Fairies and the Quest for Never Land

Disney Fairies #3

by Gail Carson Levine, David Christiana (Illustrator)

Gwendolyn Carlisle loves fairies, perhaps too much. On her birthday, she receives the precious “kiss” necklace which has been passed down from mother to daughter ever since Peter Pan gave it to Wendy Darling. That night, Gwendolyn has the first of her visions—tantalizing, lifelike visions, almost as if she were actually in Fairy Haven. She sees animaltalent fairy Beck give a pie to wise Mother Dove and hears the voices of water-talent Rani and even Tinker Bell herself.

More than anything, Gwendolyn wishes she could be there. When she is just about to lose hope, Peter Pan comes at last and blows fairy dust on her. The instant they reach Never Land, she sets out to find fairies. But the fairies are not eager to meet her.

Then the evil Kyto, a dragon the fairies once helped to capture, escapes. He intends to destroy Never Land, starting with Fairy Haven. The fairies have but one they must stop Kyto. As they set out on their desperate quest—a quest that could be their very last—the fairies must decide if Gwendolyn can help or hinder. . . .

Infused with magic and feeling, and bursting with excitement, this thrilling tale is the third in the celebrated series of illustrated novels from Newbery Honor winning author Gail Carson Levine and renowned illustrator David Christiana.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fairies, Fiction, Audiobook, Adventure

222 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Just letting you all know: I'm only going to review books I love. There's enough negative criticism without me piling on. A book is too hard to write.

Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a 1790 farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bright illustrations really capture the fairies and were the major draw of this book for me. My favorite is the one on the inside cover of Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Jane Mary Darling Carlisle is a descendant of Wendy Darling and has a special necklace passed down to her which allows her to see visions and conversations from Never land. Although, Never land can show some half truths. Gwendolyn has always held out for the day Peter Pan would come to take her to Never land and she can finally be among the fairies. Peter on the other hand wants her to tell stories to the Lost Boys, clean and darn clothing just as Wendy did in the past. It's no wonder she is more interested in visiting with the fairies and once Peter Pan comes she spends more time on Fairy Haven where the action of the story begins to unfold. Peter Pan didn't have much of a role in this story and I wish there were less talk about each fairies special talent and more action.

[Valerie Cotnoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third (or fourth?) time reading. I almost always listen to the audiobook because it feels so cozy and nostalgic. Will always love this little series!

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I liked the idea of a human girl visiting Neverland, this story felt rushed and a bit messy. It seemed to contradict its own rules and even read differently than the first two books. Pretty skippable unless you really want to read a book where Vidia falls in love with a dragon. I adore Pixie Hollow and the art is beautiful, but the 1st Gail Carson Levine book is truly worth tracking down whereas the 2nd and 3rd could be skipped without too much worry.

[Semo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was very sweet. I found the idea of a human working alongside the fairies interesting, and I'm glad Tink finally had an experience with a human that didn't end on bad terms.

The relationship between Gwendolyn and the fairies was as cute as it was infuriating at times, but ultimately the lesson in these books is always that we need to accept everyone the way they are, even with their flaws. I'm glad the author doesn't shy away from making truly flawed characters; it can be a fine line to walk, but I think it's done well.

I have to add I found it so funny how Peter and the lost boys are showcased in these books. It's such a breath of fresh air compared to what we're shown in the movies.

[Zoe Kaylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the best of the three imo. Unfortunately I don't like these as much as when I was younger, but it was still a fun, easy read.

[amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

read May 7, 2025 - May 7, 2025: 4 stars

[Shazzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Prilla. Love you little thing. And David Christiana's work is predictably beautiful.

I love having a Clumsy in Pixie Hollow, and bringing Peter and the lost boys back into the mix. There is something inherently eternal about not only Peter, but Wendy as well. As long as the window is open, he will come.

[Sharla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enchanting book by Gail Carson Levine! I didn't love this one as much as the previous two in the series, but it was still enjoyable. She never rehashes the same ideas which I appreciate. Even in these books which are border-line picture books, she always makes sure to do something new and tackle different ideas.

[Soumaya Hajji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gwendolyn got to live out all our childhood dreams 🥹

[Sara Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Gail Carson Levine and have since I first saw Ella Enchanted. That movie was so great that I had to read the book. I loved the book (one of those situations where I loved both equally). I went on to read more books by her and discovered her fairy tales. She has re-written some fairy tales and they are great. I originally thought the Fairy books were similar to those but soon discovered they were not. I was a little disappointed because I had an expectation and I am not sure I would have picked up this book if I had known. All in all, I enjoyed it.
Now I have been purposely vague because I want to explain what the Fairy books are. This particular series is based on the Disney Fairies from the Tinkerbell movies. I can understand the popularity of the Peter Pan offshoot but I am more of a purist. I don't necessarily like it. I can't explain why and I can't explain exactly what it is I don't like. I just tend to avoid such things.
Fairies and the Quest for Neverland was a great book. Gwendolyn is the great great (maybe more) granddaughter of Wendy. Every generation a girl is selected to take Wendy's place in Neverland for a short period of time and Gwendolyn can not wait for it to be her turn. She waits for years, dreaming about the fairies that live there. When her time comes, she spends her time with the fairies instead of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. While there, Kyto, the dragon, escapes from his cage and Gwendolyn helps the fairies capture him before he destroys Neverland.
There were some things I really liked about this story but it had a few things I didn't like. I understand it's a fairy tale and it's a juvenile book but I thought the capturing of Kyto was too thrown together. There was a lot of waiting for Peter Pan in the beginning that could have been skipped to give more time to the ending. I, also, found Gwendolyn's obsession with the fairies a little unnerving - she didn't seem to be interested in anything else but the fairies. She, also, had a lot of personality issues. Maybe I am being picky. It wasn't my favorite Gail Carson Levine book and won't be a series I pick up again but I think for young girls who love the Disney Fairies this will be a great series. Disney certainly has some great books coming out and I think that anything that gets a kid reading is worth getting into their hands.

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a delight to reread this childhood story!

Anyone who knows me knows I love fairies, pixie dust, glitter, and alll the magical things. I've loved Gail Carson Levine's work since I was a kid and when she came out with this trilogy that then kicked off Disney's Disney Fairies, it felt like an extra special treat.

I reread the first two recently and am finally getting back to the third so I can plow through the Disney Fairies chapter books. These aren't any writing masterpiece so to speak, but they are so full of light and hope and magic. They're delightful stories in an incredible world that I'm happy to get lost in, nostalgic or not.

Much like the first two, this book is charming with such beautiful and compelling illustrations. I have always loved the illustrator (for both these and the Disney Fairies chapter books, too). The illustrations really give life to the quirky world Levine built. It's a fun story with a quick-paced plot, perfect for early elementary aged kids (or those of us with childlike wonder lodged in our hearts). It's a bit like an extended chapter book, easy to read, lots of good stopping places, and fun characters.

This one features a descendant of Wendy herself, though she's far more interested in fairies than Peter Pan. She loves them as much as so many readers do and when her chance to spend a vacation in Neverland comes, she spends as much time with the fairies as she can. Gwendolyn has never been my favorite for some reason, but she's cute and her love for the fairies is totally relatable. She bravely faces her insecurity and fear and ultimately shows readers humility and sacrifice. And, of course, I love how the fairies adopt her into their fascinating culture.

An enchanting world to get lost in, a world of magic and wonder, possibilities, and endless imagination. With a plot to save Neverland from an evil dragon, where even unlikely characters are given grace and rise to the occasion. It's a heartfelt little story I'd be delighted to read to my kids one day.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever thought that fairies were real? Well Gwendolyn knows their real. Peter Pan took Wendy to Neverland he gave her a kiss or a acorn and a button. Now that acorn has a sort of connection to Neverland. Gwendolyn, whose ancestor is Wendy, was given the kiss as a birthday present. Ever since then the kiss has been giving her visions of fairies in Neverland. She loves fairies, so when Peter Pan finally takes her to Neverland she immediately begins her search for fairies. Unfortunately the fairies don't want to see her, but when they do see her Mother Dove warns her to "Beware" for her love for fairies might just hurt one . Later on she gets a dream from the kiss that Kyto the dragon has broken free! Follow Gwendolyn throughout her adventure defeating Kyto, and experiencing the ways of fairies.

i liked this book because,at the end of the book everything doesn't just flow smoothly without any cracks, there are some surprises. My favorite part was when they defeated Kyto. I liked that part because it's when Gwendolyn realizes that being a friend doesn't mean to protect someone from something, it means to accept the way your friend is and be a friend back to them. Also its one of the most exciting parts in the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, realistic fiction, fiction,or any other book in this series.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Gwendolyn is a descendant of Wendy Darling. Each of the female descendants since Wendy has gone to Never Land with Peter Pan during their childhood to clean for the Lost Boys and Peter. Gwendolyn has been handed down the "kiss" that Peter gave to Wendy, and this artifact has given her glimpses into life on Never Land.

Gwendolyn is very interested in fairies, particularly Tinkerbell. When she finally gets to Never Land the first thing she does is go in search for Fairy Hollow.

Gwendolyn helps the fairies save Never Land from Kyoto the Dragon after he escapes from his prison with the help of some innocent tiffen boys.

This is a fun book to read.

[Emily Pote · Rating 2 out of 5]

This little series is surprisingly good. The premise is that every daughter of Wendy goes to Never Land in their youth. Gwendolyn longs to travel to Never Land to meet not Peter, but Tink and the fairies. However, when she finally arrives, she is told there is danger coming to Never Land and she may or may not be the cause of it! David Christiana's art is fantastic and I truly enjoyed this quick little read.

[LPR · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute. If you pick this up and then don't read it because it looks like it is written for seven-year-olds, you have done yourself a great disservice, and I feel sorry for you. I love these books, dearly.
Plus the art is amazing, just perfect.

**Gail Carson Levine fans** There is a special treat just for us at the very end of this book, look for it. :) I love it!

[Anna Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a nice listen. A clumsy (human) girl in Wendy's line is finally taken to Neverland. She has seen visions of fairies and loves them dearly. Her time with the fairies might come to a quick ending since Kito, the dragon, has accidentally been freed.
We liked the book, but it was just ok.

[Desiree' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling read but not like the other books in the series.
The other two previous books captured my heart more than the trilogy book in this fairies series.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this with my daughter in the car. Cute book to listen to.

[Tamra Oscroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute story, but I was disappointed that the fairies weren't more accepting of a "Clumsy"!

[Elly Senz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts out creepy because Peter is just farming mom's out of Wendy's family line, but then it gets better and twisty.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never written a book review yet that didn't have some kind of tedious tag on it explaining how and why I ended up reading the book, so I won't break the old tradition now. For some reason, my local King Kullen seems to have a pretty large selection of books for children featuring fairies.

I recently stumbled upon an Emma Rodda book being sold for two dollars in the bargain bin, the kind I was entranced by the second I grew old enough to stray from the picture-book section at my library, but I digress. Somewhere amidst the romance novels for bored adults, the magazines for Jonas Brothers-loving tweens and the picture books for babies, there are the fairy books for five-year-olds, most of which feature the queen of all fairies, Tinker Bell.

Yes, I know that my calling her "the queen" doesn't make much sense. In old stories the queen of the fairies is Titania, and in this particular book a young lady named Clarion claims the distinction of queenhood, but if you asked a child who truly deserves to rule the fair folk, that child would undoubtedly answer, "Tinker Bell." Her creator, J.M. Barrie, would likely disagree with them; after all, as Peter says in the original novel, "'She's quite a common fairy. She's called 'Tinker Bell' because she does the pots and pans.'"

But Wendy Darling, though much abused at the hands of Tink, would be just as eager to crown her queen as any other child. Little girls love Tinker Bell, and the people who run King Kullen know this and put plenty of "Disney Fairies" books in easy reach--chapter books, picture books, easy-readers, there's even a Disney Fairies magazine. Disney's got quite a budding franchise with this Disney Fairies thing, and it seems to have all but replaced the franchise popular when I was little, Disney Princesses.

I stood in King Kullen paging through Disney Fairies magazine one day, while a couple of my sisters stood by and mocked my enduring obsession with all things fairy. To my disappointment the magazine was full of overly-simple comics for beginning readers and embarrassingly easy connect-the-dots puzzles. It was as if the magazine itself mocked me. "You're sixteen years old!" it seemed to say. "Never Land sure looks lame now, doesn't it? Yeah, fairies are for babies. Go to the check-out line and read a tabloid like a good teenager."

But before I could put the whole thing down in shame, a little advertisement caught my eye. An advertisement for this very book, and I knew, then, that my suffering through Disney's money-making junk had not been in vain, for Gail Carson Levine had returned to save the day and to restore the true Tinker Bell to me in a blaze of fairy dust and glory.

You see, I'll give the people at Disney credit--for every two thousand dumb ideas they have, they seem to come up with one amazing idea that makes all the idiocy worth it. And the best, most unlikely, most amazing idea these people ever had was to kick off their Tinker Bell series with a book by Gail Carson Levine, who I, ever a heroine-worshipper, would now like to dub the queen of modern fairy tales.

These Tinker Bell books of Gail Carson Levine's were written to accommodate the Disney Tinker Bell. Hence, Tink's described as having a ponytail, and the original Lost Boys still reside in her Never Land despite the fact that J.M. Barrie had them get adopted by the Darlings and grow up along with Wendy and her brothers. In the Disney movie, the boys never left Peter. Needless to say, that heart-shattering little mention of Tinker Bell being--gasp--dead at the end of the novel is completely thrown away here, and Captain Hook's doing just as well as if the crocodile never ate him. (Being a geek, I came up with a whole complicated theory as to why they're still around, which ties in with the single best Peter Pan sequel ever penned, Peter Pan in Scarlet. I'm not sure if Gail Carson Levine's read that one, though.) To make all of this work, Levine has designed it so that everyone in Neverland, not just Peter and the boys, is in possession of eternal youth, and all this is thanks to a magic egg watched by Mother Dove, a wise bird chosen by Never Land to guard its immortality. If the egg ever breaks or goes cold, it will cease to live and the magic of Never Land will be gone--the entire first book revolved around the need to keep the egg warm and safe.

But even though Levine's got her head buried, by necessity, in Disney, her heart is firmly anchored in J.M. Barrie. So, having read her other two Tinker Bell-themed adventures, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg and Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand, I wasn't at all surprised when I opened this book to a chapter about a young ancestor of Wendy's receiving, as a birthday present, a very special necklace with an acorn button on it. That's right, it's Peter's "kiss", something you'll never see in a Disney movie, even though it was important enough to save Wendy's life in the original book. As a matter of fact, it saved Wendy from an evil plot orchestrated by Tinker Bell herself, and I smiled to think of how much fun my friend Levine was having, smuggling Barrie's edgy Tink to children everywhere in Walt Disney's cartoony clothing. Just like in any girl-powered children's franchise, every character gets an attention-grabbing superpower, or a "talent" as it's known in Tink's universe--a blank to fill in with "water-talent", "singing-talent" or "light-talent". But what is Tink's talent? She mends pots and pans. In fact, she's got a fondness for cookware and an utter fixation with repairing it. It's even hinted in the first book that one of the things that made her love Peter was the word "Pan" in his name. (She describes him as "'as nice as a frying pan"'.) It makes you remember that Barrie's Tink was a child, albeit an often heartless one. Part of the point of Peter Pan is that innocence and heartlessness go hand-in-hand.

But this Tinker Bell isn't mean. Far from it. In fact, Levine's Tinker Bell is kind and well-intentioned, even if she is occasionally tactless and a little stiff like a "bronze statue". The first book establishes that she's had her heart broken by Peter Pan, and that the defenses she's formed as a result are so high, they can't even be breeched by the constant attentions of Terence, a likable heartthrob of a "sparrow man" (there's a touch of pure Levine, a charming nickname for male fairies) who's madly in love with her. Tink's angelic tendencies in this and the other Levine books makes sense in the light of the fact that, according to J.M. Barrie, "sometimes she was all good". Fairies are too small to experience more than one emotion at a time. Tink's either jealous and spiteful enough to commit murder or loving and sweet enough to sacrifice her own life, and loving, sweet, self-sacrificing Tink carries the day here. Apparently, everyone's loving sides carry the day. Even though the fairies are a bit of a bad lot in Barrie, all of Levine's fairies are extremely kind, with the exception of Vidia, the designated bully--and even she's got a good side, though it's buried deep.

Stereotypical as that sounds, it's well pulled-off by the author. Vidia's meanness isn't necessarily a bad thing. As Gwendolyn, Levine's little Wendy descendant, sees it, "She was by no means perfect, but she was perfectly Vidia. Fairies were concentrated, like bouillon cubes. That's what Gwendolyn loved most about them, their concentratedness."

Gwendolyn is a fitting heroine for all little girls who love fairies and Tink most of all, and early in the story she tries to explain her favoritism of Tink to her parents and grandmother--Tink's become something of a family enemy, since she tried to kill Wendy. "Even though Tink believes she isn't emotional, she feels more than anyone," Gwendolyn tells them. "If another fairy is in trouble, Tink wants to fix her. If I were in trouble on Never Land, Tink would help me if she could."

These seem like the words of any fairy-forgiving little girl--Wendy might have spoken them herself--but Gwendolyn's not just theorizing. She's seen Tink and her fairy friends quite a few times in visions brought on by Peter's kiss, now a family heirloom clasped in silver. In fact, Gwendolyn's dream in life is to go to Never Land and visit the fairies in person. When she's nearly ten, Peter drops by for his customary two-week kidnapping of the latest daughter in the Wendy line, which makes for plenty of allusions to the original story. ("'Boy, why are you crying?'" Gwendolyn asks Peter as he sits and weeps over her mother's having grown up, mentally noting that these are "the traditional words".) Gwendolyn's thrilled, even though she hates having to go to Never Land in her unromantic modern-day school uniform "and worst of all, sneakers--the unfairy footwear." Gwendolyn was described by her grandmother in the very first sentence as looking like "'Wendy Darling returned to life'", and Peter never seems to remember that she's not, in fact, Wendy. But almost as soon as she's reached Never Land, she ditches the Lost Boys and Peter, so eager is she to have a private audience with the fairies. Gwendolyn is fairy-obsessed to a degree that even the old Wendy never was.

None of the fairies have a problem with Gwendolyn's discovery of their home, but for some reason, there seems to be a bit of suspicion surrounding her, and she soon finds out that Mother Dove actually warned the fairies to hide from her. She hunts up Mother Dove, seeking an explanation, and Mother Dove tells her that she loves fairies "'too much.'"

If you've ever read a book like The Indian in the Cupboard or Mistress Masham's Repose, you probably understand where this is going. Tiny people can't take too much tough love from children, and children have trouble taking their hands away from tiny people. Gwendolyn's allowed to hang around Fairy Haven, as long as she heeds Mother Dove's advice to "beware", but this is very hard for her to do. After all, fairies are "a million times more fun to play with than dolls." The Never Fairies aren't dolls, and they get offended when Gwendolyn asks if she can take a few of them home. They also don't need human help arranging their furniture and they sure as heck don't want to be picked up, although they're more than willing to gently alight on Gwendolyn's outstretched hand.

Gwendolyn seems childish even for a girl who's almost ten--she hiccups when she's nervous and she thinks in short sentences--but she's smart enough to avoid near occasions of sin, and she treats the fairies with constant respect. Since these books are fairy-based, she doesn't spend a whole lot of time with Peter. When she does, the scenes feel nice and natural, simply written scenes of playing around on the beach and talking with the Lost Boys. There's a little of the inevitable contrasting between Gwendolyn, a modern girl, and the old-fashioned Wendy--at one point she asks Peter what he'd do if an ice-breathing dragon attacked Never Land, and when he says, "'I'd fight him'" she wonders why he automatically assumed that the hypothetical dragon was a boy. It's lame, but fortunately it's easy to ignore. Even if Gwendolyn's a little more detached from Peter than her lovestruck ancestors, seeing as her heart belongs to the fairies, the two of them are good friends. I still would have loved, with all my heart, to see more Peter, but his absence won't bother younger readers who, like Gwendolyn, are really there for wings and fairy dust.

Unfortuntely, Never Land's fairy-devouring dragon, Kyto (another Levine creation--Levine loves her dragons), breaks loose from his prison in time for the story to have a plot, and the fairies are on their guard. Gwendolyn insists on sticking around to help them at her own peril--that's what Wendy would have done. She does some helping and she does some hindering while Tink carefully constructs a beautiful collar to entrap Kyto in. Along the way, Gwendolyn discovers that there's a traitor among the fairies--who else but Vidia? And thus we're introduced to what has to be the most unlikely romance to ever occur in a Peter Pan book--Vidia and Kyto are in love with each other. Honest-to-goodness love, no trickery on either side, even though Kyto still doesn't see a problem with gulping down all the other fairies, just as long as Vidia is okay. Even after Kyto is cleverly recaptured--with the help of Vidia--they continue to hang around together like a honeymooning couple.
A fairy in love with a dragon. Well, come to think of it, why not? Tinker Bell's in love with an eternally prepubescent human.

Just as Levine weaves Barrie, Disney and herself together to form the story, the illustrator, David Christiana, puts his own spin on Disney artwork to form the illustrations. The stuff he does verges on modern artwork, but a few things remind me of old fairy-tale books, particularly the dragon Kyto, who looks just like Smaug in my old Michael Hauge-illustrated copy of The Hobbit. There's a page I always smile looking at that has Christiana's take on the animal-clad Disney versions of the lost boys rendered like a couple of tiny totem poles. A frog stares nervously up at a puddle that water fairies suspend above his head, Prilla swoons gloriously into the wings of Mother Dove and Gwendolyn opens her mouth as if she's at the dentists's office so that some interested fairies can peer at her tongue. The pictures are so much a part of the story that there are even a few places where the pages fold over to reveal a larger spread. Every single one of them is, just like Peter, utterly fascinating.

The story itself suffers a little in a way that the previous two installments didn't. Its main character is a mortal girl, and no matter how much she stares at and obsesses over the fairies it doesn't have the same fairy-centric feel as the other two books. None of the fairies come through as strongly, although the glimpses we do get of them are very nice and reveal Levine's talent for making them unusual. Prilla, my personal favorite, is a fairy with a magical ability to "blink" to the mainland and visit humans, even though it looks to the other fairies as if she's just a daydreamer. She's helped the fairies several times in the other books by going to the mainland and instructing children to clap, the way they clapped in Peter Pan to save a dying Tinker Bell. (Maybe I love her because I wish that my constant spacing-out would save the world now and then, not to mention that she's just adorable.) This isn't a typical fairy ability, and it's rooted in some backstory that you won't know about if you haven't read the first book. Similarly, Rani, in a brilliantly weird touch that was probably intended to recall J.M. Barrie, has a bat living inside her head, who occasionally grabs hold of her voice and speaks in a very polite, unfairylike manner. Again, that's rooted in some backstory from book two. Since Rani still wishes that she and her friend the bat ("Rani-bat") might have separate bodies one day, and since Terence still hasn't quite won the heart of the impossible Tink, I have plenty of hope that this book won't be--as I'd feared--Levine's last venture into Never Land. She's still got plenty to explore, especially now that she's introduced Peter's current mainland-dwelling "mother".

Earlier in the book it was briefly mentioned that Gwendolyn's grandmother got "sick", and I braced myself for a blow, only to find out that the grandmother recovered after a while and was just fine. Gail Carson Levine herself is old enough to be Gwendolyn's grandmother, and just like a good grandmother, she guides the little heroine safely through the story. Still, the book's not afraid to cause some pain. There's a fairy death toll of seven at the end--the main characters are spared, but it's still enough to make Gwendolyn cry--and before the adventure is over, Gwendolyn has lost her beloved kiss in the interest of the greater good. She doesn't get it magically restored to her, which would have been too obvious and easy, but Prilla makes it up to her by sending her a new necklace that Tink made herself. It's shaped like a tiny frying pan. This is especially significant because Tink has already figured out that Gwendolyn's nervous hiccups are stopped when she holds tightly on to a necklace; she's seen Gwendolyn's problem, and she's "fixed" Gwendolyn.

She feels her emotions hard, one at a time, but whether she's mean in Barrie's hands or nice under the watchful eye of Levine, she's always all Tink.

[Sarah]

ok I have definitely read this before. so why did I think I hadn't?

at first I wished we were doing something with Sara Quirtle, since she's been mentioned in the previous two. But I like Gwendolyn. Her name is almost like Wendy

It was kinda rude of her to just fly off and leave Peter and the Lost Boys. It seems like the deal is, in exchange for being brought to Never Land, you gotta clean up. But she didn't, not really. The Lost Boys' hideout is disgusting. how do they live like that? freaking health hazard, actually. I think she should've taught them some basic cleaning skills so they would stop living in squalor.

I was bored in the beginning but I like this book.

I vaguely remember her fairy accommodations from when I read this as a child, but I felt so much more wonder back then.

This girl is living my dream

Vidia x Kyto dragon girl what


"maybe it wasn't fair, but it was kind."


WHEN DO THESE TWO FOOLS GET TOGETHER HONESTLY
tink admitted to missing terrence and when he looked at her proudly she blushed... it's finally happening.... except it's not.... tink doesn't think of terrence as anything except her bestie anywhere else, at least as far as I can recall. aUgh

I need to know the timeline here like. how do the other books factor into this. there's like 3 separate universes of these fairies what is going on
bcuz this book came about well after a huge bunch of the other books set in PIXIE HOLLOW came out but this book still calls it FAIRY HAVEN
factor in the movies too and what is going on

[Damita Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairies and the Quest for Neverland is a bittersweet conclusion to the enchanting trilogy that has captured readers' hearts. As I turned the final pages, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness that this was the last adventure with my beloved fairy friends. The book wraps up the journey with the perfect blend of magic, mystery, and heartwarming moments, but it’s also a reminder that these characters, who have become like old friends, will be sorely missed.

The story’s quest to save Neverland is full of twists and turns, with the characters facing challenges that test their courage and friendship. The author does an excellent job of bringing this whimsical world to life, making every moment feel like an escape into something magical.

However, as much as I loved the story and the beautiful world-building, saying goodbye to the fairies was hard. They had become so much more than just characters in a book; they felt like companions who had been with me through all the ups and downs of this trilogy. It’s rare to feel this connected to fictional beings, and that’s what makes Fairies and the Quest for Neverland so special.

Though I’m sad to see it end, I’ll always cherish the journey and the fairy friends who made it unforgettable. I’ll miss their bravery, wit, and warmth, but their adventures will forever have a place in my heart. This trilogy is a beautiful ride from start to finish, and while it’s time to say goodbye, it’s a goodbye filled with fond memories.

[Mariah (Homerun Reads)]

Content Rating: 🟢 Homerun!

Language: None.

Violence: Mild. Peril. Fairies die by dragon fire (described, but not gruesomely)

Sex/Nudity: None.

LGBTQ+ Content: None.

Other: themes of self-sacrifice.

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐

Of the three books, this was my second favorite. It took me a few chapters to warm up to Gwendolyn, but then I enjoyed her fresh perspective on the world on fairies.

It does explore some slightly darker concepts. A fairy has divided loyalties, and several fairies are actually killed. Their queen emphasizes that it's more important to save Fairy Haven as a whole than to save any one life. Kinda deep stuff for kids, but presented in a somewhat light way.

I appreciate that the dragon is actually the villain, not just a “misunderstood” creature. Kind of refreshingly classic.

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[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay for a kid's book. I appreciated the little pieces of feminism in the book, not too strong but an improvement after JM Barrie's sexist Peter Pan. The mc, Gwendolyn, is not inclined to doing housework and did not consider it as her sole purpose for visiting Neverland. This is probably one of the reasons why she did not have much of a connection with Peter, who was expecting her to be as Stepfordy as the first Darling girl to clean his and the Lost Boy's home. Gwen was more excited to meet the fairies, Mother Dove, and have an adventure than to become an object of Peter's mommy issues and play caregiver to the Lost Boys. She had her own plans and was ready to be of service to Neverland, and to earn her worthiness of the fairies' respect.

I understand that this book is part of a series, so maybe in the other books there's some explanation on what happened to Tink and Peter's bond. I wish the ending included more of Gwen's family and their reaction to the loss of the kiss.

[Emily Oswald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this last book in the series is about as strong as the second book, which is to say that it’s stronger than the first installment. It feels a little odd to be part of this trilogy when the plot is unconnected to the other two - instead of the arc with repairing the egg and the fallout from that, it focuses almost entirely on a separate story of a human girl who visits Never Land, and the events of the previous two books are only mentioned in passing. That said, based on what I found, these three books were part of the very first wave of content for the franchise, so maybe they were looking hard for an angle to bring Wendy-type characters in.

Overall, I liked most what GCL did with Tink and Rani as characters in the three books, and I’d love to see more of them. I may go on to read the other content for this franchise, just for fun.

Illustrations were lovely, as usual. I had a fine time reading this series! A very “going back to my inner child” sort of experience.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Reading the Fairy Dust Trilogy for the first time as a 21-year-old)
Probably my least favorite book of the trilogy if I'm being honest, mainly because if I'm reading a series about fairies, I want to read about fairies, not some human kid. That being said though, I still enjoyed Gwendolyn's character. I LOVED how she just abandoned Peter Pan in his once-in-a-generation two-weeks with a mainland kid and just chilled with the fairies the whole time. And Gwendolyn's fascination with all things fairies was sweet too. Her very first interaction with Vidia was funny - just imagine, Gwendolyn has been dreaming of meeting fairies her whole life, and when she finally meets one, it just wants to be thrown over and over again :D
I would've preferred having some fairy POV, but it was still an enjoyable book.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairies and the Quest for Neverland by Gail Carson Levine⁣
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After months of not being able to get my hands on this book, thrift books finally had a used copy that i immediately bought. These books were so important to me as a child, and I’m so happy I’ve been able to slowly complete my collection. ⁣
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There’s something healing about reading your childhood favorites. I loved this book and I loved the story, even if I found the main character to be unlikable. The artwork is stunning and the story is whimsical and whole reading I couldn’t help but wonder why the Tinkerbell movies didn’t just follow these instead. ⁣

[Ana y los libros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un 3.5.
Me decepcionó un poco la historia y creo que es en gran medida porque el personaje principal es una niña humana (descendiente) de Wendy y es una mirada externa de las hadas. Me parece triste terminar este universo desde una perspectiva externa cuando los otros libros es para conocer más a las hadas y su mundo. También, las ilustraciones de este libro son de mis menos favoritas. En general, me encantan las ilustraciones de hadas de David Christiana pero creo que aquí fueron muy pocas a las que esperaba.
También, lo qué pasa con Vidia me parece triste y me hubiera gustado conocer su lado de la historia.

[bug · Rating 2 out of 5]

around the 50% mark i didn’t wanna read this book anymore. idk why i kept going and finished it. probably bc it wasn’t very long.

the main character being a human going to never land just didn’t jive with me. i’m here to read about fairies, not a fairy-obsessed human.

one star for vidia being her usual self. she’s my fav character. love the fact that she and the villain are in love.

and one other star for the fairy that literally burned alive on page. that’s up there with tigerstar‘s death in the rankings of most brutal things i’ve ever read in a children’s book.