This is a creative and dark retelling, and so much fun to read.

Out of my wheel house. Read for a diversity challenge and enjoyed. Glad I read it.

Unfortunately, due to technical issues via my Kindl device I am unable to read this book so cannot give it a proper review. Apologies.

I thought the perspective of Peter as trans was an interesting twist, but to me it felt that there were some loose ends left in this book, particularly with the family. I thought the way Hook and Peter's relationship developed was interesting and driven by the pressure of the situation, but at times it creeped me out because of the age difference and because initially it was such an antagonistic and violent relationship.

I will not even remotely be able to do a review for this story that will adequately describe how much I truly loved it! Peter Pan was never really one of my favorite stories, but this reimaging of the tale completely took my breath away. The basics of the plot are these:

>Wendy Darling has always felt like, and identified as, a boy. But the time and place don’t allow for that kind of expression.
>In Neverland, you create the world around you. So Wendy is able to be Peter, leader of the lost boys, and nemesis to Captain Hook, because that is how he sees himself; how he wishes with all his heart to be.
>All the main players are in the story; Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Sme, the Mermaids, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys. Plus John and Michael. They just aren’t going to be the way you saw them in the Disney Movie (THANK GOD!)
>This is a glbt friendly story whose main romance elements are m/m.

I won’t go into details on what truly makes the Neverland in this story different from the ones in the story you’re used to, but know it’s different, and slightly more sinister than you’ve been led to believe. I do wish there had been an epilogue, which is funny for me because I don’t usually care about one. But for this story, there were a couple things I would’ve enjoyed a little bit of resolution on.

***SPOILERS***

It seems like Peter had a good relationship with his siblings, so I would’ve liked to have seen him be able to reach out to them and show the beginnings of a different relationship for them. Even if it wasn’t with his parents. I would’ve also liked to have seen some sort of conversation between Peter and James regarding the fact that James did not know he was coming back home with a biological female, rather than a male. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with how Peter identifies himself at all, but I find it naïve that there wouldn’t be some sort of conversation between them about it.

***END SPOILERS***

Thank you Netgalley, SO MUCH, for a copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

Hello if you haven't read Peter Darling, you just have to pick it up!

I still cannot believe I hadn't read it before and I hit myself thinking I didn't pick it up sooner because holy moly this book is wonderful. It has action and sword fights and enchanting writing and amazing characters that have many layers and you get the chance to figure them out and there is even romance.

If you haven't heard of it, it's an adult Peter Pan retelling with a romance between Pan and Hook. It has enemies to lovers trope but there is so much more you all!!!! It's fascinating to get to know this story and fall in love all over again with the boy who didn't want to grow up. But in this one we find Peter and Hook older and all the Lost Boys are olders as well. Peter has come back to Neverland after 10 years and many things have changed. Except maybe his will to fight Hook every chance he gets.

Let me say that the relationship between Hook and Peter is wow. It gets really intense in the beginning but develops beautifully when you get to the middle part and your heart just can't contain so many emotions all at once. I cried so many times reading this book and I was a mess to be honest but I'm so happy and you see? So many freaking emotions going on and that is what you will experience when you get your hands on this book.

This is a definite 6 stars for me. Not 5, 6. Six. Stars. Only one other book's ever blown my mind and that was done by an author known for her dark but compelling story-telling. Ironically, the stories are similar, but where one was buried deep in reality and the harsh cruelties of man, the other- this one -was built up with old childhood stories and a deeper underline of... well what do you know, more harsh cruelties of man. It was spun in such a weird and special way that it lured me in with the whole Peter Pan story going on, and then WHAM hit me over and over again like a mosquito with all the subtle hints and moments of Pan's other life before he came to Neverland.

I love people's take on Neverland itself and only one other author's done it beautifully, which is probably why I loved this so much, because it's reminded me of two amazingly talented authors and their own creative versions of things that made me feel intense feels. Like, I swear, reading this thing felt like I was reliving every great thing I've ever felt when I picked up a perfect book. And then to add on Chant's own creative way of telling Pan's story- I couldn't deal. Literally could not. I kept smiling and laughing and CRYING in the end. Ugh, I'm already beginning to lose the ability to write coherently. Overall, this is an amazing book. For me personally, it's reminded me of three fantastic books (I just remembered yet another) and Chant is officially the fourth author to forever be implanted in my brain. I just want to throw this book at everyone and make them read it!

