The Neverland Wars Paperback – June 6, 2016

The tale of Peter Pan and the Lost Children in Neverland has always been one of my childhood favorites! I am especially fond of the Disney version, too. So I was very much interested when I discovered this contemporary retelling! I even bought the Kindle Edition for my Android phone, although YA Bound Book Tours had already sent me a complimentary e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.Unfortunately, this new re-working of the beloved story simply was not a compelling read for me.At first, I was pulled in, as the introduction to the main character, Gwen, when she was a toddler, was cute and enchanting. However, once the story fast-forwards to sixteen-year-old Gwen, I began to lose interest. It didn't happen right away; I really enjoyed the initial interactions between Gwen and her little sister, Rosemary, who was a cute, lovable kid. Gwen was appropriately protective of her, and they related well as sisters. It was later, when Gwen decided to go off to Neverland to join Rosemary, who had been kidnapped by Peter Pan, that my interest began to seriously wane.As the story develops, Gwen turns out to be a rather dull character, and her bond with Rosemary inexplicably becomes less important to her. She's supposed to look out for her little sister, as well as bring her back home, safe and sound, but, once in Neverland, Gwen becomes more interested in Peter and the kids there, as well as what's going on with them, which isn't that much, anyway. This is totally out of character. Besides, I can't really see why she likes Peter, as he's not a very interesting character, either.This brings me to the plot itself. There's really not much of one; at least, not for the first 30 chapters. One fairly interesting event was the introduction of the little expedition, led by Peter, to visit the Indians, on the other side of Neverland. The reader is introduced to a bit of fascinating folklore in this part of the book. Beyond this, though, there's not much else going on. As to the supposed "war", there were just vague references to it. No actual conflict was involved.The character of Peter Pan is another thing about this book I didn't like. Peter is supposed to be this very fun-loving, playful kid who doesn't want to grow up. In fact, the plot synopsis describes him as "impish and playful", but I saw little, if any, evidence of this in the novel. Instead, he's pretty serious most of the time, and even in a bad mood quite often. I also didn't like it that he would sometimes put Gwen down, as well as talk down to her. He just didn't come across as very likable, and I really couldn't see why the Lost Children stayed with him, when he really wasn't that much fun to be around.I also disliked Gwen and Rosemary's parents. They came across as rather unpleasant, and much too strict with their kids. Plus, they really seemed to lack a good relationship with them.Neverland itself was not that enchanting, either. In fact, it struck me as a very boring place to visit, let alone live in. There were mermaids and fairies, but they just didn't grab my interest, either, because they didn't do much of anything. Overall, the world-building was practically non-existent. I just couldn't really get much of a feeling for the place.Speaking of fairies, the one who was always flying around Peter in this book was named "Hollyhock". I don't see why the author renamed this fairy. In the original version, her name was "Tinkerbell". If Peter retained his name, why couldn't his fairy sidekick have retained hers, as well? Besides, the original name is so much prettier! It also has a rather whimsical aspect to it, giving readers the picture of a dainty, very feminine little fairy that darts around playfully, producing little tinkling musical sounds as she does so. In contrast, the name "Hollyhock" just sounds like the name of some flower or plant. It conveys nothing at all to the imagination.Another thing I disliked was the obvious Harry Potter influence, with Gwen's dad being involved in the use of magic for "business matters". This sounded too much like the type of thing the Ministry of Magic does in the HP series.I kept struggling to finish the book, but finally gave up halfway through Chapter 32. (The book has a total of 48.)In addition to all of the above, what really clinched it for me was reading a couple of negative reviews on Amazon, both of which stated that this book starts out as a young adult read, and ends up introducing very adult themes toward the end, such as underage drinking, cursing, and drugs. I decided not to stick around to find out more.

This is a book for those who have never really grown up and still dream of the wonders of Neverland.Gwen is sixteen. Basically, all grown up but part of her doesn't believe adulthood is all it's cracked up to be. Although some things...such as a certain guy at school...aren't too bad. When her little sister goes missing, she learns that adults and especially her parents are hiding something. Magic is real but not in infinite amounts. And the adults on Earth/reality have decided they get the monopoly on determining where it's used.Peter Pan and Neverland in the traditional form have not been forgotten in this story. There are many elements which run parallel to the adventurous island, but on the other hand, some things have changed. Peter Pan is a little older--the explanation for this is clever!--and he's well aware of what's happening as the adults drain magic. Still, the core of him remains Peter Pan.Eating stars, chit-chatting with mermaids and going on adventures make the slide into pure children fantasy. Yet, the intended audience is the younger end of YA. The straddle from childhood to adulthood comes across masterfully. Illogical, whimsical fantasy meets themes such as first love, beer parties and high school. Still, in this book, it's the fantasy that reigns and most time is spent in Neverland, which gives the plot, at times, the feel of an upper middle grade read.Gwen is seen as a story teller, and this is the reason Peter Pan has for fetching her despite her age. To follow this, several stories are 'told'. Although meaningful, they pulled me enough out of the book that I caught myself skimming through them. But aside from these, the book grabs and doesn't let go. There's a lot going on and so much to cheer for. The writing is fitting even for upper middle grade and has themes completely fitting for kids 14 and above. I can't wait for the next book to come out because Gwen and Peter still have a big adventure before them.

*originally posted on A Bibliophile's Reverie*An interesting take on Peter Pan, this book brings back the wonders of every child. We all dream that we will have Peter fly to our room and take us to Neverland, but for Gwen, it didn’t seem like a reality. Sure, when she was a kid, she believed in fairy tales, but now she was in High School and things like that didn’t happen. At least, that’s what she thought, until her sister was kidnapped by Peter and taken to Neverland. Now she must save her and the only way to do that is to be taken by Peter to Neverland.I found this book to be very interesting, although slow in some areas. It felt a lot like the Disney movie that came out when I was in middle school, but with Peter being a bit older. In this story he is high school age, because every time he went to the real world, it started to take a toll. I liked this idea and it made perfect sense to me.I did want to know more about the war, what the reason behind it was, and why Gwen found herself in the middle of it. I also didn’t care for the ending, and didn’t understand why she would go to there (won’t spoil it) so it felt a little rushed and off to me, especially after everything that had happened. I do want to know what happens and can’t wait to read the next book.All in all, if you love Neverland, definitely read this book. I give it 3.5/5 stars, as I think it got have a little substance to it and a little better ending, but it is still really entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t want to grow up. Also, the mermaids were pretty cool…

I found the story got more confusing as it went on, the prologue was very intresting when it started with an eight year old Gwen who could hear strange pipe music, which gave the story abit of mystery , but when you start to read the main story everthing was rushed and I found that the character excepted everything to quickly for me. But to finish on the a good note I found that the author using a teenager for the main character was good gave a modern twist to a great novel

interesting concept, nicely written. First book in a series, so quite a lot of scene-setting

One of the best books I've ever read .With lots of plot changers makes for a great page turner. Also has a hint of romance between peter and Gwen. Totally adorable! I'd rate it a five. for ages 10 upwards. A must read book 💞

Wonderful escape to a land I've always wanted to go to...