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Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan
In this beautiful, grounded, and darkly magical modern-day reimagining of J. M. Barrie's classic, to save her daughter's life one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan--who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be . . .
Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy--yes, that Wendy. She's running a successful skincare company; her son, Jack, is happy and healthy; and the tragedy of her past is well behind her . . . until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she's been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but more dangerous than anyone could imagine.
Eden's disappearance is a disaster for more reasons than one. She has a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly--ironic, considering her father is the boy who will never grow up--which also makes her blood incredibly valuable. It's a secret that Holly is desperate to protect, especially from Eden's half-brother, Jack, who knows nothing about his sister or the crucial role she plays in his life. Holly has no one to turn to--her mother is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she's always imagined. Desperate, Holly enlists the help of Christopher Cooke, a notorious ex-soldier, in the hopes of rescuing Eden before it's too late . . . or she may lose both her children.
Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy--yes, that Wendy. She's running a successful skincare company; her son, Jack, is happy and healthy; and the tragedy of her past is well behind her . . . until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she's been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but more dangerous than anyone could imagine.
Eden's disappearance is a disaster for more reasons than one. She has a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly--ironic, considering her father is the boy who will never grow up--which also makes her blood incredibly valuable. It's a secret that Holly is desperate to protect, especially from Eden's half-brother, Jack, who knows nothing about his sister or the crucial role she plays in his life. Holly has no one to turn to--her mother is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she's always imagined. Desperate, Holly enlists the help of Christopher Cooke, a notorious ex-soldier, in the hopes of rescuing Eden before it's too late . . . or she may lose both her children.
Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 3, 2022
725 people are currently reading
51376 people want to read
About the author
Liz Michalski
4 books312 followersReader, writer, fairytale maker. Author of EVENFALL and DARLING GIRL.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,409 reviews
August 19, 2022
Lovely writing style fitting for fairytales, and an interesting adult reimagining of Peter Pan that puts him in the antagonist role of a sexual predator. I found it difficult to be invested in this book though, since the main character doesn't drive much of the story and I couldn’t find myself caring for the Darling family as people beyond their tragic curse. We know the MC is fiercely protective of her children, but most of the book consists of her running around like a chicken with its head cut off while Peter Pan remains a looming threat. We don’t know who she is beyond being a mother. She also doesn’t have a big enough role in resolving the conflicts in this book, instead spending most of the time throwing money at other characters to help her. Her kids don’t have much to them either, since one of them is largely absent and the other acts more like a stereotypical angsty teen. This makes it harder to root for the MC’s goal of protecting her children from danger when they don’t feel like real people. I think this book would have been more effective if we got the perspectives of the 3 women representing the 3 generations of the Darling family, and how they band together to take down Peter Pan. It seems like a missed opportunity for an empowering story when we have all these women characters who are all uniquely affected by this terrifying antagonist.
July 1, 2022
Oh my! This book exceeded my limitations! I think I might have more than 10 retellings of Peter Pan in this year and so far this book became my favorite one!
This time the author approached from different direction to the story by choosing the main character as the famous Wendy’s granddaughter Holly!
The plot was well constructed. The dark tone of the story was also perfectly executed. The character development was well-built.
Everything about this story is magical, intriguing, enchanting, capturing!
I was instantly drawn into the story and I never wanted it to finish! I highly recommend this book not only to long time Peter Pan story fans but also to greatly written fantasy book addicts!
The plot of the story is centered on Holly who built her successful skin care company, raising her son Jack alone, nursing her wounds from the tragic past. But when she gets a phone call informing her that her daughter Eden who is in coma for a long time gets missing, she gets alerted. Because her daughter has a rare condition: she can age faster than normal human being. Her special blood type is valuable for the enemies lurking around, who can threat everything Holly has built.
Holly cannot let her son Jack learn the secret about his half sister Eden. She has to take the matters into her own hands by teaming up with ex soldier Christopher Cooke who has unusual methods to solve the problems.
Overall: I truly enjoyed it! Giving my five magical, Neverland stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
This time the author approached from different direction to the story by choosing the main character as the famous Wendy’s granddaughter Holly!
The plot was well constructed. The dark tone of the story was also perfectly executed. The character development was well-built.
Everything about this story is magical, intriguing, enchanting, capturing!
I was instantly drawn into the story and I never wanted it to finish! I highly recommend this book not only to long time Peter Pan story fans but also to greatly written fantasy book addicts!
The plot of the story is centered on Holly who built her successful skin care company, raising her son Jack alone, nursing her wounds from the tragic past. But when she gets a phone call informing her that her daughter Eden who is in coma for a long time gets missing, she gets alerted. Because her daughter has a rare condition: she can age faster than normal human being. Her special blood type is valuable for the enemies lurking around, who can threat everything Holly has built.
Holly cannot let her son Jack learn the secret about his half sister Eden. She has to take the matters into her own hands by teaming up with ex soldier Christopher Cooke who has unusual methods to solve the problems.
Overall: I truly enjoyed it! Giving my five magical, Neverland stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
May 24, 2022
Update #2: Book of the Month has put trigger warnings in their copies. Thank you BOTM.
Update: Full Review. Trigger Warnings listed here for those that need them.
I went into this book completely blind. Told nothing other than that this was going to be a modern, adult, dark retelling of Peter Pan. What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer lack of transparency to readers. There are no trigger warnings for some MAJOR things in here anywhere on any blurb or post as of now. For the content this book contains and the reader base this is targeting- that is just blatantly not ok. I would never let anyone from my family read this let alone someone who loves fairytales like I do.
The story follows Holly, granddaughter to Wendy Darling and famous last name from the story book. Her children's lives are in danger for different reasons but the overall looming threat is Peter Pan. This book was supposed to be about a mothers determination to save her children but all she does is hire help with the copious amounts of money she made selling skin products. She literally does NOTHING the entire book but break down and make phone calls. Her 70-something year old mother has more of a direct impact on the story than the main character. Her son Jack, was 98% teen angst and 2% character who also does nothing that contributes to the story. Peter, Tink and Hook unfortunately, are very poorly written as well. This could really have used better character development across the board. Instead it felt like a story with coincidental names not a retelling.
The first 30%ish of this book I was confused but along for the ride. Then even after finishing the book still not a lot was explained, minimal descriptions of places or characters. Never builds any picture for the reader. You never find out what the house looks like that they are in for a large portion of the book, just the garden. Still cant tell you what most of the characters look like even after finishing the book. So world building and visualization was a big miss. Plot was all over the place. Pacing was never consistent. What was described fairly well was the abusive content. The rape, the physical and sexual abuse....here is where the list of triggers comes in.
Trigger Warnings that should be on the blurb:
Rape & SA
Murder
Thoughts of Suicide
Physical Abuse
Mental Abuse
Death/murder of Children/young adults
Forcefully injecting children with drugs/blood.
If you're going to write a dark fantasy book that's fine, but have the common courtesy to inform your audience about what they will be reading and update your blurb to be an accurate depiction of what is actually written on these pages. This unfortunately is not a story about a mother hellbent on saving her children. This is a story about poor choices, poor mothering, poor moral and ethical decisions and the reality of coming to terms with how badly they messed up and the cost was lives.
Update: Full Review. Trigger Warnings listed here for those that need them.
I went into this book completely blind. Told nothing other than that this was going to be a modern, adult, dark retelling of Peter Pan. What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer lack of transparency to readers. There are no trigger warnings for some MAJOR things in here anywhere on any blurb or post as of now. For the content this book contains and the reader base this is targeting- that is just blatantly not ok. I would never let anyone from my family read this let alone someone who loves fairytales like I do.
The story follows Holly, granddaughter to Wendy Darling and famous last name from the story book. Her children's lives are in danger for different reasons but the overall looming threat is Peter Pan. This book was supposed to be about a mothers determination to save her children but all she does is hire help with the copious amounts of money she made selling skin products. She literally does NOTHING the entire book but break down and make phone calls. Her 70-something year old mother has more of a direct impact on the story than the main character. Her son Jack, was 98% teen angst and 2% character who also does nothing that contributes to the story. Peter, Tink and Hook unfortunately, are very poorly written as well. This could really have used better character development across the board. Instead it felt like a story with coincidental names not a retelling.
The first 30%ish of this book I was confused but along for the ride. Then even after finishing the book still not a lot was explained, minimal descriptions of places or characters. Never builds any picture for the reader. You never find out what the house looks like that they are in for a large portion of the book, just the garden. Still cant tell you what most of the characters look like even after finishing the book. So world building and visualization was a big miss. Plot was all over the place. Pacing was never consistent. What was described fairly well was the abusive content. The rape, the physical and sexual abuse....here is where the list of triggers comes in.
Trigger Warnings that should be on the blurb:
Rape & SA
Murder
Thoughts of Suicide
Physical Abuse
Mental Abuse
Death/murder of Children/young adults
Forcefully injecting children with drugs/blood.
If you're going to write a dark fantasy book that's fine, but have the common courtesy to inform your audience about what they will be reading and update your blurb to be an accurate depiction of what is actually written on these pages. This unfortunately is not a story about a mother hellbent on saving her children. This is a story about poor choices, poor mothering, poor moral and ethical decisions and the reality of coming to terms with how badly they messed up and the cost was lives.
May 7, 2022
I read this so you don’t have to.
May 16, 2022
Not to call out the author or anything but I'm calling out the author- the next time you want to write your r*pe fantasy fanfiction about a beloved fairytale character, keep it in the drafts babe.
I'm going to try to keep this review spoiler free because I don't want to hide it behind the spoiler tag, as I can't in good conscience allow other people to start this book without knowing what they're getting into.
From a personal standpoint, I had a lot of problems with this book. But let's start with a more objective perspective of why this book has received a one star rating from me: the book is just technically bad. From editing errors (Ex. "she's wants" on the bottom of page 201 in the BOTM version. Seriously? Not a single editor caught "she's wants"? The editors didn't even want to read this book, smh.) to sloppy and lazy writing tropes. There is no detail given about anything, not the characters, not the settings, not the activities that are being performed (until the sex but we'll get to that later). The characters were all poorly written caricatures with zero personality besides being, for example, an overbearing mom vs. an angsty teenaged son.
Other than the book just being flat out overall objectively bad, I had a lot of personal beef with it. Holly, our main character, was unlikable and did nothing but make phone calls and have breakdowns about her kids- Oh, and want to sleep with every man she met. Truly, Freud would absolutely love this author because not only did she describe a r*pe scene perpetrated by Peter Pan in detail, she also made it a point to mention that the main character either has slept with or wants to sleep with every man mentioned in this book. Now I'm not here to slut shame (you do you, Holly) but these details add nothing to the story and only serve to perpetuate her stereotype as horny single mom I guess?? Frankly, I was shocked to find that Liz Michalski is a real actual woman and not a pen name for a man because Holly checks all the boxes for "female written by male author" stereotypes.
Other reviewers had many other problems with this book that I will, as a blanket statement, say I agree with and not double down any more. But I didn't see a lot about this so I'll finish here- It generally bothers me when authors decide to write about professions they know nothing about and also decide to not do any research on. Holly is supposed to be this genius doctor of biological sciences but every time her work is brought up it's like "she's doing something with proteins in a lab :)". It's lazy writing. If you're not willing to go all in on this profession, give her a different one.
If you're looking at this review thinking "If you hated this book so much, why did you finish it?" Because I spent good hard earned dollars on it and it was a sunk cost. Basically, I FINISHED IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO START IT.
August 14, 2022
One thing is clear in my mind: Peter Pan as the bad guy will always have a choke on me.
Why? Because it's more realistic than what we tell kids.
You can not have seen the movie or read the story, but everyone knows who Peter Pan is and his story. Wendy, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, Captain Hook and even the alligator. Neverland and magic.
But while some things are difficult to read in other ways - for example, the big wolf being the victim of Red Riding Hood -, Peter Pan has shadows that no other fairy tale has. Why does he take children with him? What is his real story? How far can he go until he starts to feel lonely? Why Captain Hook tries to hurt him with so much effort? Why his shadow tries to run away from him in the first place?
I read a theory once: Peter Pan is like an Angel of death who takes kids’ souls, killing them, because he feels alone on his island. Every time Captain Hook tries to block him from going into the real world, every time he fails. So he keeps taking souls for his enjoyment.
Liz Michalski tried to re-write the classic story setting it in our world but keeping elements of the so-called Neverland, and this was her first mistake. She tried to use magic to explain things she couldn't otherwise explain, but at the same time, she added more cryptic elements to the story, followed by more questions. About Wendy’s past, about what she saw in Neverland; about Eden and her future; about poor Bell and the things she’s seen; about the death of Peter Pan.
The same aspects keep getting clarified over and over till basically the ending, while full important scenes are just mentioned. There are too many plot holes and too less explanations for a book so long.
My intention is not to discourage you to read this book. In fact, I liked it.
But I can't lie, it could have been way better if the author would have taken another path after the first fifty pages or so.
↠ 3 stars
Why? Because it's more realistic than what we tell kids.
You can not have seen the movie or read the story, but everyone knows who Peter Pan is and his story. Wendy, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, Captain Hook and even the alligator. Neverland and magic.
But while some things are difficult to read in other ways - for example, the big wolf being the victim of Red Riding Hood -, Peter Pan has shadows that no other fairy tale has. Why does he take children with him? What is his real story? How far can he go until he starts to feel lonely? Why Captain Hook tries to hurt him with so much effort? Why his shadow tries to run away from him in the first place?
I read a theory once: Peter Pan is like an Angel of death who takes kids’ souls, killing them, because he feels alone on his island. Every time Captain Hook tries to block him from going into the real world, every time he fails. So he keeps taking souls for his enjoyment.
Liz Michalski tried to re-write the classic story setting it in our world but keeping elements of the so-called Neverland, and this was her first mistake. She tried to use magic to explain things she couldn't otherwise explain, but at the same time, she added more cryptic elements to the story, followed by more questions. About Wendy’s past, about what she saw in Neverland; about Eden and her future; about poor Bell and the things she’s seen; about the death of Peter Pan.
The same aspects keep getting clarified over and over till basically the ending, while full important scenes are just mentioned. There are too many plot holes and too less explanations for a book so long.
My intention is not to discourage you to read this book. In fact, I liked it.
But I can't lie, it could have been way better if the author would have taken another path after the first fifty pages or so.
↠ 3 stars
June 28, 2022
About the book: “In this beautiful, grounded, and darkly magical modern-day reimagining of J. M. Barrie's classic, to save her daughter's life one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan--who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be . . .”
Darling Girl is unlike anything I expected. Holly Darling is the granddaughter of Wendy. She owns a skincare company and is a mom. When her daughter who has been bedridden for a number of years disappears, Peter Pan may be the culprit. The dark, sinister Peter Pan.
Darling Girl is a clever tale with twists I did not expect. It’s hard to write a review without spoilers. More than a retelling, it’s a story of motherhood and the sacrifices a mother will make for her children. It’s also a story about aging, with a tip of the hat to the original Peter Pan.
Overall, a modern, twisted take with small glimpses of the classic fairy tale. As with the original, I loved the sense of adventure.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Darling Girl is unlike anything I expected. Holly Darling is the granddaughter of Wendy. She owns a skincare company and is a mom. When her daughter who has been bedridden for a number of years disappears, Peter Pan may be the culprit. The dark, sinister Peter Pan.
Darling Girl is a clever tale with twists I did not expect. It’s hard to write a review without spoilers. More than a retelling, it’s a story of motherhood and the sacrifices a mother will make for her children. It’s also a story about aging, with a tip of the hat to the original Peter Pan.
Overall, a modern, twisted take with small glimpses of the classic fairy tale. As with the original, I loved the sense of adventure.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
May 2, 2022
It was hard to form a connection with any of these characters—I didn’t know enough about them. Who is Holly apart from the mother of Jack and Eden? What is her personality? Why on god’s green earth did she have sex with Peter Pan (SO bizarre)? The only character I understood was Jane. Peter’s characterization makes absolutely no sense. It seemed like the author had some ideas she wanted to play around with and decided to slap the “a Novel of Peter Pan” descriptor on them.
Let’s not even get into how she casually throws in drug abuse and an implication that Wendy was sexually abused by her father—what the hell is that??
The author is also bafflingly unwilling to describe anything. I have no idea what Jack looks like, and the only description of the Darling house is of the garden. It’s only in the second or third scene with Christopher that I found out he’s Irish, but then he uses it as a descriptor for his personality, so it must be important. Visualization is very important for me when I’m reading. I felt like my imagination was blindfolded.
Ultimately, this book suffered from my inevitable comparison to A.C. Wise’s “Wendy, Darling,” a fantastic book and a much better dark reimagining of Peter Pan. My recommendation is to skip this one and read that instead.
Let’s not even get into how she casually throws in drug abuse and an implication that Wendy was sexually abused by her father—what the hell is that??
The author is also bafflingly unwilling to describe anything. I have no idea what Jack looks like, and the only description of the Darling house is of the garden. It’s only in the second or third scene with Christopher that I found out he’s Irish, but then he uses it as a descriptor for his personality, so it must be important. Visualization is very important for me when I’m reading. I felt like my imagination was blindfolded.
Ultimately, this book suffered from my inevitable comparison to A.C. Wise’s “Wendy, Darling,” a fantastic book and a much better dark reimagining of Peter Pan. My recommendation is to skip this one and read that instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2022
It wasn't what I expected. It was okay, but I don't think the Peter Pan, Darling Family connection was really necessary to tell the story the author chose to tell.
On further reflection, I dropped my rating from 3 stars to 2. There were some issues in the story. First and foremost, it probably needs some trigger warnings. There is some disturbing and traumatic stuff that happens to the characters in the book and the author flies past them without any time to process what you read. But, at the same time, the pacing is slow in places and the "action" is repetitive. The main character continually hints at her backstory but it takes forever to finally be told what happened - quite an unnecessary device in this book. The characters are not very likeable nor believable. Finally, the climax happens "off-screen." Overall, the story was just meh and the author's style was a little off-putting.
Ultimately, I was pretty disappointed. I was looking forward to a dark re-telling of Peter Pan. I love reading about a familiar character but with a different perspective on the story. With Peter Pan, there's a lot that could be done with that story as a re-telling. This however, was not a very strong attempt. It feels like the author had two story ideas (one for a kidnapping mystery/suspense and one for a Peter Pan re-telling) and she just decided to lump them together. She would have been far better off keeping these as separate stories and doing each one well instead of putting them together in such a poor attempt.
On further reflection, I dropped my rating from 3 stars to 2. There were some issues in the story. First and foremost, it probably needs some trigger warnings. There is some disturbing and traumatic stuff that happens to the characters in the book and the author flies past them without any time to process what you read. But, at the same time, the pacing is slow in places and the "action" is repetitive. The main character continually hints at her backstory but it takes forever to finally be told what happened - quite an unnecessary device in this book. The characters are not very likeable nor believable. Finally, the climax happens "off-screen." Overall, the story was just meh and the author's style was a little off-putting.
Ultimately, I was pretty disappointed. I was looking forward to a dark re-telling of Peter Pan. I love reading about a familiar character but with a different perspective on the story. With Peter Pan, there's a lot that could be done with that story as a re-telling. This however, was not a very strong attempt. It feels like the author had two story ideas (one for a kidnapping mystery/suspense and one for a Peter Pan re-telling) and she just decided to lump them together. She would have been far better off keeping these as separate stories and doing each one well instead of putting them together in such a poor attempt.
July 17, 2022
Hold onto your pixie dust🧚♂️ this is not your mother’s Peter Pan!! Dark…twisted and a page turner.. this clever retelling kept me glued to the pages!!
This book is burning up Bookstagram and for good reason! We all love Peter Pan right?? ❤️ Well Holly Darling is no different.. in fact.. all the Darling women seem to have fallen under his spell.. but at what cost? Is Peter the good guy we all think .... or does he have a dark.. evil side to him?!
All the fan favorites are here… Peter… Tinkerbell 🧚♂️…and Wendy Darling’s daughter and granddaughter… maybe even a bit of Captain Hook...
That is really all I can share because… you need to read this for yourself… it is so clever.. creative and original… that I never knew what direction it would take… but it is very dark and very twisted.. so consider yourself warned! I love both of these things so I was all in.. let’s just say… I will never look at Peter Pan the same!
Loved this retelling! I just can’t get over how the author was able to respin this! Brilliant! This was also a BOTM pick! 🥳🥳🥳
Thank you for my gifted copy! This cover is gorgeous!
This book is burning up Bookstagram and for good reason! We all love Peter Pan right?? ❤️ Well Holly Darling is no different.. in fact.. all the Darling women seem to have fallen under his spell.. but at what cost? Is Peter the good guy we all think .... or does he have a dark.. evil side to him?!
All the fan favorites are here… Peter… Tinkerbell 🧚♂️…and Wendy Darling’s daughter and granddaughter… maybe even a bit of Captain Hook...
That is really all I can share because… you need to read this for yourself… it is so clever.. creative and original… that I never knew what direction it would take… but it is very dark and very twisted.. so consider yourself warned! I love both of these things so I was all in.. let’s just say… I will never look at Peter Pan the same!
Loved this retelling! I just can’t get over how the author was able to respin this! Brilliant! This was also a BOTM pick! 🥳🥳🥳
Thank you for my gifted copy! This cover is gorgeous!
December 31, 2022
Sick twist on a grown up Darling girl and Peter Pan.
This book was ok for me. Story was fun… some mystery with some suspense, but it’s Peter Pan and Wendy’s granddaughter all grown up, so it was a little quirky.
If you like twisted fairytales gone wrong, this book is for you.
This book was ok for me. Story was fun… some mystery with some suspense, but it’s Peter Pan and Wendy’s granddaughter all grown up, so it was a little quirky.
If you like twisted fairytales gone wrong, this book is for you.
March 23, 2022
DNF at 60% - this sinister twist on peter pan was just a tad too far for me. peter pan a malicious rapist and kidnapper? magic blood? I couldn't continue reading, it was just a buzzkill
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2022
I read this book in two days. Which isn't abnormal, but this reading experience was a little different than normal.
The first day I read I tried to get into the swing of the novel.
The second day (and the day I finished) I had to continue to read / finish this book because it is so fucking bizarre. I... what. I don't think I've had a reading experience like the one I had here in a while. It was so weird that a part of me is concerned about my two star rating. Shouldn't it be at 1? Or does the ideas expressed in this book a two?
I give it 1 star because well, there was some interesting ideas. The other star? I give it because it is so fucking bananas that out of pure entertainment, why the fuck not.
I'm going to try to explain this mess of a narrative for you if you don't choose to read this book, and because I just have to:
Now. After reading all that, you're probably like the fuck did you read? The fuck did I read? You read a weird science fiction semi Peter Pan thriller... fantasy ... romance? I don't know what to call it. I think given other hands this book might have been good, there *may have* been some salvageable bits. But this book ain't the place to drop this in. If you want to take these ideas somewhere, take it to a comic book where this bell-end type story works. Not in fiction and certainly not in a book where the mother is using her own child as a blood bag for her dumb son.
The first day I read I tried to get into the swing of the novel.
The second day (and the day I finished) I had to continue to read / finish this book because it is so fucking bizarre. I... what. I don't think I've had a reading experience like the one I had here in a while. It was so weird that a part of me is concerned about my two star rating. Shouldn't it be at 1? Or does the ideas expressed in this book a two?
I give it 1 star because well, there was some interesting ideas. The other star? I give it because it is so fucking bananas that out of pure entertainment, why the fuck not.
I'm going to try to explain this mess of a narrative for you if you don't choose to read this book, and because I just have to:
Now. After reading all that, you're probably like the fuck did you read? The fuck did I read? You read a weird science fiction semi Peter Pan thriller... fantasy ... romance? I don't know what to call it. I think given other hands this book might have been good, there *may have* been some salvageable bits. But this book ain't the place to drop this in. If you want to take these ideas somewhere, take it to a comic book where this bell-end type story works. Not in fiction and certainly not in a book where the mother is using her own child as a blood bag for her dumb son.
October 28, 2021
*I received a free eARC of this novel from Dutton Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
I read Darling Girl in one day after a storm hit and my town lost power and I’m so glad I already had it downloaded on my Kindle App because I couldn’t put it down. Liz Michalski wrote a novel that pulls you in so quickly that you’re just waiting for what will happen next. As someone that has never actually read Peter Pan but has seen so many movies (Hook being the best by far) I love that Darling Girl follows in Hook’s footsteps with Wendy being a real person living in the real world who’s story was simply shared with the world and that everyone knows Peter Pan because of it. That happening also put more pressure on Holly throughout the novel because she can’t admit to knowing Peter Pan or that she’s looking for him and her daughter who has a magical decease that makes her age quickly and who’s blood can heal others. There are still magic elements but it’s blended so wonderfully into the story that even if someone isn’t a ‘fantasy’ reader that can and will really enjoy this one. It’s also a twist on a story that all of us know so well even if we haven’t read the actual source material. I think it would be hard to meet someone that hasn’t seen at least one Peter Pan film. Darling Girl is the perfect twist on a story that makes it clear that our heroes aren’t always what we believe them to be and that a true hero might not be who we expect them to be in the beginning. I highly recommend you read this novel.
I read Darling Girl in one day after a storm hit and my town lost power and I’m so glad I already had it downloaded on my Kindle App because I couldn’t put it down. Liz Michalski wrote a novel that pulls you in so quickly that you’re just waiting for what will happen next. As someone that has never actually read Peter Pan but has seen so many movies (Hook being the best by far) I love that Darling Girl follows in Hook’s footsteps with Wendy being a real person living in the real world who’s story was simply shared with the world and that everyone knows Peter Pan because of it. That happening also put more pressure on Holly throughout the novel because she can’t admit to knowing Peter Pan or that she’s looking for him and her daughter who has a magical decease that makes her age quickly and who’s blood can heal others. There are still magic elements but it’s blended so wonderfully into the story that even if someone isn’t a ‘fantasy’ reader that can and will really enjoy this one. It’s also a twist on a story that all of us know so well even if we haven’t read the actual source material. I think it would be hard to meet someone that hasn’t seen at least one Peter Pan film. Darling Girl is the perfect twist on a story that makes it clear that our heroes aren’t always what we believe them to be and that a true hero might not be who we expect them to be in the beginning. I highly recommend you read this novel.
September 29, 2022
4.25/5 ⭐
0/5 🌶️
Death. Pain. Innocence. Rape. Keeping secrets. Family ties.
This was a dark and twisted retelling of Peter Pan.
I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it...
Quotes.
"They stay with us, you know. The friends you lost...They're still here.
0/5 🌶️
Death. Pain. Innocence. Rape. Keeping secrets. Family ties.
This was a dark and twisted retelling of Peter Pan.
I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it...
Quotes.
"They stay with us, you know. The friends you lost...They're still here.
June 3, 2022
unfortunate
May 26, 2022
Wasn’t a fan.
Peter as a villain? Fine
Peter as a childlike man but also sexual partner turned rapist? Not a fan. (Probably one of the cringiest parts of this book)
Peter was not a character I could even begin to understand, villainous or no. Also a drug dealer?
Really disappointed that the climax of the book doesn’t even happen on screen.
Really disappointed that Holly abandoned her child overseas for like years? And we really don’t see much growth and connection between Holly and either of her living children.
Really lack luster random love interest with as far as I could tell didn’t really have any drive or chemistry… also he’s Irish apparently but I was told that. I didn’t see it. (Missed opportunity for an accent in the audiobook)
As an author you can make a story dark but give us light? Give us magic and something to hope for. This unfortunately did nothing for me and the relationships barely scratched the surface of what I could even feel remotely attached too.
This is my spiciest review this year and I’m sorry.
TW: rape, drug use, death of a spouse, death of a child, child kidnapping
Peter as a villain? Fine
Peter as a childlike man but also sexual partner turned rapist? Not a fan. (Probably one of the cringiest parts of this book)
Peter was not a character I could even begin to understand, villainous or no. Also a drug dealer?
Really disappointed that the climax of the book doesn’t even happen on screen.
Really disappointed that Holly abandoned her child overseas for like years? And we really don’t see much growth and connection between Holly and either of her living children.
Really lack luster random love interest with as far as I could tell didn’t really have any drive or chemistry… also he’s Irish apparently but I was told that. I didn’t see it. (Missed opportunity for an accent in the audiobook)
As an author you can make a story dark but give us light? Give us magic and something to hope for. This unfortunately did nothing for me and the relationships barely scratched the surface of what I could even feel remotely attached too.
This is my spiciest review this year and I’m sorry.
TW: rape, drug use, death of a spouse, death of a child, child kidnapping
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2022
**My reviews are always unbiased, but in the interest of transparency, please note I received a free copy of this book ahead of its publication (Dutton, May 2022).**
Darling Girl is a dark, modern day ‘sequel’ to J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Doctor Holly Darling, the adult granddaughter of the famous Wendy Darling, is a top dog in the skincare industry, having climbed to success on the back of her family’s famous name and the good genes that go along with it.
Peter Pan? Peter, scram. Holly is a businesswoman to the bone – she has no time for fairy tales. Widowed by a horrific car accident, she reserves her only soft side for her surviving adolescent son, Jack, and her secret daughter, Eden, who has been on life support since another (separate) accident in infancy. At the launch of one of Darling Skin Care’s new products, Holly receives a call. Though she assumes it is the bad news she has lived the past decade sadly anticipating, the revelation is even more shocking. Eden, a comatose girl whose condition has never shown any improvement, is not dead, but missing.
I found the premise a bit shaky during the early chapters, and Holly is not the kind of protagonist it is easy to get behind. Granted, the run of terrible bad luck which constitutes her backstory is sad, but the decisions the narrative reveals she made as a result? We are soon in dubious moral territory.
Though antiheroes are my favourite type of protagonist, Darling Girl seems strangely unwilling to admit Holly has the hallmarks of one. It never quite owns up to the immorality of some of her actions, deflecting with half-excuses and prevarication, despite revealing enough that it is difficult to trust she really has her children’s best interests at heart.
Holly’s familial relationships are far from healthy. This is interesting, but the impression it leaves is less maternal devotion than neurotic obsession, which does not do much to engage readerly sympathy. Holly’s need to maintain absolute control, no matter how much deception this necessitates, is challenged as the novel progresses, but the narrative seems reluctant to let her truly face the music.
As far as retellings go, Darling Girl treats its source material without affection. Its presentation of J.M. Barrie is unflattering, and in some ways this book makes for a queasy read, reinventing Peter in the most grotesque way possible. I like a dark reimagining, but I think this one goes in at a slightly vulgar angle. In my view, the implications of Peter’s essential childness, even though in this version he is presented as more of a man-child than an actual preteen, make some of the explicit scenes uncomfortable to read.
I did like Michalski’s interpretation of Captain Hook and Tinker Bell. A number of references to Peter Pan are woven throughout the book, and these are often subtle, clever and creative. Also, though I am not usually a huge fan of third person present tense, in this case the writing manages to avoid repetitive sentence structures, remaining unobtrusive. There is some beautiful imagery, and towards the end of the book Michalski does capture Holly’s parental desperation. The denouement concludes a convincing redemption arc, and though this book presents an unhappy moral – heroes can be anything but – I think it is a provocative and interesting narrative that manages to do something new with the Peter Pan mythos, rather than just regurgitating the same story in a modern setting.
I must admit, Peter Pan is not among my favourite children’s books, so I cannot review Darling Girl with any especial reverence for its inspiration. That being said, I do understand that there is a vein of darkness which runs through the subtext of the children’s classic, so I can see how the debauched vision of Peter this book presents is not an entirely heretical departure from the original. Personally, I feel Darling Girl is a bit sordid, but there is also dark glitter – enough, perhaps, to keep it from sinking entirely into the gutter.
Darling Girl is a dark, modern day ‘sequel’ to J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Doctor Holly Darling, the adult granddaughter of the famous Wendy Darling, is a top dog in the skincare industry, having climbed to success on the back of her family’s famous name and the good genes that go along with it.
Peter Pan? Peter, scram. Holly is a businesswoman to the bone – she has no time for fairy tales. Widowed by a horrific car accident, she reserves her only soft side for her surviving adolescent son, Jack, and her secret daughter, Eden, who has been on life support since another (separate) accident in infancy. At the launch of one of Darling Skin Care’s new products, Holly receives a call. Though she assumes it is the bad news she has lived the past decade sadly anticipating, the revelation is even more shocking. Eden, a comatose girl whose condition has never shown any improvement, is not dead, but missing.
I found the premise a bit shaky during the early chapters, and Holly is not the kind of protagonist it is easy to get behind. Granted, the run of terrible bad luck which constitutes her backstory is sad, but the decisions the narrative reveals she made as a result? We are soon in dubious moral territory.
Though antiheroes are my favourite type of protagonist, Darling Girl seems strangely unwilling to admit Holly has the hallmarks of one. It never quite owns up to the immorality of some of her actions, deflecting with half-excuses and prevarication, despite revealing enough that it is difficult to trust she really has her children’s best interests at heart.
Holly’s familial relationships are far from healthy. This is interesting, but the impression it leaves is less maternal devotion than neurotic obsession, which does not do much to engage readerly sympathy. Holly’s need to maintain absolute control, no matter how much deception this necessitates, is challenged as the novel progresses, but the narrative seems reluctant to let her truly face the music.
As far as retellings go, Darling Girl treats its source material without affection. Its presentation of J.M. Barrie is unflattering, and in some ways this book makes for a queasy read, reinventing Peter in the most grotesque way possible. I like a dark reimagining, but I think this one goes in at a slightly vulgar angle. In my view, the implications of Peter’s essential childness, even though in this version he is presented as more of a man-child than an actual preteen, make some of the explicit scenes uncomfortable to read.
I did like Michalski’s interpretation of Captain Hook and Tinker Bell. A number of references to Peter Pan are woven throughout the book, and these are often subtle, clever and creative. Also, though I am not usually a huge fan of third person present tense, in this case the writing manages to avoid repetitive sentence structures, remaining unobtrusive. There is some beautiful imagery, and towards the end of the book Michalski does capture Holly’s parental desperation. The denouement concludes a convincing redemption arc, and though this book presents an unhappy moral – heroes can be anything but – I think it is a provocative and interesting narrative that manages to do something new with the Peter Pan mythos, rather than just regurgitating the same story in a modern setting.
I must admit, Peter Pan is not among my favourite children’s books, so I cannot review Darling Girl with any especial reverence for its inspiration. That being said, I do understand that there is a vein of darkness which runs through the subtext of the children’s classic, so I can see how the debauched vision of Peter this book presents is not an entirely heretical departure from the original. Personally, I feel Darling Girl is a bit sordid, but there is also dark glitter – enough, perhaps, to keep it from sinking entirely into the gutter.
April 29, 2022
An absolute ✨ MUST ✨read! Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Darling Girl by Liz Michalski {partner}
Genre: Fantasy
Trope: Retelling
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.3.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
"I want to experience life, really live it, before I die. I want strange new countries and whatever comes with them, whether it be late-night flying lessons, pirates, or fairies. I want the moon and the silver stars and midnight sky all to myself, when everyone is asleep. I have no husband now, no small children, so perhaps it is my turn at last."
I need everyone to read this book so that you can appreciate the magic that Liz Michalski created, and then we can talk about the story, the characters, and all of the little details that were woven within the book. I don't know if I will ever be able to look at Peter Pan the same way again.
I was genuinely mesmerized by Darling Girl. I wanted to read it, but I didn't want it to end. I'd put the book down and instantly start thinking about the story again. It was a dark book, and Peter Pan is certainly not the good guy — the characters all take on a different persona than the original tale. The reader is given a different look into them — they're dirty, addicted, and very flawed. They are no longer the Lost Boys of Neverland. But, the world that Michalski created was magnificent.
I know I keep talking about the author's small details, but they were exquisite. From the 'damaged' Christopher Cooke, the small feather tattoos on a back/shoulder, the mentions of green and silver colors, and sparkly wings adorning a performer at a party. It was simply perfection.
PS. I beg all Hollywood Gods to snatch this up and turn it into a movie.
📖 A dark retelling of Peter Pan
👩👧👦 The lengths a parent will go to keep a child safe
✨ Beautiful details
😍 Christopher Cooke
🕵🏽♀️ An air of mystery
❌ - drug use, rape
I can't think of another story that is similar to this, it was pure magic, and I hope you add it to your reading list.
I need all of your dark retelling recommendations! 👇🏼
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookend....
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Genre: Fantasy
Trope: Retelling
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.3.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
"I want to experience life, really live it, before I die. I want strange new countries and whatever comes with them, whether it be late-night flying lessons, pirates, or fairies. I want the moon and the silver stars and midnight sky all to myself, when everyone is asleep. I have no husband now, no small children, so perhaps it is my turn at last."
I need everyone to read this book so that you can appreciate the magic that Liz Michalski created, and then we can talk about the story, the characters, and all of the little details that were woven within the book. I don't know if I will ever be able to look at Peter Pan the same way again.
I was genuinely mesmerized by Darling Girl. I wanted to read it, but I didn't want it to end. I'd put the book down and instantly start thinking about the story again. It was a dark book, and Peter Pan is certainly not the good guy — the characters all take on a different persona than the original tale. The reader is given a different look into them — they're dirty, addicted, and very flawed. They are no longer the Lost Boys of Neverland. But, the world that Michalski created was magnificent.
I know I keep talking about the author's small details, but they were exquisite. From the 'damaged' Christopher Cooke, the small feather tattoos on a back/shoulder, the mentions of green and silver colors, and sparkly wings adorning a performer at a party. It was simply perfection.
PS. I beg all Hollywood Gods to snatch this up and turn it into a movie.
📖 A dark retelling of Peter Pan
👩👧👦 The lengths a parent will go to keep a child safe
✨ Beautiful details
😍 Christopher Cooke
🕵🏽♀️ An air of mystery
❌ - drug use, rape
I can't think of another story that is similar to this, it was pure magic, and I hope you add it to your reading list.
I need all of your dark retelling recommendations! 👇🏼
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookend....
Follow my blog: https://thebookenddiner.com/
Follow me on StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
June 13, 2022
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton Books) for promotional purposes.
Wow! What a book! This was a dark retelling/reimagining of Peter Pan that managed to creep me out quite a bit. This book won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it worked.
I loved the dark take on Peter Pan. There is something inherently a little sinister about the original story and this book really delved into that. It made me rethink the classic story and want to rewatch the Disney movie.
The story moved at a good pace, with everything unraveling at the right time. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked and turning the pages. This book kept me guessing until the very end.
As for the characters, I liked the incorporation of the original Peter Pan characters. The main characters from Peter Pan (Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook) are either characters in this book or mentioned/incorporated in some way. I also enjoyed the dynamic between the main character, Holly Darling, and her mom, Jane Darling (the daughter of Wendy). They had a very complex mother-daughter relationship that grew as the story went on.
Overall, if you love Peter Pan and want to explore a darker side to the classic tale, then read this book!
Wow! What a book! This was a dark retelling/reimagining of Peter Pan that managed to creep me out quite a bit. This book won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it worked.
I loved the dark take on Peter Pan. There is something inherently a little sinister about the original story and this book really delved into that. It made me rethink the classic story and want to rewatch the Disney movie.
The story moved at a good pace, with everything unraveling at the right time. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked and turning the pages. This book kept me guessing until the very end.
As for the characters, I liked the incorporation of the original Peter Pan characters. The main characters from Peter Pan (Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook) are either characters in this book or mentioned/incorporated in some way. I also enjoyed the dynamic between the main character, Holly Darling, and her mom, Jane Darling (the daughter of Wendy). They had a very complex mother-daughter relationship that grew as the story went on.
Overall, if you love Peter Pan and want to explore a darker side to the classic tale, then read this book!
May 15, 2022
I'm struggling to review this one. This was a dark re-telling of Peter Pan. It had a Once Upon a Time feel because Peter Pan was bad and Hook was good. Everything going on with Holly's daughter had the Renesme feel from Twilight.
The main problem I had was with the plot. It felt like there were holes and things that were rushed over. I really didn't like how we had flashbacks of the past, but you weren't given any warning that's what was happening. Several times I had to re-read a portion because I wasn't sure which tense we were in. It was frustrating.
I also felt like Holly was partially to blame for some of the chaos in her life. The woman wasn't honest with anyone, really. She continued to lie even when people were trying to help her. I get that mothers will do anything for their children, but this was a little much.
I 100% didn't buy into her relationship at the end (I won't say in case it will ruin it for people). I felt no chemistry between these two. And if I'm being honest, I think that's where the problem is with me. I didn't feel anything with the characters.
The main problem I had was with the plot. It felt like there were holes and things that were rushed over. I really didn't like how we had flashbacks of the past, but you weren't given any warning that's what was happening. Several times I had to re-read a portion because I wasn't sure which tense we were in. It was frustrating.
I also felt like Holly was partially to blame for some of the chaos in her life. The woman wasn't honest with anyone, really. She continued to lie even when people were trying to help her. I get that mothers will do anything for their children, but this was a little much.
I 100% didn't buy into her relationship at the end (I won't say in case it will ruin it for people). I felt no chemistry between these two. And if I'm being honest, I think that's where the problem is with me. I didn't feel anything with the characters.
May 15, 2022
Y’all have got to start reading the stuff you are recommending and doing ads for….
CW: Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, Child death, Car accident, Grief, Sexual Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Chronic Illness, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Medical procedures without Consent, Kidnapping, AND MORE.
CW: Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, Child death, Car accident, Grief, Sexual Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Chronic Illness, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Medical procedures without Consent, Kidnapping, AND MORE.
May 9, 2022
You would think we had gotten over stupid female tropes but here we go again. Holly Darling is the granddaughter of the famous Wendy Darling and has lived a tragic life (victim trope) but when her daughter, a comatose child and spawn of Peter Pan, comes up missing, she has to quit her business (sacrificial mom trope) to go find her. Also, she has been using her daughter’s blood (virgin sacrifice trope) to save her son (women sacrificing body and soul to save their men trope). These tropes keep playing over and over in various forms like an old-fashioned reel with the mysterious stranger who can be saved trope mixed in. Add in a beloved character who is a sadistic rapist and that’s this book. The women seemed strong if you weren’t paying attention, but rather than being trapped between the real and magical worlds, they seemed to be trapped in weak and pathetic tropes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
I will keep my own version of Peter Pan sacred in my heart. ❤️ This one is sadly not the one.
June 18, 2022
Anytime I can dive into a Peter Pan retelling, I will do it with zero hesitations. So, it's safe to assume I screamed full of joy and excitement once I saw Darling Girl within my BOTM box. I wouldn't necessarily say I hesitated to jump into this book because I don't feel like I did. It's just the outside world pushing into my reading world that sort of distracted me from this. Eventually, I made me way into this book and completely devoured it all.
Every time I jump into a Peter Pan retelling, I get confused. It's safe to state that Peter Pan is just a confusing guy overall. Yet, each retelling I read always brings me a different side to him, the lost boys, neverland, and the darling family. They are all unique in their own way and so easy to get lost into. I don't think I've found out that I completely hated but some are harder to digest than others.
This one definitely confused me for the most part. At first, I didn't know how Peter fit into this but once I did - it was a huge lightbulb kind of moment. I also really enjoyed how dark things could get. Have I read darker ones? Sure. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the heck out of this one. Shoot, I read it in one freaking sitting.
In the end, I'm so happy that I own this beautiful book. I feel like it's just one of those that I'll be re-reading for the rest of my life. Or until I get sick of it. Either way, I'm happy to return to any version of Peter.
Every time I jump into a Peter Pan retelling, I get confused. It's safe to state that Peter Pan is just a confusing guy overall. Yet, each retelling I read always brings me a different side to him, the lost boys, neverland, and the darling family. They are all unique in their own way and so easy to get lost into. I don't think I've found out that I completely hated but some are harder to digest than others.
This one definitely confused me for the most part. At first, I didn't know how Peter fit into this but once I did - it was a huge lightbulb kind of moment. I also really enjoyed how dark things could get. Have I read darker ones? Sure. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the heck out of this one. Shoot, I read it in one freaking sitting.
In the end, I'm so happy that I own this beautiful book. I feel like it's just one of those that I'll be re-reading for the rest of my life. Or until I get sick of it. Either way, I'm happy to return to any version of Peter.
June 9, 2022
How was this a book of the month pick?? This was so bad it actually made me consider cancelling my subscription.
This book lacked all trigger warnings when I picked it. Apparently TW’s are there now, but they should’ve been there before.
This was marketed as a Peter Pan “retelling” with a dark twist. I expected the dark twist to be along the lines of the Grimm brothers stories. I did not expect a personal fan fiction where Peter Pan SA’s the main character in detail. No, let that sink in. It wasn’t enough to just have him be someone who traps Lost Boys forever or something. Or have him kidnap people. Or find literally any other “dark twist”.
The writing was bad. So bad it was distracting. It was lazy. How many times are you going to tell us the same information over and over? This book was the very epitome of tell, not show. The main character somehow knew exactly what everyone was thinking, and how? Someone would so much as look in her direction, and suddenly we knew every thought in their head? Keep in mind we’re in third person limited POV here. But at times suddenly Holly was our omniscient narrator. Like, okay? She’s a genius, apparently.
This book also had my absolute least favorite tropes as plot devices. Lying and keeping secrets for the sole purpose of the plot? It serves no actual other purpose? And it didn’t even serve the plot?? Please literally anything else.
How was this book written by a woman? The main character, Holly, was a caricature of what an unreliable, neurotic woman might be. She lacks all depth except for the fact that she has had or wanted to have relations with Every. Single. Man. In. The. Book. (Except for her son, who’s not a man. And yet she describes him as a ladies man that grown women are in to???????)
Every single character was flat, except maybe one, (Captain Hook inspired) but that itself was blatant fan fiction of Once Upon a Time. There was also a complete rip-off of Tangled, but I won’t say what since this is spoiler-free.
Seriously, this was fan fiction. And maybe a quarantine project??
This book lacked all trigger warnings when I picked it. Apparently TW’s are there now, but they should’ve been there before.
This was marketed as a Peter Pan “retelling” with a dark twist. I expected the dark twist to be along the lines of the Grimm brothers stories. I did not expect a personal fan fiction where Peter Pan SA’s the main character in detail. No, let that sink in. It wasn’t enough to just have him be someone who traps Lost Boys forever or something. Or have him kidnap people. Or find literally any other “dark twist”.
The writing was bad. So bad it was distracting. It was lazy. How many times are you going to tell us the same information over and over? This book was the very epitome of tell, not show. The main character somehow knew exactly what everyone was thinking, and how? Someone would so much as look in her direction, and suddenly we knew every thought in their head? Keep in mind we’re in third person limited POV here. But at times suddenly Holly was our omniscient narrator. Like, okay? She’s a genius, apparently.
This book also had my absolute least favorite tropes as plot devices. Lying and keeping secrets for the sole purpose of the plot? It serves no actual other purpose? And it didn’t even serve the plot?? Please literally anything else.
How was this book written by a woman? The main character, Holly, was a caricature of what an unreliable, neurotic woman might be. She lacks all depth except for the fact that she has had or wanted to have relations with Every. Single. Man. In. The. Book. (Except for her son, who’s not a man. And yet she describes him as a ladies man that grown women are in to???????)
Every single character was flat, except maybe one, (Captain Hook inspired) but that itself was blatant fan fiction of Once Upon a Time. There was also a complete rip-off of Tangled, but I won’t say what since this is spoiler-free.
Seriously, this was fan fiction. And maybe a quarantine project??
May 27, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
As a kid I always wanted to be whisked away to Never Never Land and hang with Peter and Tinkerbell and the lost boys but don’t go into this one thinking it’s all pixie dust and fun times. 🫢🫣
This modern and very dark reimagining was quite well done. The author pretty much flips this classic upside down and sprinkles turn to dust and ash.
I thought it was fresh and clever and the narrator was fantastic. Thank you PRH audio for the gifted audiobook.
I did find my mind drifting a few times near the end and a certain something (also a trigger for some) a little unnecessary but all in all a solid tale to get swept away in. I don’t think I’ll ever look at Peter the same.
As a kid I always wanted to be whisked away to Never Never Land and hang with Peter and Tinkerbell and the lost boys but don’t go into this one thinking it’s all pixie dust and fun times. 🫢🫣
This modern and very dark reimagining was quite well done. The author pretty much flips this classic upside down and sprinkles turn to dust and ash.
I thought it was fresh and clever and the narrator was fantastic. Thank you PRH audio for the gifted audiobook.
I did find my mind drifting a few times near the end and a certain something (also a trigger for some) a little unnecessary but all in all a solid tale to get swept away in. I don’t think I’ll ever look at Peter the same.
May 28, 2022
3 ⭐️
TW: rape
**Update: I know I said I would write a review, but honestly I have no recollection of this novel. Felt like a dream that I can’t fully remember after waking up😭💔**
I’ll be writing a review later but one thing I did want to mention is that this isn’t a Peter Pan retelling. It is sort of hinted at but it’s more of a Peter Pan inspired book (from anything I’ve read at least, I know there are many Peter Pan books and retellings out there). This probably makes no sense but I’ll try to explain it in my review. It was okay though!
TW: rape
**Update: I know I said I would write a review, but honestly I have no recollection of this novel. Felt like a dream that I can’t fully remember after waking up😭💔**
May 4, 2023
1.5 Stars
This is a dark retelling of a Peter Pan, although I use retelling loosely. It’s more like a sequel since the main character, Holly, is the granddaughter of Wendy. I felt uncomfortable many times while reading this and didn’t fully understand some of the plot choices. I think if the Peter Pan aspect was taken out and instead this was a mystery of Holly’s missing daughter and an element of magical realism, it would have worked better. But aspects of Peter Pan oftentimes felt forced and sometimes silly.
I did think they writing was good and would try another book by Michalski, but this just wasn’t for me.
TW:
This is a dark retelling of a Peter Pan, although I use retelling loosely. It’s more like a sequel since the main character, Holly, is the granddaughter of Wendy. I felt uncomfortable many times while reading this and didn’t fully understand some of the plot choices. I think if the Peter Pan aspect was taken out and instead this was a mystery of Holly’s missing daughter and an element of magical realism, it would have worked better. But aspects of Peter Pan oftentimes felt forced and sometimes silly.
I did think they writing was good and would try another book by Michalski, but this just wasn’t for me.
TW:
July 19, 2022
I’m going to have to refresh my memory before writing this review. I finished ages ago and forgot to update and write my review. So full rtc!!!
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