What do you think?
Rate this book
Wendy Darling #2
Seas
Wendy Darling: Seas finds Wendy and Michael aboard the dreaded Sudden Night, a dangerous behemoth sailed by the infamous Captain Hook and his bloodthirsty crew. In this exotic world of mermaids, spies, and pirate feuds, Wendy finds herself struggling to keep her family above the waves. Hunted by the twisted boy who once stole her heart and struggling to survive in the whimsical Neverland sea, returning home to London now seems like a distant dream—and the betrayals have just begun.
Will Wendy find shelter with Peter’s greatest enemy, or is she a pawn in a much darker game—one that could forever alter not only her family’s future but also the soul of Neverland itself?
Will Wendy find shelter with Peter’s greatest enemy, or is she a pawn in a much darker game—one that could forever alter not only her family’s future but also the soul of Neverland itself?
274 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2016
33 people are currently reading
2877 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Oakes
18 books1,455 followersColleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, the Wendy Darling Saga, The Black Coats, Sister of the Chosen One and Eleven Houses.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
August 18, 2016
Received from: SparkPress
Received Via: NetGalley.com
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I liked the first book in the series
What I thought
This one wasn’t as good as the first. Sure it was interesting to see her life with the pirates and to find out that Hook is actually the good guy. I just couldn’t connect with the story. I kept putting it off for some reason and it felt like it took me forever to finish it. I’m not saying the story was bad though, it was fun and adventurous at parts but at other parts it did drag. I just have mixed emotions when it comes to this book some parts I liked, some parts I didn’t. Overall it was an ok read.
Received Via: NetGalley.com
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
I liked the first book in the series
What I thought
This one wasn’t as good as the first. Sure it was interesting to see her life with the pirates and to find out that Hook is actually the good guy. I just couldn’t connect with the story. I kept putting it off for some reason and it felt like it took me forever to finish it. I’m not saying the story was bad though, it was fun and adventurous at parts but at other parts it did drag. I just have mixed emotions when it comes to this book some parts I liked, some parts I didn’t. Overall it was an ok read.
February 17, 2016
A summary:
"Proud and insolent youth," said Hook, "prepare to meet thy doom."
""Dark and sinister man," Peter answered, "have at thee.”
- J.M Barrie, Peter Pan
"Proud and insolent youth," said Hook, "prepare to meet thy doom."
""Dark and sinister man," Peter answered, "have at thee.”
- J.M Barrie, Peter Pan
September 20, 2016
I felt basically the same way about Wendy Darling: Seas as I did with volume one, Wendy Darling: Stars. I liked it for sure, though some parts were a little tedious. I did like this book more than the first one, I must say. I also thought the end was the best part of the whole book. And yet again the ending made me say holy crap out loud.
This book is pretty much about Wendy trying to find her place on the ship the Sudden Night among Captain Hook and his frightening crew. But also about protecting her little brother Michael and finding out how Peter Pan got his powers and how she and Hook can defeat him.
Wendy in general is a bit of a Mary Sue but I liked how she tranformed a little in a tougher version of herself while on board with the pirates. After all she went through with Peter in the first book, she had no other choice but to toughen up.
Captain Hook was probably my newest favorite character. He was just like I expect Hook to be, ferocious and brutal but also had some goodness inside of him and also love. I also really liked Smee for some weird reason.
As this book was more about the pirates, Peter wasn't much in it this time around. He was more in it towards the ending. And god, that ending... I hadn't seen it coming at all. Which is why I want the next book so very badly.
Overall, Wendy Darling: Seas by Colleen Oakes was pretty good. It had savage pirates, lethal mermaids, some unexpected twists and one hell of an ending.
This book is pretty much about Wendy trying to find her place on the ship the Sudden Night among Captain Hook and his frightening crew. But also about protecting her little brother Michael and finding out how Peter Pan got his powers and how she and Hook can defeat him.
Wendy in general is a bit of a Mary Sue but I liked how she tranformed a little in a tougher version of herself while on board with the pirates. After all she went through with Peter in the first book, she had no other choice but to toughen up.
Captain Hook was probably my newest favorite character. He was just like I expect Hook to be, ferocious and brutal but also had some goodness inside of him and also love. I also really liked Smee for some weird reason.
As this book was more about the pirates, Peter wasn't much in it this time around. He was more in it towards the ending. And god, that ending... I hadn't seen it coming at all. Which is why I want the next book so very badly.
Overall, Wendy Darling: Seas by Colleen Oakes was pretty good. It had savage pirates, lethal mermaids, some unexpected twists and one hell of an ending.
July 11, 2018
I may be done with the series.
The first one was a guilty pleasure read but the second one took away the pleasure and just made me feel like I was wasting my time on a bad book. I really loved the first one, solely because I loved dark Peter but this book was all about Wendy. I didn't love Hook and learning his back story.
No longer the retelling I'm looking for.
The first one was a guilty pleasure read but the second one took away the pleasure and just made me feel like I was wasting my time on a bad book. I really loved the first one, solely because I loved dark Peter but this book was all about Wendy. I didn't love Hook and learning his back story.
No longer the retelling I'm looking for.
October 5, 2016
Just like with Three Dark Crowns I was contacted back in August to be a part of a Fall YA Tour. Now the books came a little later than planned, so I didn't get to this one before the publishing date unfortunately. I also had asked for the first book in the series, but due to the mix up and late mailing, I didn't get it. Fortunately, the author does a great job of catching you up on what happened in the last book. It's not done in a big info dump at the beginning, although you do get the necessary details right away. A lot of what happened is spread throughout the story in appropriate conversations and memories in the right spot. Obviously there will be a few spoilers in my review below, sorry about that. But you can pick this one up and read it without reading the first one if you want.
As you can guess, this is a retelling of the story about Peter Pan. Only in this version, Peter is not the good guy. Captain Hook is still a pirate, and so still not really a nice guy, but in this story he is going to be really all that Wendy has to help her get her brother back from Peter, as well as to keep her safe from Peter's obsession with her. You see Peter Pan is very charming. Not only does he have Tinkerbelle in love with him, but at first, he makes Wendy feel like she is in love as well. But soon she sees him for what kind of a person he really is, when he takes her up flying, and drops her from very high above the ground. He catches her, at the last minute, but uses this as a way to try to make her stay with him. But Wendy now just wants to get her brothers and get back home. Even though according to everyone in Neverland, there is no way back. Wendy and her youngest brother Michael must learn to live on the pirate ship, while Hook tells Wendy his story and his reasons for being after Peter. Wendy will work in the kitchen, and get to know the pirates well enough to call some of them friends, in their own way. As long as she is on the ship, she is pretty well protected from Peter.
Eventually Hook and Wendy will go to find out how to really kill Peter, which will require a dangerous trip alone for Wendy, so that she can ask help from the mermaids. The mermaids who will trade the information for virgin blood. Wendy's blood. Along their travels Wendy will not only have to worry about Peter finding her, but also some of the pirates on the very ship she is on may not be able to be trusted. Along with a big pirate summit where there is mutiny among Hook and the other ships. The mermaids cannot be trusted, and even just to get to them Wendy will travel a path where Peter will almost be able to capture her and stop her.
Wendy's thoughts are just to save her brothers and get back to her home where her family is, as well as the man that she really feels she could be in love with. In the end we will lose some of the characters we grow to love, and things will not come out quite the way as planned. There is a big surprise at the end, making me very anxious for the next book, so that I can see what Wendy will do to solve this next obstacle.
This was my first book by the author, even though I have a copy of the ARC of Queen of Hearts sitting on my TBR shelf. I am definitely very excited to read that one now, and I have also ordered my own copy of the first book in this series so that I can read about the whole relationship between Peter and Wendy, and how this version of the fairy tale all began. If you haven't started this author, or this series, I definitely recommend it.
This review was originally published at Lisa Loves Literature.
As you can guess, this is a retelling of the story about Peter Pan. Only in this version, Peter is not the good guy. Captain Hook is still a pirate, and so still not really a nice guy, but in this story he is going to be really all that Wendy has to help her get her brother back from Peter, as well as to keep her safe from Peter's obsession with her. You see Peter Pan is very charming. Not only does he have Tinkerbelle in love with him, but at first, he makes Wendy feel like she is in love as well. But soon she sees him for what kind of a person he really is, when he takes her up flying, and drops her from very high above the ground. He catches her, at the last minute, but uses this as a way to try to make her stay with him. But Wendy now just wants to get her brothers and get back home. Even though according to everyone in Neverland, there is no way back. Wendy and her youngest brother Michael must learn to live on the pirate ship, while Hook tells Wendy his story and his reasons for being after Peter. Wendy will work in the kitchen, and get to know the pirates well enough to call some of them friends, in their own way. As long as she is on the ship, she is pretty well protected from Peter.
Eventually Hook and Wendy will go to find out how to really kill Peter, which will require a dangerous trip alone for Wendy, so that she can ask help from the mermaids. The mermaids who will trade the information for virgin blood. Wendy's blood. Along their travels Wendy will not only have to worry about Peter finding her, but also some of the pirates on the very ship she is on may not be able to be trusted. Along with a big pirate summit where there is mutiny among Hook and the other ships. The mermaids cannot be trusted, and even just to get to them Wendy will travel a path where Peter will almost be able to capture her and stop her.
Wendy's thoughts are just to save her brothers and get back to her home where her family is, as well as the man that she really feels she could be in love with. In the end we will lose some of the characters we grow to love, and things will not come out quite the way as planned. There is a big surprise at the end, making me very anxious for the next book, so that I can see what Wendy will do to solve this next obstacle.
This was my first book by the author, even though I have a copy of the ARC of Queen of Hearts sitting on my TBR shelf. I am definitely very excited to read that one now, and I have also ordered my own copy of the first book in this series so that I can read about the whole relationship between Peter and Wendy, and how this version of the fairy tale all began. If you haven't started this author, or this series, I definitely recommend it.
This review was originally published at Lisa Loves Literature.
September 9, 2016
Not a lot happens in Wendy Darling: Seas. In fact, I can break it down into one or two sentences for you without spoiling anything: Wendy and Michael float around with Captain Hook, find out he's not such a bad guy, and learn how to beat up Peter Pan. There. I can say that it really isn't much more fascinating than that; I'm not revealing any major plot points, but I'm not really missing any either. Everything you need to know is right there.
Surprising though it may be, the nothing that happens really WAS pretty fascinating. Wendy reflects back on her time with Peter (which was beneficial to me, who did not read the first book) and wonders over how her life would have been different if she had taken different actions. Wendy and Captain Hook converse, learning that perhaps they're two sides of the same coin in the hunt for Peter's downfall. They converse some more, and then Wendy converses with other people. There's a lot of conversing.
We meet some iconic characters, but in different capacities. This for me was the highlight: Tiger Lily was ephemeral and wise, Smee was rotated from a ruthless bear to a sneaky teddy bear, and (the most obvious one) Captain Hook isn't quite the villain we all think he is.
I loved that, because Peter Pan in the original source is a dark character. I read Brom's The Child Thief last year and it reflected on this too—Peter Pan “cuts down the herd” of Lost Boys when it gets too large. We know there is an element of Peter that relishes the darkness, because it's all his own doing. That darkness in Peter coupled with Hook's hidden lightness created a very compelling read indeed.
And that's why I enjoyed it so much. This takes the Disney version of Peter Pan and flips it on its head by creating characters with motives and traits and desires I can rally behind and root for. Even Peter made more sense to me here, which is saying something. Now I have to go back and read the first book while I wait for the third.
Surprising though it may be, the nothing that happens really WAS pretty fascinating. Wendy reflects back on her time with Peter (which was beneficial to me, who did not read the first book) and wonders over how her life would have been different if she had taken different actions. Wendy and Captain Hook converse, learning that perhaps they're two sides of the same coin in the hunt for Peter's downfall. They converse some more, and then Wendy converses with other people. There's a lot of conversing.
We meet some iconic characters, but in different capacities. This for me was the highlight: Tiger Lily was ephemeral and wise, Smee was rotated from a ruthless bear to a sneaky teddy bear, and (the most obvious one) Captain Hook isn't quite the villain we all think he is.
I loved that, because Peter Pan in the original source is a dark character. I read Brom's The Child Thief last year and it reflected on this too—Peter Pan “cuts down the herd” of Lost Boys when it gets too large. We know there is an element of Peter that relishes the darkness, because it's all his own doing. That darkness in Peter coupled with Hook's hidden lightness created a very compelling read indeed.
And that's why I enjoyed it so much. This takes the Disney version of Peter Pan and flips it on its head by creating characters with motives and traits and desires I can rally behind and root for. Even Peter made more sense to me here, which is saying something. Now I have to go back and read the first book while I wait for the third.
May 22, 2018
Omg!!!! Amo esta saga! La recomiendo muchísimo, lo único malo es q no puedo leer el 3 por que aun no es publicado en español. Lo que me hace volver a decir que odio con toda mi alma los finales inconclusos .
Me encariñe mucho con los personajes y llore con algunas muertes ... peter sigue siendo mi personaje favorito. Y aunque hizo pocas apariciones siempre eran grandes apariciones .
También he decir que garfio es un graaan personaje y me encariñe con el .
Mi odio por John, sigue creciendo, es un muchachito sumamente desagradable. Odio como wendy lo quiere y como el la desprecia
Por último, quiero decir que me gusta muchísimo como escribe esta autora. Realmente sabe como engancharte con la lectura
Esta saga te mantiene asi:
![description]()
Me encariñe mucho con los personajes y llore con algunas muertes ... peter sigue siendo mi personaje favorito. Y aunque hizo pocas apariciones siempre eran grandes apariciones .
También he decir que garfio es un graaan personaje y me encariñe con el .
Mi odio por John, sigue creciendo, es un muchachito sumamente desagradable. Odio como wendy lo quiere y como el la desprecia
Por último, quiero decir que me gusta muchísimo como escribe esta autora. Realmente sabe como engancharte con la lectura
Esta saga te mantiene asi:
March 25, 2021
3.5
Alguien ya leyó estos libros? porque no manchen con los finales... de verdad yo quedé así de alksdjalskfjdkafsdkl necesito el siguiente jaja si pueden leerlos se los recomiendo, la pluma de la autora es muy cuidada y Garfio es GENIAL jajaja
Alguien ya leyó estos libros? porque no manchen con los finales... de verdad yo quedé así de alksdjalskfjdkafsdkl necesito el siguiente jaja si pueden leerlos se los recomiendo, la pluma de la autora es muy cuidada y Garfio es GENIAL jajaja
November 29, 2020
Estuvo mucho mejor que el primero
Amoooo a Garfio y Smith, literalmente se comen cada escena que aparecen.
Necesito pisar el noche repentina alguna vez en mi vida ahre
Y mi amor por Michael quema como mil soles. Ese nene es todo lo que esta bien en la vida.
Por el final: ¡Ni dios te perdona, J...!
Amoooo a Garfio y Smith, literalmente se comen cada escena que aparecen.
Necesito pisar el noche repentina alguna vez en mi vida ahre
Y mi amor por Michael quema como mil soles. Ese nene es todo lo que esta bien en la vida.
Por el final: ¡Ni dios te perdona, J...!
May 11, 2021
holy crap i love love love love love love this book
You can find my review for the whole series here.
You can find my review for the whole series here.
January 16, 2021
I'm reviewing out of order, but I really liked this trilogy. The first volume had beauty twisted dark. The second volume reversed the land for sea. The third shifted worlds. It was a great read, each with impressive high spots.
Just as Neverland was described beautifully, piracy and the boats were captivating. Not in an overly-glorified way, per se, although Captain Hook has dashing, softening moments, but like a vivid portrait can capture a scene and draw one in.
I really enjoyed this book and quickly purchased the next one.
Just as Neverland was described beautifully, piracy and the boats were captivating. Not in an overly-glorified way, per se, although Captain Hook has dashing, softening moments, but like a vivid portrait can capture a scene and draw one in.
I really enjoyed this book and quickly purchased the next one.
July 10, 2020
Me convertí en el meme de Pikachu
June 30, 2017
Received from NetGalley for review.
YES WENDY. So many times, yes. I never knew I could have so many feelings about Wendy Darling, I even hate the name a little less now.
Wendy Darling, badass extraordinaire, returns in Seas having escaped Peter’s clutches only to be kidnapped (rescued?) by Captain Hook. Collen Oakes blew my mind last year with the first instalment in this series, Stars, where I had to get to grips with sexy man-child Peter and an extremely dark Neverland. This time my mind was blown even further – I love Captain Hook and I was not expecting to on any level.
Seas begins right where Stars left us. Wendy and Michael are aboard Hook’s ship, the Sudden Night, having barely escaped from a crazed Peter, although John is still with him and remains a loyal general. The tone of this novel is immediately darker than Stars – pirates have replaced Lost Boys and we do not know what Wendy and Michael’s fate aboard the ship will be, although a lot of the pirates are weirdly sympathetic and likeable, as is Hook himself. It soon becomes apparent that something darker than before is taking place in Neverland, though, something directly related to Peter that must be stopped. Pirates, harlots, mermaids, magical lands and a plethora of twisted secrets combine to make this just as exciting as the first book; there is no risk of 'second-book syndrome' here.
Once again the characters and descriptions of Neverland were vivid and lush, ensnaring the senses in every way, and I particularly enjoyed when the Sudden Night docked in Port Durette for a time. Wendy has grown since her ordeal in Stars and fights through her fear to become a formidable and courageous young woman, and it goes without saying that I adore her character in these books. She is so brave despite everything that has happened and is happening to her.
