Wendy, Darling
Ratings2
Average rating2
15
Ratings2
Average rating2
A lush, feminist re-imagining on what happened to Wendy after Neverland, for fans of Circe and The Mere Wife. LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL Find the second star from the right, and fly straight on ’til morning, all the way to Neverland, a children’s paradise with no rules, no adults, only endless adventure and enchanted forests – all led by the charismatic boy who will never grow old. But Wendy Darling grew up. She has a husband and a young daughter called Jane, a life in London. But one night, after all these years, Peter Pan returns. Wendy finds him outside her daughter’s window, looking to claim a new mother for his Lost Boys. But instead of Wendy, he takes Jane. Now a grown woman, a mother, a patient and a survivor, Wendy must follow Peter back to Neverland to rescue her daughter and finally face the darkness at the heart of the island…
Reviews with the most likes.
(2.75 rounded up to 3)
I've never actually read Peter Pan and have only seen the play and Disney versions a couple of times, however, I enjoy Peter Pan retellings for some reason. Wendy, Darling has been on my TBR since reading Darling Girl. I can see that this is where some inspiration might have come from for that book, but it didn't hit me quite the same.
Past her days in Neverland and now a mother to Jane, Wendy is shocked to find Peter Pan looming over her daughter's bed and watches horrified as Peter whisks her away to be ‘the new Wendy'. Wendy now must return to Neverland to save Jane. As she does so, shadows of the past come back to haunt her.
There was a lot I enjoyed about the book, such as the writing/prose and real-world interpretations. I also liked the mother/daughter aspect. Despite this, I found myself struggling to get into the story past the first few chapters. I don't think I was in the right mindset, so I would like to try this book again at another time.
I adore any adaptation of Peter Pan. Aside from this one. I picked this up so many times trying to read it, as I was so SO desperate to love it from the description. A feminist adaptation of my favourite story? Sign me up! It was an intriguing tale and had a great plan, clever world building and adaptations to the original material. I wanted to love it. A great take at portraying PTSD, abuse, misogyny and homophobia... But I was bored. The stakes felt high, but I had no connection to the character and their narration. I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily
