Peter Darling is an exquisitely touching LGBTQI retelling of a fairtytale classic that burrows its way into the reader’s heart so subtlety and quietly, you have fallen in love before you are even aware of it.

Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland and grew up, leaving behind a world of youth and dreams, and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Years later, Peter has come to realise how lonely and uncomfortable life as a woman has always been, and so he returns to Neverland to reclaim the life he once had. But everything has changed: the Lost Boys are no longer boys, and the pirates lead boring and dull lives, no longer participating in the war games they used to. When Peter returns, he reignites the mighty war between the Lost Boys and the pirates again and he feels happy for the first time in ten years. But when the war suddenly becomes deadly, Peter and his old nemesis Captain Hook are forced to spend a long period of time with one another and Peter is startled when he begins to feel a shocking attraction toward the pirate king – as well as the realisation that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.

When I read the synopsis of this novel, I immediately knew I would love the book, but I was still surprised by the intensity of my admiration. Austin Chant has taken a beloved but old fairytale and breathed new life into it through the most unique and exciting way. I am ashamed to admit that this is the first trans novel I have read (terrible for someone who is such a powerful advocator for the LGBTQI+ community, I know) and I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience.

We all know the tale of Peter Pan, that exasperating but amusing boy who does what I sorely wish I could: he doesn’t grow up. But in Chant’s version, Peter did grow up and what’s even more intriguing in that Peter was not born as “Peter”; he was known as Wendy Darling and “Peter Pan” was actually a persona child Wendy created as a game to play with Michael and John, Wendy’s siblings. But the “game” meant so much more to young Wendy: it showed him that he did not feel like the girl his parents’ constantly forced him to be; he IS Peter. Wanting to live life as a free boy, Wendy was whisked away to Neverland by Tinkerbell where he became Peter and was even given a boy’s body. Peter stayed in Neverland for a month, forming the Lost Boys and terrorising Captain Hook and his crew of pirates. He returned home to resume his life as Wendy Darling, but now Peter is back and wants to reignite the feeling of freedom that had been sorely missing from his life as Wendy.

As we are already familiar with the world of Peter Pan, Chant does not have to waste time developing world building or providing long-winded descriptions of Neverland (although the scenery is depicted). As a result, Chant had far more time to dedicate himself to the most breathtaking character development I have read in a long time. At the beginning of the novel, Peter is the same Peter we knew from our childhood: cocksure, arrogant, reckless and impulsive. He thinks of nothing but fighting pirates and reigniting the glory from his youth, so much so that he puts his Lost Boys in danger. He acts first and thinks later, which gets those closest to him killed. But as the novel progressed, Peter slowly begins to change and he understands how different Neverland is compared to when he was a child, and that that might be a good thing.

His relationship with Hook is the driving force of Peter’s development. The more time they spend with each other, they more they realise that they are not enemies – in fact, they could be so much more than friends. I was thrown by the incredible enemies-to-lovers romance that Chant so subtly developed. It happens quietly, almost delicately, and before you know it, the sexual tension between the two enemies has become tangible, when less than five chapters ago, they were ready to kill one another. This is so impressive considering the novel is only 164 pages long. Chant’s writing skill is even more admirable because of this.

The romance is, as I mentioned, subtle at the beginning, but when it becomes obvious, I was on the verge of tears from the sweetness, the constant reassurance, the reaffirmation of consent. I have read a few reviews where some people were a little uncomfortable by the age gap, but I would not worry about it. Peter is definitely of consenting age – 20? 21? – and the age difference was quite exciting (but that’s just a personal preference). The mild sex scene was touching and not at all graphic, so the few readers who abhor romance scenes do not need to worry needlessly. It is not explicit – it is tender and loving.

Peter Darling is by far one of the best novels I have read so far in 2017. I am so thoroughly impressed by Chant’s writing, his unique retelling and the elaboration of long beloved and old characters. I will be reading anything else Chant publishes.

Oh, how utterly marvelous! I have to be honest, I'm not generally a fan of retellings; I just so rarely read one I think improves on the original. Peter Darling looked more like a sequel than a retelling though, so I decided to take a chance and read it. I am so glad I did.

I loved almost everything about this. I thought Pan and Hook were charming, and Peter and James even more so. I liked how it makes the reader think about the nature of growing up, how you can never really go back, identity, longing, love and loss. The writing is on point and it's well edited.

Personally, I had a little trouble with Peter and Wendy being the same individual, as they are quite distinct in the original Peter Pan. However, the way Barrie conflated wife/mother in the original Wendy is one of my strongest and most uncomfortable memories of that book. So, this merging of characters might not be so difficult for other readers. It's certainly creative and wonderfully done.

I would love to see Ernest get a book, since I curious how his life will turn out. All in all, Chant has just made my radar. I'll be looking for more.

This book was magical, dark, and provided a whole new side of the Peter Pan story that was wonderful to discover. While there are so many elements of this story that were familiar, Austin Chant has made the world of Neverland feel both familiar and brand new. All the magic was present, but it was interspersed with the darkness of a story becoming more real as the characters had aged.

My favorite part about this story was Peter as a character. Peter's excitement for conflict and general ego rang true, but this version of the story allowed a more deep discussion of this character to come through. A trans Peter Pan story is not one that I ever thought I would find, but it brought new dimensions to the character that made his journey much more compelling, even as it was more difficult to read.

The biggest hurdle was the romance in the book. As someone fairly familiar with the Peter Pan story, it was a bit strange to get used to the idea of Hook and Pan being involved in a relationship. It might have been easier to adjust to had the book been longer, but as it was it felt very sudden to go from the Hook/Pan relationship that I know to them being romantically and sexually involved. However, the end of their story was nicely done and I did wind up really appreciating their romance. Unexpected, and a bit of a shock to adjust to, but overall a relationship that I could be invested in.

While I think that adding some length to this book would really benefit the character development, overall I loved the world, the updates to familiar characters, and the incredibly beautiful writing that carried from beginning to end.

There is something timeless about Peter Pan. A boy on the cusp of everything that is perfect about the idealised summers you dreamed of in youth( and even not in our youth's!). Pirates, mermaids, Fairy stories, Indians, awfully big adventures and friends. Although even with Barries work there was sadness melted in with Wendy's observations of wanting to grow up and be a wife and the famous "death being an awfully big adventure".

So when I saw this, it just pinged. Pinged with want, to know more. Peter could not have been Pan forever. Austin Chant has down a lovely retelling with an LGBT spin and a beautifully handled trans character. It's all very slowly released, the plot is weaved like a dream around us, why neverland was neverland, Hooks reasons to be in neverland and his feelings. It's all just carefully done. Chants writing is very lyrical with beautiful little sentences such as:
" Everything in the world grew quiet and Peters body grew loud"
What lovely use of language. It's short, tbh I'm glad it wasn't dragged out but I wanted more.

A lovely retelling, carefully done and thoroughly enjoyed. 4*, I look forward to reading more from this author.

At 164 pages, Peter Darling is between a novella and a novel for me. While I would have loved to have more of the story - since I really loved it - I do think it works at its length since Peter Pan and Captain Hook have a lot of history already.

What I absolutely adore about this retelling is that Peter Pan is actually Wendy Darling. In Wendy's world, he knows he is a boy, but in the time he lives in, nobody else understands. He goes to Neverland as a child and loves it, since he's now in the body of a boy - newly named Peter Pan. He goes back home for ten years but in Peter Darling, he is back and determined to live the rest of his life in Neverland and as Peter.

Peter is still a fierce character in Chant's version. He likes to fight and wants to go after the pirates, especially Captain Hook, even though the Lost Boys have a new leader and are currently living in peace. The eventual relationship between Peter and Hook is done well, without moving too fast. Like I said before, they have a lot of history already, and in Peter Darling, there is a moment where they are trapped together, allowing them to get to see other sides of each other instead of the caricatures they saw each other as: Peter as the troublesome boy and Hook as the villainous pirate. The relationship between these two reveals that Peter is not only transgender, but he's also gay, which adds even more diversity to the book.