Hook was one of the more interesting characters for me, as I said earlier, I ended up loving him despite his many flaws, and I imagine many people who read this will feel the same way in the end. He becomes so much more than the villain we all know from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and feels all the more real for it – the relationship between him and Peter is also explored in this book, showing an unexpected side of Hook.
Naturally the pirates are crude and violent, often saying and doing repulsive things, but so many of them are sweet and protective towards Wendy and Michael that you can’t help but be on their side. Keme and Smith (and brothel owner, Fermina) are particularly wonderful. We don’t see much of Peter or the Lost Boys in this book which only creates more tension and wonder regarding his plans – we know a war is coming but we don’t know until the end just how dangerous and tricky it will be.
This story was just as exciting and wild as Stars and I love the way the plot is developing; everything about it has me excited for the third book, Shadow. And that ending! My god.
‘He may want me, but he does not have my permission to take me. I do not belong to Peter Pan. Or any man, for that matter.’
YES WENDY. So many times, yes. I never knew I could have so many feelings about Wendy Darling, I even hate the name a little less now.
Wendy Darling, badass extraordinaire, returns in Seas having escaped Peter’s clutches only to be kidnapped (rescued?) by Captain Hook. Collen Oakes blew my mind last year with the first instalment in this series, Stars, where I had to get to grips with sexy man-child Peter and an extremely dark Neverland. This time my mind was blown even further – I love Captain Hook and I was not expecting to on any level.
Seas begins right where Stars left us. Wendy and Michael are aboard Hook’s ship, the Sudden Night, having barely escaped from a crazed Peter, although John is still with him and remains a loyal general. The tone of this novel is immediately darker than Stars – pirates have replaced Lost Boys and we do not know what Wendy and Michael’s fate aboard the ship will be, although a lot of the pirates are weirdly sympathetic and likeable, as is Hook himself. It soon becomes apparent that something darker than before is taking place in Neverland, though, something directly related to Peter that must be stopped. Pirates, harlots, mermaids, magical lands and a plethora of twisted secrets combine to make this just as exciting as the first book; there is no risk of 'second-book syndrome' here.
Once again the characters and descriptions of Neverland were vivid and lush, ensnaring the senses in every way, and I particularly enjoyed when the Sudden Night docked in Port Durette for a time. Wendy has grown since her ordeal in Stars and fights through her fear to become a formidable and courageous young woman, and it goes without saying that I adore her character in these books. She is so brave despite everything that has happened and is happening to her.
Hook was one of the more interesting characters for me, as I said earlier, I ended up loving him despite his many flaws, and I imagine many people who read this will feel the same way in the end. He becomes so much more than the villain we all know from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and feels all the more real for it – the relationship between him and Peter is also explored in this book, showing an unexpected side of Hook.
Naturally the pirates are crude and violent, often saying and doing repulsive things, but so many of them are sweet and protective towards Wendy and Michael that you can’t help but be on their side. Keme and Smith (and brothel owner, Fermina) are particularly wonderful. We don’t see much of Peter or the Lost Boys in this book which only creates more tension and wonder regarding his plans – we know a war is coming but we don’t know until the end just how dangerous and tricky it will be.
This story was just as exciting and wild as Stars and I love the way the plot is developing; everything about it has me excited for the third book, Shadow. And that ending! My god.
December 17, 2018
This installment to the Wendy Darling series packs a serious punch of great writing, storytelling, and especially character development. This is a great book! A great follow up to an excellent beginning forged in Wendy Darling Volume One: Stars. I loved this book. But god, how am I to survive the wait for volume three? Those last few pages... like a sucker punch in the gut.
Now that the set up is all fleshed out, this second installment lets us get into a lot of dark undertones coupled with an expanding story line and plot that gets thicker and more complex as it goes. We get background stories, we get history, we get new bad guys, we get a whole lot of side characters, and we get some unique story elements and conflicts added in to make this retelling feel refreshing and new and different in a very good way. Since this book focuses on Wendy's time with the pirates so heavily, there's a lot of action.
The character development is masterfully done. We follow along as Wendy transforms from polite Edwardian socialite to a survivor on a pirate ship who slowly becomes involved in a plan to save everyone and Neverland so she can take her brothers safely home to London and see her parents and love. I love Wendy; Colleen Oakes has given new life and strength to her character. She's amazing and I found myself cheering for her success constantly. Hook and Pan also are pretty well done; more layers get torn away from these two to reveal who these two really are and how they come into their roles as villain and antihero. I also enjoyed the side characters. We even see some growth in John! But he's only in the book for a little while, so it was minimal. I hope to see more of characters like John and Tink especially in the next book.
The story was fast paced, but despite being only 269 pages long in my paperback copy, this book feels very full and rich. For once, its length is not a weakness. Colleen Oakes masterfully used the space to create a fulfilling story full of interesting elements and a well-thought out plot that propels readers through storms and mermaids and pirates and lies and secrets. I was wholly engaged the whole time.
One other prop I have to give the author is the fact that Wendy isn't losing herself to Peter and making her story be that of a romance with a psycho; she still is drawn to him for whatever reason, but she holds onto her family and booth and her self-respect through it all and refuses to end up in that unfortunate heroine situation where a beautiful face and pretty words charm her into enduring mistreatment and sacrificing everything; Wendy knows Peter is bad and that there is no future with him, that saving her brothers and getting home and out of Neverland is what she needs to do, what's best for her and her family. I legitimately hope that in the third book Booth and Wendy are able to end up together and be happy.
Overall, I loved this book. I polished it off in a single sitting and now feel sort of empty since I don't have the next volume in my hands right to let me have another round of amazing story and more Wendy being so damn cool and admirable with all her growth.
Now that the set up is all fleshed out, this second installment lets us get into a lot of dark undertones coupled with an expanding story line and plot that gets thicker and more complex as it goes. We get background stories, we get history, we get new bad guys, we get a whole lot of side characters, and we get some unique story elements and conflicts added in to make this retelling feel refreshing and new and different in a very good way. Since this book focuses on Wendy's time with the pirates so heavily, there's a lot of action.
The character development is masterfully done. We follow along as Wendy transforms from polite Edwardian socialite to a survivor on a pirate ship who slowly becomes involved in a plan to save everyone and Neverland so she can take her brothers safely home to London and see her parents and love. I love Wendy; Colleen Oakes has given new life and strength to her character. She's amazing and I found myself cheering for her success constantly. Hook and Pan also are pretty well done; more layers get torn away from these two to reveal who these two really are and how they come into their roles as villain and antihero. I also enjoyed the side characters. We even see some growth in John! But he's only in the book for a little while, so it was minimal. I hope to see more of characters like John and Tink especially in the next book.
The story was fast paced, but despite being only 269 pages long in my paperback copy, this book feels very full and rich. For once, its length is not a weakness. Colleen Oakes masterfully used the space to create a fulfilling story full of interesting elements and a well-thought out plot that propels readers through storms and mermaids and pirates and lies and secrets. I was wholly engaged the whole time.
One other prop I have to give the author is the fact that Wendy isn't losing herself to Peter and making her story be that of a romance with a psycho; she still is drawn to him for whatever reason, but she holds onto her family and booth and her self-respect through it all and refuses to end up in that unfortunate heroine situation where a beautiful face and pretty words charm her into enduring mistreatment and sacrificing everything; Wendy knows Peter is bad and that there is no future with him, that saving her brothers and getting home and out of Neverland is what she needs to do, what's best for her and her family. I legitimately hope that in the third book Booth and Wendy are able to end up together and be happy.
Overall, I loved this book. I polished it off in a single sitting and now feel sort of empty since I don't have the next volume in my hands right to let me have another round of amazing story and more Wendy being so damn cool and admirable with all her growth.
December 8, 2021
“Children are not just children in Neverland, Wendy Darling. You should know that more than anyone.”
2.00 ?? stars
The lesson from this story: iust stop kicking the dead horse because it's already on the ground.
The second book in the Wendy Darling series confirmed all of my doubts: it just doesn't get better, no matter how hard you try to put some fresh air into the story. In my eyes, it was a pretty dull book filled with semi-interesting characters.
On the one hand, one event follows another; on the other hand, I didn't learn much about Wendy from the beginning to the end of the book. She's still the middle-class girl from London who now has to prove herself among dirty pirates.
This book mostly follows Wendy's journey on Hook's ship. I don't really see any character development, even though I don't particularly love Wendy either, I really hoped that she would get some fine brain cells into her pretty dull head. I mean, she is a good protagonist who continues to be very naive and finds all the answers to her questions through dialogue and that's really bugging me.
I personally find this form of plot direction very tedious and too simply constructed...
The writing style itself is very enjoyable, but the description of Neverland and its other mystical places is also not outstanding. I didn't really feel the magic that a retelling actually brings.
Ahh and this makes me so sad ! Because I love a good pirate story but this one just didn't served it!
Hook himself was an interesting character, but he unfortunately didn't stand out either. We all know the gritty, brooding pirate who lost his hand to Peter Pan and has been chasing the immortal boy around the island ever since. Well, in itself, the focus on Hook was interesting, but as with Wendy, it was very formulaic for me. The typical villain we know from other books.
Many twists and turns were too predictable for me. I knew at any time what was coming, even before Wendy could guess it and that, unfortunately, disappointed me a lot.
Unfortunately, the book did not convince me. I think it's a shame, because so much could have been pulled out of the story, but I just can't stand it when you get all the answers via dialogue instead of it being revealed bit by bit.
Suspenseful? Not really.
Peter? As usual, a toxic asshole with no depth.
I'll probably read the last book to finish the Wendy Darling series ( because i'm a slut for Peter Pan retellings ^^)
2.00 ?? stars
The lesson from this story: iust stop kicking the dead horse because it's already on the ground.
The second book in the Wendy Darling series confirmed all of my doubts: it just doesn't get better, no matter how hard you try to put some fresh air into the story. In my eyes, it was a pretty dull book filled with semi-interesting characters.
On the one hand, one event follows another; on the other hand, I didn't learn much about Wendy from the beginning to the end of the book. She's still the middle-class girl from London who now has to prove herself among dirty pirates.
This book mostly follows Wendy's journey on Hook's ship. I don't really see any character development, even though I don't particularly love Wendy either, I really hoped that she would get some fine brain cells into her pretty dull head. I mean, she is a good protagonist who continues to be very naive and finds all the answers to her questions through dialogue and that's really bugging me.
I personally find this form of plot direction very tedious and too simply constructed...
The writing style itself is very enjoyable, but the description of Neverland and its other mystical places is also not outstanding. I didn't really feel the magic that a retelling actually brings.
Ahh and this makes me so sad ! Because I love a good pirate story but this one just didn't served it!
Hook himself was an interesting character, but he unfortunately didn't stand out either. We all know the gritty, brooding pirate who lost his hand to Peter Pan and has been chasing the immortal boy around the island ever since. Well, in itself, the focus on Hook was interesting, but as with Wendy, it was very formulaic for me. The typical villain we know from other books.
Many twists and turns were too predictable for me. I knew at any time what was coming, even before Wendy could guess it and that, unfortunately, disappointed me a lot.
Unfortunately, the book did not convince me. I think it's a shame, because so much could have been pulled out of the story, but I just can't stand it when you get all the answers via dialogue instead of it being revealed bit by bit.
Suspenseful? Not really.
Peter? As usual, a toxic asshole with no depth.
I'll probably read the last book to finish the Wendy Darling series ( because i'm a slut for Peter Pan retellings ^^)
July 4, 2023
«Las sirenas no creemos en tu lastimero concepto humano de amor. En tu mundo lo utilizan para justificar los más horribles comportamientos. Lleva a la caída de grandes civilizaciones, y hace que las mujeres se conviertan en esclavas. Nunca jamás vuelvas a acusarme de amor».
Nunca había leído a un personaje tan tóxico y a la vez tan carismático. Lo quiero, pero lo quiero muerto.
Me molesta no darle más estrellas pero es que los libros de piratas no son lo mío. Igualmente ha sido muy entretenido y sobre todo adictivo, aparte de que me llevo buenos recuerdos. Además, no puedo darle tanta puntuación si apenas han aparecido mi Campanilla y Peter Pan (que se pasen todo el libro hablando de ellos no cuenta), los echaba de menos😩
Y ESE FINAL ES PERFECTO EN PLAN🌊🧜🏼♀️🎭
Una parte de mí quiere ver el desenlace de la trilogía y otra no porque no quiero que mi tiempo con estos personajes se acabe. Qué hago.
«—Wendy, ¡no puedo protegerte aquí!
Ella entrecerró los párpados.
—La única cosa de la que necesito protección es de ti».
Nunca había leído a un personaje tan tóxico y a la vez tan carismático. Lo quiero, pero lo quiero muerto.
Me molesta no darle más estrellas pero es que los libros de piratas no son lo mío. Igualmente ha sido muy entretenido y sobre todo adictivo, aparte de que me llevo buenos recuerdos. Además, no puedo darle tanta puntuación si apenas han aparecido mi Campanilla y Peter Pan (que se pasen todo el libro hablando de ellos no cuenta), los echaba de menos😩
Y ESE FINAL ES PERFECTO EN PLAN🌊🧜🏼♀️🎭
Una parte de mí quiere ver el desenlace de la trilogía y otra no porque no quiero que mi tiempo con estos personajes se acabe. Qué hago.
«—Wendy, ¡no puedo protegerte aquí!
Ella entrecerró los párpados.
—La única cosa de la que necesito protección es de ti».
July 31, 2022
No hay ningún tipo de dudas, ni un libro que yo haya dejado por casi 2 semanas y lo haya retomado me engancharon tan rápido como este. Es todo lo que esta bien, la turbiedad, la construcción de un mundo imposible no poder imaginarte. Es increíble la construcción de personajes, lo grises que son. Llore mucho con este, hay muertes y despedidas que duelen toda la vida y esto tiene este libro.
Lo amo, wendy como protagonista que crece y que aunque tenga ingenuidad vez como se sobrepone a todo y no deja de ser ella para enfrentarse a todo eso que la podría matar, todo por amor a sus hermanos y a si misma, ya que desde el momento uno no se dejó aguantar por hacer felices a los otros. DIOS, SACRIFICÓ TANTO, merece que alguien la abrace y la proteja, y con ese final, no se, quieren darme un infarto.
Merece cada una de las cinco estrellas.
Lo amo, wendy como protagonista que crece y que aunque tenga ingenuidad vez como se sobrepone a todo y no deja de ser ella para enfrentarse a todo eso que la podría matar, todo por amor a sus hermanos y a si misma, ya que desde el momento uno no se dejó aguantar por hacer felices a los otros. DIOS, SACRIFICÓ TANTO, merece que alguien la abrace y la proteja, y con ese final, no se, quieren darme un infarto.
Merece cada una de las cinco estrellas.
July 28, 2017
I have to admit, after an eager year's long wait for the follow up to "Stars", I'm a bit disappointed. While the descriptions were lovely, the writing overall is fair enough to warrant four stars (I considered bumping it down to three, based on my level of personal enjoyment for this one, but for quality reasons it really deserves four), and it was certainly interesting in its way, there was much left desired.
So I've decided the easiest way to do this review is to divide it into three parts: 1) "I liked" 2) "I disliked" and 3) "I'm not sure how I feel about".
I liked:
The storm scene, where Hook wakes Wendy up and makes her stand in the crow's nest during a raging storm. That was a really fun scene and it was almost WORTH being forced to sit through yet another "Hook is the good guy" novel (le SIGH, but more on that later) for this cute moment between them.
The backstories (to a degree). I don't really like what HAPPENS in them, or what it does to the characters, but for some reason I found it a lot more fun than the actual real-time plot of the novel. Pity that they are in-dialogue only and never shown.
John's development (what little of it there is). Given how god-awful this book made Peter (literally just wipes ANY chance of redemption for him) it was kind of nice that John was the one who saved Wendy's life during that plank walking scene. It was a really great moment between the characters. Also, John Darling may actually be my new favorite character in this version because of it.
The magic shadow/explanation of why Peter has one/the fairies dying/the connection to Tink, etc... Okay, I will admit it, that was pretty darn awesome! I have to give Oakes full points for that one.
I disliked:
HOOK BEING THE GOOD GUY! Can somebody puh-LEASE tell Colleen Oakes that this is NOT an original spin anymore? Just about every Peter Pan novel writer on the planet except for Jessica Stilling and whoever wrote Everland have freaking done this already!
Look, I could stomach this, and even ignore it, somewhat if Hook wasn't represented as THIS much of a victim. For all the alleged bad stuff he does there always seems to be a "he's protecting the whole world" get out of jail free card attached. He was even semi-justified in one scene were he SLAPPED WENDY ACROSS THE FACE. Me: HELL TO THE NO! I know he's a pirate and okay if you want to do that, but GOOD LORD please don't make it justified in text. Or have him apologize like an abusive parent with guilt. That was insult on top of injury. Literally.
Smee. Ugh they just CAN'T get you right, can they, dear? Another jerky, hate-worth Smee (Smith), 'nough said.
Michael. Maybe it's just me, but he was CUTE in the last book. In this one he comes across as rather babyish. I was sort of glad when Wendy left him with Tiger Lily.
The Hook/Tiger Lily romance. Yeah, I'm not buying that this is the love story of epic the author is trying to make it seem like it is. Also, Hook and Tiger Lily? REALLY? God, I was almost hoping she really was Peter's dead girlfriend in this version. Would have been less lame.
The Mermaids. I hate to say it but their parts felt forced to me. And they weren't as scary as the prose/plot was trying to impress. They just weren't.
Peter. Le BIG, BIG sigh. Okay, I get that Peter's the villain and I've often complained that when authors go this route they don't make him evil enough to warrant that label. This one though was the complete opposite -- it literally does everything short of making Peter kill puppies for fun. In fact I'm not even sure THIS version of Peter would see anything WRONG with puppy killing. He MIGHT actually find it fun.
Just come on, let the boy have ONE blooming redeeming quality other than "hotness". No, literally, that's IT. The author constantly feels the need to mention, through Wendy's POV, how hot Peter is. There is no other half-decent quality given to this son of a gun. Anything halfway decent built up in the last book got totally retconned in this one. While I give the author full points for not leaving dangling plot threads I take them back for the simple laziness of not doing anything new with them!
The fact that we spent so much of this book waiting for Wendy to ask a question. The reason? She wouldn't BELIEVE it if someone just told her. Oh, please. This is worse than Glinda never just telling Dorothy she could click her heels together and go home whenever she liked. Seriously. It's worse and makes even less sense.
I'm not sure how I feel about:
The cliffhanger.
The whole Booth in Neverland/Peter Pan's prisoner/possibly brought there by John (this wasn't entirely made clear, that I noticed) thing! I mean, OH MY GAWD!
Yeah, it's pure evil, but it's also kind of brilliant. Without it, the book is just an okay sequel to a much better novel, with it, well I kind of HAVE to buy the next book to find out what happens, don't I? Sure it may have turned into a Neverland daytime soap, but with that last minute bomb, I can't miss the next installment.
In conclusion, I'm disappointed, but it was entertaining, and I'll read the next book.
Half-heartedly recommended for Peter Pan junkies.
So I've decided the easiest way to do this review is to divide it into three parts: 1) "I liked" 2) "I disliked" and 3) "I'm not sure how I feel about".
I liked:
The storm scene, where Hook wakes Wendy up and makes her stand in the crow's nest during a raging storm. That was a really fun scene and it was almost WORTH being forced to sit through yet another "Hook is the good guy" novel (le SIGH, but more on that later) for this cute moment between them.
The backstories (to a degree). I don't really like what HAPPENS in them, or what it does to the characters, but for some reason I found it a lot more fun than the actual real-time plot of the novel. Pity that they are in-dialogue only and never shown.
John's development (what little of it there is). Given how god-awful this book made Peter (literally just wipes ANY chance of redemption for him) it was kind of nice that John was the one who saved Wendy's life during that plank walking scene. It was a really great moment between the characters. Also, John Darling may actually be my new favorite character in this version because of it.
The magic shadow/explanation of why Peter has one/the fairies dying/the connection to Tink, etc... Okay, I will admit it, that was pretty darn awesome! I have to give Oakes full points for that one.
I disliked:
HOOK BEING THE GOOD GUY! Can somebody puh-LEASE tell Colleen Oakes that this is NOT an original spin anymore? Just about every Peter Pan novel writer on the planet except for Jessica Stilling and whoever wrote Everland have freaking done this already!
Look, I could stomach this, and even ignore it, somewhat if Hook wasn't represented as THIS much of a victim. For all the alleged bad stuff he does there always seems to be a "he's protecting the whole world" get out of jail free card attached. He was even semi-justified in one scene were he SLAPPED WENDY ACROSS THE FACE. Me: HELL TO THE NO! I know he's a pirate and okay if you want to do that, but GOOD LORD please don't make it justified in text. Or have him apologize like an abusive parent with guilt. That was insult on top of injury. Literally.
Smee. Ugh they just CAN'T get you right, can they, dear? Another jerky, hate-worth Smee (Smith), 'nough said.
Michael. Maybe it's just me, but he was CUTE in the last book. In this one he comes across as rather babyish. I was sort of glad when Wendy left him with Tiger Lily.
The Hook/Tiger Lily romance. Yeah, I'm not buying that this is the love story of epic the author is trying to make it seem like it is. Also, Hook and Tiger Lily? REALLY? God, I was almost hoping she really was Peter's dead girlfriend in this version. Would have been less lame.
The Mermaids. I hate to say it but their parts felt forced to me. And they weren't as scary as the prose/plot was trying to impress. They just weren't.
Peter. Le BIG, BIG sigh. Okay, I get that Peter's the villain and I've often complained that when authors go this route they don't make him evil enough to warrant that label. This one though was the complete opposite -- it literally does everything short of making Peter kill puppies for fun. In fact I'm not even sure THIS version of Peter would see anything WRONG with puppy killing. He MIGHT actually find it fun.
Just come on, let the boy have ONE blooming redeeming quality other than "hotness". No, literally, that's IT. The author constantly feels the need to mention, through Wendy's POV, how hot Peter is. There is no other half-decent quality given to this son of a gun. Anything halfway decent built up in the last book got totally retconned in this one. While I give the author full points for not leaving dangling plot threads I take them back for the simple laziness of not doing anything new with them!
The fact that we spent so much of this book waiting for Wendy to ask a question. The reason? She wouldn't BELIEVE it if someone just told her. Oh, please. This is worse than Glinda never just telling Dorothy she could click her heels together and go home whenever she liked. Seriously. It's worse and makes even less sense.
I'm not sure how I feel about:
The cliffhanger.
The whole Booth in Neverland/Peter Pan's prisoner/possibly brought there by John (this wasn't entirely made clear, that I noticed) thing! I mean, OH MY GAWD!
Yeah, it's pure evil, but it's also kind of brilliant. Without it, the book is just an okay sequel to a much better novel, with it, well I kind of HAVE to buy the next book to find out what happens, don't I? Sure it may have turned into a Neverland daytime soap, but with that last minute bomb, I can't miss the next installment.
In conclusion, I'm disappointed, but it was entertaining, and I'll read the next book.
Half-heartedly recommended for Peter Pan junkies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2021
Este libro contiene spoilers del primer libro…
Este es el segundo libro de la serie Wendy Darling y debo decir que Peter no aparece casi en este libro peeero conoceremos mucho más de él y déjenme decirles que yo estaba en lo cierto es oscuro muuuy oscuro.
En esta ocasión conoceremos más del Capitan Hook ya que Wendy, junto con su hermano menor, huye de Peter y de supuesto amor, y ha terminado como prisionera en la temida Noche Repentina, el barco de nada más y nada menos que el Capitán Garfio.
Sin embargo lo único que le interesa a Wendy es volver junto con sus hermanos al lado de sus padres y del chico del que está enamorada, pero cada vez se le complican más las cosas, aunque no pierde la esperanza.
Este libro me gusto más que el primero y no sabría decirles si es porque tanta maldad de Peter Pan me intriga jajaja, esta historia avanza más fluida, desde que inicia va directo a la historia, tiene oscuridad, acción, misterio, magia y mucho más.
Wendy ha tenido un gran cambio, podemos ver desde el principio del libro como ha crecido su personaje, pero en esta ocasión mi personaje favorito ha sido Garfio, rudo, grosero, un malandro bien hecho jajaja pero es un amor lo entenderán cuando lo lean, porque deben leerlo es un buen libro y una muy amena lectura.
Si deciden leerlo me cuentan que tal y si ya lo leyeron cuéntenme que les pareció que los leo…
Este es el segundo libro de la serie Wendy Darling y debo decir que Peter no aparece casi en este libro peeero conoceremos mucho más de él y déjenme decirles que yo estaba en lo cierto es oscuro muuuy oscuro.
En esta ocasión conoceremos más del Capitan Hook ya que Wendy, junto con su hermano menor, huye de Peter y de supuesto amor, y ha terminado como prisionera en la temida Noche Repentina, el barco de nada más y nada menos que el Capitán Garfio.
Sin embargo lo único que le interesa a Wendy es volver junto con sus hermanos al lado de sus padres y del chico del que está enamorada, pero cada vez se le complican más las cosas, aunque no pierde la esperanza.
Este libro me gusto más que el primero y no sabría decirles si es porque tanta maldad de Peter Pan me intriga jajaja, esta historia avanza más fluida, desde que inicia va directo a la historia, tiene oscuridad, acción, misterio, magia y mucho más.
Wendy ha tenido un gran cambio, podemos ver desde el principio del libro como ha crecido su personaje, pero en esta ocasión mi personaje favorito ha sido Garfio, rudo, grosero, un malandro bien hecho jajaja pero es un amor lo entenderán cuando lo lean, porque deben leerlo es un buen libro y una muy amena lectura.
Si deciden leerlo me cuentan que tal y si ya lo leyeron cuéntenme que les pareció que los leo…
February 9, 2018
This review contains potential spoilers! It's half-rant, after all.
3.5 stars
If I had to grade this book using the educational system at school it would be deemed as...satisfactory. I find second books in trilogies to be really important installments, so I was curious to see how this one would turn out. I liked it waayyyyy better than book one, and it was enough to keep me reading and turning the page.