Ultimately I think that this book was just too short to fully develop all of the themes it was going for. I wanted more of an explanation for Neverland and how everything worked. We got one line to explain the workings of Neverland, but it really deserved more world building. I wanted the romance to have more time to develop, instead of feeling as rushed as it did. I feel like I blinked and they got so intense, so fast. There really wasn't any development on page, just the notion that they hated each other to now they're kind of okay with each to they're in love. I don't feel like I really got to understand any of the characters which was a shame because I was interested to know so much more about Hook and Ernest. I wanted to hear their complete back stories. I wanted to see flashbacks from them. I wanted more resolution from Ernest's story. I wanted everything fleshed out and explained more than it actually was. I definitely think the story was enjoyable and the idea is intriguing, but it just left me feeling underwhelmed.

Wow. This book had way more feels than I thought it was going to. I was a bit of a mess while reading it, I'm not afraid to admit.

I'm not sure that I've ever read the original Peter Pan story, so most of my knowledge of such is from various Peter Pan films, especially the Disney film from 1953. Even with that in mind, I was able to get into this easily because this is a sequel of sorts, but also a retelling that bends the original to fit with the material. It's got an air of darkness that, from what I've heard, the original book by J.M. Barrie began. That darkness, plus the emotional turmoil and plot events that Austin Chant gives us, made for a great novel that I enjoyed even as it was making me cry, kick-and-scream, and mourn.

The story begins when Peter is returning to Neverland having grown up a bit. He's now 19/20 years old and doesn't remember what happened in the mean time, as evidenced by people asking him, Tinker Bell asking him what he remembers, and his making up stories about what he expects happened. I think this is an effect that Neverland has on people that enter it i.e. the longer you're there, the more you forget. That would have been sad enough, but then Peter starts to remember.

The moments when Peter is remembering his past were particularly heart wrenching. Whenever one started, I felt a drop in my stomach because none of these memories were happy. Even supposedly fun times with his brothers John and Michael were tainted because they were tied to his identity as Wendy.

A new character introduced, Ernest, was a character that had a lot of strength in him, but didn't want to use it to overpower. He felt like a parental figure that wants to let his children figure things out, and is then supremely disappointed when they make the wrong decision. He worked so hard to make Neverland a place of peace in Peter's absence and while it may not have been as viciously "fun" as it once was, it was a safer place for the Lost Boys. Peter's return and subsequent influence over the Lost Boys felt like an utter defeat for Ernest and I really felt for him when things kept happening that undid his hard work.

The WORST thing about finding Ernest to be such a great character was that it's revealed by Hook, during a time when he and Peter are trapped in a cave, that the pirates and the Lost Boys (with the exception of Ernest) are all figments of his and Peter's imaginations, meant to fight in their war but having no life of their own. Peter didn't remember this and was fighting the war upon his return as a real war, while Hook thought he knew the truth the whole time. The reveal was up there as one of the worst moments I had with this book because I didn't see it coming and the aftermath didn't have any healing factors.

I found Hook much more sympathetic as a character. He committed a few dastardly deeds, of course, but so did Pan upon his return. At one point in the story, following both of them killing significant members of the other's crew, they're trapped together (in the same cave as the aforementioned horrible moment) and Pan admits, rather forlornly, that "Neverland's different. It's not I like it was when I was a boy. It's not - fun anymore."

Hook's reply really struck me:

"That's the trick of growing up. Nothing stays the same."

It's a sad fact, but entirely true. The magic of our childhood changes over time and not always for the better. The illusion of Santa, the magic of visiting of an amusement park with our favorite Disney characters. The specialness, the fun, adult eyes don't see them the same way and that makes me incredibly sad, better able to empathize with Pan in regards to returning to a place he once saw with different eyes.

The ending was both happy and sad. The romance was something I hadn't really thought about, so it came from out of nowhere: Peter and Hook. In this iteration Pan and Hook found love together and it felt real and angsty. The sadness came from Hook's realization that whatever they had of their real lives, whatever memories they had that might be important (for him, memories of the real Samuel, a pirate he'd created as a lover in Neverland) would vanish if they remained there. In the end he and Peter left Neverland and, while they were able to return to Hook's cottage in the real world and will most likely be able to live their lives there, it's sad because Peter found the most comfort of his life in Neverland. I wish they could have remained in there and lived out their happiness there rather than return to the harsh reality of the real world.

I would highly recommend this book, even if you've never read Peter Pan before. This was a fantastic book with more than a few emotional passages within and a story that meant a lot to me. I hope it does to each reader that picks it up.

A glorious reimagining of Peter Pan that I adored from start to finish. The manifestation of wish fulfillment that is Neverland has never been so poignant and achingly bittersweet, and the antagonistic relationship between Captain Hook has rarely been more delightfully exciting and fun. I loved this book and hope you will too.

This book takes the classic fairy-tale and turns it on its head. It was brilliantly done.