Despite thinking the length works, I would have loved to have more of the story as it's quickly become a favorite of mine. In fact, I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads! There is one physical moment but it's nothing terribly graphic, so if that's something that normally deters you from certain books, don't let it keep you from reading this one! Neverland is fully imagined and I loved the side characters - from the Lost Boys to the mermaids to the fairies, including Tink! This is one for Peter Pan fans and for those that don't know the original story well!

To be honest I am a bit hesitant regarding re-tellings or alternation of old, well-known tales (you mostly know from Disney and set a pattern in mind). But the blurb sounded more than interesting and the tagged genre gained my interest.

But so far I can tell: magic was happening here, it was real and honest in its writing, sometimes it was very dark and cruel, very unexpected tbh.
But, oh so bittersweet then… especially when Hook and Peter then finally met and did not fight.

I was truly hooked (and forgive me the pun ;)) and I really LOVED that Peter Pan and Captain Hook went from enemies to lovers. :3 They had a great chemistry and the reason for Peter why he has Hook as villain are logical.

In fact all the reason and topics named made incredible sense and… it was a perfect mix of the well-known aspects with new, captivating facts.

One of the most changing parts were the fact that Peter is shown as transgender in this book and he is in the world outsite Neverland Wendy. Devastated and unhappy with being and treaten as a woman he escapes into the world of Neverland again – but he is grown-up.

The changes were awesome displayed, the struggles and responsibilities to be an adult are named, these are the things which scares Peter but on the other hand we see a different Peter than in the original.

Another major topic is the enemy-to-lovers-relationship between Peter and Hook. And this is in my eyes perfectly developed. Believable, reasonable and so sweet and sexy and a bit hot. There is only one detailed scene with Hook – or James how his prename is – and Peter. But the other scenes with them are the prelude to this, and the tension is there. From the start and until the end…

And if you worry, because I mentioned cruel and dark parts, there won’t be a happy ending you can be relieved. There is one. And what kind of. :3 It is fitting to the start of the book and gives a closure to the topic so manificent. :3

This book truly deserves a re-read later, it’s totally worth and this is belongs to one of the best reads for 2017, and the year is only this young so far. Very unique, it stands out and it’s one of the best re-tellings and continuation of a classical fairy tale I ever read so far. :3

With charming, but known character which make a huge development, who are believable and palpable.

5 out of 5 stars for this magical piece of art.

Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words

Peter Darling was good. Like, really really good.
I loved the way the author imagined Neverland and changed little bits and pieces of it. I also really liked the re-imagining of the characters, which was incredibly interesting, although I wish I'd gotten a full novel about Ernest. The writing was great, and I'm for sure going to pick up more of Austin Chant's work.

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

this is a wonderfully dark reimagining of neverland from a fantasy dreamworld to a nightmare hellscape, and it's possibly the most moving book i've read in a long, long time.

i don't think there was i didn't love about this book, from peter as a wonderfully flawed protagonist, to the complex and multi-faceted character of hook. the characters were expertly crafted, with all shades of light and dark within them; you won't be finding a traditional good vs. evil narrative in here.

the ending can make or break a book, and this one was perfect. it is about the acceptance of who and what you are, and the fact that even if queer people live in a world that at times seems to be hell-bent on making our lives miserable, we can still have happy endings.

finally, i thought the the novella's brevity really worked in its favour. i despise books being long just for the sake of it, with pointless fillers being thrown in to bulk up the word-count. austin chant told the story he wanted to tell in precisely the perfect amount of words, with no plodding or dull sections as is common in many works, especially fantasy.

in summary: highly highly highly recommended, even if you aren't a fan of the original peter pan. to be honest, i can't really remember much about the original, and i don't think having a lack of knowledge of the source material hinders enjoyment of the book. 11/10 bravo

review also posted to amazon.co.uk and goodreads.

Peter Darling has a wonderful concept that was overall well executed. I think the biggest problem was that it was just too short to really introduce the characters and especially the main character's past.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a queer (Peter Pan) retelling. The concept was very interesting. I can't say anything about the transgender aspect of this book, as I don't have any experience with it whatsoever but it is own voices! There is also a male/male relationship in this book!

I definitely thought the way we were introduced to the character of Peter and his past was interesting and overall plausible, I just feel like there were a few parts missing, which I think is mostly due to the shortness of this book! I never quite understood how this retelling fit into the original storytelling. I wish we had gotten a bit more of an explanation on how Peter originally got to Neverland and how the original story played out in this alternate version of it.

The romance was overall good but it took me a long time to find the feelings the character's had for each other believable. I loved how it all played out and definitely found myself being head over heels at the end of this story but the in between felt boring to me.

Overall, as I said, I would highly recommend it. It's a short and easy read that has an interesting concept. I just really wish we had more time to explore, explain and experience!

After reading the blurb of this book, this wasn't what I expected, but in a good way. I was worried about the age difference, but with an older Peter, and Hook seeming much younger than he is normally portrayed, it worked in this book. While there are multiple Peter Pan adaptations, this has to be one of my favourites. It had plot twists that I definitely did not see coming, the characters were all complex and well-written, and the plot was quick but allowing for some great character and relationship development. Would definitely recommend.

This was clever, fast paced and intense - and I couldn't look away for a moment. I was hooked.

Part of the reason I was attracted to this story was the drop-dead gorgeous cover - but I soon came to realise that the content is more beautiful than any cover can ever be. It's as perfect as Neverland can be.

I'll get it out of the way first - I know nothing about Peter Pan (except for this song, which I love even more after this book), but that didn't hamper my experience at all. There was something so infinitely honest at the core of these characters, I couldn't help but be drawn to them.

You know that feeling - when you're on a rollercoaster, and it suddenly whooshes down and there's a funny sensation in your stomach because your body went down faster than your organs and you feel exhilarated and scared and on top of the world? That's how reading this story felt. It felt like a dream that walked a fine line between a nightmare and a daydream.

If you read it and don't like it, I'll change my name. . .or something. Because this book is worth ruining my life for. (Who am I kidding, it already destroyed me I can't go through tissues fast enough with the amount it made me cry)

<I>Peter Darling</I> by Austin Chant

<b>Star Rating</b>: ★★★★★ 5/5 stars

<b>Format</b>: ebook galley

<b>Summary</b>: Peter Pan returns to Neverland after leaving to grow up. He finds that he can't accept his life being stuck as Wendy so he returns to Neverland. Only he finds in his ten year absence that the island has changed at it his war games are less fun and more dangerous than he remembered.

<b>Review</b>: I received a galley copy of this book for review from NetGalley.

When I heard about this book I was super excited. I love Peter Pan and the concept of a transman Peter who was born Wendy? I was so stoked and started looking out for it to come out. I was ecstatic that I got accepted to review a galley copy.

I love this book, I thought it was really well done. I thought the tone matched that of the original book. I think this is the best Peter Pan continuation novel that I've ever read. I don't think there was anything that I didn't like about this book. I thought the whole thing was amazing and I would love to reread it.

I was worried at first when I read the summary on goodreads that said that Peter and Hook start to develop feelings for each other. I wasn't sure it would work very well but the way Chant brings it about was absolutely genius and I loved it and I ended up shipping a ship that if you asked me before I would never have liked the idea of.

I thought the way fairies were presented in this book was really interesting. They were insect looking which isn't something I would have considered at first. I thought they were really interesting and would have loved to read more about them.

I liked how it seemed like Neverland was a sort of escape or refuge for queer people. I think that's pretty amazing and I loved it. I'm not sure if that was exactly the intent but that's how I started to interpret it.

The decision to completely not mention the "Indians" of the original book was really smart. I think more people should do that with their modern retellings of Peter Pan. I think it's really hard to make that part not offensive.

I really liked this book and I enjoyed reading it so much, I practically devoured it.

<b>Recommendation</b>: I think if you're a fan of Peter Pan or looking for a well written trans main character that you should pick this book up.

This is all kinds of magical and gay, and I love it.


If the world were a better place, we would all have all the LGBTQIA+ retellings in the world. Slowly, they’re coming through and I’m so glad that Peter Darling exists. Truthfully, I never really thought of Hook and Peter as OTP material, or even any ships other than Jolly Roger (which for some reason I’ve always called it Jolly Rancher in my head, but I digress). But after reading this book, the ship has sailed, like far far into Neverland, and a cottage.

Peter Darling transcends that suspended magic of childhood, giving it depth and feel that resonates through the impossible. In this retelling Peter is transmasculine, and he goes through a very psychological journey, in vast ways. He not only has to realize why he’s running away to Neverland, but that’s run away in the first place.And then it’s the feelings that has awoke within him since seeing Hook for the first time, again.

The whole story is so special. From the way that Peter feels, the fine line between villainous intent and justice, and the knowledge that some nags at the back of Peter’s mind, was a sublime read. It’s not my lane to say if a book should have a ‘“reveal” moment, but I found Chant’s decision not to include one here perfect. This is a #ownvoices book, and really the only people to decide if a reveal moment should be included in a trans book is that person. I suggest reading his post here.

The slow-burn…wait. There was no slow-burn…it was pretty gay since the prologue….Okay, so the romance between Hook and Peter was just perfect, and like I said in my Coffee Boy review, I need Chant’s book to be longer! I do want to see how Peter and Hook progress. I’m trying super hard not to be spoilery.

There so many scenes that keep playing throughout this review, like the big reveal of Hook, Neverland, the Lost Boys, that I just found so perfect and right. And like a big ‘Huh,’ and ‘Duh.’ If that makes any scenes at all. I specially loved Hook and his love for Fashion, and I found the treasure moment hilarious, when Peter is all like you’re thinking about boots? like priorities, man.

In all, if you're in for magic, and love, and HEA then Peter Darling is pretty darling….and daring. And fast-paced, and intense sword-fighting is involved, as well as soft comfort, and love declarations…

Oh I just loved this book! It seemed to be based on the original, which I appreciated, but it was touching rather than dark. And I liked so many things that I’m just going to make a semi-list so that I can talk about all of them!

First of all, a transgender main character! That’s hard to find in fantasy.

Second, a romance between Peter and Hook! Hook (from the original) is one of my favorite characters, so I was super excited to see him portrayed in a good way and made into the love interest. And I also have been wanting more LGBT retellings.

Third, I loved these versions of both Peter and Hook. This version of Peter still retained some of the darker aspects of the original, like his cruelty and love for killing/fighting and inability to understand the difference between real and make-believe while on the island, but he wasn’t like that while in the real world, and he also matured and had a lot of growth over the course of the story. And this version of Hook was so sassy and a little flamboyant but also sweet and is now also one of my favorite characters.

Fourth, I love the intimate feel in stories when two characters are forced to spend time together alone, just the two of them, and there was a whole section of this book when Peter and Hook were trapped together, so I loved that whole section.

Fifth, the scene when they first moved into romance was amazing! (They got a little hot and heavy, but there was no sex and nothing too explicit.) I could really feel all that tension and attraction and pleasure and whatnot between them.

Sixth, I really liked the emotional struggles that came up. For Peter it was his gender dysphoria and finally feeling like himself but also kind of feeling like he was just borrowing a body that wasn’t his while in Neverland. For Hook is was *SPOILER ALERT* remembering his real life, who he really was, and the reason he came to Neverland and realizing that he just ran away from his problems and grief instead of dealing with them. He didn’t even know how long he’d been there in Neverland, but he knew he didn’t want to forget his life again. *END SPOILER ALERT*

Seventh, there was even disability since Hook was an amputee! Ok, it wasn’t exactly a big part of the story, but still, I always like to mention disability representation.