Let me first make myself clear. The lack of Peter Pan in this book cleared my skin and whitened my teeth. Given how he is in this series, I have never been so happy to have been ridden of an insufferable character in a book.
Wendy finds herself on Captain Hook's ship among pirates along with her younger brother Michael. She and Hook open up to each other slowly, sharing as much as they can in hopes of defeating Pan and saving Neverland. I was happy to see Wendy toughening up, even just a bit. I mean, she's on a frickin pirate ship, what do you expect?
THAT'S EXACTLY THE QUESTION. WHAT HAD SHE BEEN EXPECTING??????
Did she think she would be sleeping in a first class room? Did she think she would get to angel cake and drink tea?? Before I read this book I thought I was the most useless girl on earth. You know what, I'm so glad I know how to cook and do household chores.
Maybe I can't blame her, because she's a 'lady' and she lives in another century. But homegirl flinches at EVERY SINGLE THING. I swear everything out there was made to make her blush and feel flustered or offended. But no, it's not her fault, because she's A LADY.
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE OR NOT.
Every 5 pages I would read "she blushed" "she swallowed" "she swallowed" "she swallowed" hsdjbcgjhafbab gfh
People are straight up dying out there and she's here feeling sorry for herself that she's under Hook's PROTECTION. She has MET Peter Pan and even made out with him, she KNOWS what he's like but no she can't be selfless for humanity for just 2 hours.
Hook tells her to keep quiet while meeting otherdeadly captains. Did I expect her to? No. And does she? No. She steps into the opening for EVERYONE TO SEE and know of her EXISTENCE and opens her mouth. Why? Because 'she was trying to help Hook'.
I recall him telling you to stay hidden wtf.
I am happy to say that during the second half of the book, she wises up and gains my nod of approval. She becomes braver, makes smarter choices, and is willing to LIE for everyone. We do it every day but when she does it here, it's such a big deal, I actually have to acknowledge it, god damn.
Captain Hook is my favourite so far, but even he is an okay-ish character. I've always been intrigued by his character and was 100% up for reading his backstory. It turned out to be okay, and I was actually enjoying it, but the author HAD to make me punch a wall again.
I really liked Fermina as well, and for some reason I sympathize her most of all.
As for Peter, he's this creepy stalker who can't deal with Wendy not loving him back. So he almost blows the pirate ship up while sending her a note because he's such a drama queen.
Hi hello am I watching an episode of Criminal Minds?
I'm actually disappointed to be saying all this stuff because I really loved the original book.
This book wasn't bad, despite my irritation at some parts of it. There were other parts that really caught me my surprise, and the plot twists were well planned and inserted. I liked how Wendy and Hook's relationship slowly developed, and there were a few moments that even touched my heart or made me smile. Once again, reminding everyone AND myself that Wendy matures.
Kudos to the author for that cliffhanger as well.
3.5 stars
If I had to grade this book using the educational system at school it would be deemed as...satisfactory. I find second books in trilogies to be really important installments, so I was curious to see how this one would turn out. I liked it waayyyyy better than book one, and it was enough to keep me reading and turning the page.
Let me first make myself clear. The lack of Peter Pan in this book cleared my skin and whitened my teeth. Given how he is in this series, I have never been so happy to have been ridden of an insufferable character in a book.
Wendy finds herself on Captain Hook's ship among pirates along with her younger brother Michael. She and Hook open up to each other slowly, sharing as much as they can in hopes of defeating Pan and saving Neverland. I was happy to see Wendy toughening up, even just a bit. I mean, she's on a frickin pirate ship, what do you expect?
THAT'S EXACTLY THE QUESTION. WHAT HAD SHE BEEN EXPECTING??????
Did she think she would be sleeping in a first class room? Did she think she would get to angel cake and drink tea?? Before I read this book I thought I was the most useless girl on earth. You know what, I'm so glad I know how to cook and do household chores.
Maybe I can't blame her, because she's a 'lady' and she lives in another century. But homegirl flinches at EVERY SINGLE THING. I swear everything out there was made to make her blush and feel flustered or offended. But no, it's not her fault, because she's A LADY.
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE OR NOT.
Every 5 pages I would read "she blushed" "she swallowed" "she swallowed" "she swallowed" hsdjbcgjhafbab gfh
People are straight up dying out there and she's here feeling sorry for herself that she's under Hook's PROTECTION. She has MET Peter Pan and even made out with him, she KNOWS what he's like but no she can't be selfless for humanity for just 2 hours.
Hook tells her to keep quiet while meeting other
I recall him telling you to stay hidden wtf.
I am happy to say that during the second half of the book, she wises up and gains my nod of approval. She becomes braver, makes smarter choices, and is willing to LIE for everyone. We do it every day but when she does it here, it's such a big deal, I actually have to acknowledge it, god damn.
Captain Hook is my favourite so far, but even he is an okay-ish character. I've always been intrigued by his character and was 100% up for reading his backstory. It turned out to be okay, and I was actually enjoying it, but the author HAD to make me punch a wall again.
I really liked Fermina as well, and for some reason I sympathize her most of all.
As for Peter, he's this creepy stalker who can't deal with Wendy not loving him back. So he almost blows the pirate ship up while sending her a note because he's such a drama queen.
Tied around the base of the pearls, its singed corners flapping in the wind, was a small note. Wendy unfolded it slowly.
"To Wendy," it read, in Peter's messy scrawl, "I dream of you."
At the bottom of the note was a bloody fingerprint...
Hi hello am I watching an episode of Criminal Minds?
I'm actually disappointed to be saying all this stuff because I really loved the original book.
This book wasn't bad, despite my irritation at some parts of it. There were other parts that really caught me my surprise, and the plot twists were well planned and inserted. I liked how Wendy and Hook's relationship slowly developed, and there were a few moments that even touched my heart or made me smile. Once again, reminding everyone AND myself that Wendy matures.
Kudos to the author for that cliffhanger as well.
June 3, 2018
We've took the story in a whole new direction and I love that
July 3, 2020
THIS GODDAMN BOOK! Si el primer libro me quebró, no puedo explicar a este endemoniado libro. Me hizo gritar, llorar, me llevo a la histeria, al borde de las emociones, me hizo odiar y amar a tantos personajes, me hizo retorcerme de desesperación. HIZO TODO.
Desde el principio tuve problemas para iniciarlo no por la historia o la fluidez del libro, sino por lo difícil que fue después de leer el primero que me dejó una impresión tan grande que quise darme tiempo para descansar y procesarlo todo. Este libro nos presenta como Wendy tiene que aprender a vivir con los piratas, todo el conflicto que tiene por querer volver a casa con sus hermanos y poder derrotar a Peter Pan, descubre cómo llegó a Nunca Jamás y como obtuvo sus poderes. Realmente se volvió una historia obscura y me dejo con ganas de más. Me encanto el detalle de la autora por marcar este conflicto interno que tiene Wendy durante todo el libro de querer seguir fiel a quien es, una mujer decente de Londres, pero al mismo tiempo los piratas le ayudan a ver que tiene más valor que ser solo mujer y descubre que puede ser fuerte y delicada.
Y ESE BENDITO FINAL ME HIZO LLORAR. Totalmente inesperado, un gran cliffhanger, que suelo odiarlos pero este fue adecuado completamente. No sé si empezaré el tercero y último libro luego luego, necesito respuestas pero necesito respirar y darme el tiempo de procesar todo de nuevo. Estoy amando esta trilogía, es increíble.
Desde el principio tuve problemas para iniciarlo no por la historia o la fluidez del libro, sino por lo difícil que fue después de leer el primero que me dejó una impresión tan grande que quise darme tiempo para descansar y procesarlo todo. Este libro nos presenta como Wendy tiene que aprender a vivir con los piratas, todo el conflicto que tiene por querer volver a casa con sus hermanos y poder derrotar a Peter Pan, descubre cómo llegó a Nunca Jamás y como obtuvo sus poderes. Realmente se volvió una historia obscura y me dejo con ganas de más. Me encanto el detalle de la autora por marcar este conflicto interno que tiene Wendy durante todo el libro de querer seguir fiel a quien es, una mujer decente de Londres, pero al mismo tiempo los piratas le ayudan a ver que tiene más valor que ser solo mujer y descubre que puede ser fuerte y delicada.
Y ESE BENDITO FINAL ME HIZO LLORAR. Totalmente inesperado, un gran cliffhanger, que suelo odiarlos pero este fue adecuado completamente. No sé si empezaré el tercero y último libro luego luego, necesito respuestas pero necesito respirar y darme el tiempo de procesar todo de nuevo. Estoy amando esta trilogía, es increíble.
April 15, 2025
Like a fine wine.
TL; DR: The violence, lore, and intrigue ramp up in the second book in the Wendy Darling trilogy, building on previous clues and characters and only promising more.
