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Neverland
Beau Jackson's fear slowly mounts after his cousin Sumter Moore introduces him to a creepy shack called Neverland, where he makes increasingly evil sacrifices to a God he calls Lucy. Reissue.
319 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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August 7, 2024
No Grownups Allowed...
NEVERLAND by Douglas Clegg
No spoilers. 5 stars. Most people who were children in the 50s and 60s can remember family vacations...
... like the annual trek to this family's generational summer retreat owned by Grammy Weenie (Rowena)...
... always taken in August when the heat was searing and her old Victorian house sweltered due to lack of air conditioning...
The Jackson and Monroe families made the trip in their station wagon every year...
The adults would drink bourbon and get into arguments with each other, and the children would look for adventures away from the melee...
10 year old Sumpter Monroe was their leader. His cousins, Beau (narrator), Nonie, and Missy Jackson, gladly followed to escape the warring adults...
The retreat was located off the coast of Georgia on a peninsula mistakenly called an island, Gull Island...
In August, in addition to the heat, there were giant black flies and stinging jellyfish...
There was a decrepit amusement park known as Sea Horse Park with a run-down roller coaster, lopsided carousel, and dried up Tunnel-of-Love...
Grammy Weenie was wheel chair bound this trip, but she carried her legendary silver-backed all-natural bristle brush, which for generations she used on both hair and butts...
According to Grammy Weenie...
There were two classes of people on the island not to be associated with: Gullahs and white trash...
... both groups considered Grammy Weenie to be the lowest... Grammy and her line carried the Wandigaux curse... and they were afraid of her...
For the bored children...
There was a shack out in the woods on the bluff, which Sumpter christened Neverland and painted a warning above the door: NO GROWNUPS ALLOWED
It looked and smelled bad...
Its only window was crusted with grime, and it was full of old tools and paint cans. Cold and crumbly dirt lined its earthen floors and got between bare toes...
It was where you ain't supposed to go...
That summer, Sumpter held a god hostage in Neverland... a god that needed to eat...
A god that demanded sacrifice...
NEVERLAND has been one of my summer go-to books for many years. Every character is well-developed and alive. This is the only book by this author that I've liked... but one of the best books I've ever read.
Warning to some readers: Graphic animal abuse and torture.
NEVERLAND by Douglas Clegg
No spoilers. 5 stars. Most people who were children in the 50s and 60s can remember family vacations...
... like the annual trek to this family's generational summer retreat owned by Grammy Weenie (Rowena)...
... always taken in August when the heat was searing and her old Victorian house sweltered due to lack of air conditioning...
The Jackson and Monroe families made the trip in their station wagon every year...
The adults would drink bourbon and get into arguments with each other, and the children would look for adventures away from the melee...
10 year old Sumpter Monroe was their leader. His cousins, Beau (narrator), Nonie, and Missy Jackson, gladly followed to escape the warring adults...
The retreat was located off the coast of Georgia on a peninsula mistakenly called an island, Gull Island...
In August, in addition to the heat, there were giant black flies and stinging jellyfish...
There was a decrepit amusement park known as Sea Horse Park with a run-down roller coaster, lopsided carousel, and dried up Tunnel-of-Love...
Grammy Weenie was wheel chair bound this trip, but she carried her legendary silver-backed all-natural bristle brush, which for generations she used on both hair and butts...
According to Grammy Weenie...
There were two classes of people on the island not to be associated with: Gullahs and white trash...
... both groups considered Grammy Weenie to be the lowest... Grammy and her line carried the Wandigaux curse... and they were afraid of her...
For the bored children...
There was a shack out in the woods on the bluff, which Sumpter christened Neverland and painted a warning above the door: NO GROWNUPS ALLOWED
It looked and smelled bad...
Its only window was crusted with grime, and it was full of old tools and paint cans. Cold and crumbly dirt lined its earthen floors and got between bare toes...
It was where you ain't supposed to go...
That summer, Sumpter held a god hostage in Neverland... a god that needed to eat...
A god that demanded sacrifice...
NEVERLAND has been one of my summer go-to books for many years. Every character is well-developed and alive. This is the only book by this author that I've liked... but one of the best books I've ever read.
Warning to some readers: Graphic animal abuse and torture.
September 27, 2018
I really did not care for this horror/coming of age tale. Some things kept bugging me throughout, such as how can 2 families, along with their fathers spend a whole summer on an island, doesn't anybody have to work?Although I loved Grandma Weenie, I can't say the same for the other characters, Beau, the 10 year old narrator, seemed too adult for the thoughts running through his head, I kept checking back to the beginning to see if I got his age wrong. Also, his cousin Sumter (the bad seed) was too little to conjure so much evil at only age nine. This had great bones, but I never felt that I had been embedded in a real world, before I was transported to the supernatural; for example, the slinky tripping Grandma Weenie was super cool at the beginning, but followed too closely by things happening that were real/unreal in such swift succession that I couldn't keep track of it all.
Each chapter seemed to be a full stop and then I had to get back in the groove again. It was as if the author were a new driver, lurching forward, then stomping on the brakes. I loved the Southern Gothic elements, like the mean old grandmother and her sick, twisted offspring, but everything else was a torturous tread through the swamp.
Each chapter seemed to be a full stop and then I had to get back in the groove again. It was as if the author were a new driver, lurching forward, then stomping on the brakes. I loved the Southern Gothic elements, like the mean old grandmother and her sick, twisted offspring, but everything else was a torturous tread through the swamp.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
July 20, 2017This hardcover book is copy 337 of 400 and is signed by Douglas Clegg
December 29, 2017
A really captivating read told from the perspective of a 10 year old boy on summer holiday with his parents. I love family tales with a dark secret or mystery in it and this is one of the most fascinating stories in this genre. The book is eerie, haunting and it also has a fulminant climax in the end. Neverland is a playground you won't forget so easy. Is Grammy good or is she evil? What about Sumter and Lucy. Very enthralling with some shocking and disturbing elements. A clear recommendaten. That won't be my last book from Douglas Clegg.
October 20, 2010
here is a fine tradition in the classic horror novel to tell the coming of age story. Stories like Robert McCammon's Boy's life or Stephen King's The Body are period pieces clearly inspired by the authors childhood and the era they grew up in. The late 50's or 60's coming of age horror novel is almost a sub-genre itself. We are just seeing my generation of horror writer start to do this with a the 80's, a great example is James Newman's Midnight Rain. Neverland is soon to be a classic that stands up quite strongly next to the classic works in this sub-genre. A coming of age horror novel so rooted in the 60's it's like holding a 288 page time machine in your hands.
The strongest element at play in these novels is the almost magical reverence paid to being a child in those times. I have a hard time imagining the youth of today writing poetic novels about this age where they play video games, talk by text message and hang out online. Neverland is a story that exists because the children who make up the character's greatest entertainment is not a computer or a phone but their imagination.
This leads the cousins Beau and Summter who have gathered at their grandmother's island home off the coast of Georgia each summer to create 'Neverland.' An odd shed mysteriously placed in the middle of the woods becomes their clubhouse. The narrator's cousin Sumter has created a childish fantasy that this shed is like a beacon to communicate with a god he calls Lucy. According to Summter they must worship and sacrifice animals to Lucy, the novel really starts to take off when our narrator begins to hear the voice of Lucy himself.
Is Lucy an angel? A devil? Or is Lucy something different? Clegg does an amazing job of building and maintaining family drama while the mystery and terror surrounding Lucy's identity grows. As you can imagine the price of the sacrifices continue to get higher as the short and effective novel builds to the exciting conclusion.
Douglas Clegg who is a long time veteran of horror and dark fantasy has great reason to be proud of this novel. There is no doubt it is one of his best and most solid novels. Considering the power of several of his past novels that is no small praise. This is Stoker quality horror. But that is not all, the book looks amazing. Vanguard Press did an amazing job of designing a beautifully packaged trade paperback, which old school looking rough paper and amazing illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne who recently made waves adapting Stephen King Short stories in the Secretary of Dreams black and white comics.
Neverland is a horror novel that reads will eat up, and fellow writers will read green with envy. This is how it is done.
Note: After I finished this review, I went to find a picture of the cover and found the image at the bottom. An old old tattered copy of the Neverland. since I had believed it was brand spanking new novel this shocked me. As an avid horror/ Clegg reader somehow i had missed this novel. and never once noticed the copyright in the front that said 1991/2009. I decided to leave my review as is.Thank Vanguard press for putting this back in print.
The strongest element at play in these novels is the almost magical reverence paid to being a child in those times. I have a hard time imagining the youth of today writing poetic novels about this age where they play video games, talk by text message and hang out online. Neverland is a story that exists because the children who make up the character's greatest entertainment is not a computer or a phone but their imagination.
This leads the cousins Beau and Summter who have gathered at their grandmother's island home off the coast of Georgia each summer to create 'Neverland.' An odd shed mysteriously placed in the middle of the woods becomes their clubhouse. The narrator's cousin Sumter has created a childish fantasy that this shed is like a beacon to communicate with a god he calls Lucy. According to Summter they must worship and sacrifice animals to Lucy, the novel really starts to take off when our narrator begins to hear the voice of Lucy himself.
Is Lucy an angel? A devil? Or is Lucy something different? Clegg does an amazing job of building and maintaining family drama while the mystery and terror surrounding Lucy's identity grows. As you can imagine the price of the sacrifices continue to get higher as the short and effective novel builds to the exciting conclusion.
Douglas Clegg who is a long time veteran of horror and dark fantasy has great reason to be proud of this novel. There is no doubt it is one of his best and most solid novels. Considering the power of several of his past novels that is no small praise. This is Stoker quality horror. But that is not all, the book looks amazing. Vanguard Press did an amazing job of designing a beautifully packaged trade paperback, which old school looking rough paper and amazing illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne who recently made waves adapting Stephen King Short stories in the Secretary of Dreams black and white comics.
Neverland is a horror novel that reads will eat up, and fellow writers will read green with envy. This is how it is done.
Note: After I finished this review, I went to find a picture of the cover and found the image at the bottom. An old old tattered copy of the Neverland. since I had believed it was brand spanking new novel this shocked me. As an avid horror/ Clegg reader somehow i had missed this novel. and never once noticed the copyright in the front that said 1991/2009. I decided to leave my review as is.Thank Vanguard press for putting this back in print.
March 14, 2011
I just didn't GET this book. It never grabbed me the way I expect a good horror novel to do. While it was creepy it was also very confusing. Half of the time I wasn't even sure exactly what was going on. The supernatural elements felt very out of place but they were the only explanation of events in the book. Yet the supernatural didn't seem to be enough of an explanation. The story would have been a lot scarier if the author had provided a better background for the creepy events that take place on Gull Island.
August 7, 2022
I am diffidently a fan of Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Bentley Little and Robert R. McCammon...so this story was written for me. It was written also for you if you love the work of any of these authors. The account is told from the point of view of 10-year-old Beau Jackson. It's what occurred on his last vacation on Gull Island off the coast of Georgia. This is not anything like the Hawaiian Islands. No lovely oasis in sight...never has been and never will be. It's an unhospitable, unwelcoming, sparsely populated, humid, hot and swampy mess, but his "granny" lives there in her large, creepy old house. Beau is not alone. His cousin, Sumter, (I never want to meet this kid), shares his summer on the island. To say Sumter is strange and a little "off", is an understatement. At times he's just downright disgusting. I actually had chills and shutters to some of his antics...and nothing usually bother me unless an animal is being mistreated. Beau always seems to suffer from Sumter's actions, from following behind him through prickly bushes to the larger escapades that Sumter draws him into. The two boys may seem like opposites, but they share a gift...a startling, vivid imagination. The adults in this story are a classic example of why some people should never be allowed to reproduce under any circumstances...so the boys are basically on their own, and they take full advantage of it. I love creepy, scary movies but they don't scare me...this book, Neverland,DID! What existed in that shack the boys played in had waited eons for just the right souls to come along...and the two boys were perfect for IT...an innocent one and a tainted one. Neverland is one of the most compellingly creepy, horrific, stories I've ever read, and I have read hundreds by some really good writers but this one is...I can't find a word that truly fits it.
January 27, 2016
Douglas Clegg is a master of fantasy and imagination. THIS plot is nothing simple; it turns out to be creative ,and unpredictable as hell, and I stand with applause for the hours he must have spent brainstorming this one.
Neverland is fun, twisted, gripping. I fell in love with the characters, I weeped with them, I feared for them. The setting with the old house, the creepy shack, the woods - all amazing, beautiful, unnerving. The pace is quick when it should be, slower when its appropriate, and overall ends with a stunning conclusion. Clegg writes with a hand that holds talent, knowing how to work its stuff.
Read Neverland for a good time, an imaginative roll in the hay. You won't be dissapointed.
Neverland is fun, twisted, gripping. I fell in love with the characters, I weeped with them, I feared for them. The setting with the old house, the creepy shack, the woods - all amazing, beautiful, unnerving. The pace is quick when it should be, slower when its appropriate, and overall ends with a stunning conclusion. Clegg writes with a hand that holds talent, knowing how to work its stuff.
Read Neverland for a good time, an imaginative roll in the hay. You won't be dissapointed.
April 23, 2010
Neverland isn't a book that I would have probably found on my own, but when I was sent a review copy in the mail (and after reading the synopsis), I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did.
Neverland is one of those books that has you pulling the covers over your head when you turn out the lights. It's deliciously creepy, and even more so because the main characters are children. I don't know about you guys, but I can usually handle all kinds of monster-movie horrors, but throw a creepy little kid my way, and I'm hiding in the closet.
Not only is Neverland a great thriller, but the writing style is excellent. I wish I would have tabbed some parts of the books so I could have included some quotes in this review, because there were many that were just...awesome. As you can see below, I gave that aspect of the book 5 stars, which is no small thing for me. The writing style alone had me looking to see if the author had written other books and, upon finding them, adding them to my TBR list.
The only aspect of the book that bugged me a bit was how long it took for me to get into it. The prologue immediately drew me in, but then I felt that my interest lagged for about 50 pages. Not that they were boring, because they weren't--but I think I was expecting a thriller right off the bat. In the long run, those 50 pages were well worth it though, because they were spent setting up the characters and their relationships with one another. Since the characterization is one of the reason why I enjoyed the book, I think this part was necessary. I guess what I'm saying is that, if you don't click with the book right off the bat, give it a little while. I think you'll find it worth the wait.
In a Sentence: Neverland is a chilling tale chock full of good characterization, nail-biting suspense, and an intriguing plot line.
June 3, 2020
Wow!
Crazy grandma, ghost kids and killer teddy bear, oh my!! If you are looking for a Southern gothic style story of a dysfunctional family that erupts into chaos, then read this!
For fans of Coming of age, and weird families. If you liked McDowell's The Elementals, you will probably enjoy this one.
Crazy grandma, ghost kids and killer teddy bear, oh my!! If you are looking for a Southern gothic style story of a dysfunctional family that erupts into chaos, then read this!
For fans of Coming of age, and weird families. If you liked McDowell's The Elementals, you will probably enjoy this one.
August 30, 2021
Douglas Clegg’s NEVERLAND is a terrific coming-of-age (but written for adults) horror story told with heart, humor, and Southern Gothic twists, all of it deeply familiar yet combining to create something original.
Ten-year-old Beau is off to Gull Island with his parents, older twin sisters, and baby brother. Along with his uncle, aunt, and odd cousin Sumter, they converge on The Retreat, Grandma Rowena’s ancestral home. The summer promises heat, boredom, bugs, and plenty of bickering among the grownups. When Sumter tells Beau about the god he’s keeping in an old shed, which opens the way to Neverland, Beau can’t resist. What the children do in the shed feels thrilling but quickly turns nasty. It’s all make-believe, though, right? When it becomes real, Beau must choose between the delicious horrors of Neverland and the unsatisfying but positive normalcy of his family.
This is my first work by Clegg, and I loved it. His writing has been compared to Stephen King’s, and I couldn’t disagree more, which is a great thing for me as a reader. I think Stephen King should be Stephen King, and the rest of us horror writers should have our own voice. Clegg’s storytelling resurrects all the nostalgia of summer family vacations, tedium and snarling family dynamics and small moments of supreme adventure. The characters are especially vividly drawn. The horror elements are well done, emerge organically one little bite at a time, and blend perfectly with a growing Southern Gothic element as the family’s dark secret is revealed. The story drags a little at the end as the author seemed to fight to corral all the cats he’d let loose, but overall, it’s a great story. I’m now curious what else Clegg has up his sleeve, and I may check out another of his books.
Ten-year-old Beau is off to Gull Island with his parents, older twin sisters, and baby brother. Along with his uncle, aunt, and odd cousin Sumter, they converge on The Retreat, Grandma Rowena’s ancestral home. The summer promises heat, boredom, bugs, and plenty of bickering among the grownups. When Sumter tells Beau about the god he’s keeping in an old shed, which opens the way to Neverland, Beau can’t resist. What the children do in the shed feels thrilling but quickly turns nasty. It’s all make-believe, though, right? When it becomes real, Beau must choose between the delicious horrors of Neverland and the unsatisfying but positive normalcy of his family.
This is my first work by Clegg, and I loved it. His writing has been compared to Stephen King’s, and I couldn’t disagree more, which is a great thing for me as a reader. I think Stephen King should be Stephen King, and the rest of us horror writers should have our own voice. Clegg’s storytelling resurrects all the nostalgia of summer family vacations, tedium and snarling family dynamics and small moments of supreme adventure. The characters are especially vividly drawn. The horror elements are well done, emerge organically one little bite at a time, and blend perfectly with a growing Southern Gothic element as the family’s dark secret is revealed. The story drags a little at the end as the author seemed to fight to corral all the cats he’d let loose, but overall, it’s a great story. I’m now curious what else Clegg has up his sleeve, and I may check out another of his books.
July 18, 2016
"We all scream because we are alive."
A dark and disturbing coming of age story about two boys vacationing on Gull Island who stake claim to a hidden shack in the woods that they call Neverland. It’s not all playboys and He Man Woman Haters Club stuff here. It gets progressively bleaker and more sinister as each chapter passes. Hidden histories and secrets are revealed. Gods and demons are brought out into the light and the fate of Beaus family and the entire town hangs in the balance.
I really dug this one from Douglas Clegg. I wasn’t sure where it was headed for the first half of the novel and it really did read much like a standard coming of age tale. Then it got crazy. Shit hit the fan and the paced quickened to a fever pitch right up until the end. Very well done with superbly drawn characters. I definitely need to read me some more Clegg.
A dark and disturbing coming of age story about two boys vacationing on Gull Island who stake claim to a hidden shack in the woods that they call Neverland. It’s not all playboys and He Man Woman Haters Club stuff here. It gets progressively bleaker and more sinister as each chapter passes. Hidden histories and secrets are revealed. Gods and demons are brought out into the light and the fate of Beaus family and the entire town hangs in the balance.
I really dug this one from Douglas Clegg. I wasn’t sure where it was headed for the first half of the novel and it really did read much like a standard coming of age tale. Then it got crazy. Shit hit the fan and the paced quickened to a fever pitch right up until the end. Very well done with superbly drawn characters. I definitely need to read me some more Clegg.
April 18, 2010
Forget that he's my friend. Really.
Forget that you only read genre or never read genre.
Forget whatever book you heard about last week or yesterday.
Just buy this book.
I can't do it justice but here's what Bently Little said: "A brilliant novel... that will one day be recognized as one of the classics of supernatural literature."
Doug Preston called it: "A masterpiece of dark suspense that will forever haunt your dreams."
And I totally agree.
It's mesmerizing.
And seductive.
And you'll forget what time it is and where you are and what else you were supposed to be doing.
But you won't forget this book. Never.
Forget that you only read genre or never read genre.
Forget whatever book you heard about last week or yesterday.
Just buy this book.
I can't do it justice but here's what Bently Little said: "A brilliant novel... that will one day be recognized as one of the classics of supernatural literature."
Doug Preston called it: "A masterpiece of dark suspense that will forever haunt your dreams."
And I totally agree.
It's mesmerizing.
And seductive.
And you'll forget what time it is and where you are and what else you were supposed to be doing.
But you won't forget this book. Never.
October 15, 2021
While 10 year old Beau Jackson is summering at his family’s retreat on Gull Island he learns of his cousin’s sinister secret hidden in the old shed in the woods. A secret seeped in pure evil that compels him and his cousins to play terrible, frightful games. Terrifying games that become rituals to unleash the blood hungry nightmare into the real world.
April 13, 2023
4,5 *
July 23, 2014
Overall: 3.5
This review refers to the audiobook version.
Story: The story is fairly strong until about 2/3rds in when it just becomes repetitive. It is fairly clear what is going on -- minus a few details -- and what is going to happen, so this was tiresome. Seriously, we already know what Governor's happy sound is. "Dit do" whatever. Ditto for the main storyline. However, the plot was generally engaging in a suspenseful, not really scary, sort of way. For gore fans, there are minor ickies here. It was a quick read/listen and despite its drawbacks, I suggest fans of "supernatural" horror (a la King/Koontz) give it a chance. In book form (see below). Characters are fairly well developed and the setting is nicely portrayed. General plotline is decent.
Narrator: I am ambivalent (in the true sense) about this narrator. I found his voice very apt for our main character/book's protagonist (as told by an old man about his childhood adventure), but horrid for just about everyone else. Everyone but Beau sounded retarded or somehow slow and this naturally impacts your feelings and understandings of every character and their motives. I have to give him a thumbs down based on the latter problem and suggest you pick up the hard copy. Unfortunately, this likely impacts my review of the book at large.
This review refers to the audiobook version.
Story: The story is fairly strong until about 2/3rds in when it just becomes repetitive. It is fairly clear what is going on -- minus a few details -- and what is going to happen, so this was tiresome. Seriously, we already know what Governor's happy sound is. "Dit do" whatever. Ditto for the main storyline. However, the plot was generally engaging in a suspenseful, not really scary, sort of way. For gore fans, there are minor ickies here. It was a quick read/listen and despite its drawbacks, I suggest fans of "supernatural" horror (a la King/Koontz) give it a chance. In book form (see below). Characters are fairly well developed and the setting is nicely portrayed. General plotline is decent.
Narrator: I am ambivalent (in the true sense) about this narrator. I found his voice very apt for our main character/book's protagonist (as told by an old man about his childhood adventure), but horrid for just about everyone else. Everyone but Beau sounded retarded or somehow slow and this naturally impacts your feelings and understandings of every character and their motives. I have to give him a thumbs down based on the latter problem and suggest you pick up the hard copy. Unfortunately, this likely impacts my review of the book at large.
April 20, 2010
This was not my normal read as of late, but nonetheless I must say I devoured it greedily! Neverland crept into my mind and kidnapped me from reality. Throughout the book Clegg held that part of my mind that is still afraid of the dark, and then with the last chapter released me into wanting to embrace Sumter like only a mother could. My heart both feared and loved him from a parent and child's perspective. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2010
There are certain books that do more than entertain. They do more than tell a story or make some sort of commentary. From the first word to the last, these rare tomes connect with the reader on a level that is visceral, touching their innermost feelings of dread and dragging the reader along a fearful path. They place the reader in the story so that the reader can feel the splinters in the boards, the bites of mosquitoes, the breath on their necks. Such books are few and far between, and, without sounding too presumptuous, bridge the gap between fiction and literature. With Neverland, Douglas Clegg has created just such a gothic masterpiece.
Neverland is the story of Beau, a young boy who is trapped on a family "vacation" to a remote island to visit relatives. One, his cousin Sumpter, is a holy terror of a boy, getting into mischief and lying his way from one misadventure to the next. On the property is an old shed, one the adults forbade the boys to enter, but boys will be boys. Within the shack is magic, terror, death, and something else, a presence that becomes increasingly dark as it demands sacrifices, and warps reality into a deadly game.
Clegg seamlessly blends the normal world with the fantasy land that is inside the shed, which Sumpter named Neverland. In one instant, the reader stands among saltgrass and mosquitoes looking up at the imposing main house, the next he is breathlessly running from whatever it is that lurks inside the shed. It blends in such a way that the reader catches himself in the fantasy world, unaware of just when the real world ended. And what a world it is. Dark and twisted, deceptively innocent and benign, it is a world that wraps the reader in a heavy blanket of building dread.
One of the biggest strengths of Neverland is the vivid life given to the characters. Told from the point of view of Beau, it brings the reader in easily, but refuses to let go. We are privy to his child-like thought processes in a way that makes it, at first, seem to be almost a fairy tale. Equally striking is the "bad seed" character of Sumpter. For some reason, it seems that everyone has had (or at least knows of) a cousin that rest of the family thinks was just born bad. Clegg plays on the notion and makes Sumpter into a walking nightmare of a boy, all the while keeping him from becoming a parody of the character. To be clear, a wrong word or even a misstep in phrasing could have made the children one dimensional, but Clegg expertly avoids paper-thin characters and gives us children so real that one almost cringes at the thought of their muddy fingernails and the dirt between their sweaty toes. Perhaps one of the strongest characters is also the most enigmatic. The character of "Gracie," the Goddess of Neverland, who is able to possess the minds of children and to warp their realities, leaves the reader guessing to her true identity, and is at once awesome and terrifying.
It is usually at this point in a review that the reviewer mentions any shortcomings of any novel or movie. However, Neverland has no such flaws. It is, from beginning to end, a damned fine read with nothing to pull the reader out of the story. It is elegant in its grimy beauty, and leaves the reader shuddering in the dark when the last page is turned.
To say I was impressed with Neverland is a gross understatement. It is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece of gothic horror.
Neverland is the story of Beau, a young boy who is trapped on a family "vacation" to a remote island to visit relatives. One, his cousin Sumpter, is a holy terror of a boy, getting into mischief and lying his way from one misadventure to the next. On the property is an old shed, one the adults forbade the boys to enter, but boys will be boys. Within the shack is magic, terror, death, and something else, a presence that becomes increasingly dark as it demands sacrifices, and warps reality into a deadly game.
Clegg seamlessly blends the normal world with the fantasy land that is inside the shed, which Sumpter named Neverland. In one instant, the reader stands among saltgrass and mosquitoes looking up at the imposing main house, the next he is breathlessly running from whatever it is that lurks inside the shed. It blends in such a way that the reader catches himself in the fantasy world, unaware of just when the real world ended. And what a world it is. Dark and twisted, deceptively innocent and benign, it is a world that wraps the reader in a heavy blanket of building dread.
One of the biggest strengths of Neverland is the vivid life given to the characters. Told from the point of view of Beau, it brings the reader in easily, but refuses to let go. We are privy to his child-like thought processes in a way that makes it, at first, seem to be almost a fairy tale. Equally striking is the "bad seed" character of Sumpter. For some reason, it seems that everyone has had (or at least knows of) a cousin that rest of the family thinks was just born bad. Clegg plays on the notion and makes Sumpter into a walking nightmare of a boy, all the while keeping him from becoming a parody of the character. To be clear, a wrong word or even a misstep in phrasing could have made the children one dimensional, but Clegg expertly avoids paper-thin characters and gives us children so real that one almost cringes at the thought of their muddy fingernails and the dirt between their sweaty toes. Perhaps one of the strongest characters is also the most enigmatic. The character of "Gracie," the Goddess of Neverland, who is able to possess the minds of children and to warp their realities, leaves the reader guessing to her true identity, and is at once awesome and terrifying.
It is usually at this point in a review that the reviewer mentions any shortcomings of any novel or movie. However, Neverland has no such flaws. It is, from beginning to end, a damned fine read with nothing to pull the reader out of the story. It is elegant in its grimy beauty, and leaves the reader shuddering in the dark when the last page is turned.
To say I was impressed with Neverland is a gross understatement. It is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece of gothic horror.
December 31, 2014
The first three quarters of the book I could barely put it down. The last 25% is very action packed and I'm just not a fan of action so it kind of lost me.
September 28, 2011
There is something about childhood that makes horror so effective. Whether or not the child is the main character, victim or sometimes the object of horror, it seems to be a prevalent theme among horror. I believe it's partly due to the child-like innocence. As a child, the world is new to you. You don't know much about the world. You're still learning your rights from wrongs. You are very curious about new things. You don't want to listen to your parents, but rather play all day in a world of your own imagination.
Neverland is just about that. It is about the fear of growing up and getting old. It is also about bored children with an over-active imagination. In addition, it is about not being able to distinguish right from wrong. The name Neverland is an obvious allusion to the story of Peter Pan where Neverland is a place where children never have to grow up. In this story, Neverland is nothing more than a run-down old shack, yet it represents all these ideals and beliefs. The main characters, Beau and Sumter, don't really know their right from wrong. They just want to escape from reality and immerse themselves in a fantasy world. In doing so, they discover Lucy, the resident god of the shack.
Lucy is considered a god, even though her only real followers are just a few kids. Clegg does a good job of keeping her secret a mystery to the reader. Is she a devil? A ghost? Whichever she is, the kids worship her, hesitantly at first. While Beau is very skeptical of her, as family problems grow, he retreats more and more to Neverland. Because Beau gets isolated from his reality at home, his mind begins to delve more and more into fantasy and the distinction between fact and fiction is almost unreal. Like I said before, Neverland is very much a novel about children’s fantasies. All children are prone to imagining the monster in their closet but Neverland takes that premise and takes it to a whole new level. It begins hard to distinguish whether or not our main character is merely delusional or not.
Like all Clegg novels, it is certainly creepy. There are a number of situations that are simply so absurd that only Clegg could’ve written it. However, the absurdity is great here. It makes the fantasy element of the book so much more prevalent. While not as outstanding as some of his other novels, Clegg’s taste for the uncanny is seen.
The characters are believable. Although they do feel a bit stereotypical at times, there were a few moments that I believe almost any reader can relate to. Any readers who can flashback to his or her childhood can probably relate to something as simple as Sumter’s temper tantrum after losing his stuffed teddy bear. The most terrifying part of the experience is that any readers can possibly put himself or herself into Beau’s shoes and wonder what exactly they’d do in his situation. During the age of youth, something as dreadful as animal sacrifice can be seen as just an innocent game. With a child’s innocence and lack of judgment, these things can quickly become out of hand because the child doesn’t know any better. When a problem does arrive, it becomes that much more dreadful for the child.
Neverland is just about that. It is about the fear of growing up and getting old. It is also about bored children with an over-active imagination. In addition, it is about not being able to distinguish right from wrong. The name Neverland is an obvious allusion to the story of Peter Pan where Neverland is a place where children never have to grow up. In this story, Neverland is nothing more than a run-down old shack, yet it represents all these ideals and beliefs. The main characters, Beau and Sumter, don't really know their right from wrong. They just want to escape from reality and immerse themselves in a fantasy world. In doing so, they discover Lucy, the resident god of the shack.
Lucy is considered a god, even though her only real followers are just a few kids. Clegg does a good job of keeping her secret a mystery to the reader. Is she a devil? A ghost? Whichever she is, the kids worship her, hesitantly at first. While Beau is very skeptical of her, as family problems grow, he retreats more and more to Neverland. Because Beau gets isolated from his reality at home, his mind begins to delve more and more into fantasy and the distinction between fact and fiction is almost unreal. Like I said before, Neverland is very much a novel about children’s fantasies. All children are prone to imagining the monster in their closet but Neverland takes that premise and takes it to a whole new level. It begins hard to distinguish whether or not our main character is merely delusional or not.
Like all Clegg novels, it is certainly creepy. There are a number of situations that are simply so absurd that only Clegg could’ve written it. However, the absurdity is great here. It makes the fantasy element of the book so much more prevalent. While not as outstanding as some of his other novels, Clegg’s taste for the uncanny is seen.
The characters are believable. Although they do feel a bit stereotypical at times, there were a few moments that I believe almost any reader can relate to. Any readers who can flashback to his or her childhood can probably relate to something as simple as Sumter’s temper tantrum after losing his stuffed teddy bear. The most terrifying part of the experience is that any readers can possibly put himself or herself into Beau’s shoes and wonder what exactly they’d do in his situation. During the age of youth, something as dreadful as animal sacrifice can be seen as just an innocent game. With a child’s innocence and lack of judgment, these things can quickly become out of hand because the child doesn’t know any better. When a problem does arrive, it becomes that much more dreadful for the child.
August 5, 2024
Neverland is a powerful place. As powerful and big as a child’s imagination. I remember going on family vacations and meeting cousins that I was unsure about. They’re family but also kind of strange. Neverland had me reminiscing those days. We’re all weird in our own ways. Neverland is a great summer read and Douglas Clegg weaves a wild tale of darkness that taps a child’s imagination.
November 13, 2014
Never has a family vacation been so wrought with terror and wicked imagination as in Neverland.
Originally released in 1991, Clegg’s creepy tale of children facing off with an evil entity has been re-released featuring wonderful sketches from the talented Glenn Chadbourne (who also illustrated the recently released Isis, also by Clegg). Beau and his family expected their annual trip to Gull Island to be business as usual: mosquitoes, exquisite boredom, and snippy adults for two whole weeks. When they arrive, however, Beau’s cousin Sumter reveals a secret. A secret that Beau is sworn to keep with blood. Sumter has claimed the old shed as his own Neverland. Inside, he has hidden something powerful. Something that will come to life using the children’s vivid imaginations. Something evil that has been waiting all this time to be let out once again.
Clegg’s graphic imagery is frightening on its own, but paired with the possibilities of a child’s creative mind, Neverland becomes one of the most chilling reading experiences I’ve had in ages.
Originally released in 1991, Clegg’s creepy tale of children facing off with an evil entity has been re-released featuring wonderful sketches from the talented Glenn Chadbourne (who also illustrated the recently released Isis, also by Clegg). Beau and his family expected their annual trip to Gull Island to be business as usual: mosquitoes, exquisite boredom, and snippy adults for two whole weeks. When they arrive, however, Beau’s cousin Sumter reveals a secret. A secret that Beau is sworn to keep with blood. Sumter has claimed the old shed as his own Neverland. Inside, he has hidden something powerful. Something that will come to life using the children’s vivid imaginations. Something evil that has been waiting all this time to be let out once again.
Clegg’s graphic imagery is frightening on its own, but paired with the possibilities of a child’s creative mind, Neverland becomes one of the most chilling reading experiences I’ve had in ages.
May 8, 2022
A well-written mix of The Great God Pan and The Dunwich Horror, transported to the Deep South. Another reviewer has commented that the kids seem older than 9 or 10 years old, and she’s absolutely right - but if you can overlook that misstep, there is much to enjoy about this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2010
My first iPad purchase (though I had to read it on the Kindle app, as it's not in iBooks yet). Neverland is a very dark, evocative tale of dysfunctional family life and the imaginative world of children on the cusp of adulthood. There are moments of surreal, hallucinogenic beauty, particularly the episodes inside of the nightmarish shack known as "Neverland," which elevate this novel above the typical horror/thriller into the company of Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner.
Then ending came a little too quickly for my taste, but that is my only quibble with an otherwise well-constructed book. The universe Clegg creates is like the sticky, salty air of the dream-haunted island setting -- impossible to wash off or forget.
Then ending came a little too quickly for my taste, but that is my only quibble with an otherwise well-constructed book. The universe Clegg creates is like the sticky, salty air of the dream-haunted island setting -- impossible to wash off or forget.
August 8, 2015
A haunting tale of children on vacation with their parent to grandmas house in Georgia. While the parents spend their time drinking and arguing, the children find their entertainment in an old gardeners shack. Filled with tales from the past, little Sumter grabs his cousins attention with tales of Neverland, a place where grownups aren't allowed. Playing along with Sumter's stories, his cousins are drawn into a world of false gods and ghosts. The author creates Sumter as one creepy kid. Grandma with her secret journal of her haunted past, add to this tale of horrific ghosts hungering to be set free. Coming of age tale, as Robert McCammon's "Boys Life" and Stephen King"s It. A good all around read.
February 23, 2017
A great horror novel that made me feeling queasy the whole time, and the interior illustrations by Glen Chadbourne added greatly to the haunting atmosphere. Recommended!
May 15, 2011
I think it's funny how I can allow myself to believe in any kind of fantasy world, or creatures so that I can be carried into a story, but when an author brings in emotions that don't seem to go with what I think, I can't get into the story, even if it's a very minute part of the book.
For the life of me I just could not get over the fact that as miserable as this family's vacations were on Gull island, they kept returning. It's stupid, I know, but because of that, instead of getting into the real part of the story, I kept thinking "if they are so miserable why are they there?" a reoccurring theme that kept perpetuating through my head that I couldn't get rid of. It made the adults in this book seem absolutely unrealistic to me. Maybe I'm supposed to understand the importance of "family", or "free vacation", or possibly that this story is told from a boys point of view and maybe that's all he saw of it. But because I couldn't understand it, I had difficulty with the book.
It also seemed like there was a big build up to the end and the showdown was just so disappointingly short.
If you don't have the same reading issues that I have, then you may find this book very enjoyable. Children up to no good in their "clubhouse" waking something that's long dead that's better left dead. I could see where this could be a very entertaining read. Just not for me.
For the life of me I just could not get over the fact that as miserable as this family's vacations were on Gull island, they kept returning. It's stupid, I know, but because of that, instead of getting into the real part of the story, I kept thinking "if they are so miserable why are they there?" a reoccurring theme that kept perpetuating through my head that I couldn't get rid of. It made the adults in this book seem absolutely unrealistic to me. Maybe I'm supposed to understand the importance of "family", or "free vacation", or possibly that this story is told from a boys point of view and maybe that's all he saw of it. But because I couldn't understand it, I had difficulty with the book.
It also seemed like there was a big build up to the end and the showdown was just so disappointingly short.
If you don't have the same reading issues that I have, then you may find this book very enjoyable. Children up to no good in their "clubhouse" waking something that's long dead that's better left dead. I could see where this could be a very entertaining read. Just not for me.
November 15, 2024
**3.5-4**
I have reread this book about 4 times now. Yes, 4. There is a bit of nostalgia here. It was one of the first books read to me out loud deep into the night on the back of a truck, wrapped in a blanket, by my beloved.
This book is not scary and a pretty slow burn however I believe the reason why I keep returning to it is for the oppressive atmosphere. You feel it close in on you, the madness of the family and the stagnant heat of the swamp. The writer can really take you into the childrens' minds and even feel their lack of control over their dysfunctional family as they begin to unravel. They are bystanders yet the catalyst for their family's lies.
I do agree with many when they say there is a lot of rambling. Things could be cut out or shortened. At the same time there are moments where the story should explain or explore aspects to its world more. You feel you barely open the door into some of the more interesting aspects to the story but you never go in or even turn on the lights. Certain ending scenes are explained to you kinda out of nowhere.
Not a perfect book but its enjoyable in other ways. Its a very character and atmospheric story. Good middle of summer read but it is definitely not for everyone. Not a scary book but terrifying in subtle means.
I have reread this book about 4 times now. Yes, 4. There is a bit of nostalgia here. It was one of the first books read to me out loud deep into the night on the back of a truck, wrapped in a blanket, by my beloved.
This book is not scary and a pretty slow burn however I believe the reason why I keep returning to it is for the oppressive atmosphere. You feel it close in on you, the madness of the family and the stagnant heat of the swamp. The writer can really take you into the childrens' minds and even feel their lack of control over their dysfunctional family as they begin to unravel. They are bystanders yet the catalyst for their family's lies.
I do agree with many when they say there is a lot of rambling. Things could be cut out or shortened. At the same time there are moments where the story should explain or explore aspects to its world more. You feel you barely open the door into some of the more interesting aspects to the story but you never go in or even turn on the lights. Certain ending scenes are explained to you kinda out of nowhere.
Not a perfect book but its enjoyable in other ways. Its a very character and atmospheric story. Good middle of summer read but it is definitely not for everyone. Not a scary book but terrifying in subtle means.
February 16, 2015
Neverland starts out like a children's story, and the names of the characters remind me a bit of those in the show Sordid Lives -- names like Babygirl, Goober, Governor, and Grammy Weenie. Far from being a children's story, the novel takes a sinister turn. This is the story of a family that travels to Grammy Weenie's house on Gull Island, during their vacation. One day, while looking for his cousin, Sumter, Beau found him acting oddly in the shed behind their grandmother's home. When confronted by Beau, Sumter informed him that a god named Lucy held possession over the shed, and he had named the shed Neverland. Due to mysterious happenings within Neverland, Sumter soon had Beau and his sisters, Missy and Nora worshipping Lucy with him. According to Sumter, Lucy wanted the children to prove their loyalty by stealing and, eventually, making sacrifices. There are several shocking situations in this novel -- the last being the final sacrifice required by Lucy. If you enjoy a dark story with a sinister plot, this may be the book for you.
April 17, 2010
Neverland is the first book I've read by Douglas Clegg. The novel is about two cousins doing things in secret in a shack they call Neverland. Whenever they go inside, Sumpter, the cousin of the protagonist, performs strange acts like bringing a dead rabbit back to life or sacrificing a kitten to what he calls Lucy. The novel is very brutally interesting and its one of those books like Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon or It by Stephen King where a lot of the story is made up by kids just being kids. I cared more about the kids doing regular things like climbing up a roller coaster or stealing their first beer more than the supernatural quality of the book. I am definitely going to read more books by Clegg in the future, but this book didn't have the power to make me go on a rampage to find and read everything by him right after finishing it. So far, Koontz, King, and Laymon are the only authors who have done that for me.
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