Rating: 3.5

What I liked

Characters

The characters in this novel were one highlight of the book for me. I love Peter Pan, and I’ve read the original book, seen the movies, and different adaptations, and seen a few different takes on the story. Taking a beloved story such as this, you need to think about how the characters will pay homage to the original, and still be fresh, so people will want to read what you have to say. Kelly Ann Jacobson does a great job of making the characters new and different, while still paying homage to the original intent. I enjoyed seeing the characters in our world, because it was as if I was seeing them in a new way, and they were more relatable.

Plot

The plot of this story, mostly, was good. I enjoyed the back and forth between our world and the world that was seen as Neverland. I also enjoyed the new story elements with Wendy’s granddaughter and having her as an element in the tale. This unique twist made the story one of the favorite parts of the novel. I also enjoyed seeing the characters we know and enjoy reading about in a new way because they were no longer in Neverland for the full story.

Writing



The writing in this story was good. I felt that Kelly Ann Jacobson wrote in a tone that matched the story well. The lighter scenes were funny, and they were written in a way that took the reader away from the serious elements of the story for a while. Going hand in hand with that, the more serious scenes were written in a way that made it seem like the reader was supposed to feel for these characters, and share in their experiences.



What didn’t work for me

Pace

I am trying to be honest in this review because that’s what authors want to read, what you honestly think about the book. The pacing of this book was off for me. I don’t know if it was just me, but the elements of the fairy book, and the jumping from the past to the present, just didn’t work all that well for me. I feel like what could have made this better in a chapter or two in the now timeline, a chapter or two in the past, and then some of the fairy rules. The flow and pace of this book were just off for me.

Romance

I really like romances in books when done well. This romance was fine, and I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ elements, with Tink having a romance with both Peter and Wendy. I just believe that it did not explore this romance enough and that there was more potential for love stories over the course of the book. I left the boom just wanting more of the romance.