Member Reviews
Honestly? I think retellings of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland have been done to death and there are other ways to incorporate the themes which are the truly captivating thing about those books. That said, this was fun. A far more nuanced and equitable version of the original. Here Wendy is a dynamic character, not a prepubescent girl thrust into the role of mother because that’s where her value lies. I ended up really enjoying this.
Title: The Wendy
Author: Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown
Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
In 1789 London, all Wendy Darling wants to be is a ship’s captain. That’s a big dream for any orphan, but for a girl, it’s even more impossible, since women aren’t allowed in the Royal Navy. Then she learns the Home Office is accepting a few women into its ranks, and she’s eager to take the first step to realizing her ultimate dream, fighting an enemy she never imagined: magic.
It’s her job to keep watch for the Everlost, but she doesn’t know what they really are—or if they truly exist. Until she encounters Peter Pan and his flying band of misfits, and realizes she knows nothing about what’s really going on. Peter is the only one who sees beyond her gender, but are the secrets he’s keeping worth betrayal, even if does get her where she’s dreamed of being?
I loved this take on the Peter Pan mythos! Wendy is a great character: spunky, determined, and smart—and she’s not willing to let other people’s perceptions of her stand in her way. Peter Pan is much more the J.M. Barrie version, not the Disney one, so he’s got depth and darkness to go along with his mystery. As for Captain Hook, well, I’m not sure what to think of him just yet, but Disney or Dustin Hoffman he is not. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown write sci-fi and fantasy. The Wendy is the first in their Tales of the Wendy series.
(Galley courtesy of Trash Dogs Media LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
I FRICKIN LOVED THIS BOOK.
This is the best kind of fairytale retelling - the kind that takes everything you thought you knew and turns it on its head. Everyone you know and love (or loathe) is accounted for, but that is where the familiarity ends. In 1700s London orphan Wendy Darling is frustrated by the lack of opportunity for women outside of domestication. At sixteen the chance she has been waiting for finally arises and she enlists to defend England against the greatest threat of all, magic. Along with her brothers in arms John and Michael, and her faithful companion dog Nana, she is tasked with being a lookout for the Everlost, who come to England to steal sheep and children in order to drink their blood. When the Everlost show up at their post at the Cliffs of Dover Wendy finds herself engaged in a battle of wits and words with the leader of the group, a striking winged man who introduces himself as Peter Pan. When Peter and his boys leave Wendy immediately files a report that is taken to the head of the Royal Navy himself Captain James Hook, who is determined to find where the Everlost come from and destroy them all.
I can honestly say that I really did not know what I was getting into when I started this book. I was hoping for some magic and that is just what we got. This is a great read for anyone who loves Peter Pan and wants a little different approach to it.
Wendy Darling wants nothing more than to be a captain on a ship. When she finds out that her dreams are probably not going to come true because of the Royal Navy not accepting women, she makes a vow to find a way to make her dreams come true. Wendy hears about the Home Office taking a certain amount of women, she is there. Only Wendy's dreams are dashed again because she is only going to be working in an office at the Home Office.
One night when Wendy is working she has a strange encounter with a flying guy that says his name is Peter. When Wendy gives her account of what happened while she was with Peter, she is summonsed by Captain Hook to tell her story to him personally. When Wendy and Hook meet, she thinks nothing of Hook, but soon learns that she is not impressed with Hook like she thought she would be. Hook tells Wendy that Peter is his biggest enemy. Wendy has a hard time believing that. How could someone like Peter be such an enemy??
You will not regret reading this book. It was great to see an alternate take on Peter Pan! I can't wait to read the next installment in this series that is for sure! Great job on a classic tale.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the authors for an advanced copy of this book.
This was...fine. When I first picked it up I thought I would love it. But it felt very slow, like a lot of build up and not a lot of action. I thought I would enjoy the light, tongue in cheek tone of the book, but it actually started to grate after awhile. Wendy, herself, was kind of the same way for me; fun for awhile at first, but then eventually irritating. She was just so incredibly perfect and sure of herself, and her right to tell everyone else what to do, or how it was going to be, whether she knew what she was talking about or not. It wasn't a terrible book by any means. I'm disappointed I didn't love it.
This is a Peter Pan re-telling from Wendy's perspective.
I did enjoy reading it, but I thought the male side characters were lukewarm at best. In order to make a strong female lead you don't have to make the guys like swooning mice dancing around her.
I also didn't like the "wings" for the everlost. They do have fairy dust to fly but then they can blip in wings? So they basically look like angels, but people believe they're bloodsucking vampires?