In this version, Peter is a trans man. Facing rejection from society and his family, Neverland is his salvation. But in a way, it's also a prison.

For Peter, Neverland doesn't just mean being able to be who he really is - it also means a constant war against his archenemy, Captain Hook.

When Peter returns to Neverland a grown man, he doesn't waste any time in re-igniting the war. He drags the Lost Boys, who have grown to be men, and Tinkerbell back into fighting. But slowly Peter realizes that constant fighting doesn't have to be the inevitable.

Hook forces Peter's eyes open. He forces Peter to look in the mirror. And slowly, Peter realizes that he doesn't hate Hook. In fact, it's the opposite.

Peter's realization is a slow and painful process. It means abandoning years of hurt and anger, and looking at the world, and himself, with new eyes.

Hook is by no means a paragon of perfection. He's a pirate, and very capable of brutality. But he doesn't pretend to be anything else. And while Peter Pan may be a thorn in his side, he has a grudging respect for him that slowly grows to something more.

I really don't want to give anything away, but I will say that this book delivers in every way that the 1953 movie did the first time I saw it. The action scenes were highly entertaining, the dialogue and interplay between characters kept me hooked, and the worldbuilding was enchanting.

The romance between Hook and Peter is slow and fairly low-energy, but it was just as captivating. Seeing the two men put aside their differences and realize what they meant to each other gave me all the happy feels that I look for in a romance.

Overall, 'Peter Darling' is an excellent read. Highly recommended if you're looking for a unique take on a classic fairy-tale.

I loved this re-telling of Peter Pan, although it was not one of my fav disney fantasies this one made me smile.

I loved this book. As a non-binary person, I saw and felt so much of myself in the characters. I'm so happy to see that non-cisgender people can have adventures in fantasy and not have it revolve around our "coming out." I want more!

Fairytale re-tellings are nothing too new in Romancelandia, what with the rise of forklore studies in academia in the 70s, and the receptive reading public generally looking for deeper (sometimes darker) meaning behind why some stories make the jump from something created in the mind of an author, to something truly mass-created in the mind of a culture with multiple, personal and shifting meanings. Some of these novels exist to merely show the universality to time or place of a truly good story, like the fashion we had for Pride and Prejudice re-tellings a few years ago. Most of the best ones are a truly fresh insight into a story, I would classify many of the Beauty and the Beast stories under this one, such as Uprooted from 2015. But every once in a while... a fairytale retelling comes along and it fundamentally alters the way you now will personally react to the folklore from then on. I don't classify much in this last bin except the Dark is Rising series, which I read as a teen and forever altered how I think of King Arthur, but I'd put Peter Darling in here now.

Peter Pan was always about children dealing with the difficult period of human liminality that is puberty through an exploration of what it would be like to live in fantasy and never grow up, that's a not surprising angle... but now I realize it was always about someone experiencing that period as a much deeper trauma, and we'd all merely ignored the big hole in the story there. Little boys don't want to stay little boys forever unless there's something far worse waiting for them in adulthood, and what could that be? In short, and since the blurb gives it away anyway I won't feel bad spoiling in the review, Peter Pan was always a trans* story, and now you merely will see it too.

A short, brisk read, that still manages to be deeply personal, some sexual content, but well within the context of romance and nothing I'd consider inappropriate for teens. Librarians will soon be vigorously adding this to trans* YA reader's advisory lists nationwide, so read it now before the YA hype train really gets going!

Clever.

Clever is the best descriptor of this lovely little book. In the simplest terms, it's the story of a boy realizing he's no longer a boy.

I think at one point or another everyone has had those moments in life wherein they'd like to be a kid again because adulting is a grind. The notion of escaping to a fantasyland where anything is possible - even flight! - where you're king of the kingdom and free to do whatever you please without those pesky responsibilities is an enticing one. Hell, I'd go now to escape Dr. Agent Orange and his Bungling Band of Fabricators. I digress.

Peter left Neverland a decade ago because he loved and missed his family, but his family has foisted upon him a narrative he cannot live. They've repeatedly tried to fit him into a mould to assuage their own discomfort with who he is, so one night at the end of his tether he calls upon Tink for help.





I don't have much to say about Neverland other than THERE WAS A FUCKEN KRAKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND MERMAIDS! AND SWORD FIGHTS! AND LOST TREASURE!!!! AND A KRAKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Sorry. I got a little carried away there for a second. Did I mention the kraken?

Books like Peter Darling make me remember why I love the fantasy genre so much. It's been a minute since I've seen Peter Pan, but I'm fairly certain there wasn't this much bloodshed. Chant's vivid worldbuilding is as sensational as his evocative prose; the pacing is breakneck, the side characters are instrumental to the plot, and the tension between Hook and Pan is the stuff of classic romance.

Chant did a marvelous job with these characters. The differences between them are exaggerated which I think worked really well with this story, due to the paradigm originally established by Barrie. Hook's a pompous dandy to Pan's bedraggled waif. Hook's effete to Pan's spry. Hook's the dastardly villain to Pan's puckish hero and self-appointed King of Neverland.




But as their story evolves those archetypes break down. The evolution parallels Pan's growth and his realization that life isn't black and white. Even in Neverland. Once he realizes that Neverland wouldn't be nearly as much fun without his most worthy adversary and that he's attracted to Hook things become even more complicated. Actions have reactions and morals come with responsibilities both of which can be burdensome, especially to one longing to prolong the reckless abandon of youth.

"That's the trick of growing up. Nothing stays the same." Hook sounded oddly sympathetic. "You see the faults in everything. Including yourself."

What's the ultimate dreamer to do when he realizes the dream of perpetual boyhood and endless adventure no longer holds the allure it once did?




The interplay between Hook and Pan is why I read romance. There is no sex between them but I didn't miss it when in its place I got palpable desire and longing. That kiss was pretty epic though.

...the most unfortunate thing of all was that taking off the crown didn't make him look any less regal. That was all in his bearing, in his arrogance and grace.

His skin was stark canvas begging for ink, and Hook's touch was going to stain him forever.


Chant captured the timelessness of their love story by retaining the 20th century quaintness while also adding a modern twist thereby making it fresh and relevant in the 21st century.





If you're an adventure-fantasy fan, love a good story or are a romantic at heart you're doing yourself a disservice by not reading this. I'll be on the lookout for what's next from this author.





A review copy was provided by NetGalley.

Hook gave a low chuckle. "Your obsession is flattering, Pan. And I share it."
"Obsession?"
"Is that not what they call it," Hook said, "when two men can think of nothing but each other?"

Peter Darling uses the familiar backdrop of Neverland, the Lost Boys and Captain Hook. But in this reimagining, Wendy Darling IS Peter Pan with the fierce independence and ballsy daring, cloaked in the wrong body. When Mrs. Darling tells Peter "why don't we get you dressed up in your prettiest frock [...] the very idea of parading in front of his father [...] in a pretty frock made Peter's skin crawl." Later remembering that moment after Peter has returned to Neverland to recapture his true identity:

"He found he was shaking, both with anger and with a bone-deep fear he had forgotten about until that moment. It hit him, again, that his skin didn't belong to him, that he was a puppeteer moving a stranger's body. That he was playing a character, while the real, lonely, frightened Peter was buried inside him."

Austin Chant's beautifully nuanced story also gives us a Hook who uses Neverland in much the same way as Peter. And when Peter and Hook finally touch, it is erotic and deeply moving. "His skin was stark canvas begging for ink, and Hook's touch was going to stain him forever." And the ending, oh gawd, is wonderful. Peter Darling is incredibly moving, well-written and original, and I highly recommend it. 5 stars!

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

This was so much FUN. Everything I want a retelling to be. It was true to the original in many ways, and yet different enough to fully stand on its own.

In this installment, Peter is trans. At home in the real world, he is Wendy, surrounded by a family who doesn't understand him. It's no wonder then, when facing the prospect of growing up in a female body and being forced into marriage, that he instead flees to Neverland.

The beginning of this book is...well, I didn't like Peter very much. To be frank, he's an insipid little shit, so focused on warring with the pirates for his own entertainment and distraction that he doesn't really get that actual lives are at risk.

He learns this lesson the hard way, and becomes a much more likeable character afterward, which, I'm assuming was one of the main intents of his character arc. A lot of times this transition from an unlikeable to likeable character doesn't really work for me, because authors tend to half-ass it. Chant pulls this off perfectly. By the end, I loved his character with my whole heart.

Okay, so this is also a love story, between Peter and Hook. As much as I love them together, and nearly wept happy tears when I got to their HEA, it should be noted that their romance isn't the main focus of this story. It's more of a wildly entertaining action/adventure, complete with romps through fairy-filled forests, danger on the high seas, sword fights with dread pirates, and a frantic race through underground caverns in search of treasure.

There's even a battle with a frigging kraken!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, but have already purchased a paperback, because I NEED this on my retelling shelf in my library, so I can escape back into Neverland whenever the real world becomes too much.

A book that is both action-packed and unexpectedly poignant, this return to Neverland is a welcome read for those nostalgic for their childhood tales but also ready for the change of a new interpretation.