BOOK•LIT discussion
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Darling Girl
2022-2023 Reviews
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Tasting Magic is Dangerous
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Recommendation Index: 2 out of 5
Reading Index: 2 out of 5
Spice Index: non-existent (0 out of 5)
Reactivity Warning: There is a scene that depicts sexual assault and rape, not written in great detail.
Review
I had such high hopes for this book - I thought that I would enjoy an ‘adult’ version of the Peter Pan tale, and while I didn’t hate this book, I wouldn’t pick it up again.
As soon as the antagonist was introduced, it just felt painfully incomplete. It was like being brought so close to the height and most exciting part of the mystery, but being left with a half-assed answer. The antagonist was way too underdeveloped to make it feel like there was true reason in their motive. It was all speculation and I can't quite tell if we ever did figure out what keeps those from Neverland young...
I do have to say, I enjoyed the alternative narrative that Michalski was able to create about the story of Peter Pan. All the same characters exist in this rendition but have very different roles, characteristics and purpose. That felt really creative and was excellently thought through.
Overall, I'm not sure that I would recommend this to anyone. It was kinda like a 'meh' read. However, I also wouldn't tell someone NOT to read it and that is an important distinction. Will this have a permanent home in my library? No. Would I read Michalski's other published work? Probably.