Last but not least, I thought the book had such an interesting take on Neverland. *SPOILER ALERT* The island was real, in a sense, but it was also a fantasy/dream for anyone who ran away to it, something they had partial control over. So the Lost Boys and the pirates weren’t real, they were just figments of Peter and Hook’s imaginations, things they both made up when they ran away because of what they craved (Peter wanted to fit in and be accepted and play as a boy, Hook wanted his lover back, they both wanted adventure and had fun fighting each other). *END SPOILER ALERT*

My only complaint is that the book was so short, more like a novella than a full novel, and because of that the romance was a bit rushed. But the book still felt complete and satisfying, and I don’t think either man ever used the word love, plus they both understood each other in a way no one else ever would because of their shared Neverland experience, so I was able to accept it and I can’t complain too much. But still, I would’ve loved to read more about these characters.

So overall, even though it was a quick read, I loved the characters and the romance and the whole story and thought this book was super sweet and a great Peter Pan inspired story!

☠ I LOVE THIS STORY! To give you an idea of how much I loved it, I ordered the paperback before I'd even finished the ebook. Because I need both. I need a copy that can sit on my bookshelf and I can stroke the pages of while I feel all the feels. I always loved Peter Pan and stories inspired by the magic of Neverland. Chant manages to fit in all of the best into his story - cheeky mermaids, clever little fairies and dramatic sword-fights - while also adding in his own monsters, hidden treasures and original characters.

🌊 To be honest I’d never really thought of any romantic pairings here. I’m a convert now though. Peter and James and perfect for each other, their alter-egos of Pan and Hook are compliment each other throughout the story, but the real magic comes through as the two men’s real, more vulnerable personalities begin to shine through. I thought Chant chose the perfect time/ age to set this story – Peter returns to Neverland after a decade, so it’s more of a sequel than a retelling – Peter is old enough that it doesn’t feel weird but young enough that his conflicting feelings and sometimes immature reactions are very believable.

💎 There are some breathtakingly beautiful scenes here – both happy and sad. Obviously the romance plays a big part, but there are lots of other emotions here to. The scenes in the Darling household are difficult to read, and could be triggering (there’s dead-naming, misgendering and depressive thoughts) but as much as I can tell as a cis woman, the trans aspects of the story are handled delicately, carefully and with complete respect. There’s also a few death scenes, which feel more bittersweet than brutal, but one especially had actual tears in my eyes – which for me is a real rarity.

⚔ I would have loved if this were a longer book, firstly because the prose is lovely and descriptive to read, and secondly because there’s so much going on – so many great ideas and interesting backstory. I’d have loved to read more about the insect-like fairies and their communes, Redbeard’s hidden treasure, Ernest’s time in Neverland and especially how the magic of Neverland bends itself around Pan and Hook.

I have to say, going into this book, I was somewhat wary. The most prominent portrayals of Hook and Pan tend to have Hook as a man probably in his mid-thirties (I'm guessing), and Pan as a boy of about 12 or even younger. Which obviously presents problems with this whole idea of having them get together.

In this, Peter is aged up by 10 years, having left Neverland to return to his family. The book starts with his arrival back in Neverland. The plot put in place to age up Peter was perhaps a little confusing - in the original book John and Michael also go to Neverland, but in this they don't appear to - and it took me a while to get my head around it because it was never explicitly stated. Either way, there still is an age gap, but they're both adults, and so that made it easier for me to deal with (because, about 99% of the time, age gaps make me uncomfortable - authors who can, for me, do it right are few and far between. Austin Chant is one of those authors). Also it's an enemies-to-lovers trope, which is one of the most amazing tropes there is.

In addition to this, the book is much darker than the original (or what I remember of it, although that could easily be influenced by my memories of the animated Disney film). People die in this Neverland. But that made it all that much more interesting a story. I especially liked the twist where it turns out that Hook and Pan (and Ernest) are the only real people in Neverland. The pirates and the Lost Boys are both figments of their imaginations. And how Neverland itself responds to Peter. It's so much better than keeping it as the original story had it. And slightly more sinister too (which is always a good element to add).

So, without spoiling anything, this book is amazing. As in, I'm-gonna-be-reccing-this-to-the-end-of-time amazing.

3,5 stars

Peter Pan, "The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up", is a story that I like very much. So I was pretty curious about this retelling, especially after reading that synopsis: Peter and the Lost Boys all grown up and there seems to be more to Hook than him being a mere villain? And also, people on Goodreads were shelving this book under "Trans"? So, this is a retelling with a trans Peter Pan who may or may not develop a thing for Hook?

SIGN ME UP!

Gosh, I was so absorbed into this book. It was very intriguing to read how Chant imagined Peter and the boys all grown up and what happens when Peter leaves Neverland. I also very appreciated the closer look we got at Neverland: how truly fucked up that place really is when you think about it. The slow burn romance between Peter and Hook was so sweet, they had some really swoony scenes together.

But even though I found the romance between them sweet it's only on an objective level. On the page I saw how sweet Hook was but I still had an image of the "evil, original" Hook in my mind and just couldn't separate the two, so at the same time I found Peter's and his romance to be weird.

That's just me, though, I swear; I mean, they have one of the cutest happy endings I've ever read. Totally worth a read!

As an intense Peter Pan fan and coveter of all retellings of the story, I was really keen to see one with queer representation. Plus it confirmed my lifelong theory that Peter and Hook had the most chemistry going with all their battles. So I'm so glad I tried PETER DARLING because, while I think it was too short to pack the punch it could have, it was super sweet and cute and lovely to read.

It reads like a "sequel" because everyone is grown up and back at Neverland. I did like this! But I also have no idea if it's YA or not because the characters were like 20...but they acted like 12 still. That's the problem with keeping the original tone/style of JM Barrie's version: those were kids. I couldn't really get my head around 20 year olds acting like Peter and Hook did and being so childish and naive. Also the blurb seemed to indicate it'd be a "dark" version of Neverland and it really wasn't. It was fluff with a few (non graphic) deaths thrown in of minor characters.

But the romance was adorable! It was full of stabbtastic moments that would then end in kissing and I loved how Hook and Peter's relationship developed. I did think it was a touch fast, but then the book was so very short. I loved the snatches of humour too and how much Hook/Pan honestly enjoyed nearly killing each other because #love.

ALL IN ALL: it was incredibly cute and heartwarming, and I loved the queer and trans storylines and the sequel-vibe. It's only failing was it was too short to really delve into this interesting world it created or really explore Hook/Peter as deeper characters.

Peter Pan was one of my childhood heros. And Neverland was the first place I’ve escaped - long before Bilbo took me for an adventure. So when I’ve read a description of this book, my heart almost skipped a beat. It sounded perfect. Even though usually I am careful with retellings, or new stories written in old world by new author.

But this time, with all honesty - I am not disappointed. There were some slips, that threw me off from this, a little, dreamy and sleepy story. There were moments I struggled with things described (but, I was warned, so it wasn’t that bad).
But mostly, there was a lot of joy, as I got to revisit one of most favourite Never-Never-Lands. It had different, distinct taste from the original. Neverland has changed, because our narrator, our Peter has changed. He has grown, even though he visibly struggles with it. And his struggle (both from Neverland and world outside) is written in a really beautiful (I am not sure, if it’s good word, but let it be) way.
Characters written by Chant are compelling and believable. Little sparks of emotions well placed and well paced. I generally liked the outcome - and yet, I think that ending is somehow rushed, as if few words/pages were missing.

Recommended if you’d like to see Neverland with new perspective. Or if you need beautifully written story about finding yourself and about love.

Trigger warnings: deadnaming, suicidal attempt (both in flashbacks, but still)