Peter, Peter, you naughty little boy...

I love Peter Pan, but I always thought he was a little jerk. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to read something like this; a retelling where Peter isn't just a harmless little boy.

It's been years since Wendy visited Neverland, and now she is all grown up, just like she shouldn't be if you ask Peter. She is married and has a little girl, Jane. Somehow, she has always ached to return, as if a piece of her was left behind in Neverland.

One night Peter takes Jane away to Neverland, despite Wendy's protests, but when Jane gets there, we get an immediate sense that something isn't right. It's as if from that moment an eerie darkness falls over the entire story and all our characters. It was delish.

We follow Jane struggling to remember who she is when she's in Neverland. Wendy way back when she got back from Neverland. You'll see Wendy fight to get her daughter back, what Wendy goes through in a mental institution, Wendy trying to be a mother to her brother's when their parents tragically died.

The book itself deals with topics such as feminism, sexuality, racism, misogyny, motherhood...

What I liked:

It's definitely fast-paced. If you got the entire day to yourself, you'll be able to finish this one.

Multiple POVs, two timeliness. If this isn't what you enjoy, you won't like this story.

Peter and Neverland in this retelling are chilling. Neverland in itself is here a scary, dark, mysterious place. Sort of haunted! It almost looks as if it's plastic, something unreal, something that takes pieces of you, makes you forget... A vicious place that is designed to strip you of everything you are.

Peter asserts himself over everyone, and in this story, he is a cunning, sinister manipulator. Peter is the puppet master who holds the strings. But instead of just being a monster, he is also a little boy, escaping adulthood, someone who yearns for love, and demands it.

I love how Wendy was portrayed. As a woman who isn't afraid to stand up for herself, who isn't afraid to be different. A woman who has found a way to make things work.

Jane is such a little character as well, a reflection of her mother.

What I didn't like:

I skimmed over parts where Wendy went into this long monologue of a question after question after question. It seemed a bit excessive and it made the story slow down too much.

Who would like it? Obviously, fans of Peter Pan, everyone who loves fairy tale retellings gone dark, everyone who loves feminist tales.

When she came back from Neverland, Wendy was the only one to remember Peter Pan and the adventures. She was so relentless trying to remind her brothers of the island that they decided to commit her in an institution. There, she met Mary, who soon would become her best friend in the world.

Years later, she is married to Ned and has a daughter, Jane. Everything is fine until one day Peter Pan comes back and abducts Jane. Wendy knows where he has taken her and has the intention of looking for her daughter and bring her back to London.

In this book, Peter is a dangerous boy (?), violent and hot-headed. It reminded me the series Once Upon A Time. Of course, I've never read the original book so I don't know how Peter was depicted. I wish the author had written a little bit more about what happened to him and the other inhabitants of Neverland after Wendy has gone, but of course the story is told through the eyes of Wendy.

I liked the characters, especially Mary and Ned : they seemed so sweet !
Not much representation here : Ned is presumably gay and I think Wendy sent aromantic vibes.

4.5 stars
I loved this book. It was the kind of book that you wanted to read in one go and although I couldn't read it in one sitting- that pesky work I have to do- I couldn't wait to get back to it.
The book does presume you know the story of Peter Pan and most of the characters involved because their names do get mentioned.
Now I have to say I have always had my doubts about the intentions of the Peter Pan universe and have always found them slightly dark and sinister so this book was PERFECT to me. It wasn't full on horrific but there is one scene with a boar that I thought was disquieting. Might put some off meat for the day lol.
I suppose I could say the world building and characters were already built for A.C Wise, but they do go further to describe the grown up world old Wendy and her family. I loved that no one was perfect, no one was all they seemed, and to turn Neverland completely into a forbidding place was so well done. If I have one little nitpick it would be that I wanted more. A.C Wise could have gone full-horror without a doubt and I would have been completely up for it.
A brilliant book for anyone like me who doubted Peter Pans intentions in the first place.
I have to say that the title and cover is also very deceiving. I was not expecting the books ominous eerie contents. Superb!

Another Disney retelling?!

Yes please

This is a fabulously dark version of Peter Pan focusing on Wendy and flits between two timelines. This was a lovely quick and enthralling read and one I will treasure forever.

Please check the trigger warnings before going ahead if you’re sensitive to those!

"Once invited, always welcome." — A.C Wise, Wendy, Darling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

📖 OVERVIEW 📖
I gave Wendy, Darling 3.5/5 stars. This isn't a retelling, or a sequel, but a reimagining. I overall enjoyed it very much (especially as I'm a huge sucker for Peter Pan and Neverland). This is a spoiler-free review.

📖 A NOTE ON TRIGGER WARNINGS 📖
This story contains violence, abuse from authoritative figures, child abuse/manipulation, the death of children, and the mention of PTSD from WWI.

📖 WHAT I LOVED 📖

The Easter Eggs
Classic Peter Pan sayings from both the Disney movie and the original novel are scattered throughout this tale, twisted to have an eerie edge to them that leaves gooseflesh behind. These childish sayings that we all love and quote are suddenly creepy and scary. They put a smile on my face, triggering feelings of nostalgia, and I enjoyed the twisted meanings.

The Characters
The characters are all so real and raw that your heart bleeds for them. I felt crushed, angry, for what Wendy had to face upon her return from her original trip to Neverland, back to a world not suited to fit women who dream. Despite her hardships, it is inspiring to watch Wendy roll up her sleeves and fight back — against society, against rules, against Peter himself. Her daughter, Jane, is just as fierce and lovely. I was always rooting for her. Even Peter's character was great (despite the monster that might lurk beneath his skin). Every character was completely and fully developed. There wasn't a single character that I didn't care for.

The Writing
I thought this was very well written. We skip over decades and years and points of view, but nothing is ever confusing. I also think this is such a unique reimagining. We've all heard the darker tale about Peter Pan, but I appreciated the detail that went into Wise's tale. The details of the story, the surroundings and side characters of Neverland, the specifics and logistics of the Darlings disappearing from their beds, what happens to little girls who can't let go of fairytales, all made the story that much better. Wise doesn't tell the story of Peter or Neverland. She tells Wendy's story. Realistically.

The Handling of Racism and PTSD
We're all well aware that the original tale contains harmful imagery of Indigenous peoples (what Peter calls his "Indians"). I was interested to see if this tale would ignore this or not. I am very pleased to note that Wise acknowledges this harmful imagery. Wendy meets an Indigenous woman, Mary White Dog, from Canada, who educates Wendy on the harmful representation that she was taught in Neverland. Mary's character goes into detail about her culture, tells stories, and discusses how disconnected she feels to her heritage. It helps Wendy realize Peter's mistreatment and misrepresentation of Tiger Lily and her people.
As well, as this story takes place around WWI, there is much talk of PTSD and coping after the war, which was handled properly and realistically.

📖 WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE 📖

The Ending
I felt like there were a few things left unravelled at the end. Answers or confirmations that I wanted. Even just a deeper acknowledgement of what happens at the end, to Neverland, to Peter, to those childhood experiences. I won't go into specifics, as then this would be Spoiler City, but the ending felt somewhat abrupt to me in a way.

The Pace
It took me longer than it should have to read this because I kept putting it down. Like any novel that chooses to switch points of view or timeframe, there ends up being voices/periods that we enjoy reading about more. I found myself so engrossed in Jane's struggle through Neverland, that when the POV and time period switched to Wendy's younger years (and her struggles at St. Bernadette), I was taken out of the story a bit.

📖 OVERALL RECOMMEND? 📖
Yes! It's a nostalgic and chilling read — a very unique combination indeed!

Initially I was very into this book. Peter Pan is one of my favorite classics and I loved the return to Neverland feel. Unfortunately towards the second third of the book the plot really starts to drag and it was a struggle to continue reading. It’s clear from the beginning that there’s a Very Bad Secret that will ultimately be discovered but I felt a bit like the characters were all running around in circles doing the same things repetitively as they edged painfully slowly toward the big reveal.
Wise is a strong writer and I enjoyed the beautiful prose in this book as well as all of the strong female characters. I also appreciated the anti-racist and feminist themes even if some of the specific language felt out of place in a story set in the early 1900s.
Overall I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind a slow-moving, character driven read and are looking to explore a childhood classic with teeth.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Pub date 01 June 2021

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a dark and feminist retelling of Peter pan, set on two separate time lines. So unlike anything I've ever read before, and so we'll written. Highly recommend

A haunting, mature retelling/sequel that brings Wendy back to Neverland after Peter has taken her daughter, Jane. Events are told in multiple points of view and multiple points in time. We find out what life was like for Wendy after she returned to London from Neverland. The consequences of Wendy never letting go to Neverland and constantly hoping that Peter returns for her. The life she endured and the demons she faces to bring her daughter home. Jane is, at first, enchanted with Neverland and Peter - but she slowly remembers those he cannot forget...her mother. Peter is viewed as malevolent force, a child who can change a world based on his whims and tantrums I enjoyed this complex, dark tale that didn't shy away from the racism and sexism of the source material. Wendy is truly a mother, and Peter wasn't ready for a mama bear!

