Peter Darling

TW: Misgendering, dead name usage, suicide attempt

This is an ownvoices trans gay retelling of Peter Pan and just knowing that made me very excited to read it. To tell you all the truth, I actually know nothing much about the story of Peter Pan other than the little I watched on Once Upon A Time, so I wont be able to give any comparisons to the original.

Peter is back in Neverland again after growing up because he couldn't keep on living a lie at his London home. His family continuously refers to him using his dead name/birth identity and never even try to understand him. He tries very hard to live the way they want, to make them happy but he is so miserable that even death feels better. But when he gets the chance to come back, he grabs the opportunity with both hands. Neverland is where he feels truly comfortable in his body.

First half of the book has a lot of skirmishes between Peter and Hook – they each just look for ways to start a fight, almost like they don't want to be away from each other long. There is very subtle underlying attraction that we can feel but the two of them take their own sweet time to arrive at that conclusion. Almost fatal injuries and isolation in a cave force them to acknowledge their feelings – the reason they are always fighting is because it's the only tangible feeling they have to hold on to. But once they do realise that they actually adore each other, there are some very sweet romantic moments followed by a fair amount of angst. Both of them have to decide if they are prepared to leave the dream of Neverland and step together into the real world.

At about 200 pages, this book is very short but the author does a great job developing a believable enemies-to-lovers romance without making it feel like instalove. The island of Neverland, its terrain and creatures, the faeries and Peter's brand of magic is presented fairly well but the shorter length prevents from going into any details. I also would have loved to know more about the backstory of Ernest or even about Hook's first love but we never get the chance to explore all these facets. However, the story is still fully realized, with well written characters and an interesting plot.

I especially fell in love with the ending of the story – it was so adorable and I just wanted to read more about Peter and James's life together. This is a beautiful story of identity, loneliness and love and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales.