internal gendering is still consistent w/ masculine conventions. A child is killed via stab through the sword. The description is brief. A few men are killed in sword fights and a monster attack. Sexual content is vague but still there. If you've read The Song of Achilles it's that kind of vague but even less specific LOL. There is some discussion of what men and women are "supposed" to do. Some of it is masculinity ideas that the MC employs to reinforce his own sense of manhood. These are protested/corrected by the surrounding characters. Some mentions of feelings of dysphoria by the MC. I would say most of it comes down to accepting your body as masculine because YOU ARE a guy. There's not really much feminine gendering of the MC's AFAB body, though. There is some blood and injury. A character gets poisoned. Another character has an infected stab wound.trizk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Don't let the rating fool you🫵🏾 I thoroughly enjoyed this and needed the trans rep badlyyyy (in which the rep was good asf). The rating is only low because of the problematic dynamics between Hook and Peter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual content