So good, what a delightful and tense story.

I often enjoy retellings and it’s quite a big feat to take on such a well-known story as Peter Pan. What I love with Chant’s take on the retelling is that it subverts the readers’ assumptions based on their knowledge of the popular tale. This new unfamiliarity, along with a general unease that something is not quite right with Neverland, creates a tenseness that keeps you on your toes until it’s resolved. The slow reveal of each character through repeated flashbacks also adds to this feeling of unknowing. 

This is of course based on a children’s story but with what feels like much more mature characters, with a growing understanding of what the world around them can offer or take away. Rather than just presenting us with play fights between boys and swashbuckling pirates, we see them experience very real grief and guilt through the violence they cause.

Though it’s a novella, the book felt long to me as the resolution I expected came in the first third. I had absolutely no idea where else the story could go so it was thrilling to see what additional action the author dreamed up. 

All in all, such a wonderful read with a creative take on Neverland and incredibly developed characters. Such a delight!