Wendy Darling: Volume 1: Stars

While I will say I heavily dislike this story being cut into volumes (as I dislike having separate books that could really have just been published together as a large book with the way the writing is), I was heavily drawn into this book and am quite excited to get my hands on volume 2: seas in September. I've always found the story of Peter Pan to be a bit creepy and dark, especially as I got older and started to piece together some of the things that happen in the original story, so I of course was drawn to a retelling that boasted Peter as something far more human and real than the original with an interest in Wendy that blends childish and adult desires into an interesting manifestation of a being that combines some of the worse aspects of child and adult for a dangerously immature boy with too much power and not enough maturity to truly understand the greys of right and wrong, good and evil. This is an absolutely great spin, taking the story to some dark places. I was actually expecting them to be a lot darker and more sinister (though since this book is presumably just the first part of the story, I'm expected further developments, especially with the way the last 20 or so pages went, like wow did the true colors get revealed), but I think for the target age group this will certainly have an excitingly unnerving appeal as a wonderful place of dreams and fun slowly gets peeled away layer by layer to reveal lies and secrets and illusions, a place that is far more adult in nature than it is the children's paradise it's toted as being. I liked how there were aspects of the story true to the original, but that the author still managed to spin the story with enough of her own imagination to make it feel fresh and new and interesting, not like I was simply revisiting the original tale in new wrappings (although if one is unfamilar with the story, a few things wouldn't make as much sense. A lot of the back story to the tale is sort of presumed to be innately understood due to it being a retelling, so there's not really a lot of full explanations, though I do feel even someone not familiar with the tale would be just fine and wouldn't get lost in any significant way that prevented them from enjoying the story). We see new adventures and goals and events, while mixing in some familiar ones without relying on them to act as skeleton for the story. In this tale, Peter was aged to his mid teens, as was Wendy, while Micheal stayed super young and John's age was bumped up just slightly. Since our main two are older teens, there's a more adult relationship between Wendy and Peter, contrary to the pure, child-like affections they held in the original. So we get a pretty good focus on "romance" (although I say this tentatively because we see this turn from what appears to be a legitimate and healthy development to affections to an obviously unhealthy one rife with manipulation, violence, and possessiveness/obsessiveness, which is not what I like to call a romance, you know?). I also liked how Wendy has a romance with a normal boy in this story (instead of Peter being her first love and someone she can't truly let go of throughout the story because of it), and how he acts as this motivation and beacon for Wendy, reminding her that's she brave and that someone loves her properly and in the right way, that despite Peter's allure he's dangerous and there's something deeply wrong with the way he acts and thinks. The one sort of odd part of the story is how cruel and cold John is; it's a new take and certainly gave the story a fresh aspect, but I hope that in volume 2 he starts to warm up and not be such a little prick towards Wendy (really, his sexism and coldness and childishness in spite of his intelligence is absolutely infuriating). There's a lot of good imagery and the writing is quite lovely; it's easy to read and flows very well while still producing a lovely eminence with the words chosen. I'm excited to see how Hook and the pirates fit into this story in the next volume and how his character gets changed. Overall, it was an engaging read and I'm happy I came across it and was able to buy it! It'll be a lovely addition to my shelf and I'm sure I'll reread it again in the future.

I enjoyed this dark retelling of Peter Pan. I have to admit, I've never read the original story by J.M. Barrie; moreover, while I am a Disney fan, I've never really liked the classic animated movie. Even as a child, I found the ideas of Peter Pan--a boy who never grows up--and Neverland weird and warped. So I found Oakes's portrayal of Neverland as a secretly dark and twisted place fascinating and engrossing. The beautiful writing and lyrical descriptions drew me in and painted a very evocative portrait of this fantastical place. While this is a retelling, I can't speak to how well it exemplifies the spirit of the original. My guess, from what I know of the original story, is that the darkness of this adaptation deviates quite a bit from the original themes of the story. As I said, though, that did not bother me and I enjoyed the emotional complexity Colleen Oakes brought to this story. The darkness of the story--children drinking, violent death scenes, a cruel and manipulative Peter Pan--also felt strangely old-fashioned, in the vein of Grimm's fairy tales (which were quite disturbing in their original, pre-Disney form). Thus, while this is an adaptation of a classic children's story, this book is definitely not for children. The death scenes as well as some scenes of steamy romance (but no sex) between Peter Pan and Wendy make this a book for a teen and adult audience. Those looking for a retelling that replicates the original themes of Peter Pan may be disappointed by this retelling. But if you want an engrossing, action-packed novel that builds upon the classic story and adds greater complexity, give this book a try. (Oh, and it also ended on quite the cliffhanger--so now I eagerly await the next book in this series, Wendy Darling: Seas.) (I also posted this review on Goodreads.)

I have never really been a fan of Peter Pan. But this book seemed interesting because it's Wendy's story. The book shows us that everything is not quite what it seems. And Neverland is not the cheerful place that we grew up believing it was. Peter Pan is evil. I love all of the characters even when I shouldn't. Colleen Oakes does a great job of creating settings and developing the characters. I cannot wait to read the second book.

That cliffhanger. Some spoilers. Dark fantasy at its best. If you like the Red Queen series, you ought to love this one. I also love any twist on the Peter Pan story that lets him be the villain - and let's face it. Peter Pan is an ass. Even in the Disney cartoon. I also like that while Wendy is strong, she is not automatically railroaded into the misunderstood tomboy role. Not that I don't like the misunderstood tomboy role (I love characters like Arya Stark), but it's good to see a regular girl that just wants to be that regular girl and be with the person she loves try to get out of such a dire situation. And the situation is indeed dire. Even if you are Ary Stark, hell if you're Celaena Sardonthian, what are you supposed to do when a childlike boy' with the powers of a deity decides they don't want to let you go? Also the whole 'I can force you to love me' schtick always sends my creep factor off because it's real and there are people out there that really are that psychotic. Thank God they don't have magical powers. Think of the misery they'd cause.

This is a retelling of Peter Pan with some dark twists to the plot. It is told from Wendy's point of view. I had a really hard time getting into this book. I had a hard time relating to Wendy so it was hard for me to read from her point of view.

I can’t being to explain the emotional rollercoaster this book has sent me on. Peter Pan has always been a firm favourite of mine so to read the story from a completely different perspective made me somewhat apprehensive… I needn’t have been. Wendy Darling is refreshing, honest and, if anything, a little heartbreaking for the boy I once loved. I think at one time or another, we’ve all been a Wendy lusting for a Peter.

Great!

Stars starts like a typical retelling of Peter Pan, it shows the stifling life of London, the expectations falling on Wendy's shoulders, the restrictions of class, and disappointments that come with growing up. Then Peter sweeps in in a swirl of colours and starlight, and Wendy can't look away. I love retellings, and Stars is a fun one. It's a little darker than the original, playing off the mischievous and possessive nature of Peter, and Wendy is far more timid in this adaptation compared to others. There are so many hints in the novel about Peter's true nature, but it's all hidden from Wendy between beautiful tours of Neverland and Pan Island, romantic moments, and adventures. It's all a game to Peter, and he's always there to save her or call the troops to war. Peter is threatening beneath the charming and confident bravado, and he wants a change in Neverland that he needs Wendy for. Is it awful of me to like this relationship so much? Like, Peter is awful, but it's so much fun. Their dynamic is done really well, and I really liked how she realised everything bit by bit as the novel progressed. Seeing her work through the lies, the charm, and work to convince herself and her brothers was nice to read, and it was great to see some conviction from her nearing the end of the novel. Wendy is very cautious in this novel; she has to tell herself to 'be brave, be brave' and this time she does. I love all of the characters in this book. Peter's Lost Boys are adorable, and his generals are fantastic. Abbott and Oxley are my favourites by far, and I adore Wendy's interactions with Abbott. He's so exasperated by her, Peter, everything, but he seems to understand her a bit better than the rest. I kind of ship them a bit to be honest lol Oxley's fantastic too, and I definitely want to see more of him. Tink, as well, is an amazing character. She's so torn between helping Wendy, loving Peter, and jealously guarding what is hers. There were moments where I felt like the novel would just delve into 'girls hate other girls because of guys' territory, but it didn't and I'm so happy about it. While they aren't the best of friends by the end, they don't hate each other simply because of Peter Pan. One character I'm definitely looking forward to in the next book is Hook. I'm curious as to what he'll be like in this universe compared to others, and what with the way Peter is now it's definitely going to be interesting. I can't wait for his interactions with Wendy and Wendy's future interactions with Peter (and Abbott!).

This book is mostly building up the world. We get to know the characters, we get to know Neverland and we get to see Wendy. It was however easy to fall in love with Wendy, even though she still has some growing to do. I'm sure she will do so in the next books. The real star of the story however was the atmosphere. I could really see Neverland. It was so vivid and alive. I could also almost smell and feel it. It was a perfect read.

It was a different take on a book I loved as a child and I enjoyed this very much I'm looking forward to reading the next one.