Find the second star from the right, and fly straight on ’til morning, all the way to Neverland, a children’s paradise with no rules, no adults, only endless adventure and enchanted forests – all led by the charismatic boy who will never grow old. 
 
But Wendy Darling grew up. She has a husband and a young daughter called Jane, a life in London. But one night, after all these years, Peter Pan returns. Wendy finds him outside her daughter’s window, looking to claim a new mother for his Lost Boys. But instead of Wendy, he takes Jane. 
 
Now a grown woman, a mother, a patient and a survivor, Wendy must follow Peter back to Neverland to rescue her daughter and finally face the darkness at the heart of the island…

Wendy, Darling explores the dark side of the events after this fairytale. It’s a good retelling of the much loved Peter Pan and Wendy that is full of danger and suspense. I enjoy that the POV is told by both Wendy and her daughter Jane. Although sometimes it feels a bit repetitive.

Wendy is fierce, clever and protective in this book. I love how readers are exposed to Wendy at three different periods in her life: Neverland Wendy, Post Neverland/Asylum Wendy and present day Wendy. She is obsessed with Neverland and unlike her brothers, she never forgets about it and the boy who refuses to grow up.

Peter is portrayed as dark, selfish and uncaring in this book. Definitely not the Disney version! It is because of him, that everyone suffers. He is manipulative and tries to mold Jane into the new Wendy.

I liked this idea of what happened after, but this is no rose colored fairytale. It’s dark and sinister! A unique spin on what happens next…

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC in exchange for my review

The first fifty percent of this felt really similar to Lost Boy by Christina Henry. I think the problem is there are so many Peter Pan retellings (don’t get me wrong, I love that there are), that it seems easier to make Peter a dark character to contrast with the J.M Barrie and the Disney versions but it is harder to make him stand out amongst other dark retellings. This is obviously not exactly like the Henry version since for one, that one concentrates on the relationship between Hook and Pan and this one on Wendy and Pan but there are definitely similarities.

This book looks at two timelines, present and the past which focuses on Wendy returning from Neverland with her brothers who promptly ‘forget’ Neverland and at her insistence of its existence, have her committed. There are definitely trigger warnings for trauma and abuse during her time there and the book follows her journey in refusing to give up Neverland but still lead a ‘normal’ life and rebuild that relationship with her brothers, one of which has seen the terrors that come with being a soldier during a World War. Whilst there is a minor focus on family, the main focus is on the mother daughter relationship between Wendy and her daughter, Jane.

I am not sure on the Native representation in this as I am not Native but it does feel like their heritage becomes invisible. Wendy’s best friend, Mary, is Canadian Indigenous but does not know much about her culture beyond that her name is Mary White Dog. Even the way Tiger Lily in Neverland is later portrayed makes me think of trying to make Native people invisible. This is just my interpretation and as I said, I am not Native or Indigenous so I welcome the opinion of those who are. I think including Tiger Lily in retellings is a choice and there should be emphasis on doing it properly and making it good rep.

I didn’t really fall in love with any of these characters and always felt a bit distanced from all of them. I am not sure if that’s how you are supposed to feel with Wendy, who keeps her secrets close to her chest as they slowly come out throughout the book. I definitely preferred the second half of the book as it then felt different to Lost Boy and the characters came into their own. Whilst I think the ending did wrap everything up, it raised some questions that were never answered and whilst I understand that Wendy and Jane as narrators might not know all the answers there were still one or two things that confused me.

Overall, I think this is a decent book. I do love reading Peter Pan retellings and for that reason, it is hard not to compare them but if you love dark retellings you might like this one, it just wasn’t for me.

A. C. Wise brings back the original tale of Peter Pan and reminds readers that the magical boy was not meant to be the fun-loving, innocent child that Disney turned him into. In Wendy, Darling, Wise emphasizes the mother-daughter relationship so effortlessly that you will have a hard time remembering the joy you felt as a kid, seeing Jane experience Neverland for the first time.

Familiar faces return, the consequences of Wendy leaving the island evident in the way they perceive Peter and the world around them. My one complaint about this book would have to be the ending. Too many questions are left unanswered, so many repercussions unknown.

Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed Wendy, Darling and would highly recommend it for someone who does not shy away from seeing the dark side of their childhood.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Titan for the privilege – it in no way impacted my review.

