Title: Lost In The Never Woods
Author: Aiden Thomas
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: MacMillan Childrens
Pages: 320
Release Date: 4 Aug 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers! I'm back with a review for Lost In The Never Woods by Aiden Thomas. An atmospheric, contemporary reimagining of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan that presents a decidedly less light-hearted, darker take on Neverland and it’s lore which definitely added a whole new depth to Peter and Wendy’s story.
Synopsis
It has been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods but, when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into the light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road. . .
Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, asks for Wendy’s help to rescue the missing kids. But, in order to find them, Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods.
Review
Having read a really slow paced Peter Pan retelling at the end of last year (and which put me into a bit of a reading slump), I was a little hesitant to delve into this. But I’m soo glad I finally did as it was a really enjoyable and intriguing take on Peter Pan.
The contemporary setting definitely helped to revitalise the source material and I was glad to finally find a reimagining where Peter isn’t some soulless caricature. Here he has nuance and a host of complex feelings that we explore through every interaction with Wendy.
Wendy, likewise, is also an endearingly complex character grappling with her childhood trauma, and the guilt surrounding her brothers’ disappearance. With no memories whatsoever, Wendy has struggled for years to move on— without closure she (and her parents’) are trapped in a cycle of hope and grief that never seems to end.
Her journey was genuinely heartbreaking and darker than most of the YA Fantasy/ coming of age books I usually read, but the message (of loss, grief and learning to move on) was really well done.
The pacing was a little slow, but the sheer amount of emotion conveyed (through Peter, Wendy and the people closest to her) more than makes up for it.
This is the second book by Aiden Thomas that I’ve ever read (the first being The Sunbearer Trials which I LOVED) and I they may have just earned auto-buy status—I’m definitely excited to check out Cemetery Boys now!
And a massive thank you to Bethan over at Macmillan for the wonderful finished copy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
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