(you see how confusing this gets).
I needed a bit more clarity from the author and either you put romance in there or leave it out. At the moment it's quite unsatisfying that every male falls in love with Wendy and she pretends she doesn't see it or she really isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but nothing happens further.
I've already started the second book.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.
When I found out about this book, I was so excited to read it. It was described as a fantastic twist on an old classic. And it was! Wendy is an orphan who longs to be a sea captain. But women are not given a chance to be a part of that world. So she secretly trains with people until she finally masters the skills to fight, navigate, and sense magic (which ironically only women and dogs can do). She joins a secret branch of the navy to fight against the Everlost! But are the everlost really the threat they seem? Will the leader of the secret branch, Captain Hook, believe her stories of the boy who can fly?
Using only her wiles and her intelligence, Wendy make chess move upon chess move, still not sure which side she stands on: loyalty for country, or sympathy for Peter.
This book was a fantastic read, with so many connections to the original book in such unique ways!! If you love the story of Peter Pan, you won’t be able to put this down!
⠀
I received this book for review purposes from NetGalley. ⠀
I grew up with the Disney-version of Peter Pan. This retelling is much different, off course. I love how it used several things I knew. I cannot say if it took many things from the original, because I never read it - mental note, read Peter Pan!
The angle of women's rights and misoginy was a pretty awesome one!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc of this book.
I have really enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairy tale Peter Pan. I love fairy tale retteling and wasn't dissapointed by this one.
Wendy will do anything to realize her goal wish is to become a captain something thats not really possible cause she's a girl and girl can't sail ship. But she won't let this stop for achiving her dream.
Title: The Wendy
Author: Erin Michelle Sky
Publisher: Trash Dogs Media, LLC
Release Date: Jan 16, 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Re-Telling, YA
Rating: 4 Stars
Wendy Darling wants to be the captain of a ship, but women in 1789 London aren't allowed in the Royal Navy. When she learns that Home Office is accepting a handful of women into its ranks, she jumps at the opportunity. The secret service isn't what she expected. As she is accompanied by a reimagined cast of the original Peter Pan story, Wendy begins to discover that her dreams are father than she imagined, that choosing a side isn't always easy and that the only man not blinded by her gender may be the worst enemy anyone could ask for, except for her.
The Wendy has been quite the re-telling. Wendy is daring, confident and extremely intelligent. Peter is dashing, charming and well Peter. Hook is a Captain in the Kings Navy, looking for Peter, and his band of "blood-sucking" everlost. Her life starts hard but her thirst for knowledge and adventure set her apart from all the other children around her. She learns to fight, navigate via stars, swordsmanship, the works. She is very agile as she demonstrates when she finally encounters Peter Pan. I love the way she is confident, many female characters especially given the story and the time the setting is set in, don't show the kind of strength and confidence she does.
Disclaimer: I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inscribe Digital for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I found myself really enjoying this book and it’s take on the classic story of Peter Pan. I’ve read a lot of re-tellings in the last few years and found this one to be incredibly original. Whilst it still stuck to some of the basics of the classic children’s story Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown made this story completely their own.
I really liked Wendy’s character in this story and how independent she had become. She knew what she wanted, and she would do anything to make sure that all her childhood dreams come true, even if it does go against social norms.
I did feel like the book ended quite abruptly but I don’t know if that was just me? I found myself so engrossed in this book that I didn’t even realise I had reached the end. I was hooked from the first page and I’m so happy that I have the sequel ready and waiting for me to read! Keep an eye out for that review coming soon!
Overall, this was a very enjoyable book which puts a new spin on the classic and is definitely worth reading if you enjoy retellings!
I absolutely love Peter Pan, so when I saw this I HAD to read it!
This book had me completely sucked in right from page one! I’m a huge fan of fairy tale retellings! And this did not disappoint!
Very true to the original, with a few twists. I loved this so much, and I'm glad I got to read it.
*Thank you INscribe Digital and Netgalley for providing me of a copy of this book for review,all opinions are my own*
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed seeing this new version of a story I already love so much, one of the reasons I love retellings is that we can see a story we already know in ways we never imagined.
I loved it so much how the writing makes it very clear that they are British,I was very good at reading correctly and listening to the accents well.
One thing I didn't like is how often I had it the same thing is explained in 3 several pages consecutively and how most men treated women (even though I know it's from the time the book is going on) it still made me very angry, something else that pissed me off in certain parts was how almost every man Wendy has some kind of relationship with is somehow in love with her.
Taking this, this is a book that brings another completely new version of the story we already know but still brings the main elements we love, is a book that also touches a lot on the role of women in society and how they are treated just because they are women.
It is a quick book to read because you get so involved in the story.
I highly recommend it if you like the Peter Pan story, be it the book or the movies and can't wait to read the next book!
This retelling was very well done. Each character was distinct enough from the ones in the original story. I am looking forward to reading book two.
<b>PROBABLY MY FAVOURITE PETER PAN RETELLING 😍❤️</b>
If anyone had seen me while I was reading this book, I imagine they must have seen something like this: 😍🤩. Because that's how I felt! I was loving this book from the very first chapter! The writing, the characters, the originality while still maintaining the feel of the original! I mean, what's not to like??
<blockquote><i><b>"So there you are, the most basic of introductions complete, the rest to be discovered as time goes on."</b></i></blockquote>
<b>THE THINGS I LOVED! ❤️</b>
<u>Writing</u>: The first thing that drew me in was without a doubt the quirkiness of he writing. It was humorous, slightly silly and completely in line with the feeling of the original story! I have seen others try to do this, but none have done it as masterfully as it's been done here!
<blockquote><i><b>"You can't live in your memories"
- Wendy</b></i></blockquote>
<u>Pan-lore</u>: Get ready to encounter some of your favourite Peter Pan 'lore' in completely new ways - such as a thimble/kiss, that allows Peter's ship to fly!
<u>Wendy</u>: I simply adore Wendy. I am not the type of person to say 'you go girl' but I found myself wanting to several times when Wendy demonstrated her fierceness, her wittyness or her cleverness. And I loved how she talked to the dogs! So cute!
<u>Original(ity)</u>: The best retellings, in my opinion, are the ones that manage to find a completely new take on a beloved story, while still being recognisable. I have found no better Peter Pan retelling than this one! It manages to be completely original in plot while still incorporating some of my favourite Pan things!
<b><i>ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i></b>
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I have friends who have a far stronger connection with Peter Pan than I'll ever have. But, I saw this book here on Goodreads last week and then all of a sudden it also appeared on Netgalley and I was like: Okay, this sounds like it might be something for me, something I like. I really really want to try it out. And yesterday I got the e-mail that I got it (and the sequel too).
When I started reading it was actually love at first sight. I think this book is brilliantly done in almost every aspect possible. The tone and the art of telling the story is perfect. We do switch perspectives, sometimes we get some more information than the point of view character has and this all gives the story a fairytale feel, a slightly old fashioned feel. But, it also leads to some dramatic irony and it creates anticipation. As a reader I sometimes knew what was coming, even though the characters did not.
The story is based on Peter Pan and therefore quite a few elements and characters of the original tale are present. Some are presented in plain sight, exactly as they should be. Some are used in plain sight, but twisted in an unexpected or funny way and some show up totally unexpectedly in a very different form. It makes the story recognisable as Peter Pan, but it also adds something new, something fresh and something original to the tale.
This is mostly visible in the characters. Wendy Darling is still very Wendy Darling, but with dreams of her own, with a little more attitude and cleverness, with a lot of willpower. And, most of all, she's no longer the representation of all women, even though Peter does try to make her that at some point. It's refreshing, it makes her likeable and easier to relate to, but without losing the soul she has once gotten. The same goes for all the other characters, clearly themselves in some ways and more fleshed out in others.
While reading the book I forgot the time, quite literally, and that's one of the best feelings a book can give you. The one downside of this book? We still have to find Neverland. So, I can't wait to read the second book!
I really enjoyed this book, even though it kind of just...ends. There is a good character arc, but no real ending event or climax. I like the imaginative twists that the authors put on the original Peter Pan story and characters. A bit oddly paced, but I can’t wait to read book 2!
This is a re-imagining of Peter Pan, centered around Wendy in the 1780's. It would be entertaining, even if it seems to be written for a younger YA audience, except for the deep-rooted misogyny which was everywhere and overwhelming.
The Wendy was a fun and exciting reimagining of the Peter Pan many have grown up with. Wendy is portraying as a strong, ambitious, independent young woman with lofty goals. She will do anything she can to achieve her goals and the supporting characters are familiar from the original Peter Pan. I highly recommend this to adult and YA readers who are ready to absorb an adventurous journey that is a fast read that will leave you wanting more. 4.5 stars
Wendy is a beautiful tale of a story most have read, watched or listen to over the years. The author has the ability to create a balance of humor and danger bring readers excitement for all ages.
The authors ability to take a beloved story creating in such a way that she was able to make it her own.
Everyone will fall in love with Wendy.
Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Erin Michelle Sky The Wendy.