I still love this series and I think I forgot just how much better this book is than the first. I don’t know how she did it, but Oakes improved on everything in this one.
Characters: Everyone is deeper, more complex, and just all around better. Even the characters who show up for a moment or two show off some impressive dynamicism. It’s a joy and a pleasure to read.
Setting: *See last review* Neverland is a delight for all sorts of reasons, both good and bad, and the amount of places touched in this book is impressive. It’s so unbelievably dense while never feeling cumbersome to read.
Story: Heck yeah, it’s awesome
And it just keeps getting better. There was never the slowness or brief lulls that happened in the first book; this is rip-roaring from page 1. Let’s go.
Writing: *See the previous two sections* It’s easy to read, fun to read, and leaves you wanting more every time. I can’t ask for anything more.
I continue to be delighted with every page of these books, both at my reminiscence and the current reading session. I can’t wait to finish it.
4.9 🌟
TL; DR: The violence, lore, and intrigue ramp up in the second book in the Wendy Darling trilogy, building on previous clues and characters and only promising more.
I still love this series and I think I forgot just how much better this book is than the first. I don’t know how she did it, but Oakes improved on everything in this one.
Characters: Everyone is deeper, more complex, and just all around better. Even the characters who show up for a moment or two show off some impressive dynamicism. It’s a joy and a pleasure to read.
Setting: *See last review* Neverland is a delight for all sorts of reasons, both good and bad, and the amount of places touched in this book is impressive. It’s so unbelievably dense while never feeling cumbersome to read.
Story: Heck yeah, it’s awesome
And it just keeps getting better. There was never the slowness or brief lulls that happened in the first book; this is rip-roaring from page 1. Let’s go.
Writing: *See the previous two sections* It’s easy to read, fun to read, and leaves you wanting more every time. I can’t ask for anything more.
I continue to be delighted with every page of these books, both at my reminiscence and the current reading session. I can’t wait to finish it.
4.9 🌟
July 16, 2016
I was hesitant to request an ARC of Seas because honestly, I was unaware this series existed. I had not read volume one.. bad girl. Tsk tsk. But I was too intrigued not to. So I was pretty stoked when I received a copy and quickly downloaded this onto my Kindle and dove in. Fortunately, I felt that enough background was provided regarding previous events it seemed safe to proceed.
This was a truly fun and adventurous retelling, and my first involving Peter Pan (restraining from commenting further here). Nonstop action and rich story telling make this rendition feel like an entirely new story with familiar characters. Graphic at times, but hey.. it is pirates! The author is a fantastic narrator, giving great life to Neverland, placing the reader in the center of it all. Loved every minutes of this one!
Full review here.
This was a truly fun and adventurous retelling, and my first involving Peter Pan (restraining from commenting further here). Nonstop action and rich story telling make this rendition feel like an entirely new story with familiar characters. Graphic at times, but hey.. it is pirates! The author is a fantastic narrator, giving great life to Neverland, placing the reader in the center of it all. Loved every minutes of this one!
Full review here.
August 8, 2018
I don't remember much about the first book in this series, but I do know this one was just as dark and twisted. But in an interesting way.
The adventure continues as Wendy joins forces with Hook, who turns out to be not quite as bad as Peter has made him out to be. I really loved all the pirate parts, and Hook, and watching Wendy grow some more. She's such a wonderful character- tough, yet very ladylike. She's awesome.
We also get to see some new locations and learn some new information about Peter and Neverland. I thought it was interesting the way the author dealt with Peter and Wendy's relationship. It felt a lot like she was trying to talk about abusive relationships in a roundabout way. Also, her suspense and plot twists are incredible.
I could have done with less violence, gore, and talk of harlots, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was so hard to put down.
The adventure continues as Wendy joins forces with Hook, who turns out to be not quite as bad as Peter has made him out to be. I really loved all the pirate parts, and Hook, and watching Wendy grow some more. She's such a wonderful character- tough, yet very ladylike. She's awesome.
We also get to see some new locations and learn some new information about Peter and Neverland. I thought it was interesting the way the author dealt with Peter and Wendy's relationship. It felt a lot like she was trying to talk about abusive relationships in a roundabout way. Also, her suspense and plot twists are incredible.
I could have done with less violence, gore, and talk of harlots, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was so hard to put down.
April 12, 2024
Though Stars was definitely not the Peter Pan retelling of the year, a tiny part of me was still interested enough to pick up the sequel. I was really curious as to how the author would handle things, especially with the way the first volume ended. So we pick back up the story as Wendy and Michael are taken from the sea by the Sudden Night, and they discover the mighty ship, its terrifying crew and its fearsome captain, James Hook himself.
Sadly, beside that, the plot was actually non-existent until the few very last pages of the book. It just tells us of Wendy’s life on the pirate ship, as she’s accommodating with the crew and she tries to find a plan to fight off Peter Pan. And nothing happens. If you pick up the book to discover the pirate life, it could almost be fun, but I genuinely just wanted the plot to progress. It felt like this book could have been erased in its entirety, and there still wouldn’t be much of a gap to fill between the first and last book of the trilogy. Though it did make me want to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean again.
As a retelling, we’re going far from the territory Barrie covers. We do have some hints to the original, like Hook’s first mate Smith being nicknamed Smee by Michael. I will add that I was really pleasantly surprised at the way the Natives were incorporated in this book, especially how caring it was to respect the Native’s culture. We’re veering far from Barrie’s cultural appropriation, while still touching very subtly on the characters he crafted—I can only applaud the use of “Tiger Lily” as a nickname used by Hook to call his lover.
The worldbuilding is still absent, as 90% of the book is spent on Hook’s ship. We have a brief glimpse of the town located in Neverland, which looked like most pirate towns in movies, but still no exploration of the wildness of Neverland. This is genuinely frustrating for me.
Now let me talk about the absolute BEST part of this entire trilogy, which literally raised my rating of one whole star: Hook. He is incredibly well written. He’s so similar to the Hook we all know and love, and even more fearsome than he’s presented in the novel, yet there’s a deep humanity in him. It’s impossible not to fall in love with him. He isn’t introduced as a character that was just wrongly perceived this entire time because of a tragic backstory: he IS a pirate, and he has a lot of flaws. But to see him moved by Wendy’s strength of will, to the point he wants to finally change Neverland for the better, it was absolutely perfect.
The relationship that Hook and Wendy shared completely won my heart. They share a bond that is written in Barrie’s novel and hinted at in every stage or movie representation, yet never explored in any retelling I read: Wendy seeing a father figure in Hook. It was captivating to see the wise and nice girl slowly starting to like the fearsome pirate. Their relationship evolves very subtly, yet by the end I was crying from how deep these two cared about each other.
Wendy is very similar to the girl we met in the first book throughout most of the novel. But by the end, thanks to Hook’s influence, she starts blooming in the girl I was hoping to meet since the beginning. She won’t back down from anything, until she gets to go home with her two brothers, and it really showed in these very last scenes. I hope she keeps that vibe in the last book, and it isn’t ruined by the cliffhanger that Seas ended with.
This book still wasn’t the best retelling I’ve ever read, but I’m glad it brought elements from the original work that I rarely see in other retellings. I’m a bit scared to read the last volume, because I’m not sure I’ll like it as much, but I’m still invested enough to pick it up right away.
Wendy Darling lifted her arms above her and crowed, her body rocking wildly on the edge of the crow’s nest, feeling like she was flying over the chaos below, the line between life and death dangerously close.
Free.
She saw Hook look up at her with a devilish smile. He then lifted his head and crowed as well, facing the waves with a determined stare as water washed over him. The Sudden Night heaved her breast forward once again, and Wendy and Captain James Hook continued crowing at the waves, feeling a joy that not even the Shadow could take from them.
Sadly, beside that, the plot was actually non-existent until the few very last pages of the book. It just tells us of Wendy’s life on the pirate ship, as she’s accommodating with the crew and she tries to find a plan to fight off Peter Pan. And nothing happens. If you pick up the book to discover the pirate life, it could almost be fun, but I genuinely just wanted the plot to progress. It felt like this book could have been erased in its entirety, and there still wouldn’t be much of a gap to fill between the first and last book of the trilogy. Though it did make me want to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean again.
As a retelling, we’re going far from the territory Barrie covers. We do have some hints to the original, like Hook’s first mate Smith being nicknamed Smee by Michael. I will add that I was really pleasantly surprised at the way the Natives were incorporated in this book, especially how caring it was to respect the Native’s culture. We’re veering far from Barrie’s cultural appropriation, while still touching very subtly on the characters he crafted—I can only applaud the use of “Tiger Lily” as a nickname used by Hook to call his lover.
She reached out and wrapped her hands around the wheel, surprised at how cool and wet the wood was, and how her palms fell so naturally around the handles. Her dress brushed the spindle, and Wendy looked at the sky. She heard the cries of seagulls overhead, and her nostrils filled with the smell of the salty sea. The blood in the water was now the same blood that ran through her veins, and it pulled to her. This once foreign danger was now something she returned to, and her hands instinctively turned the wheel as she watched the bowsprit crash through the waves.
