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The Lost Boys #1
Lost Boys
No Rules.
No Adults.
No Way Out.
Welcome to the Darkwoods.
Deep in a mystical wood, four clans of boys live in treehouses, their story lost in time and their pasts buried with it. The forest is split by a crocodile-infested river, overgrown with giant trees and woven with dark secrets.
Leonardo is a member of Raven Clan, the boldest and fiercest of the four clans, led by his ruthless older brother Aleksander. When clan hostilities begin to build, Aleksander gives Leonardo his own patrol and sends him on the river to defend Raven Clan’s territory. Leonardo quickly learns that nothing is as it seems, and a series of inexplicable events—including a mysterious Native girl who shows up on the riverbank, calling Leonardo and his friends ‘Lost Boys’—leads him to question everything he’s ever known about the woods he calls home.
As the clan hostilities erupt into a fully-fledged war, Leonardo is forced to make a choice that will determine the very fate of Raven Clan and everyone he cares about.
No Adults.
No Way Out.
Welcome to the Darkwoods.
Deep in a mystical wood, four clans of boys live in treehouses, their story lost in time and their pasts buried with it. The forest is split by a crocodile-infested river, overgrown with giant trees and woven with dark secrets.
Leonardo is a member of Raven Clan, the boldest and fiercest of the four clans, led by his ruthless older brother Aleksander. When clan hostilities begin to build, Aleksander gives Leonardo his own patrol and sends him on the river to defend Raven Clan’s territory. Leonardo quickly learns that nothing is as it seems, and a series of inexplicable events—including a mysterious Native girl who shows up on the riverbank, calling Leonardo and his friends ‘Lost Boys’—leads him to question everything he’s ever known about the woods he calls home.
As the clan hostilities erupt into a fully-fledged war, Leonardo is forced to make a choice that will determine the very fate of Raven Clan and everyone he cares about.
- GenresRetellings
407 pages, Paperback
Published May 11, 2019
5 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
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October 26, 2023May 5, 2019: DNF’d at page 120. I couldn’t bring myself to care about anything that was happening. It was very 2-D and boring. Not my cup of tea.
I really tried with this book. I really did. However, I just was not enjoying it at all. I DNF'd it around 120 pages in, but absolutely nothing happened in it. I was just really bored. I really love my fantasy novels to be action driven and this just wasn't. I was bored with the characters, I didn't care about the actual conflict (was there a conflict) and rereading the synopsis to see what would happen just wasn't compelling me to finish this book. I know that I accepted this review request, but I was really bored and it wasn't happening.
I really tried with this book. I really did. However, I just was not enjoying it at all. I DNF'd it around 120 pages in, but absolutely nothing happened in it. I was just really bored. I really love my fantasy novels to be action driven and this just wasn't. I was bored with the characters, I didn't care about the actual conflict (was there a conflict) and rereading the synopsis to see what would happen just wasn't compelling me to finish this book. I know that I accepted this review request, but I was really bored and it wasn't happening.
October 21, 2019
An interesting premise. A world of adventure and conflict in a dark epic fantasy novel. Very much enjoyed the wordbuilding and character development. Would recommend it to YA and NA readers with an appetite for survival stories with a strong sense of brotherhood.
February 4, 2019
+Received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Riley!
THE WORLD: We are in a dream-like setting, a fantasy world, Neverland? In this version of Neverland Lost Boys appear out of nowhere. When they get there they don't remember anything about their lives, not even their names so the group of boys who found them must name them. Now, because there are so many boys scattered around they form clans. For example, we have the Fox Clan, the Hawk Clan, the Raven Clan, etc. They all live around a wooden area called The Darkwoods and each group has to defend their territory because they're constantly attacking each other.
Oh, and the boys all age at different rhythms... some boys go from kids to teens in months while others take years. However, once they have reached their late teens they all disappear and are never seen again.
CHARACTERS: The main character is a teen boy called Leonardo who is thought to be the Raven Clan's leader, Aleksander, little brother because of their resemblance. However, they don't remember who they were so it's only a speculation. Aleksander is a very intimidating, war-driven leader according to the boys but definitely knows what he's doing and how to get supplies to defend their territory. Because Aleksander is already in his late teens and it's about to disappear there's tension in the clan about who is going to be the next leader. In the clan we also have Leo's best friends, Pinch and Moth, who are very loyal to him. The clan lives in the Darkwoods where Natives live as well. Natives are there to take care of the balance of the woods... to control the Lost Boys.
ROMANCE: Not much romance. Only a little bit towards the end but it's nothing too big.
GOOD: I enjoyed the plot a lot. At first it looks like clan wars and internal politics are going to be what the book is about but there's a bit of a twist and things change *wink wink*
I thought the world building was very interesting, definitely a darker version of Peter Pan's Neverland, which gave the whole book more depth. At first I thought Peter Pan was actually going to be mentioned at some point but NOPE! The book has nothing to do with Peter Pan and I'm not complaining. The Lost Boys deserve the spotlight too.
BAD: My only "bad" critique would be that the introduction to the world was a bit confusing at first since the reader is just thrown into Leonardo's thoughts and the Eagles' politics. Nonetheless, I got used to it quickly and everything gets explained to a certain degree later on. Just enough to get you going but not enough for you to lose interest in the plot.
OVERALL: 4 stars. An enjoyable book with a darker approach to Neverland while maintaining the spirit of the original. Recommended read!
—P.S. I Love That Book!
THE WORLD: We are in a dream-like setting, a fantasy world, Neverland? In this version of Neverland Lost Boys appear out of nowhere. When they get there they don't remember anything about their lives, not even their names so the group of boys who found them must name them. Now, because there are so many boys scattered around they form clans. For example, we have the Fox Clan, the Hawk Clan, the Raven Clan, etc. They all live around a wooden area called The Darkwoods and each group has to defend their territory because they're constantly attacking each other.
Oh, and the boys all age at different rhythms... some boys go from kids to teens in months while others take years. However, once they have reached their late teens they all disappear and are never seen again.
CHARACTERS: The main character is a teen boy called Leonardo who is thought to be the Raven Clan's leader, Aleksander, little brother because of their resemblance. However, they don't remember who they were so it's only a speculation. Aleksander is a very intimidating, war-driven leader according to the boys but definitely knows what he's doing and how to get supplies to defend their territory. Because Aleksander is already in his late teens and it's about to disappear there's tension in the clan about who is going to be the next leader. In the clan we also have Leo's best friends, Pinch and Moth, who are very loyal to him. The clan lives in the Darkwoods where Natives live as well. Natives are there to take care of the balance of the woods... to control the Lost Boys.
ROMANCE: Not much romance. Only a little bit towards the end but it's nothing too big.
GOOD: I enjoyed the plot a lot. At first it looks like clan wars and internal politics are going to be what the book is about but there's a bit of a twist and things change *wink wink*
I thought the world building was very interesting, definitely a darker version of Peter Pan's Neverland, which gave the whole book more depth. At first I thought Peter Pan was actually going to be mentioned at some point but NOPE! The book has nothing to do with Peter Pan and I'm not complaining. The Lost Boys deserve the spotlight too.
BAD: My only "bad" critique would be that the introduction to the world was a bit confusing at first since the reader is just thrown into Leonardo's thoughts and the Eagles' politics. Nonetheless, I got used to it quickly and everything gets explained to a certain degree later on. Just enough to get you going but not enough for you to lose interest in the plot.
OVERALL: 4 stars. An enjoyable book with a darker approach to Neverland while maintaining the spirit of the original. Recommended read!
—P.S. I Love That Book!
March 4, 2020
I've had quite a while to mull over my thoughts on this book, as it's been a solid month since I finished it. The problem with this book is mainly the pacing; it was incredibly slow and too drawn out for the first third to half of the book, the middle was relatively well paced, and then the last third of the book was way too short with an awkward ending. It is definitely clear that this is meant to be the first of a series, but I'm not entirely sure whether the author will continue writing the story. I'm rather interested in what happens with these characters and how the story wraps up, but the pacing was truly a struggle in this book. If you're looking for a Peter Pan retelling (where there isn't really a Peter Pan but just Lost Boys), you should check this one out; otherwise, it's a very "clan" based book and is heavily "political" in that fictional sense. It kind of gave me Warrior Cat vibes, so... if that's your thing, go for it. As you can tell, I have mixed feelings on this book. Again, I am genuinely invested in the characters (I spent 400 pages with them, people), but I would really love to see this author grow in his skills with pacing and storytelling in general. If I see the sequel come out, I'll probably pick it up eventually.
July 31, 2020
Wow. Just Wow! A very impressive debut! I have a lot to talk about with this book!
Cover
The cover along is fascinating and a amazing. I can't get over how crisp and how many layers this cover has.
The cover actually translates differently from paperback to digital in a way I've never seen before.
(Paperback) Up close the boys face and shirt actually have visible features you can't see from a distance. For how dark the cover is I can't get over the detail and dimension you can see. It should look muddy and unreadable but it's crisp. Also noting that the back cover full cover image makes the image even cooler to look at.
(Digital) I didn't notice until looking at the cover on the computer how that there were was a sun glare on the cover accenting the character. This detail really complements the image while a lot of the details get small details get lost in thumbnail art.
Over all this is one of my favorite book covers because of because of this duo translation.
Interior
Where do I start with this book?
The banter is probably the best I've ever read and is the star of the show. It's feels so natural and playful I couldn't help smile every single time Moth and Pinch took the stage. Aleksander's character in this book is amazing. Probably one of my favorite characters this year. How he planned ten steps ahead and how subtle it's in this book is brilliant.
There is a lot of world building and the story has this slow burn but to how is works which I can really appreciate. While it hits you with a lot of characters and names which by the end I was able to figure out who was who and most of the personalities really started to set in. I did struggle with which character is which but overall that didn't matter too much you do figure it out as the book continues.
I actually didn't see it as a Neverland interpretation until the last ten chapters. To a degree I get the addition of the Sirens, and fairies and it fits the direction of the core mystery to the book but to another degree i felt like I was somewhat pulled out of this natural world the book built.
This new romance is really cute and I don't mind it and the petty eye-roll drama is thankfully pushed to the side for actual problems and action and what drama with Moth was dealt in mature way and was a lot better than I expected.
I also noticed the course language increased as the book progresses. Not a critique but a little detail I noticed.
Final thought
When a book answers questions I make when I'm reading it, I find it's pretty good. When a book can completely shut off my ability to be critical while reading then I can't really ignore giving it five stars.
Cover
The cover along is fascinating and a amazing. I can't get over how crisp and how many layers this cover has.
The cover actually translates differently from paperback to digital in a way I've never seen before.
(Paperback) Up close the boys face and shirt actually have visible features you can't see from a distance. For how dark the cover is I can't get over the detail and dimension you can see. It should look muddy and unreadable but it's crisp. Also noting that the back cover full cover image makes the image even cooler to look at.
(Digital) I didn't notice until looking at the cover on the computer how that there were was a sun glare on the cover accenting the character. This detail really complements the image while a lot of the details get small details get lost in thumbnail art.
Over all this is one of my favorite book covers because of because of this duo translation.
Interior
Where do I start with this book?
The banter is probably the best I've ever read and is the star of the show. It's feels so natural and playful I couldn't help smile every single time Moth and Pinch took the stage. Aleksander's character in this book is amazing. Probably one of my favorite characters this year. How he planned ten steps ahead and how subtle it's in this book is brilliant.
There is a lot of world building and the story has this slow burn but to how is works which I can really appreciate. While it hits you with a lot of characters and names which by the end I was able to figure out who was who and most of the personalities really started to set in. I did struggle with which character is which but overall that didn't matter too much you do figure it out as the book continues.
I actually didn't see it as a Neverland interpretation until the last ten chapters. To a degree I get the addition of the Sirens, and fairies and it fits the direction of the core mystery to the book but to another degree i felt like I was somewhat pulled out of this natural world the book built.
This new romance is really cute and I don't mind it and the petty eye-roll drama is thankfully pushed to the side for actual problems and action and what drama with Moth was dealt in mature way and was a lot better than I expected.
I also noticed the course language increased as the book progresses. Not a critique but a little detail I noticed.
Final thought
When a book answers questions I make when I'm reading it, I find it's pretty good. When a book can completely shut off my ability to be critical while reading then I can't really ignore giving it five stars.
March 20, 2019
I was given an ARC in e-book form in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Riley!
The world-building in this story was wonderful, and I enjoyed the quality of the writing. I thought things were well-paced, and the action picked up so nicely in the last 100 pages or so that made it difficult to put down. There were a lot of characters in this book, which made it hard to keep track at times, but the personalities of the boys shone through, and I enjoyed the main character, Leonardo.
The title immediately made me think of Peter Pan's Lost Boys, but there was no actual reference made to the original story. Elements of it made me think we probably were in Neverland, and I'm looking forward to finding out more in the next book!
The world-building in this story was wonderful, and I enjoyed the quality of the writing. I thought things were well-paced, and the action picked up so nicely in the last 100 pages or so that made it difficult to put down. There were a lot of characters in this book, which made it hard to keep track at times, but the personalities of the boys shone through, and I enjoyed the main character, Leonardo.
The title immediately made me think of Peter Pan's Lost Boys, but there was no actual reference made to the original story. Elements of it made me think we probably were in Neverland, and I'm looking forward to finding out more in the next book!
March 29, 2019
Wow! Just wow!!! I haven’t read a book this amazing in forever! I picked it up and couldn’t stop reading. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what the next adventure was going to be! Each character was amazingly written, each individually toying with exquisite emotions and working their way to your heart, making you love some and detest others. I became so immersed in the book that it felt like I was really there with the rest of the Lost Boys in the Darkwoods. Definitely worth the read and one of my new favourites!
November 30, 2020
I have minor questions when I was reading this that I might've missed. Like, how are the clans fighting for years but the exploration stopped with Alexsander? Usually that's the fighting is caused over. It makes no sense why the clans would be fighting unless they have beef with one another. Which, was never really explained other than "they just had too."
Other than that, it's a pretty good story. More of an adventurer plot rather than a novel with a real end, but it's a good set up for the next book in the trilogy.
Overall, it was enjoyable and easy to read.
Other than that, it's a pretty good story. More of an adventurer plot rather than a novel with a real end, but it's a good set up for the next book in the trilogy.
Overall, it was enjoyable and easy to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2020
This is great! Found the first few chapter took a bit of focus to try and get a sense of the characters but by chapter 5 I was completely hooked and could hardly put it down. What I loved most about the book is I couldn’t seem to predict the next big thing and that’s what made it so great! I was at the edge of my seat and already a 1/4 of the way through the next book in the trilogy!
April 27, 2019
Fantastic book. Incredibly well written! Extremely captivating, could not put it down!
June 11, 2019
This was so good! Maybe the best debut novel I’ve ever read! Great job Riley Quinn!!
November 7, 2019
I find this book really very immersive, engaging, well written. I'm reading it with interest and recommend it to lovers of the genre.
June 20, 2020
Well written, great character and setting development. Enjoyed the rising action and am currently reading novel 2 of the trilogy.
June 5, 2021
Just didn’t like it. Not my style.
June 16, 2021
I really didn’t think I would like this book a lot. It was kinda slow at the beginning but it really picked up and created an amazing world.
August 30, 2021
Absolutely adored this retelling. The writing and world building is fantastic and I cannot wait to continue the adventure!!
October 26, 2022
I bought this book for a reason. It has literally nothing to do with the story, the cover, the genre. I really didn’t entirely care…. I bought this book, eagerly, because Riley Quinn grew up about fifteen minutes away from where I grew up and we attended rival high schools (albeit, not in the same decade) and I wanted to support a local author.
When he told me what the premise of the novel was, because I bought it from him in person, I was certainly intrigued: a novel combining Peter Pan and The Maze Runner is one I’m keen to read. At my age YA is less appealing than it once was, but I do still dip my toes in that pool occasionally when I need a palate cleanser.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and I’m picking up the second part of the trilogy tomorrow. That being said, if I read the word “halfwit” one more time I am going to scream. I think this is a great first novel. I like the story enough to read all three books; I’m eager to unravel the mystery, but it does carry a fairly juvenile air to it that was inescapable. In the opening to the novel the characters Moth and Pinch are arguing like, well, grade schoolers. They’re kids, that is established in the beginning of the novel; they’re various ages from 8 to …. 16? We don’t really know because time passes in drips and drops in the Darkwoods. This made most of the characters exceptionally annoying.
I also felt that there was inconsistency in the flow of the novel. Mounting urgency tended to be cut abruptly and the pace slackened only for the issue to almost immediately be readdressed. (Leonardo questioning Viola, agreeing not to press her anymore and then in the next paragraph, asking a follow up question to the issue he had just agreed to drop….)
Most of the novel was fairly slow although the first encounter with sirens had me 😳🫣 for ten pages.
At the end of the day, this is a debut novel from a young local novelist and I’m keen to see where things go in The Cove and I expect to see some really great storytelling from Riley in the future.
When he told me what the premise of the novel was, because I bought it from him in person, I was certainly intrigued: a novel combining Peter Pan and The Maze Runner is one I’m keen to read. At my age YA is less appealing than it once was, but I do still dip my toes in that pool occasionally when I need a palate cleanser.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and I’m picking up the second part of the trilogy tomorrow. That being said, if I read the word “halfwit” one more time I am going to scream. I think this is a great first novel. I like the story enough to read all three books; I’m eager to unravel the mystery, but it does carry a fairly juvenile air to it that was inescapable. In the opening to the novel the characters Moth and Pinch are arguing like, well, grade schoolers. They’re kids, that is established in the beginning of the novel; they’re various ages from 8 to …. 16? We don’t really know because time passes in drips and drops in the Darkwoods. This made most of the characters exceptionally annoying.
I also felt that there was inconsistency in the flow of the novel. Mounting urgency tended to be cut abruptly and the pace slackened only for the issue to almost immediately be readdressed. (Leonardo questioning Viola, agreeing not to press her anymore and then in the next paragraph, asking a follow up question to the issue he had just agreed to drop….)
Most of the novel was fairly slow although the first encounter with sirens had me 😳🫣 for ten pages.
At the end of the day, this is a debut novel from a young local novelist and I’m keen to see where things go in The Cove and I expect to see some really great storytelling from Riley in the future.
September 5, 2024
After having read this book (and this series) many MANY times over the years, I can safely say this is among my favorite books of all time. I can't really give a proper review (that would be useful or unbiased) after all this time.
It clicked with me in a very specific way. Sometimes I'll just think about this world or its characters for no reason at all. Maybe because I love Peter Pan and this is very (obviously) inspired by it in a unique way?
I may have my gripes with a lack of proper/full arcs and find the last book underwhelming, but it hasn't hurt how much I love this book and this series.
Thanks for making my favorite comfort series. I will continue to reread and adore this world until the pages wear. :)
It clicked with me in a very specific way. Sometimes I'll just think about this world or its characters for no reason at all. Maybe because I love Peter Pan and this is very (obviously) inspired by it in a unique way?
I may have my gripes with a lack of proper/full arcs and find the last book underwhelming, but it hasn't hurt how much I love this book and this series.
Thanks for making my favorite comfort series. I will continue to reread and adore this world until the pages wear. :)
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