"'A monster.' She sighs. 'I accept the word. It is not a kind or gentle descriptor, but I am neither kind nor gentle, not anymore.'"

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Random House Children's. Trigger warnings: abduction, mild violence, mild eye horror.

Forever Neverland is a middle grade Peter Pan adaptation that combines original fairytale material with Greek mythology. When Clover and Fergus discover that they're the great-great-grandchildren of Wendy Darling, they're whisked away to Neverland with Peter Pan to have their own adventures. But Neverland changes with every new child who arrives, and Fergus's love for Greek myths may have brought to life the deadliest monster Pan and the Lost Boys have ever faced.

While technically a "modern sequel" to Peter Pan, Forever Neverland doesn't attempt to rehash old storylines. Instead, it takes the mythology in a new direction for a fresh blend of fairytales and Greek monsters. It's a little strange on the surface, but Adrian does a nice job providing justification for it in the context of the story. After all, Peter Pan does have things in common with Pan, the Greek god of the wild. It's a little like Percy Jackson meets Peter Pan, in a good way. Her Peter Pan is also much milder and more level-headed than most, including the original.

There are several good things about the representation. The first is that Fergus is autistic, and he fits into Neverland even better than his neurotypical sister, not because his autisim vanishes in Neverland but because he's allowed to be himself there. Peter and the Lost Boys simply let Fergus react the way he needs to, and nobody thinks it's strange if he waves his hands in delight or needs to retreat from sensory overload. It's nice to see a well-represented neurodivergent character as the hero of a children's story. Further, several of the Lost Boys are girls (and they periodically switch to calling their group Lost Girls just to make it fair), and the mermaids have a number of body types and skin colors that are all described as otherworldly beautiful. They're small things, but they go a long way.

The characters are strong and original, and the storyline is fun and without too many diversions. The plot is straight-forwardly focused on solving a single problem: finding out who kidnapped the mermaids and defeating the "foe." However, the resolution favors compassion and cleverness over slaying monsters. It challenges readers to address what makes a monster a "monster" and whether kindness and empathy can offer paths to redemption. It's a strong addition to the Peter Pan mythology, and while the ending provides closure, it's open enough to leave room for sequels should Adrian decide to return to this world.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

A visit to grandma's house in England turns into a real adventure for Fergus and Clover when they meet Peter and return with him to Neverland.. Nerverland provides an opportunity for Fergus to reverse roles with Clover making it his turn to take care of his sister. This modern day Peter Pan novel will warm your heart and have you cheering for the Lost Boys. You are never to old for Neverland.

Brimming with childlike wonder, vibrant imagination, and incredible fantasy, Forever Neverland was a beautifully told middle grade tale that I would highly recommend.

Bold and unique, Neverland grandly took on a wild life of its own, distinct from the typical middle-grade novel. I loved the fairytale-esq style of the story: how unique it was, but also how understandable. I’d describe it as a Peter Pan retelling-meets-spin-off. Every detail about Neverland was vivid—from the lagoons to the dragons, it was wonderfully familiar, but also surprisingly unique compared to other retellings; for example, the addition of the Greek gods and goddesses.

I was wary at first of the whole autism side plot, but I actually thought it was done very well. I liked how the author just put us inside of Fergus’ head, instead of just trying to “portray” him correctly. I’d be curious to know the author’s personal experience with autism—but on the same note, having worked with many children who have special needs, I can affirm that this perspective has got to be pretty close, if not accurate. It’s also important to remember autism looks different for every child. All this to say I was impressed by Fergus’ character.

The differing points-of-view were distinct and dazzled up the story. Young readers will easily relate to overprotective, scared, aspiring Clover; others will identify with Fergus and find themselves realizing maybe autism isn’t as strange as they believe. Shoe was a wonderful character as well, and I was cheering her on the whole time.

Plot wise, this novel had everything it needed to be a fantastic middle-grade story: drastic cliffhangers, unexpected plot twists, dangerous escapades, daring risks, secrets, caves, mermaids, islands, and mysterious magic. All in all, it was soaked in childlike imagination and I absolutely inhaled it. It was a little slow in the beginning, but the authenticity of Clover’s point of view as a young girl more than compensated.

But not only just a fun, imaginative adventure, Neverland also contained beautiful themes and lessons for the young and old alike, such as: not judging someone by appearance; second chances; bravery in the face of danger; loyalty; boldness; standing up for friends; and so much more. Clover and Fergus, the Lost Boys, of course Peter Pan, and even our so-called villians provided excellent examples for each of these themes.

I only have a few negative analyzations—there was one instance of “oh God” that I felt didn’t fit into the story at all. Some secular world views are mentioned briefly, but never enough to take away from the story and nothing that was pushy. Greek gods and goddesses were a big part of this story, but I found it wholesome and fun.

Overall, I was impressed by this fantastical, imaginative tale and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fairytale retelling—both girls and boys—ages eight and up

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's-Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I always jump to the chance whenever I see another version of one of my favorite tales of all time. I love the cross-referencing and the new characters Clover and Fergus and how Fergus is suffering from Autism and wants an escape from reality and Clover is the motherly figure just like Wendy and feels she needs to be there for him. Clover has anxiety to see how Fergus will adapt to Neverland and Fergus just can't wait to go to see all the adventures that awaits for him. Fans of Peter Pan and all its versions will appreciate Forever Neverland and the new twist in incorporating some real world issues. I know a lot of our young readers will be curious about this book.

We will consider adding this book to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I loved this book so much! At first I was kind of skeptical because I mean it’s hard to compare with the original Peter Pan. However, I like this more than the original. The storyline is really interesting having a lot of inspiration from Greek mythology (which I loved) and the adventure was just so fun and cool. I liked that the characters were diverse and there were lessons to be learned. All in all this was such a fun, great read and I highly recommend!