I’ve always had a soft spot for retellings done differently and I’ve always had some difficulty with viewing Peter Pan as an entirely sweet and innocent character. If I’m honest, it was never a story that appealed to me because of how Wendy was pushed into the role of being a mother.

This was a refreshing take on the classic. Wendy – a mother now by choice, at it is definitely by choice, the book makes that completely clear – is forced to return to Neverland because Peter has taken her daughter. The story alternates between Wendy and Jane’s viewpoints, telling their stories as they both fight to find their way back to each other, and back home. It also flashes between the present and the past – revisiting Wendy’s life after Neverland, where she continued to believe and was committed for it.

It’s very bleak and dark – particularly in Neverland, which has lost much of its sparkle in this version – but it’s entirely apt somehow.

Wendy herself has suffered greatly since her return, since even before – the root cause of which is that she is a woman living in a time where she is allowed little agency. Despite that, she is strong and brave and determined to stand on her own feet and not bow down to the whims of Peter. I loved her.

Also very much loved Wendy’s family set up with Ned, Mary and Jane.

Very much recommended.

This book was such a compelling take on a classic tale. Wendy's development through the story was told beautifully thanks to both the action and the flash-back style storytelling. The back and forth in time really made this feel like a puzzle to figure out alongside the main characters. For the first few chapters it did feel as though there was some repetition, but having finished the book I see how it adds to the intrigue the characters face. What an excellent jaunt into Neverland with such a fresh perspective!

I received a free copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wendy, Darling is a dark re-imagining of Wendy's life after she returns from Neverland. The story is told over two timelines, in 1917 after Wendy returns, she is committed to a dehumanising asylum in an attempt to cure her of the fairy tales she believes in. In 1931, Wendy is now a wife to Ned and a mother to Jane, but one night Jane is stolen from her bed by Peter and whisked away to Neverland to become the 'new Wendy'. And so Wendy embarks on a mission back to Neverland to rescue her daughter, but Neverland isn't the safe and joyful island she remembers.
I loved the dual timeline split within this book, it evoked a foreboding and grim atmosphere as we were transported from one dark setting to another. By setting this story years after the events of Neverland, A. C. Wise has created a fresh and unique story set in a familiar and cherished fairy tale with an unexpected dark twist. This is an empowering and feminist read which explores themes of mental health, manipulation, fear and family.

Thank you to Titan Books & NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a pleasant fairytale and not everyone gets their happy endings.

Peter has come back for Wendy but she's not who he left behind. Horrified that 'his' Wendy has grown up, he takes the next best thing to Neverland: her daughter, Jane. The story switches between Wendy as she searches for her daughter, her daughter's own story in Neverland and the horrors Wendy faced in her years following her first return from Neverland.

Wendy, Darling is a dark tale of fear, mental illness and pain and sees the return of characters such as Wendy, Peter and Tiger Lily, while new characters such as Jane and Ned create a whole new dimension to the terror which Peter causes.

Ultimately, this is the perfect addition to the world of Peter Pan as it wraps the story up perfectly and, including the aforementioned characters prevents it from getting stale. At times the pacing is slightly off and Wendy can, also, feel childlike though this does fit with the storytelling.

Overall it's a nice read with more than a few twists and turns, but not a title which could be read over and over.

'Wendy, Darling’ is a feminist exploration of the aftermath of JM Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan‘. It’s a dark tale, looking at the price of growing up, what is means to be a parent, and how society treats those who don’t conform. It also explores some of the issues within the original ‘Peter Pan’ seen through a modern lens, especially around the role of women and racism towards indigenous peoples. The flow isn’t always there, but for those who enjoy a darker story it’s a worthwhile read.

Neverland is a children’s paradise, perfect for the boy who never grows up. Wendy, on the other hand, has given up Neverland, and finds growing up inevitable. By the time Peter returns for her, Wendy has married and had a daughter of her own – but Peter refuses to believe that the adult woman is Wendy. Instead, he steals her daughter Jane. Desperate to get her daughter back, Wendy sets off for Neverland once more. In returning, Wendy must confront some painful truths about Neverland – and about herself. There’s a darkness in the heart of the island, and for all his charisma, there’s darkness in Peter too.

The story is told from two perspectives – Jane’s and Wendy’s – and across two timelines. There’s the present, with Jane and Wendy in Neverland, but also flashbacks to Wendy’s life in the years after leaving Neverland the first time and the impact that had. In many ways, the flashback scenes are the more compelling. Neverland completely upended the trajectory of Wendy’s life, and the lasting struggles it left her with are stark. Her brothers quickly forgot Neverland, but Wendy never did – and in her desperation to hold on, she managed to alienate herself from everyone around her. The loneliness of being the only one to remember something, and the way it makes them doubt their own mind, is brilliantly – if somewhat horrifically – portrayed. At one point, Wendy even ends up instituitonalised – this being the early 20th century, where women who did not conform were shut away – and the brutality of this is again not shied away from.

Wendy is by far the more interesting character. Enormously complex, she struggles with her identity and her feelings on Neverland. She’s gone from being forced to be a mother to the Lost Boys to choosing to be a mother herself – and then that child is torn away from her too. With the trauma of her life after leaving Neverland, her memories of it have become her comfort and shield against the world – so when Neverland itself becomes a source of trauma, she struggles to know where to turn. Wendy is flawed and struggling, but immensely strong, and she loves her daughter fiercely. Its impossible not to empathise with her. Her relationships with Mary and with her husband Ned are also delightful to read about. While the term is never used on page, Wendy reads as aromantic, possibly with an element of bisexuality. AC Wise does well to foreshadow this before Wendy mentions it on page, and its lovely to see her find happiness and companionship in a time less accepting of those identities.

Jane is a very typical child protagonist. Smart and plucky, she wants to be a scientist and fiercely stands up for herself. Unlike Wendy, who in the original ‘Peter Pan’ mostly went along with Peter and his ideas – only rebelling by leaving at the end – Jane fights from the start. She has no interest in being anyone’s mother, and she’d much rather look at rocks than spend all day play-fighting. Her rebellion makes Peter more malevolent, highlighting the darker side that was present in the original but far mote subtle. Jane’s sections are made more readable by the inclusion of Timothy, one of the Lost Boys who has grown tired of Peter’s games – and scared of Peter as a consequence. Jane is kind-hearted and caring, and her interactions with Timothy are lovely. Unlike Wendy, Jane doesn’t stand out as a character – she reads much like a wide variety of children’s book protagonists – but she makes an interesting counterpoint to her more complex mother.

The ending is powerful, with clear messages about motherhood and what it means to grow up. There are a couple of minor irritations – Jane’s characterisation slips a bit at the climax, becoming a little too subserviant – but overall it works well.

The main issue with ‘Wendy, Darling’ is that it takes a risk by telling two simultaneous stories, and one is so much more gripping and complex that it makes the other seem a little weak. The flashback scenes are probably intended to be a minor part, but to me their story is more compelling than the main plotline. I would happily read an entire book just dedicated to the psychological impact of Neverland on Wendy and her life, and how she navigates the aftermath. This definitely says more about me as a reader than it does the book, but it colours my ability to look at it objectively.

Overall, ‘Wendy, Darling’ is a clever look at the story of ‘Peter Pan’ and what might have happened next. Unlike the original, its definitely not a children’s book, but its an intriguing addition to the world of ‘Peter Pan’ spinoffs. Recommended for existing ‘Peter Pan’ fans, along with those who enjoy tales about motherhood, women who survive, and psychology.

When Peter Pan takes her daughter away, Wendy goes back to Neverland, just to find it perverted in the most wicked way. Something very dark lies in the heart of the island, something she can't remember.
But this is also Wendy's life, so we learn about the years spent in the asylum where her brothers committed her. Yes, because, John and Michael no longer remember Neverland.
In spite of its two pov, those of Wendy and Jane, and alternating past and present, this is a gripping novel that mix perfectly adventure, mystery and Wendy's touching history after that first flight to the second star on the right.

Thank you to Netgalley, Titan Books & A.C Wise for my arc of Wendy, Darling in exchange for an honest review.

Out now!!

Wendy, Darling is a dark feminist retelling of what happened after the Darling children left Neverland.

Wendy is a grown woman now having left the fun and frivolity of Neverland behind. But why does nobody, not even her brother’s believe her that Neverland exists? Stuck in post war London, married with a child of her own Wendy has been forced to accept that as a woman she’s far more likely to be deemed crazy than believed about a fantasy world inhabited by a boy who never grows up. That is until Peter returns and snatches her own child Jane from her bed and Wendy must return to Neverland to find her, while accepting the darkness at the heart of Neverland and Peter that she has refused to accept all these years.

This was a fantastic retelling, deliciously dark with more than a hint of danger and suspense that keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages. It’s a fresh take on an old story exploring the darkness that many Peter Pan retellings/theorists only hint at, in a new and Wendy focused way.

The Wendy of this novel is fierce, protective, clever and independent. A woman out of her time who despite many obstacles has forged a life for herself that doesn’t enclose her quite as much as other women of her era. The book juxtaposes between three timelines; Neverland of Wendy’s childhood, Wendy’s post Neverland life in an asylum and present day Neverland when Wendy returns as an adult.

I’d really recommend this one to anyone who loves a feminist retelling especially one threaded through with dark, horror elements that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Peter Pan has always been a popular character, thanks to the love the original book received, and the hit of the Disney film, it's a character that has been re-imagined and reinvented time and time again. But in the majority of those re-tellings it's always been about the wonder of Neverland, about how amazing Peter is, and how positive an impact the adventure had on Wendy and her brothers. A.C. Wise throws this out, instead focusing on the darkness just behind the scenes of Neverland, and how adventuring with Peter Pan isn't always a good thing.

Wendy, Darling explores the character of Wendy across multiple periods of her life, with these different stories weaving in and out of the main narrative to give readers a slowly unfolding insight into one of the most famous characters in children's literature. After returning from Neverland things have not been good for the Darling children. Their parents died on the Titanic, Michael was injured in World War One and suffers from traumatic PTSD, and Wendy, who refuses to stop talking about Neverland, is sent to an institution.

Despite these awful things, we get to see Wendy as a happily married woman, with a daughter of her own. However, when Peter appears one night and decides to take Jane, Wendy's daughter, to Neverland we not only get to see Wendy going after them, determined to bring her daughter home, but also discover much of what's happened to her over the years; including the torment and love she discovered whilst locked away.

Wendy, Darling isn't a book about Peter, or Neverland, despite it giving readers a new and somewhat drastic explanation for the character and his world. Instead, the book is about Wendy and the strength she has built up over the years. We see much of this over the two time periods that we follow Wendy. The first begins in 1917, when John has decided that he's been left no choice but to take Wendy to the St. Bernadettes asylum to stop her ravings about Neverland and the rages it brings out in her from hurting their youngest brother, who's still dealing with his own mental scars from the war. The second, set in 1931, follows Wendy as she travels back to Neverland to rescue her daughter.

I honestly thought that our of the two of these I would find the one where Wendy returns to Neverland and has to confront the people and places from her past would be the most exciting part of the book, especially as Wise explores the more horrific elements of the story; and whilst these sections are great, I don't think that they really hold a candle to how good the intervening years are.

The Wendy we see enter St. Bernadettes is something of a spoilt and angry woman, one who's had to deal with her own share of hardships yes, but who ultimately doesn't think that she can be wrong about anything because she was the only Darling sibling to remember Neverland. She has an arrogance to her that quickly becomes checked once she's locked away far from home, and it's through her trials there that we get to really see her grow as a person.

The book took some surprising turns along the way, and I was honestly not expecting the author to make certain choices that they did. But the way Wendy's story was crafted really drew me in, and I realised that I was more invested in learning how she eventually got out of the asylum and became a mother and wife over what she would find at the heart of Neverland.

I loved how I was expecting to be taken on a grand adventure, but instead got a complex and engaging character driven story, one that dealt with grief and trauma, loss and family, and most of all was about love. Not just Wendy's love as a mother though, but queer love too, about deep love as friends, and how family can form in some less traditional combinations. I was never expecting the book to do this, but the fact that it did made it all the more worth reading.

Wendy, Darling will appeal to people who have a soft spot for Peter Pan, who read the books and watched the movies, but it'll also appeal to a lot more people than that. It's focus on a strong female lead, about the strength that women have inside them, and the power to overcome insurmountable odds make this not just a magical fair tale, but a powerful feminist story too.

<<She cannot, and will not, deny Neverland.>>

This is my first Peter Pan sequel (in book form, I've seen Hook, etc)! I've been looking forward to Darling, but I haven't read it yet, so Wendy, Darling is my first post-Pan read.

Wendy, Darling opens up on a much different note than where Peter Pan ended. In Wendy, Darling, it's been years since Wendy and Peter parted ways, and now Wendy has her own adult life. One filled with memories of Neverland, and what happened to Wendy after.

Wendy's complicated feelings about Neverland and Peter are so heart-shattering, and her descriptions of life after-Peter are so sad. You can really feel Wendy and I just want to give her a hug and make her a cup of tea.

But right from the start, you get the sense that in this retelling of Peter Pan, there's something that doesn't make sense about the Boy Who Doesn't Grow Up. I won't spoil what happens, but definitely worth a read!