The worldbuilding is still absent, as 90% of the book is spent on Hook’s ship. We have a brief glimpse of the town located in Neverland, which looked like most pirate towns in movies, but still no exploration of the wildness of Neverland. This is genuinely frustrating for me.
Now let me talk about the absolute BEST part of this entire trilogy, which literally raised my rating of one whole star: Hook. He is incredibly well written. He’s so similar to the Hook we all know and love, and even more fearsome than he’s presented in the novel, yet there’s a deep humanity in him. It’s impossible not to fall in love with him. He isn’t introduced as a character that was just wrongly perceived this entire time because of a tragic backstory: he IS a pirate, and he has a lot of flaws. But to see him moved by Wendy’s strength of will, to the point he wants to finally change Neverland for the better, it was absolutely perfect.
“If Lomasi and I ever allowed ourselves to have children, in my wildest dreams, I would hope that I would have a daughter as brave as you are.” Wendy felt her eyes fill with tears. She missed her father.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “And you…” she paused, finding the words on her tongue, “you are a good man who has done some very bad things. Perhaps try to do better this time around.”
The relationship that Hook and Wendy shared completely won my heart. They share a bond that is written in Barrie’s novel and hinted at in every stage or movie representation, yet never explored in any retelling I read: Wendy seeing a father figure in Hook. It was captivating to see the wise and nice girl slowly starting to like the fearsome pirate. Their relationship evolves very subtly, yet by the end I was crying from how deep these two cared about each other.
Wendy is very similar to the girl we met in the first book throughout most of the novel. But by the end, thanks to Hook’s influence, she starts blooming in the girl I was hoping to meet since the beginning. She won’t back down from anything, until she gets to go home with her two brothers, and it really showed in these very last scenes. I hope she keeps that vibe in the last book, and it isn’t ruined by the cliffhanger that Seas ended with.
What else was this all for though? If she could never return home, what was the point? To stay here, perpetually in fear for her life from Peter, from the mermaids, from rapist pirate lords? She paused. No. That was not an option, and so the only way out of this place was to fight. To fight for her family, for her brothers, for her future with the bookseller’s son.
Some men had armor. She had a blue dress.
This book still wasn’t the best retelling I’ve ever read, but I’m glad it brought elements from the original work that I rarely see in other retellings. I’m a bit scared to read the last volume, because I’m not sure I’ll like it as much, but I’m still invested enough to pick it up right away.
December 25, 2019
Normally I have a very strict rule when it comes to binge reading. I just don't do it. I don't wanna risk not being able to get into another book. But, for this trilogy I made an exception. I read the first book last Thursday and I picked up the second book yesterday, which means I will be able to finish the trilogy before the end of the year.
And damn, it was so incredibly worth it to loosen up on this rule! I'm a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, but not even Queen of Hearts got to me like this book does. This book, those two books, touched something in me, spoke to me, reached me. I was crying over the last pages of the book, I was holding my breath while the story unfolded and when I closed the book I all of a sudden felt a deafening silence all around me. As if the book had consumed me and I needed time to get back to the real world.
It's hard to pinpoint what exactly works, why this book had this effect on me. But, it for starters has surely partly to the do with the writing style. It's flowery, rich with descriptions and therefore it makes me see the world so vividly. I'm absolutely not someone who sees books like movies, but with these books, with Colleen Oakes, it works. I can almost smell and see the wonderful places in Neverland.
It also has to do with the characters and how Oakes twists them and makes them all interesting and layered. In this book we got to know Hook, Smith and the rest of the crew aboard his ship. We get to hear his side of the story and we get to see his motivation for doing what he's doing. And where these books made me hate Peter Pan (and I already don't have that much love for that guy), they also made me fall a little bit in love with Hook.
And now all pieces are on the chessboard. Peter Pan made his final move before the big war will start. I can't wait to see how it will all play out. I will make sure to take a very deep breath before reading though, because I'm fairly certain the last part of this story will swallow me whole and I'm so ready for it!
And damn, it was so incredibly worth it to loosen up on this rule! I'm a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, but not even Queen of Hearts got to me like this book does. This book, those two books, touched something in me, spoke to me, reached me. I was crying over the last pages of the book, I was holding my breath while the story unfolded and when I closed the book I all of a sudden felt a deafening silence all around me. As if the book had consumed me and I needed time to get back to the real world.
It's hard to pinpoint what exactly works, why this book had this effect on me. But, it for starters has surely partly to the do with the writing style. It's flowery, rich with descriptions and therefore it makes me see the world so vividly. I'm absolutely not someone who sees books like movies, but with these books, with Colleen Oakes, it works. I can almost smell and see the wonderful places in Neverland.
It also has to do with the characters and how Oakes twists them and makes them all interesting and layered. In this book we got to know Hook, Smith and the rest of the crew aboard his ship. We get to hear his side of the story and we get to see his motivation for doing what he's doing. And where these books made me hate Peter Pan (and I already don't have that much love for that guy), they also made me fall a little bit in love with Hook.
And now all pieces are on the chessboard. Peter Pan made his final move before the big war will start. I can't wait to see how it will all play out. I will make sure to take a very deep breath before reading though, because I'm fairly certain the last part of this story will swallow me whole and I'm so ready for it!
February 14, 2019
¡No sé ni cómo comenzar a hablar de este libro!
Las reseñas que había leído de él eran (en su mayoría) muy negativas, por lo que tenía un poco de miedo que esta nueva entrega me arruinara lo que me había gustado de su predecesor, y que hasta me orillara a ya no querer continuar con la saga... ¡Pero no!
Aunque es cierto que , eso no me arruinó la experiencia de leer las vidas de Wendy y Michael en el barco de Garfio.
Y por más que esta sea una novela para un público juvenil, no se muerde la lengua al momento de narrar algunos de los momentos más crudos de la vida de los piratas. La manera ruda (y hasta desagradable) en que ellos se comportan, el papel de las prostitutas en sus vidas y las siempre presentes amenazas de robos, asesinatos y violaciones harán pasar momentos muy incómodos y duros a la protagonista y a los lectores. Pero todo es para bien.
Wendy se está convirtiendo en una de las heroínas más completas que he leído recientemente, y puede que hasta se corone como la mejor de mis lecturas de 2018-2019.
¡Me muero por leer el final de la historia! ♡
Las reseñas que había leído de él eran (en su mayoría) muy negativas, por lo que tenía un poco de miedo que esta nueva entrega me arruinara lo que me había gustado de su predecesor, y que hasta me orillara a ya no querer continuar con la saga... ¡Pero no!
Aunque es cierto que , eso no me arruinó la experiencia de leer las vidas de Wendy y Michael en el barco de Garfio.
Y por más que esta sea una novela para un público juvenil, no se muerde la lengua al momento de narrar algunos de los momentos más crudos de la vida de los piratas. La manera ruda (y hasta desagradable) en que ellos se comportan, el papel de las prostitutas en sus vidas y las siempre presentes amenazas de robos, asesinatos y violaciones harán pasar momentos muy incómodos y duros a la protagonista y a los lectores. Pero todo es para bien.
Wendy se está convirtiendo en una de las heroínas más completas que he leído recientemente, y puede que hasta se corone como la mejor de mis lecturas de 2018-2019.
¡Me muero por leer el final de la historia! ♡
February 27, 2022
Okay, here are my thoughts:
This one moved much slower than the first one, that's for sure, but it doesn't mean it wasn't good. I loved the character development that Wendy showed in this book, becoming much braver and less...well girly. Not that there is anything wrong with being girly, but that hasn't exactly acted in her favor in the first book. Captain Hook was amazing in this book, Michel grows to become even more adorable and brave, and I always liked Oxley, but even though he's barely in this book, I love him even more. Peter Pan seemed much darker and twisted in this book, which I honestly really loved, as much as I hated him, I was always excited about the chapters he was in because I loved that unsettling chill it sent through me.
The book moved the pace it did because this whole book was setting up the finale, and the cliffhanger...😱.
This was a really good book and I'm dying to read the finale!
This one moved much slower than the first one, that's for sure, but it doesn't mean it wasn't good. I loved the character development that Wendy showed in this book, becoming much braver and less...well girly. Not that there is anything wrong with being girly, but that hasn't exactly acted in her favor in the first book. Captain Hook was amazing in this book, Michel grows to become even more adorable and brave, and I always liked Oxley, but even though he's barely in this book, I love him even more. Peter Pan seemed much darker and twisted in this book, which I honestly really loved, as much as I hated him, I was always excited about the chapters he was in because I loved that unsettling chill it sent through me.
The book moved the pace it did because this whole book was setting up the finale, and the cliffhanger...😱.
This was a really good book and I'm dying to read the finale!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews