'Lost in the Never Woods' is the newest YA Fantasy release by Aiden Thomas, author of 'Cemetery Boys.' Though it was written first and was meant to be their debut novel, 'Cemetery Boys' sort of took on a life of its own as their option title and it was bumped ahead.

A beautiful, somber retelling of Peter Pan, 'Lost in the Never Woods' follows a teenage Wendy Darling.. five years after she and her two brothers went missing in the woods. Unable to recall the time she was lost and still blaming herself for being unable to keep her brothers safe, when children start to go missing again in the local woods, she's thrust back into the middle of tragedy.

When Peter shows up unexpectedly, a boy she believed to be just a childhood story told to her by her mother, he asks for her help to rescue the missing children. But something ominous waits for her in the woods and she must overcome her fear to face it.

I'll be honest. I've always loved the Peter Pan story. I'm not sure I've ever read or watched an incarnation of it that I've disliked. There's something fascinating about a story that takes place in the infinite youth presented, that while I'd never want to experience it.. I'm so intrigued with what the characters might do or feel because of it.

In that way, this story is no different. What makes it stand out is the approach to the subject matter. These characters have suffered, they're not inherently wicked as in some retellings, but rather beset upon by something beyond their ability to control. They're damaged in their own ways, struggling to overcome their situations, but there's still a beauty to them.

Atmospherically, while there are moments of joy and playfulness, the mood is heavy. Wendy endures survivor's guild and her family has never been the same since the disappearances. They interact with each other through this dance of grief, the love is still there.. but at times it's so buried under each person's own self-blame, it can be harder to see. Individually, they're all trying to cope in their own ways and it takes so little to shake those fragile foundations.

Peter too is a much sadder boy than the one we typically see. His bright eyes and almost eager sense of humor seem much more the armor he steels himself with, than the easy carefree existence we've known. To me, he feels incredibly lonely and my heart breaks for him as much as it does poor Wendy.

All in all, it's a wonderful read full of emotional layers and adventures you're never too old to experience. If you like Peter Pan or fairy tale retellings in general, I highly recommend giving this book a read. You'll be glad you did.

When she was 13, Wendy Darling and her two younger brothers went missing in the forest by her house. For six months Wendy was in Neverland, but when she returned she had lost her memories and her brothers. Five years later, more children begin to go missing in Astoria, and Wendy's imaginary friend from childhood, Peter Pan, makes a dramatic reappearance. Peter's evil shadow is on the loose and terrorizing the town, and only Wendy and Peter can stop it. But in order to do so Wendy will have to revisit her darkest moments.

While I greatly enjoyed Aiden Thomas' debut novel, Cemetery Boys, I did not like Lost in the Never Woods. From start to finish I was not engaged by the story or the characters and had to fight to finish reading. The characters felt oddly flat and empty, the plot was incredibly slow and tedious, and the overall reveal felt like a long overdue info dump. Throughout the story Wendy and Peter have conversations about running out of time and needing to find a plan to fix their problems, yet they continually get distracted and never come up with any plans. In the end the crisis is resolved in a very slapdash manner and things were tied up too neatly and quickly, particularly the major revelations that come with Wendy regaining her memories.

I also did not like the romance facet -- it felt forced and too fast, especially when Peter was in a 12 year old's body when he first appeared to Wendy and magically aged up to 18 in the span of several days. While Peter was physically in an older body he continued to act very much like a child which made me feel very weird about the developing romance.

While I'm sure many people will enjoy this Peter Pan retelling, it was not for me.

Wow!!! I was so blown away by this book!! It was such a fun book and I loved the characters so much. I wasn't sure what to expect going in since im not *super* familiar with the whole story of Peter Pan but I felt like I was inside the story the whole time. Wendy was an amazing MC who has been through some insane things and all I want is for her to be happy. Se deserves nothing but happiness!!! and Peter... *SWOON WORHTY* He was such a fun character and made me fall so in love. He did some things with the best intentions but not amazing execution but it works out in the end. The one thing I noticed was that the ending felt slightly rushed and things wrapped up pretty quickly. it was all resolved very well but I would've loved to know more about what happened right after. I think that is my way of saying I would read 900 pages of anything Aiden Thomas writes. They are an incredible author and have once again made me obsessed with two fictional characters!! This was such an incredible book and I am so excited for everyone to get the chance to read it. I will be shouting about this book from the rooftop.

Slight spoiler ahead:

The hopeless romantic in me wishing that Peter and Wendy could be in the same place and be in love forever and grow old together BUT I know that it needed to be ended that way because of the story of Peter Pan (he cant grow old thats the whole point) but I just loved the two of them so much together.

Thank you Netgally and Swoon Reads for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I want to start off by saying that this book was one of my anticipated releases for 2021 and I was left feeling disappointed and sad. I love Aiden Thomas’ first book Cemetery Boys SO much. In fact, it was one of my favorite books of 2020 and I highly recommend that one.

I love the original story of Peter Pan and most of the movie adaptations as well. I was super excited for this retelling and the cover is gorgeous. Also, full disclosure, I do love Aiden Thomas and will be reading their next book even though this one didn’t work out for me. Writing a negative review for this author pains me.

So first off, Wendy was not a good character. She lacked personality and sometimes a brain. I found her useless as well as Peter himself. They were easily distracted from the big issue at hand and I understand it was supposed to build their romance but I found their romance to be unnecessary and a little forced. It took 80% of the book for things to actually pick up the pace. I found the pacing to be extremely slow.

Typically, I enjoy Thomas’s writing but something about this one I found a little hard to get into. Some editing would’ve benefitted this book as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: missing kids, death, grief
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LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS is a Peter Pan retelling by Aiden Thomas. Children are going missing in the small town of Astoria, and everyone is looking at Wendy for answers. Five years ago, Wendy and her two little brothers disappeared in the woods behind their home, but only Wendy returned. With no memories of what happened to her and her brothers, Wendy desperately wants to move on. Then she meets Peter, a boy she thought she made up. Together they must find the missing kids and figure out what happened that night in the woods.
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This was a pretty good story! My main issue was the pacing. The beginning of the story— I’d say the whole first half of the book— felt very slow. Not a lot happened, and because of this I had a hard time finding the motivation to continue. But I’m glad I did, because the story absolutely picks up in the second half! I was surprised by how dark it got. I was quickly invested in finding out the truth regarding that night, five years ago in the woods. I do feel like the seriousness of a bunch of children going missing wasn’t fully realized, but I thought the portrayal of grief and the feeling of being stuck in limbo while you’re waiting for answers was handled well. Overall, this was a good story, good writing, and I can’t wait to pick up Thomas’s other book, THE CEMETERY BOYS.
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3.75 stars! LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS is available March 23, 2021!
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Thank you to Swoon Reads and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

Aiden Thomas's sophomore novel, Lost in the Never Woods, is a modern retelling of Peter Pan. When kids start going missing from Wendy Darling's small hometown, it forces her to confront her own past and come to terms with what happened when she herself went missing with her brothers five years earlier -- an incident she cannot fully remember.

Lost in the Never Woods is a tremendous disappointment, especially after Thomas's first book, Cemetery Boys, was such a big hit. Peter Pan is a problematic text as best, with racism and sexism riddled throughout. Although Thomas had the opportunity with this retelling to dive into these issues and provide us with a subversive examination of the original story, instead his version of the story of the boy who won't grow up is repetitive, dull, and not a little sexist itself.

Wendy still plays the same mothering role to Peter that she does in the original text, mending his clothes and tending to his wounds. Her mother's emotional state is depicted throughout stereotypical feminine traits with no examination thereof: when she is happy, she cooks and cleans and wear her hair down, while when she is unhappy she works and wears her hair up. Combined with the resolution of the plot, which fell heavily into the territory of victim blaming, and this book ended up being, if possible, even less feminist than the original story.

This book also fails to address the original text's racism in any meaningful way. Wendy and the rest of the Darling are a white family and Peter is a white boy. Although Wendy's best friend is a young woman of color, none of the truly important characters are non-white, and the original text's issues surrounding race are never examined.

On the whole, this book feels entirely unnecessary. Why did Aiden Thomas feel this story needed to be told? Especially after Cemetery Boys, a book that felt intensely personal and necessary, Lost in the Never Woods falls very, very flat. If you’re a lover of Peter Pan, and don’t care about it’s problems, you will likely enjoy Lost in the Never Woods. For those looking for something that challenges the original text, however, you should look elsewhere.

CW: child death, alcoholism

Thank you to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for the ARC!

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I requested an eARC for this book on Edelweiss+ when it was first announced, even before I read Cemetery Boys, and was so disappointed to be declined. When it went up on NetGalley I rushed to request it, but it was region locked and not available to Canadians like myself. I thought I'd have to wait until publication day to read this thing! Then a tour signup email showed up in my inbox from XPresso with this title, and I'm not above admitting I begged for a spot on the tour. Any day, I'll make it work! Thank you to everyone involved in picking me for the tour! Despite all this, I vow that my thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Lost in the Never Woods is a Peter Pan retelling like none I've ever read before. This is Wendy's story after returning from Neverland... without her younger brothers and a good chunk of her memory surrounding what happened the day they went to Neverland. It's been 5 years since Wendy returned and suddenly Peter is back without his shadow and kids are going missing. Can Wendy help Peter get his shadow back? Can they find the missing kids before it's too late? What sort of demons need to be faced before certain mysteries can be solved?

People are going to want to compare this book to Cemetery Boys, and I would caution you not to. This is much lighter on magic and doesn't have any LGBTQIA+ issues to tackle. It's an "after Neverland" timeline Peter Pan retelling that explores grief and survivor's guilt. While there is a lot of Aiden in this book and I don't want to discredit the wonderfully unique spin on the story, I do want to be very clear that this is one of those YA Fantasy stories that could have been written by any author. That doesn't make it bad or unimaginative, it really is a good book, it just means that, unlike Cemetery Boys where a trans author explored a trans teen's story, this book doesn't have that same "only this author could possibly tell this story" feel.

Lost in the Never Woods is an interesting exploration of what grief does to a young person who returns to their life after an abduction type event, particularly one where a sibling or two remain missing. Wendy has blanked it all out and doesn't remember. It's been 5 years and she's telling Peter Pan stories to kids in the children's ward. She 100% believes that these are just bedtime stories her mother used to tell her. She doesn't remember what happened 5 years ago when she and her brothers disappeared and only she returned, but she hasn't slept in their former shared bedroom since her first night back, and everyone is waiting for the day that they too return. Her mother talks to her brothers in her sleep and is usually otherwise a husk of her former self while awake. Her father is equal parts absent and passive-aggressively abusive, but it's not clear whether or not this is new since the events of 5 years ago. Then Wendy almost hits a boy in the street and he claims to be Peter Pan. Memories start coming back aided by his prompting. Then kids start to go missing again and everyone is hoping that if they can solve these new disappearances then maybe they'll figure out what happened to Wendy's brothers and recover them.

The final 20-25% of this book is absolutely amazing, 5-star worthy material that deals with the deep, dark truths and difficult emotions and memories Wendy has to work through. There's a bit of a twist reveal (which plays off one popular metaphor theory people have written essays on for decades) that I enjoyed because it's not a way I've ever seen the Peter Pan story and character portrayed in full-length media format, and I'm all about grittier fairytales.

The earlier majority of the book, however, was definitely not 5 stars. I wish it were because I want to be able to rate everything Aiden Thomas writes 5 stars, but I strive to review honestly and I can't honestly give the rest of the book a full 5. There's a lot of slow-moving plot development where Wendy and Peter have scattered conversations and Wendy has random encounters with the shadow but in between all of this she just goes about her normal life... and it does nothing for the plot. There's an entire scene dedicated to her father's study that she never enters but she's in it this time because suddenly her mom wants her to go there while cleaning (really?) and it's all so she can find a key. She couldn't find the key while deep cleaning the kitchen? Her father couldn't accidentally drop it? We have to suspend our disbelief that a teenager really hasn't ever set foot in this unlocked room in her house but suddenly her mother's going to ask her to get the garbage bin in there to empty it? And why aren't we having major search parties for all these missing kids? Adults might not notice Peter because of his nature, but kids do, and kids talk. Nobody's concerned about the boy from stories who's suddenly real according to their kids now that children are disappearing?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the bulk of this book before the climax is full of little plot holes and unnecessary scenes that don't make it a bad book by any means but make it obvious that this was actually Aiden's first manuscript. I'm glad Cemetery Boys sold first and Aiden got to debut with that banger, because this book screams debut author, and while it's cute and solid for what it is, this would not have made Aiden's name known and this would not leave me watching for Aiden's new material in the ARC listings.

If you love Aiden, by all means read this and support this amazingly deserving author and adorable human being, but go into it with the knowledge that this is not another Cemetery Boys. It's a 3.5-4 star Peter Pan retelling with a twist ending that's absolutely worth waiting for. If you love Peter Pan retellings or fairytale retellings in general, this is a great one! If you just love YA Fantasy, this is also a great choice.

I finished this book in one night, and it's not even a particularly short book. There's something really, really hooking about both the story and the writing that kept me from putting it down. What I loved the most about this book was the way Aiden Thomas careful worked in elements of Peter Pan while keeping this a fresh new take on the story, but I also really enjoyed the twist, the tone, and how Wendy and Peter were depicted.

Lost in the Never Woods is a Peter Pan inspired story, but it's got such a unique take on the source material that it completely blew me away. Thomas really plays with the role that Peter plays in Neverland and the concept of Lost Boys, which I thought was really incredible. It lent another dimension to the themes of aging and responsibility that usually show up in Peter Pan retellings, which worked well with the other themes, like grief, that were brought into the story. I also really liked how Peter's shadow was incorporated into the story, because it's a part of the original story that has a lot of potential, which was very evident. Without giving any major spoilers, the contrast between Peter and his shadow plays really well into the plot, and especially into how Peter and Wendy face the challenges they need to overcome.

From the start, the plot is twisted and shadowed in a way that hints at how the book will unroll. I was never quite sure how things were going to go, but this was with a sense of anticipation and not annoyance at having no clue what was going to happen next. There were small moments throughout the beginning that began building up the anticipation of the ending, with Wendy's memories of what happened when she and her brothers disappeared in the woods peeking through. The mystery element with the children going missing plays a big part in the story, but part of the plot involves Wendy figuring herself out, and I thought that really help the whole book from becoming too unbalanced and flat. The ending was especially well done; it surprised me completely, but looking back, I was able to pick out where the foreshadowing was. Actually, I think the ending really drove home the twists and dips that the plot took and rounded out the book really, really well.

Wendy and Peter play off each other really well as characters. The history between them, even considering Wendy doesn't remember much of it, gives them an established report that helps carry their other interactions. Wendy is an interesting character, as she's in a position where she's gone through a lot but doesn't remember it, and when it seems like whatever happened in the time that's missing from her memories is coming back, she doesn't know what to do. Her grief and determination to protect are two of her strongest characteristics, and even though she's not necessarily the classic "strong hero", she faces her own monsters with inner strength, and I thought she was a really good main character. I liked the characterisation of Peter, because it took into account the aspect of him that's a protector and has a duty to Neverland, and not only his more free-spirited aspects. He was a bit of a mysterious character, especially as we see him through Wendy's eyes, and this played well into the tone of the rest of the book, as well as keeping him a character who was more than what we saw when he was first introduced.

There's something about Thomas' writing that's captivating, and that compels you to keep reading. It flows really well, a good balance between detailed and simple that doesn't detract from the story itself, but compliments the tone and the plot. Because of the themes touched on, especially those of loss and grief, there are parts of the book that are more somber and jarring, and the writing matched these without feeling clunky or overwhelming. I thought the pacing was good, as the slower parts made a lull for the twists to burst out of, and the slow coming together of everything until the ending explode outwards worked really well for me.

Lost in the Never Woods is a very different book from Cemetery Boys, but it's still packed with emotion and depth. It's not a retelling in the classic sense, but the elements of Peter Pan that are drawn on work so well. I personally really liked this book, and I would definitely recommended it to those who find it sounds interesting, and who enjoy darker, twisty contemporary fantasy.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy as part of a blog tour, in exchange for an honest review.

It has a small dark twist, a mystery throughout and I had some serious questions!

We all know the story of Peter Pan, Wendy and her brothers in Neverland. This book was able to take that story and grip me with curiosity while still keeping with the fairy tale. It had a tiny creepy feel mixed with whimsical childhood emotion and I liked it! It’s an element of contemporary mixed with fantasy and it’s done well. That’s hard to do!

I didn’t love the romance. It felt weird and out of place while following the fairy tale so well. However, it was very mild so it’s almost not worth mentioning. I was definitely surprised many times! One twist I didn’t love too much, but then bam, another twist hit and I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it coming. I love a book that can do that!

I listened to the audio along with reading the e-book. The narrator was not my favorite. The voices felt off and a bit too young for being 18. I’m not sure if Wendy’s immaturity came from her “voice” or the writing but she did not feel 18.

Content Summary: I really enjoyed this one and feel most younger teens can read this if they’re ok with the small creepy feel. Most aspects of the book are fantasy so the scary element is less– it doesn’t feel as real. It is labeled as LGBTQ but there is nothing in the book. The author has written Cemetary Boys (queer, trans) and also identifies as queer and trans, so that is probably where that came from. The only aspect I’d be concerned with is the missing kids and the intensity that comes with that. Also, OCD is mentioned.

I was really hoping for a little bit more from this one. Namely: Peter Pan (a selfish, naive, and petulant child who never has to grow up) should have more darkness to him. He was too... Good and pure. Even when you know he's not being truthful his intentions are pure and not a more in-character selfish desire to have Wendy's full attention. He's goofy and likes to show off but he doesn't have any of the arrogance one would expect from his character reimagined for an older (or at least older than the children's book) audience.

Also I felt like we spent the whole book talking about doing things... Without actually doing them. Nothing much happens until the last ~20% of the book, making the whole experience feel uneven.

All in all, it just felt a little... Typical. I was hoping for something more.

Five years ago, Wendy disappeared in the woods behind her home with her younger brothers, John and Michael. Wendy was the only one to return. Now, children from town are beginning to disappear again, and suspicious eyes are turning to Wendy. She doesn’t remember what happened to her and her brothers all those years ago in the woods, and she fears her missing memories might be the key to finding them again, along with the other children. When she nearly runs over an unconscious boy in the middle of the road, she discovers that Peter Pan is not just the stories she’s been telling about him, and they may be the only people who can stop an evil force that’s gathering strength in the woods. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Macmillan/Swoon Reads. Trigger warnings: child death, abduction, trauma, guns, injury, neglect, panic/anxiety attacks, OCD, grief.

This was one of my most anticipated new releases this year, but it fell well short of the mark for me. I’ll preface it by saying that I’m exceptionally hard on fairytale retellings. There are Peter Pan stories everywhere, and if I’m going to keep reading the same story, I expect it to be above and beyond the usual. Lost in the Never Woods is not. Sometimes, the phrase “it reads like fanfiction” is one of the highest compliments I can give a book. There’s a lot of great fanfic out there, and there are some wonderful ways that fanfiction has influenced published fiction. But sometimes “it reads like fanfiction” is a critique rather than a compliment, and that’s the case here. It reads like a half-baked fic with very little plot, below average characterization, and maybe one or two good ideas to see it through. The writing is repetitive and could easily cut its wordiness in half (“patience and composure”, “struggled and thrashed”, “cracked and wailed”–they’re practically synonyms; choose one and move on).

My biggest complaint about this book is that nothing happens. There isn’t enough plot to keep things moving, so we’re treated to a lot of Coffeeshop AU scenes of the main characters just being cute together (or something?), having the same conversations over and over, and not getting anywhere on the mystery of Peter’s shadow and the missing children. My second biggest complaint is Wendy, who has few qualities to make her stand out. This is such a shame because Wendy is one of my favorite fairytale characters; there are so many directions to go with her, but it felt like Thomas wasn’t really invested in giving her a personality of her own. The villain is equally flat, with an extra helping of cliched dialogue. All of the character attention goes to Peter, who’s every bit as charming, sweet, and childlike as the stories Wendy tells about him suggest. (I like his portrayal, but on a personal level, I don’t agree with it. Peter Pan is not a sweet and charming love interest; he’s the embodiment of childish selfishness, and nearly every bit a villain as Captain Hook–who’s nowhere to be seen, sadly.) There are very real reasons for making Peter this way in this particular story, but it takes much of the nuance out of his character.

Finally, the title is a bit misleading, since none of the book takes place in Neverland. There are no pirates, no mermaids, no Lost Boys, no Tiger Lily. It’s all set in the real world, and while, again, there are plot-related reasons for it, it only adds to the overall boredom. While it’s clear that something more is going on with Wendy’s missing brothers, I don’t feel that the rest of the book adequately sets up the ending. There’s little chance for readers to guess the truth, and it feels more like it’s used for shock value than because it’s a thoughtful, well-developed ending for this story. All in all, there wasn’t much I enjoyed about it. I hope other Peter Pan lovers find something more to appreciate.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was such a nice, fresh take on Peter Pan, incorporating some recognizable names, faces, and themes, but absolutely subverting so many interesting elements. Wendy is a sympathetic and lovely character with the same lovable traits as the original, but also building on a world of trauma that was well-executed and explored with so much nuance and care. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to add to their library!

3.5 stars

That cover!!!

It has been five years since Wendy Darling and her two younger brothers, John and Michael, went missing in the woods. Now other children have gone missing. It is a painful reminder to Wendy and her family that while Wendy was found, her brothers were not.

One night Wendy almost runs over a boy lying in the street. A boy who asks, "You forgot about me?" His name is Peter. A boy, she thought only existed in stories. The ones her mother told her and the ones she tells the children at the hospital where she volunteers.

He needs her help! They must go into the woods....

A YA retelling of Peter Pan! This book touches on many things in a brilliant way. Through the book we see guilt, withdraw of emotions, missing children, fairy tales, love, loss, grief, memories, mental health, and friendship. Who could not feel for Wendy and her family? Parents who do not know where their sons are. The grief, stress, and heartache of their sons being missing. Wendy feels guilty for being found, guilty for being with her brothers when they all went missing, and we see a father who emotionally withdraws from his child when she is found but his sons are not.

Peter represents childhood, innocence, wonder, fun, magic and the ability to make things be/feel okay again. He is like a safety net with possibilities. But what happens when a safety net needs help? Peter and Wendy are both likeable characters who both need each other. Both want to help others, yet both need help themselves. So much more could be said about the characters (and plot) in this book, the metaphors and the hidden magic. But I will let you discover them.

Thankfully, the heavy subjects brought up in this book were handled/addressed with grace and care. There is also humor, magic and hope in this book. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. There were times I wanted the book to move a little faster, it felt like it slowed down quite a bit in the middle of the book. If you feel this way, stick with this book as it gears up again!

This is a YA book, but it is enjoyable for all. Fans of retellings, fairy tales, Peter Pan, and those who are a child at heart will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Myth: 5/5

While technically the story of Peter Pan starts and ends in the “real world” we most closely associate the story with the adventures in Neverland. I loved this retelling because it takes the stories of Neverland, but puts the plot into the real world. Now, the real world happens to be a creepy forest with dark and haunted memories for our protagonist, but it’s the real world just the same.

Aiden Thomas brings Peter Pan’s story to our world and blends it with loss, first love and the precipice of going away to college.

Magic: 4.5/5

Thomas puts a new spin on the classic Peter Pan favorites, the boy who never grows up, flying away to neverland, and of course stories of pirates, fairies and mermaids! Expect all of your favorites with a dash of suburban summer before college sentiment.

Overall: 5/5

Peter Pan is one of my favorite fairy tales and this retelling does not disappoint. The pacific northwest provides a lush setting for magic and mischief right along with joy and heartbreak.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of Lost in the Never Woods!

Seriously, thank you. This story was so freaking cute, it made my heart swell with joy and happiness and warm fuzzies. I've never been huge on Peter Pan (not my favorite, not my least favorite), but this gave me a new appreciation and love for the story. The story starts with our main character Wendy Darling, who's just turned 18, years after her brothers went missing (and still haven't been found). She went missing with them too, but only she returned, with no memories of what happened. Children start to go missing in her town, and Peter Pan shows up claiming that he's lost his shadow again, that he knows what happened to her and her brothers, and his shadow is linked to it all.

Like I said before, I LOVED this. I had decent expectations because I've heard nothing but amazing things about Aiden Thomas as an author, but I was unsure about the premise. I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my reading experience! The writing was wonderful, the plot was gripping, and I alternated between wanting to hug/console Wendy and Peter and also wanting to smoosh their faces together because of all the adorable romantic tension. Their friendship/romance is so sweet and tender and adorable, and I melted a lot while reading. I also really appreciate that mental health was a salient topic throughout the story; it felt realistic and important, especially after Wendy's experiences with trauma and grief.

All I can say is: READ THIS BOOK. IT COMES OUT MARCH 23 AND YOU SHOULD ALL READ IT.

I felt like a kid again reading this book. Peter Pan was one of my favorite fairytales growing up so reading this twisted reimagining was just fun. This book is perfect for fans of fairytales with a dark twist.
Wendy Darling is now 18, and has lived the past five years since her Neverland adventure thinking it was all a story, and in place of that magical time is a six month gap in her memory as well as her missing brothers. John and Michael have been missing for five years and there have been no leads. Wendy is living her life and trying to move on, working at the hospital and hoping to go to college to become a nurse. All was turning pretty normal until Peter Pan turns back up, and Wendy realizes it wasn't all a tale. Something dark is lurking in the woods, and as kids go missing in the town, it is up to Wendy and Peter to figure it out.
I loved seeing Wendy as an adult, she has gained so much perspective and maturity yet she is still the same Wendy Darling we all love. I also enjoyed seeing Peter in a new light, I always felt he had a very lacking purpose in the original story and in this book we get to dive into his character a little bit more. We get to see these characters from our childhood in a more dark and twisted setting that reflects the idea that growing up can never end well. This story kept me super entertained from beginning to end and allowed me to once again escape into a fairytale, but this time a little more adult. Although I had some minor issues with it, like pacing and some sentence structure, I overall really enjoyed this book. If the story had been shortened just a little bit, I definitely would've rated this higher. But overall, I would totally recommend this book to fairytale lovers and people that jut want a good, easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me access to an ARC of this lovely book!

As somebody who has always hated the idea go growing up, I have always loved Peter Pan, so I was so excited when I saw Aiden Thomas had written a retelling. The story Thomas tells about Peter and Wendy is sinister and dark and oh so captivating.

In this take on the Peter Pan story, Wendy Darling lives in small town where local children have been going missing in the woods. The story starts five years after Wendy disappeared in those same woods with her two younger brothers. After six months, she was found alone with no memories of what happened.

Now, five years later, kids are going missing again and a boy Wendy had only thought lived in her mother’s stories asks for her help to find them. This retelling is haunting and beautiful and although it took me a little bit to really get my mind into it, I ended up loving it by the end.

I think something Aiden Thomas did super well here was show the different ways of grieving. Their portrayal of Wendy Darling and her parents and how they deal with their grief, and in Wendy’s case, guilt, is so powerful. Wendy hasn’t even stepped foot in the old room she used to share with her brothers, her mother is described as being a shell of the person she was, and Wendy’s relationship with her father is pretty much just made up by yelling. In their sophomore novel, Thomas is able to flesh out all of the characters pretty well, while portraying accurate representations of PTSD and grief and how it can break apart a family.

I will admit that I found the first half of Lost in the Never Woods a little slow and hard to continue. There’s a lot of backstory and bonding between Peter and Wendy but they don’t actually do anything or make much progress until further into the book. Overall, the first half is more full of suspense than action, and most of the action of actually finding Peter’s shadow and the kids doesn’t happen until the end. However, I did still find it enjoyable! There is a reason behind the slow pace at the beginning and it’s well worth it. In fact, once you get to all the plot twists, you should be able to go back and see what led up to them.

With vivid imagery and descriptive language, Thomas truly transports you into this eerie world and keeps you on your feet.

Lost in the Never Woods introduces us to Wendy Darling, a girl traumatized after losing her memories and her brothers. Five years later, a boy falls from the sky—literally, and tells her that she's the key to finding the children who have been disappearing. But she will have to face her fears and go into the woods to do so.

I had high hopes for Lost in the Never Woods.

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and Neverland—it was my favorite story growing up. I’m not sure why; the idea of never growing old, the fact that the main characters were always strong female leads, and the magic I’m sure had a big part to play.

So when I heard this was a fairytale retelling with the title Lost in the Never Woods…you already know I screamed. It seemed too good to be true.

And it was. Sadly, I was really disappointed.

I had expected a lot because everyone and their mother went crazy over Thomas’s Cemetery Boys (which I picked up a copy of at my library this week) too, but alas. I always forget that you can’t always judge a book by its author.

Nothing really happens in the first 80% of Lost in the Never Woods.

Some of you might argue that things do happen. And that’s okay. I know it’s meant to be a mystery, and sometimes that takes time to figure out what’s happening.

They do some fun stuff, and there is a scary, somewhat horror-y moment. It got me all excited for the rest, but it never happens again.

I also found it terribly boring that we had to undergo Wendy’s monotonous monologue of the same things over and over again.

The book dragged out to the point I begged it to get to the good stuff. I started to skim just to get to Peter’s parts.

Peter carried Lost in the Never Woods.

It’s obvious that Peter was more fleshed out than Wendy. It’s not hard: Peter Pan has been known for decades now.

Wendy is our main character, but for lack of better terms, she’s so back and forth it’s weird.

They constantly go to rein in his shadow somehow, and she never brings anything to…you know…actually sew his shadow back to him.

This part irked me. She literally went in with no plan and basically just followed Peter around. I can’t really blame Peter, because he’s meant to act like a kid. That’s, like, his thing.

Either way, I’m not sure why Peter didn’t give her any instructions as to what happened last time. Like, he could have said, “Yeah, you’re going to need a thread and needle!” But instead, he’s just like, “Yeah, I need your help Wendy!”

Lost in the Never Woods would have appealed much better to a Middle-Grade audience rather than YA.

The writing style seems extremely juvenile, even though Wendy is 18. Maybe I’m just influenced by other books I’ve read? I don’t really know.

It was very child-like and not very…YA-like. Although my feelings could be misconstrued by the fact that A Court of Thorns and Roses is somehow YA, and that’s a whole other story.

Some things just don’t make sense.

The 5-year gap between things happening and Wendy and Peter meeting again after all that time seems strange and doesn’t quite add up.

Wouldn’t it have made more sense if it happened sooner? Why didn’t things go to s*** immediately?

I wish I knew, too, reader.

I will admit, the end of Lost in the Never Woods made me cry.

Like, I knew what was going to happen, but still. It was nice seeing Wendy’s character finally grow as she gained the confidence to reach for more rather than letting her past weigh her down.

The twist at the end and the representation of family trauma were also done very well and really did make me sad. Trauma in a family is no easy thing to deal with, and I think it was tackled well.

Lost in the Never Woods lacks the tension needed to make the stakes feel high, and things just don’t quite make sense. I am sad because I read this book for the BTS Readathon for the 5-star prediction, but hey, such is life.

I mostly listened to Lost in the Never Woods and I couldn't quite put my finger on why it was taking me so long to get through. I breezed through Cemetery Boys with its compelling and endearing characters, but I ended up never really loving any in Lost in the Never Woods. It wasn't that I didn't like them! It's just that they felt underdeveloped to me. Wendy was a character I wanted to love, but I could never quite get a good sense of her. She's someone who I knew cared about her family and the lost kids, but I lacked a strong emotional connection.

One of those characters who I knew why I was supposed to love them, in theory, but couldn't feel that insistent pull. That feeling of being in on the inside joke of seeing through their actions to the core of who they were. And while Lost in the Never Woods is firmly centered on Wendy, I never got a sense of Peter at all. While that's okay, because it's Wendy's story!, it meant that I wasn't really feeling the romantic angle because I didn't really know how to feel about Peter.