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Sisters of the Neversea: A Muscogee Creek Retelling of Peter Pan – A Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure for Children
In this modern take of the popular classic Peter Pan, award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek) brilliantly shifts the focus from the boy who won’t grow up to Native American Lily and English Wendy—stepsisters who must face both dangers and wonders to find their way back to the family they love.
Stepsisters Lily and Wendy embark on a high-flying journey of magic, adventure, and courage—to a fairy-tale island known as Neverland.
Lily and Wendy have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of their family—and their friendship?
Little do they know that a mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their window. A boy who intends to take them away from home for good, to an island of wild animals, Merfolk, Fairies, and kidnapped children.
A boy who calls himself Peter Pan.
Stepsisters Lily and Wendy embark on a high-flying journey of magic, adventure, and courage—to a fairy-tale island known as Neverland.
Lily and Wendy have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of their family—and their friendship?
Little do they know that a mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their window. A boy who intends to take them away from home for good, to an island of wild animals, Merfolk, Fairies, and kidnapped children.
A boy who calls himself Peter Pan.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2021
53 people are currently reading
4074 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Leitich Smith
39 books1,287 followersCynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. Cynthia has also been named to deliver the 2026 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
July 8, 2021
A fresh look at Peter Pan in a tale that honors the Barrie original without glossing over its flaws. This sweet and exciting novel puts family, community, and kindness first. A great read!
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June 6, 2021This was an incredible take on the classic text. It dives joyfully into many of the wonderful things about the original story and also throws in heavy but not heavyHANDED criticism, not just on the racism, but on Peter Pan being a little shithead. Such a delight.
October 8, 2021
If you love retellings, then you'll love Sisters of the Neversea - an indigenous retelling of Peter Pan that centers on step-sisters Wendy and Lily. This book is so much fun and so wondrous; I adored it.
- Follows English Wendy and Native-American Lily, step-sisters whose parents are on the verge of divorce, who are whisked off to Neverland by the mischievous and mysterious Peter Pan.
- I LOVED the angle that this retelling took. It captures the wonder and adventure of Peter Pan, but also explores and critiques the colonial undertones, misogyny, and racist depictions of Native-Americans inherent in the original story.
- I also really enjoyed how this story gives the fairy, Belle, more autonomy and more of a character. She isn't just infatuated with Peter - she has depth! I also liked how the story explores Peter's character too; it lays his faults and issues plainly, but also manages to make you... empathise with him?
- The storytelling in this was wonderful; it breaks the fourth-wall often and I just loved how it makes you feel like you, the reader, are in on what's going on with the narrator.
- This was such a wondrous adventure, one that is full of surprises and familiarity.
Content warning: mentions of death, mild violence
- Follows English Wendy and Native-American Lily, step-sisters whose parents are on the verge of divorce, who are whisked off to Neverland by the mischievous and mysterious Peter Pan.
- I LOVED the angle that this retelling took. It captures the wonder and adventure of Peter Pan, but also explores and critiques the colonial undertones, misogyny, and racist depictions of Native-Americans inherent in the original story.
- I also really enjoyed how this story gives the fairy, Belle, more autonomy and more of a character. She isn't just infatuated with Peter - she has depth! I also liked how the story explores Peter's character too; it lays his faults and issues plainly, but also manages to make you... empathise with him?
- The storytelling in this was wonderful; it breaks the fourth-wall often and I just loved how it makes you feel like you, the reader, are in on what's going on with the narrator.
- This was such a wondrous adventure, one that is full of surprises and familiarity.
Content warning: mentions of death, mild violence
Want to read
October 7, 2020Saw this on the Instagram page for We Need Diverse Books and DANG!!
A retelling of Peter Pan, told from an Indigenous perspective (finally)????
I'm marking June 1 2021 on my calendar. I cannot wait to read this.
A retelling of Peter Pan, told from an Indigenous perspective (finally)????
I'm marking June 1 2021 on my calendar. I cannot wait to read this.
September 27, 2021
4.5 stars.
Cynthia Leitich Smith has created a terrific book that is both a fun adventure story, as well as a look at a family considering splitting up, while also taking a hard look at so many of the terrible aspects of Peter Pan, such as the narcissistic, psychopathic Peter, the misogyny (ugh! those fawning mermaids!), and the sickening portrayal of the indigenous in Neverland.
Leitich Smith creates two step sisters, Lily and Wendy: Lily, her mother and two brothers are members of the Muscogee Creek Nation, while Wendy and her dad hail from London. They're visited one night by Bell, a fairy, and a boy who can fly, Peter. Wendy and Michael take off with the pair, while Lily, after some psyching up (she is terrified of flying), follows to rescue them.
Unfortunately, the trio are separated, with Wendy and Michael ending up with the Lost Boys, and Lily landing amongst a bunch of indigenous kids.
Leitich Smith shows us just how terrible Peter is and where some of this comes from, but doesn't excuse it. We see the harmful effects Peter's manipulations and mercurial personality have had on all the kids kidnapped then stranded on the island. We also get to find out why there were Indigenous on Neverland originally, how the current indigenous kids are coping, and why there are no adults on the island. Let's just say that Peter is a terrible, terrible person.
Anyway, I loved this, and the only reason I took off half a star is because I think the author allowed Peter to begin his redemption a little too quickly, and considering he's been a monster for 50-100 years, he should need at least that to become less of one.
And, Lily is the best.
Cynthia Leitich Smith has created a terrific book that is both a fun adventure story, as well as a look at a family considering splitting up, while also taking a hard look at so many of the terrible aspects of Peter Pan, such as the narcissistic, psychopathic Peter, the misogyny (ugh! those fawning mermaids!), and the sickening portrayal of the indigenous in Neverland.
Leitich Smith creates two step sisters, Lily and Wendy: Lily, her mother and two brothers are members of the Muscogee Creek Nation, while Wendy and her dad hail from London. They're visited one night by Bell, a fairy, and a boy who can fly, Peter. Wendy and Michael take off with the pair, while Lily, after some psyching up (she is terrified of flying), follows to rescue them.
Unfortunately, the trio are separated, with Wendy and Michael ending up with the Lost Boys, and Lily landing amongst a bunch of indigenous kids.
Leitich Smith shows us just how terrible Peter is and where some of this comes from, but doesn't excuse it. We see the harmful effects Peter's manipulations and mercurial personality have had on all the kids kidnapped then stranded on the island. We also get to find out why there were Indigenous on Neverland originally, how the current indigenous kids are coping, and why there are no adults on the island. Let's just say that Peter is a terrible, terrible person.
Anyway, I loved this, and the only reason I took off half a star is because I think the author allowed Peter to begin his redemption a little too quickly, and considering he's been a monster for 50-100 years, he should need at least that to become less of one.
And, Lily is the best.
June 14, 2021
(#gifted @harperkids/@theshelfstuff #HeartDrum)
For years and years, there have been retelling of Peter Pan and in theatre I’ve seen debates about how a Peter Pan adaptation can respectfully represent Native characters. And generally the answer is you can’t do it. You can’t stick close to the original storyline and do justice to Indigenous people, and you can’t just get ride of the Native characters (a form of erasure).
What Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek Nation) has done is created is much more than a retelling, she’s written a new story that stands on its own. Of course the answer was to have an Indigenous person re-write the story and reclaim the narrative. I loved the two sisters who are grappling with a shift in their family structure and trying to figure out how it will change their relationship. There was a great representation in all of the Neverland characters from the Lost, the Native kids, and pirates. I appreciated the characterization of Peter Pan as the source of everyone’s problems, which is a shift I’ve seen in a couple other retelling... and honestly the only way it makes sense to me now. In terms of the writing style, I really enjoyed the use of third person narration for the book. It felt very much like we were being told a story, and the storytellers were the stars.
I 1000% recommend this book to adult and middle grade readers alike. And if you are a middle school librarian get this for your library ASAP, along with all the other HeartDrum titles coming out this year. The fact that there’s a major imprint for Native kids titles is huge.
For years and years, there have been retelling of Peter Pan and in theatre I’ve seen debates about how a Peter Pan adaptation can respectfully represent Native characters. And generally the answer is you can’t do it. You can’t stick close to the original storyline and do justice to Indigenous people, and you can’t just get ride of the Native characters (a form of erasure).
What Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek Nation) has done is created is much more than a retelling, she’s written a new story that stands on its own. Of course the answer was to have an Indigenous person re-write the story and reclaim the narrative. I loved the two sisters who are grappling with a shift in their family structure and trying to figure out how it will change their relationship. There was a great representation in all of the Neverland characters from the Lost, the Native kids, and pirates. I appreciated the characterization of Peter Pan as the source of everyone’s problems, which is a shift I’ve seen in a couple other retelling... and honestly the only way it makes sense to me now. In terms of the writing style, I really enjoyed the use of third person narration for the book. It felt very much like we were being told a story, and the storytellers were the stars.
I 1000% recommend this book to adult and middle grade readers alike. And if you are a middle school librarian get this for your library ASAP, along with all the other HeartDrum titles coming out this year. The fact that there’s a major imprint for Native kids titles is huge.
June 7, 2021
Sisters of the Neversea is a powerful and magical Indigenous retelling of Peter Pan. The story follows stepsisters Wendy (English) and Lily (Muscogee Creek). Wendy and her stepbrother are lured to Neverland by Peter Pan. Lily ends up separated. Wendy and Lily both have to find a way back to each other and hurry before they understand what it means to become one of the Lost.
Smith blew me away with this retelling. Smith takes the magic and wonder of Neverland and Peter Pan and unapologetically exposes the harmful depiction of Native Americans in this classic story and turns the narrative into Indigenous children being the heroes of this story.
While I can’t speak to specifics about Indigenous representation (please see own voices reviewers), I will note that Smith includes Indigenous children from multiple tribes throughout the story to highlight the different tribes in history since Neverland doesn’t age.
If you’re looking for a fresh take on Peter Pan with some characters that you will immediately fall in love with then this is your book!
Thank you to HarperKids for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Smith blew me away with this retelling. Smith takes the magic and wonder of Neverland and Peter Pan and unapologetically exposes the harmful depiction of Native Americans in this classic story and turns the narrative into Indigenous children being the heroes of this story.
While I can’t speak to specifics about Indigenous representation (please see own voices reviewers), I will note that Smith includes Indigenous children from multiple tribes throughout the story to highlight the different tribes in history since Neverland doesn’t age.
If you’re looking for a fresh take on Peter Pan with some characters that you will immediately fall in love with then this is your book!
Thank you to HarperKids for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
June 6, 2021
I am a total sucker for retellings, and Sisters of the Neversea completely lived up to my expectations! I do want to mention that I have never read Peter Pan, but I have heard that a lot of the ideas in it are hurtful and wrong. Sisters of the Neversea completely reworks Peter Pan, and it shows Pan’s brutalness and cruelty in an eye opening way.
Lily and Wendy are step sisters whose parents are considering separating. They’re unsure about what will happen to their family and their friendship, and in the midst of this uncertainty, the boy who never grows up whisks them away to Neverland. But the magic land is much darker than it seems, and Lily and Wendy might not make it out of there alive.
As an Asian American girl, I know how impactful it is to see yourself in literature. That’s why even though I’m a little too old for middle grade, I can’t help but be excited when I see such diverse books. Children need to see themselves as heroes in entertainment, and I’m so happy more and more people are highlighting different characters. Sisters of the Neversea fulfills these expectations perfectly! It didn’t just showcase diverseness in ethnicity, but it also showed how family is not just blood. When Peter says all stepmothers are evil, Wendy is quick to disagree. Lily and Wendy were sisters, and they were not about to have anyone tell them otherwise. While there are so many amazing themes in here, this was a great book in itself.
It had an older style with an all knowing third person narrator. There aren’t a ton of books left like this, so it was definitely a fun change. And it made it easier to follow the story without being confused. There were a lot of fun twists and turns that made this book even more interesting. And I liked how you could tell there was a history to this island. Wendy and Lily weren’t the first children to go there, and the end to those children were far darker than they could imagine.
Sisters of the Neversea showed how evil Pan could be, and how messed up he was while still showing redemption. A few things to mention though is this is a little bit darker and more violent. It might be wise for parents to talk through some of the book with their children, and there is also a half spirit in the book. But this was a gorgeous book that is needed in this day and age. It shows how people that are different from us are still human, and they deserve respect and love. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants some diversity in their book diet!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.
Lily and Wendy are step sisters whose parents are considering separating. They’re unsure about what will happen to their family and their friendship, and in the midst of this uncertainty, the boy who never grows up whisks them away to Neverland. But the magic land is much darker than it seems, and Lily and Wendy might not make it out of there alive.
As an Asian American girl, I know how impactful it is to see yourself in literature. That’s why even though I’m a little too old for middle grade, I can’t help but be excited when I see such diverse books. Children need to see themselves as heroes in entertainment, and I’m so happy more and more people are highlighting different characters. Sisters of the Neversea fulfills these expectations perfectly! It didn’t just showcase diverseness in ethnicity, but it also showed how family is not just blood. When Peter says all stepmothers are evil, Wendy is quick to disagree. Lily and Wendy were sisters, and they were not about to have anyone tell them otherwise. While there are so many amazing themes in here, this was a great book in itself.
It had an older style with an all knowing third person narrator. There aren’t a ton of books left like this, so it was definitely a fun change. And it made it easier to follow the story without being confused. There were a lot of fun twists and turns that made this book even more interesting. And I liked how you could tell there was a history to this island. Wendy and Lily weren’t the first children to go there, and the end to those children were far darker than they could imagine.
Sisters of the Neversea showed how evil Pan could be, and how messed up he was while still showing redemption. A few things to mention though is this is a little bit darker and more violent. It might be wise for parents to talk through some of the book with their children, and there is also a half spirit in the book. But this was a gorgeous book that is needed in this day and age. It shows how people that are different from us are still human, and they deserve respect and love. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants some diversity in their book diet!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.
March 12, 2023
ALL THE STARS!!!!
dnf
March 28, 2022DNFd at 7%
for a few reasons; it was setting up to be more hard-hitting and I like middle grade to be whimsical and fun, it was starting to lose my attention, and it is apparently a loose Peter Pan retelling and I have so far not enjoyed any version of Peter Pan yet…🤷🏼♀️
for a few reasons; it was setting up to be more hard-hitting and I like middle grade to be whimsical and fun, it was starting to lose my attention, and it is apparently a loose Peter Pan retelling and I have so far not enjoyed any version of Peter Pan yet…🤷🏼♀️
June 26, 2021
Review Copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
Cynthia Leitich Smith reimagined Neverland and the adventures of Peter Pan. The original story has been problematic since it was created, but there was much about it to love. Smith has found a way to address some of the racist depictions of Indigenous folks along with a few of the gender role issues too.
In this retelling, the children are from a blended family with a British father and a mother who is part of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The children are feeling unsettled because of conflict between their parents and in the midst of this, Peter Pan arrives on the scene. He and Tinkerbell are very charming and appealing to Michael and Wendy, but Lily is not convinced that he is trustworthy. He uses words like Injuns which offends them all and calls them useless girls since they can't sew properly. Lily informs his that her mother is brilliant at math and managing money. I love it when Wendy informs Peter that their dad also didn't teach them how to sew.
Of course the children do end up in Neverland, but it is not as carefree and lovely as Peter made it out to be. As in the original, Peter is pretty focused on himself and does not take advice or instruction well. Though he delivers on adventure, he is not concerned with the needs of the children and he has a lot of "wrongheaded" ideas about Native children.
There are other children already on the island including Daniel who is Leech Lake Ojibwe from St. Paul. Through Daniel and others, readers see that Native people are still alive and that there is a great deal of variety among them. Lily and the others also appreciate their cultural identity and their family members more as time passes.
Recommendation: Sisters of the Neversea is a fantastic way to visit the world of Neverland again without having to see the damaging stereotypical Natives. It is a great adventure story even for those who are unfamiliar with Peter Pan. Siblings fall out and feelings are hurt, but love is still there and of course there are fairies and merpeople along with pirates so it's going to be a crowd pleaser. This story is a lot of fun and has great representation. I plan to purchase it for my elementary school library and I believe it will be a great addition to any library serving young people.
Cynthia Leitich Smith reimagined Neverland and the adventures of Peter Pan. The original story has been problematic since it was created, but there was much about it to love. Smith has found a way to address some of the racist depictions of Indigenous folks along with a few of the gender role issues too.
In this retelling, the children are from a blended family with a British father and a mother who is part of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The children are feeling unsettled because of conflict between their parents and in the midst of this, Peter Pan arrives on the scene. He and Tinkerbell are very charming and appealing to Michael and Wendy, but Lily is not convinced that he is trustworthy. He uses words like Injuns which offends them all and calls them useless girls since they can't sew properly. Lily informs his that her mother is brilliant at math and managing money. I love it when Wendy informs Peter that their dad also didn't teach them how to sew.
Of course the children do end up in Neverland, but it is not as carefree and lovely as Peter made it out to be. As in the original, Peter is pretty focused on himself and does not take advice or instruction well. Though he delivers on adventure, he is not concerned with the needs of the children and he has a lot of "wrongheaded" ideas about Native children.
There are other children already on the island including Daniel who is Leech Lake Ojibwe from St. Paul. Through Daniel and others, readers see that Native people are still alive and that there is a great deal of variety among them. Lily and the others also appreciate their cultural identity and their family members more as time passes.
Recommendation: Sisters of the Neversea is a fantastic way to visit the world of Neverland again without having to see the damaging stereotypical Natives. It is a great adventure story even for those who are unfamiliar with Peter Pan. Siblings fall out and feelings are hurt, but love is still there and of course there are fairies and merpeople along with pirates so it's going to be a crowd pleaser. This story is a lot of fun and has great representation. I plan to purchase it for my elementary school library and I believe it will be a great addition to any library serving young people.
June 23, 2021
The story of Peter Pan has always bothered me. Especially the part where he thought fighting was fun. It never made sense to me. I was also bothered by the stereotypical "injuns" in the story. I always think of the original as being strictly Victorian, but it turns out the original is much more recent than that, as the first version was written in 1904, making it part of the Edwardian era (pre world war I)
The author takes all the elements that didn't work, and that were troubling, and rather than eliminating them, explores them, such as the fact that Peter doesn't really care about anyone but himself, or that the pirates want to fight him as all, or why they stay in Neverland.
Wendy is still British, but has been living in the Tulsa with her blended family, as her father has married a woman who is Muscogee Creek. Lily is her step-sister (instead of being Tiger Lily, the "Indian Princess" on the Neverland Island.) John is older, and just graduated from high school, and Micheal is four years old and loves pirates. Wendy reads him Ella Enchanted, the retelling of Cinderella by Gail Carson Levine. (Apparently in the original there are a lot of fairy tales mentioned as stories that Wendy tells the Lost Boys.)
Besides being racist, the original was sexist as well, which is brought out in this retelling and adressed.
The author follows the writing style of the original, which was third person omnipotent, which also breaks the fourth wall all over the place. And sometimes the stars get into the story as well. It is all delightful, once you get used to it.
Wonderful retelling. Highly recommend it.
The author takes all the elements that didn't work, and that were troubling, and rather than eliminating them, explores them, such as the fact that Peter doesn't really care about anyone but himself, or that the pirates want to fight him as all, or why they stay in Neverland.
Wendy is still British, but has been living in the Tulsa with her blended family, as her father has married a woman who is Muscogee Creek. Lily is her step-sister (instead of being Tiger Lily, the "Indian Princess" on the Neverland Island.) John is older, and just graduated from high school, and Micheal is four years old and loves pirates. Wendy reads him Ella Enchanted, the retelling of Cinderella by Gail Carson Levine. (Apparently in the original there are a lot of fairy tales mentioned as stories that Wendy tells the Lost Boys.)
Besides being racist, the original was sexist as well, which is brought out in this retelling and adressed.
The author follows the writing style of the original, which was third person omnipotent, which also breaks the fourth wall all over the place. And sometimes the stars get into the story as well. It is all delightful, once you get used to it.
Wonderful retelling. Highly recommend it.
June 15, 2021
This is a stunning revisionist fairy tale that reimagines Peter Pan from the point of view of two stepsisters, Lily Roberts who is Muscogee Creek and Wendy Darling, a white English-born girl. Like many, I grew up with Peter Pan and although there are still elements of the story that I find enchanting, I have no interest in revisiting the Barrie’s original novel or many of its adaptations because of racism and sexism those works are so deeply entrenched in. With Sisters of the Neversea, Leitich Smith captures the wonder of Neverland while reimagining its inhabitants to critique Barrie’s novel and allow Lily and Wendy to take back their story. While the book is itself a response to the harm done by the problematic representation of Barrie's work, the way in which stereotypes dehumanize marginalized people and lead to violence against them is also engaged with at a narrative level. Pan’s own mistreatment of Native kids living in Neverland stems from the stereotypes he has learned from the old Western storybooks about "cowboys and Indians” that he reads. The book offers such a rich discussion of the effects of representation and deals with larger themes of colonization within a beautifully written and constantly engaging fantasy adventure. I cannot say enough about this incredible, important middle grade novel! It is an absolute must-read!
July 9, 2021
I got so, so into this reimagined version of Peter Pan in which the focus is on representation, community, family, and -still- the adventures of its amazing characters.
September 2, 2023
I appreciated and enjoyed this retelling AND the lengthy author’s note detailing her process.
I picked this up because my 8 year old is reading it and kind of stalled out in the middle. I listened to the entire audiobook through then decided to listen to it with my daughter, picking up where she was in the book. I do think the audio is excellent, but also it’s true the story is a little slow in the middle and overall lacks some of the original magic-of-it-all when it comes to fantasy.
That said, I absolutely love the characters and what the author chose to do with the story. I think in a retelling it’s likely important to have some understanding of the original story, though. My daughter watched the Disney Peter Pan movie years ago and hated it (Peter Pan has always been an a**hole, after all, which is something this book makes abundantly clear). She’s not that knowledgeable about the Neverland universe. So what is “Sisters of the Neversea” to a middle grade audience that maybe hasn’t read or seen the original? I'm not sure! I think you have to have context to understand why the retelling here is so good.
Last note — I appreciated the omniscient narrator jumping in to alleviate fears at times. “Are you worried that…?”
I picked this up because my 8 year old is reading it and kind of stalled out in the middle. I listened to the entire audiobook through then decided to listen to it with my daughter, picking up where she was in the book. I do think the audio is excellent, but also it’s true the story is a little slow in the middle and overall lacks some of the original magic-of-it-all when it comes to fantasy.
That said, I absolutely love the characters and what the author chose to do with the story. I think in a retelling it’s likely important to have some understanding of the original story, though. My daughter watched the Disney Peter Pan movie years ago and hated it (Peter Pan has always been an a**hole, after all, which is something this book makes abundantly clear). She’s not that knowledgeable about the Neverland universe. So what is “Sisters of the Neversea” to a middle grade audience that maybe hasn’t read or seen the original? I'm not sure! I think you have to have context to understand why the retelling here is so good.
Last note — I appreciated the omniscient narrator jumping in to alleviate fears at times. “Are you worried that…?”
December 29, 2021
I enjoyed this retelling of Peter Pan - because Peter was a real villain in this one. I loved the way they explained his relationship with Native American people, and the author also explained how it was wrong. My favorite aspect was how Lily and the kids she met remembered where they were from and who they were, while the Lost kids did not. I didn’t care how the narrator talked to the reader, but maybe the kids would like it, and maybe it’s the only way to get through to the reader some of the points the book was trying to make…
November 26, 2022
A thoroughly re-imagined Peter Pan starring a blended UK and American Indian sibling group who confront the racist Injun tropes in the Disney movie with their deep reverence to Native cultures and peoples. There's a much more complicit and purposeful Tinkerbell as well as a disturbingly murderous Peter who kidnaps children and disposes of them when they reach the age of 13. While some of the resolutions at the end are wrapped up in a hurry, there is so much fun to be had as the siblings try to figure out how to fly back home, discover a group of Native children Peter stole and who are hiding out away from the Lost Boys, as well as how they escape the tick-tock-ticking of the ravenous crocodile and the not-playful mermaids who want the humans gone from Neverland. Add in a cute tiger cub and all kinds of Easter eggs and you've got a darkly sparkling, fairy-dust-as-human-drug read perfect for Pan fans and those who don't know the story inside and out...although you will have more fun if you do.
August 6, 2024
It’s not that it’s juvenile fiction, it’s just that it is boring.
Juvenile fiction can be clever, unique, fun, exciting, literary, meaningful….this just isn’t one of those books. I made it 45% of the way through and they were still just introducing and describing everything that, if you’ve read the original book or seen any of the movies you already knew a lot about it. It would be a pity if this book were someone’s first experience with Peter Pan. There is really no magic in this version.
Juvenile fiction can be clever, unique, fun, exciting, literary, meaningful….this just isn’t one of those books. I made it 45% of the way through and they were still just introducing and describing everything that, if you’ve read the original book or seen any of the movies you already knew a lot about it. It would be a pity if this book were someone’s first experience with Peter Pan. There is really no magic in this version.
November 20, 2021
I was already enjoying this throughout, but then Cynthia Leitich Smith surprised me in the best way and I fully loved this book! What wonderful characters, what a clever retelling, and what beautiful things to say about family and love and the possibility of change.
CW: Grief, racism, slurs against Native people, hunting, animal death, references to transphobia
CW: Grief, racism, slurs against Native people, hunting, animal death, references to transphobia
August 30, 2024
A brilliant twist on the Peter Pan story from Wendy and Lily's perspectives.
Written by an Indigenous author who I've enjoyed reading in the past, I was thrilled to see a new version of Peter Pan. The story, movie, and ride at the parks, were a comfort for me, and as an adult I see there are so many flaws. Leitch-Smith takes those flaws and exposes them for what they truly are.
I admit it was tough to read at times because I don't like any sort of killing of animals, especially for sport, but it's to show how truly horrible Peter truly is, and what a self-centered male he truly is. I also was grateful she addressed the racism again at Natives/ Indigenous Peoples, whose culture and rights are constantly overlooked still to this day.
Her take is that Tink (Belle) loved babies, so she stole Peter, and then it builds from him kidnapping kids, to them growing up into pirates. I also loved that the mermaids hated him. :D
Warning: contains violence and killing against animals.
Written by an Indigenous author who I've enjoyed reading in the past, I was thrilled to see a new version of Peter Pan. The story, movie, and ride at the parks, were a comfort for me, and as an adult I see there are so many flaws. Leitch-Smith takes those flaws and exposes them for what they truly are.
I admit it was tough to read at times because I don't like any sort of killing of animals, especially for sport, but it's to show how truly horrible Peter truly is, and what a self-centered male he truly is. I also was grateful she addressed the racism again at Natives/ Indigenous Peoples, whose culture and rights are constantly overlooked still to this day.
Her take is that Tink (Belle) loved babies, so she stole Peter, and then it builds from him kidnapping kids, to them growing up into pirates. I also loved that the mermaids hated him. :D
Warning: contains violence and killing against animals.
September 3, 2021
The author attempts so much in this retelling. Somehow, I bogged down when reading it. I couldn't find a flow. Several themes: updated, modern day U.S.; some of the children are Native American, so the demeaning preconceptions from the past are gone; the parents are separating with a possible divorce, the step-siblings are concerned over their bonds; major characters are girls--one with a predilection to science & conservancy, the other to magic. They both show growth in the book.
Changes in Neverland are explained by time passing.
Changes in Neverland are explained by time passing.
December 21, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were some things I loved and some things that just didn't work for me.
If not for the content warnings (see end) I would have no problem recommending this book, not as the best written book but as a fun and interesting read.
Fair warning: if you loved the original story, you probably won't like this book. I really didn't care for the original and liked this one better.
What I loved:
-The premise. Lily and Wendy are siblings from the real world? Lily as an actual Native brought to Neverland? Soooo cool.
- I enjoyed hearing the story through the perspectives of a Native girl and her British sister.
- I enjoyed the emphasis on family. Lily and Wendy as stepsisters grappling with their parents' potential divorce and how that will affect them--it was a compelling storyline, and I loved watching the sisters work through it. It was such a good sister dynamic, and their care for their little brother was so sweet. And taking the story's emphasis on "mother" and making it about Wendy's relationship with her stepmother? So sweet.
- Liked both sisters but loved Lily. She may have technically been the younger sister but I related so much to her as an oldest sister.
- I liked the explanation of how time and space work on the island
- Storytelling voice was fun
- I really liked what the author was doing with Peter's shadow, though it could have been developed more.
- Some solid side characters
What didn't work for me (spoilers ahead):
- Peter Pan. His character just didn't work for me. The problem is that the author wanted it both ways: Peter Pan is a horrific villain AND Peter Pan is redeemable. It just didn't work. You can't tell me that Peter Pan is literally a murder...and then have him do a 180 that quickly and make us root for him. Don't get me wrong, he was fascinating as a really bad villain--but the story spent so much time building up how bad he was that it fell flat when the author tried to turn him around.
- The storyline. The book really drags in the middle. 55% of the way through the book and Lily has still barely gotten started on the island. She spends way more time wandering around the beach / caves than interacting with the Natives and building relationships with them. Wendy also has done very little at this point. The story finally gets going when people are kidnapped by pirates, but that storyline's resolution is such a let down.
- A lot of the story is driven not by plot points but by the author presenting one increasingly shocking incident after another that makes Peter Pan more and more horrifying. Instead of moving the story along, it felt intended more to shock the audience.
- The worldbuilding could have been so much stronger. I wish the author had explored the Native children on the island, the fairies, pirates, and merfolk and built up their cultures and people. It felt like they were defined by what they were NOT, as opposed to what they WERE (for example, the merfolk are NOT a bunch of mean girls smitten with Peter--but we don't really know what they ARE. The pirates are NOT evil, bloodthirsty characters, but what ARE they?)
- At the very end, the author rather hastily pulls in a lesson about how families change and we love them anyway. It could have been really sweet but it wasn't built up to well enough.
Content warning:
- Peter Pan is awful. He's racist, sexist, cruel, and utterly selfish. Of course, none of it is portrayed as okay, but he's definitely more intense than a typical elementary story's villain.
- There are 4 uses of "a--".
- A mention of the fact that Peter Pan "pees"
- A mention of skinny-dipping
- Terri is "two-spirit" and Peter assumed she was a boy (he did this with another girl too)
- The violence is a bit much at times (such as when the book says there is a "wet, dead splat" when Peter puts the "decapitated head" of a tiger on the table)
If not for the content warnings (see end) I would have no problem recommending this book, not as the best written book but as a fun and interesting read.
Fair warning: if you loved the original story, you probably won't like this book. I really didn't care for the original and liked this one better.
What I loved:
-The premise. Lily and Wendy are siblings from the real world? Lily as an actual Native brought to Neverland? Soooo cool.
- I enjoyed hearing the story through the perspectives of a Native girl and her British sister.
- I enjoyed the emphasis on family. Lily and Wendy as stepsisters grappling with their parents' potential divorce and how that will affect them--it was a compelling storyline, and I loved watching the sisters work through it. It was such a good sister dynamic, and their care for their little brother was so sweet. And taking the story's emphasis on "mother" and making it about Wendy's relationship with her stepmother? So sweet.
- Liked both sisters but loved Lily. She may have technically been the younger sister but I related so much to her as an oldest sister.
- I liked the explanation of how time and space work on the island
- Storytelling voice was fun
- I really liked what the author was doing with Peter's shadow, though it could have been developed more.
- Some solid side characters
What didn't work for me (spoilers ahead):
- Peter Pan. His character just didn't work for me. The problem is that the author wanted it both ways: Peter Pan is a horrific villain AND Peter Pan is redeemable. It just didn't work. You can't tell me that Peter Pan is literally a murder...and then have him do a 180 that quickly and make us root for him. Don't get me wrong, he was fascinating as a really bad villain--but the story spent so much time building up how bad he was that it fell flat when the author tried to turn him around.
- The storyline. The book really drags in the middle. 55% of the way through the book and Lily has still barely gotten started on the island. She spends way more time wandering around the beach / caves than interacting with the Natives and building relationships with them. Wendy also has done very little at this point. The story finally gets going when people are kidnapped by pirates, but that storyline's resolution is such a let down.
- A lot of the story is driven not by plot points but by the author presenting one increasingly shocking incident after another that makes Peter Pan more and more horrifying. Instead of moving the story along, it felt intended more to shock the audience.
- The worldbuilding could have been so much stronger. I wish the author had explored the Native children on the island, the fairies, pirates, and merfolk and built up their cultures and people. It felt like they were defined by what they were NOT, as opposed to what they WERE (for example, the merfolk are NOT a bunch of mean girls smitten with Peter--but we don't really know what they ARE. The pirates are NOT evil, bloodthirsty characters, but what ARE they?)
- At the very end, the author rather hastily pulls in a lesson about how families change and we love them anyway. It could have been really sweet but it wasn't built up to well enough.
Content warning:
- Peter Pan is awful. He's racist, sexist, cruel, and utterly selfish. Of course, none of it is portrayed as okay, but he's definitely more intense than a typical elementary story's villain.
- There are 4 uses of "a--".
- A mention of the fact that Peter Pan "pees"
- A mention of skinny-dipping
- Terri is "two-spirit" and Peter assumed she was a boy (he did this with another girl too)
- The violence is a bit much at times (such as when the book says there is a "wet, dead splat" when Peter puts the "decapitated head" of a tiger on the table)
August 1, 2021
I really enjoyed this retelling of Peter Pan. It is nice to see strong native female characters. It is also nice to have some negative stereotypes pointed out about the versions of Peter Pan that are out there.
December 28, 2021
Everything is topsy-turvy in this rendition of Peter Pan. The pirates are good and Peter is so bad that his shadow has given up on him. While Smith’s version offers a much more complex and realistic portrayal of the Natives on the Island as well as the complications of modern-day families, the story also loses a lot of the original charm. The kids have all been kidnaped and there’s very little appealing on the island to make the adventure worthwhile. Overall, it felt like Smith used Barrie’s story as a framework for promoting diverse issues and little else. It probably would have been better if she had created an original story to promote Native identity instead.
June 20, 2021
I wanted to love this, but it lost me at so many points. Lily and Wendy act like tiny adults rather than kids, many of the moments that should be emotional turning points are summarized rather than shown, the characters are underdrawn and often indistinguishable from one another. This could have been an amazing story that thoroughly explored colonization, the kidnapping of Native children, destruction of wildlife, and the violence of constructing identity based on racist tropes. Unfortunately, Sisters of the Neversea is a surface reading of these things.
dnf
October 7, 2020Cover reveal @ We Need Diverse Books! (7 Oct. 2020)
May 9, 2025
One of the best books I’ve ever listened to. The narrator was great. It was a very different take on the classic Peter Pan. 4.8 stars
November 5, 2021
This is an interesting update on the Peter Pan story. I've never been a big fan of old, i.e. "classic," children's tales. Many of them, like Peter Pan, just never struck a chord with me. Not the movies, nor the Disney versions.
In this version, Peter Pan is like a prejudiced middle aged man in the body of a child who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge he ever grew up or change the way he views the universe and everyone in it. Which is not far from, dare I say exactly, how he was depicted in the original, but gone is the turn-of-the-century veneer of "boys will be boys" mentality (it was first written in 1904), the racism and sexism are blatant and all Peter's flaws are laid bare in this retelling.
Peter still sees Wendy through her house window and wants her to be the storyteller to his Lost Boys. But this time, he has to get her away from her Muscogee Creek sister, Lily. Peter'll happily leave her behind because he can't conceive of her being anything other than an "Injun" (wince every time), and he thinks the island has all of those it needs. To get Wendy to fly away with him, he takes her toddler brother, Michael, who he doesn't really care about either, but is willing to accept as a Lost Boy until he can kick him out to join the other Native kids stuck on the island.
Lily is shocked when her half-sister and brother disappear. The family is teetering on divorce, however, so instead of alerting her family to their disappearance and getting help, she gets Peter's dislocated shadow to help fly her across the Neversea so she can rescue her sister and brother. The shadow deposits her on the island far away from her sister and Peter, with the other Native kids from several different tribes who're trapped there. The major flaw in her plan is she has no idea how she's going to get them all home.
Once on the wonky island, Lily learns how horribly Peter treats pretty much everyone who doesn't conform to his ideas of who they are and how they should behave, including the dreaded pirates and Captain Hook -- who's a woman just trying to break free of the island, not the hook-handled Peter-obsessed version from the movies and Disney treatments over the decades. It's cringe-inducing, every time, and Peter is not at all a likeable character. In the 21st century, there's very little to like about a character who clings to prejudices and stereotypes that are rapidly fading.
Peter does have a somewhat redemptive arc. There's still a ticking crocodile obsessed with eating whatever child it can catch, and Belle, the fairy, features prominently and has her own arc -- she comes to see and somewhat regret how she's enabled Peter to become such a horrid human being. Interestingly, the author breaks the 4th wall a lot to talk directly to the reader, which is a different narrative voice than I've seen in middle grade before. It can be quite effective in retaining readers.
The book also excellently showcases the prejudices and bigotry of the time period, the turn of the century. Women had only been recognized in US courts for a few decades and still couldn't vote. The Civil Rights era was decades away and racism toward anyone not-white, particularly Native peoples in this tale, is exposed as grotesque. It would make for an excellent comparative text analysis of how outdated many aspects of the original "beloved fairy tale" truly are.
It's a quick read. Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
In this version, Peter Pan is like a prejudiced middle aged man in the body of a child who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge he ever grew up or change the way he views the universe and everyone in it. Which is not far from, dare I say exactly, how he was depicted in the original, but gone is the turn-of-the-century veneer of "boys will be boys" mentality (it was first written in 1904), the racism and sexism are blatant and all Peter's flaws are laid bare in this retelling.
Peter still sees Wendy through her house window and wants her to be the storyteller to his Lost Boys. But this time, he has to get her away from her Muscogee Creek sister, Lily. Peter'll happily leave her behind because he can't conceive of her being anything other than an "Injun" (wince every time), and he thinks the island has all of those it needs. To get Wendy to fly away with him, he takes her toddler brother, Michael, who he doesn't really care about either, but is willing to accept as a Lost Boy until he can kick him out to join the other Native kids stuck on the island.
Lily is shocked when her half-sister and brother disappear. The family is teetering on divorce, however, so instead of alerting her family to their disappearance and getting help, she gets Peter's dislocated shadow to help fly her across the Neversea so she can rescue her sister and brother. The shadow deposits her on the island far away from her sister and Peter, with the other Native kids from several different tribes who're trapped there. The major flaw in her plan is she has no idea how she's going to get them all home.
Once on the wonky island, Lily learns how horribly Peter treats pretty much everyone who doesn't conform to his ideas of who they are and how they should behave, including the dreaded pirates and Captain Hook -- who's a woman just trying to break free of the island, not the hook-handled Peter-obsessed version from the movies and Disney treatments over the decades. It's cringe-inducing, every time, and Peter is not at all a likeable character. In the 21st century, there's very little to like about a character who clings to prejudices and stereotypes that are rapidly fading.
Peter does have a somewhat redemptive arc. There's still a ticking crocodile obsessed with eating whatever child it can catch, and Belle, the fairy, features prominently and has her own arc -- she comes to see and somewhat regret how she's enabled Peter to become such a horrid human being. Interestingly, the author breaks the 4th wall a lot to talk directly to the reader, which is a different narrative voice than I've seen in middle grade before. It can be quite effective in retaining readers.
The book also excellently showcases the prejudices and bigotry of the time period, the turn of the century. Women had only been recognized in US courts for a few decades and still couldn't vote. The Civil Rights era was decades away and racism toward anyone not-white, particularly Native peoples in this tale, is exposed as grotesque. It would make for an excellent comparative text analysis of how outdated many aspects of the original "beloved fairy tale" truly are.
It's a quick read. Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
July 28, 2024
My first book I’ve read by Cynthia Leticia Smith! I’m no fan of Peter Pan retellings, but I enjoyed the personalities (and sisterhood) added to Wendy and Lily. Their POV chapters were distinguishable, as well. (I would’ve, however, liked for the other characters’ personalities to feel as strong.)
Although this kept the main events of Peter Pan intact, it was very clear from the twists of the story that it was rewritten from a more critical (and mature) standpoint. Sometimes, this brought to light some rather horrific implications. I can see this being intense for the target demographic, even with the fourth wall breaks adding both a reminder of the fictitious-ness and adding some humor (but, there was once or twice where I thought they were redundant). Nevertheless, this kept some high-stakes adventure and fantasy, like the original.
My criticisms, though: First, without warning, sometimes there would be switches to other characters thoughts. I found it mildly annoying, as it sometimes resulted in timeline jumps. (Also, Wendy’s naïveté and quickness to turn on her sister, even pre-Fairy Dust, felt a little immature for a thirteen-year old.) Secondly, Peter’s redemption was a mess. While I am glad the other kids didn’t forgive him, and the narrative still acknowledged he wasn’t entirely selfless when trying to better himself, the narrator was too easy on him for essentially kidnapping and/or killing kids for nearly a century. (Plus, Belle still forgave him.)
But overall, I still thought this was a solid, engaging read that can hopefully spur critical discussion. I’ll see Indigenous reviewers thoughts to see if I missed anything.
Although this kept the main events of Peter Pan intact, it was very clear from the twists of the story that it was rewritten from a more critical (and mature) standpoint. Sometimes, this brought to light some rather horrific implications. I can see this being intense for the target demographic, even with the fourth wall breaks adding both a reminder of the fictitious-ness and adding some humor (but, there was once or twice where I thought they were redundant). Nevertheless, this kept some high-stakes adventure and fantasy, like the original.
My criticisms, though: First, without warning, sometimes there would be switches to other characters thoughts. I found it mildly annoying, as it sometimes resulted in timeline jumps. (Also, Wendy’s naïveté and quickness to turn on her sister, even pre-Fairy Dust, felt a little immature for a thirteen-year old.) Secondly, Peter’s redemption was a mess. While I am glad the other kids didn’t forgive him, and the narrative still acknowledged he wasn’t entirely selfless when trying to better himself, the narrator was too easy on him for essentially kidnapping and/or killing kids for nearly a century. (Plus, Belle still forgave him.)
But overall, I still thought this was a solid, engaging read that can hopefully spur critical discussion. I’ll see Indigenous reviewers thoughts to see if I missed anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 21, 2021**** I received a finished copy for review from Harper Kids.Their new imprint, Heartdrum focuses on Indigenous voices in children's literature. ****
Disclaimer: I have never read Peter Pan. I have only seen Disney’s version once as a kid. I don't really care about Peter Pan, because believe it or not negative representations actually make Indigenous youth feel really awful.
If there's one thing baby Sasha would have wanted growing up, it's Cynthia Leitich Smith's new middle grade novel Sisters of the Neversea. This Peter Pan retelling by the Muscogee Creek author was a joy to read. We follow Lily, a Muscogee Creek 12 year old, Wendy, white stepsister, and their brother Michael as they journey to Neverland and fight to find a way back home.
This book's Native representation is literally everything. As someone who was an anxious, mature, and skeptical Ojibwe pre-teen, Smith's Lily felt like looking in a mirror even now. The "Indians" in Neverland were Native youth, diverse as all of Indian Country is: Cherokee two-spirit, Black Seneca, Muscogee Creek, Ojibwe. What's more, these characters so effortlessly provided the perspective of Indigenous youth.
Listen, sometimes it might seem overly political, too "on the nose." That doesn't make it an unrealistic representation of Native kids, who are intuitive, smart, fierce, and vocal. Native kids have to combat negative rep and horrific stereotypes every day. They learn early that they might not be considered "real Indians" or that their families will be discriminated against or that people will always want them to play a certain role, fulfill someone else's expectations. Seeing Native characters push back against those very expectations is powerful.
This is clearly a middle grade book. There are some spots that provide quick redemption or resolve some conflicts perhaps a little too easily, but I recognize this book is meant for younger readers who may not feel the same way. The pacing, the language took me a few chapters to get into mostly because I don't often read children's literature. Still, once I picked up the rhythm, I found this absolutely charming and was deeply invested in the fantastical adventures and reunification between Lily, her little brother Mikey, and her (step)sister Wendy.
If you have young readers in your life, consider getting your hands on a copy of this. It's fun, theatrical, filled with sibling love, friendship, fairies, merfolk, pirates, and a baby tiger. This might be best suited for self-guided, mature readers (10+ years) as there is discussion of death (including animals), though I think the subject matter could lend to some good conversations.
CW (all contextually critiqued and shown as problematic by autho): transphobia and misgendering, racism, racial slurs against Native Americans; mentions of murder, death, animal death.
Disclaimer: I have never read Peter Pan. I have only seen Disney’s version once as a kid. I don't really care about Peter Pan, because believe it or not negative representations actually make Indigenous youth feel really awful.
If there's one thing baby Sasha would have wanted growing up, it's Cynthia Leitich Smith's new middle grade novel Sisters of the Neversea. This Peter Pan retelling by the Muscogee Creek author was a joy to read. We follow Lily, a Muscogee Creek 12 year old, Wendy, white stepsister, and their brother Michael as they journey to Neverland and fight to find a way back home.
This book's Native representation is literally everything. As someone who was an anxious, mature, and skeptical Ojibwe pre-teen, Smith's Lily felt like looking in a mirror even now. The "Indians" in Neverland were Native youth, diverse as all of Indian Country is: Cherokee two-spirit, Black Seneca, Muscogee Creek, Ojibwe. What's more, these characters so effortlessly provided the perspective of Indigenous youth.
Listen, sometimes it might seem overly political, too "on the nose." That doesn't make it an unrealistic representation of Native kids, who are intuitive, smart, fierce, and vocal. Native kids have to combat negative rep and horrific stereotypes every day. They learn early that they might not be considered "real Indians" or that their families will be discriminated against or that people will always want them to play a certain role, fulfill someone else's expectations. Seeing Native characters push back against those very expectations is powerful.
This is clearly a middle grade book. There are some spots that provide quick redemption or resolve some conflicts perhaps a little too easily, but I recognize this book is meant for younger readers who may not feel the same way. The pacing, the language took me a few chapters to get into mostly because I don't often read children's literature. Still, once I picked up the rhythm, I found this absolutely charming and was deeply invested in the fantastical adventures and reunification between Lily, her little brother Mikey, and her (step)sister Wendy.
If you have young readers in your life, consider getting your hands on a copy of this. It's fun, theatrical, filled with sibling love, friendship, fairies, merfolk, pirates, and a baby tiger. This might be best suited for self-guided, mature readers (10+ years) as there is discussion of death (including animals), though I think the subject matter could lend to some good conversations.
CW (all contextually critiqued and shown as problematic by autho): transphobia and misgendering, racism, racial slurs against Native Americans; mentions of murder, death, animal death.
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