Wendy, Darling

Summary: Years after her journey to Neverland, Wendy Darling’s life once again intersects with Peter Pan’s. This time, Peter has taken Wendy’s daughter Jane with him to his enchanted world, a world that Wendy knows is a much darker place than Peter would have anyone believe. This retelling follows two separate timelines, one that depicts the trials Wendy faced upon her return to London from Neverland and another that follows Jane’s trip to Neverland and Wendy’s pursuit of her. The book was compelling, but I was underwhelmed by the climax.

I've never actually read Peter Pan and have only seen the play and Disney versions a couple of times, however, I enjoy Peter Pan retellings for some reason. Wendy, Darling has been on my TBR since reading Darling Girl. I can see that this is where some inspiration might have come from for that book, but it didn't hit me quite the same.    Past her days in Neverland and now a mother to Jane, Wendy is shocked to find Peter Pan looming over her daughter's bed and watches horrified as Peter whisks her away to be ‘the new Wendy'. Wendy now must return to Neverland to save Jane. As she does so, shadows of the past come back to haunt her.    There was a lot I enjoyed about the book, such as the writing/prose and real-world interpretations. I also liked the mother/daughter aspect. Despite this, I found myself struggling to get into the story past the first few chapters. I don't think I was in the right mindset, so I would like to try this book again at another time. 

I adore any adaptation of Peter Pan. Aside from this one. I picked this up so many times trying to read it, as I was so SO desperate to love it from the description. A feminist adaptation of my favourite story? Sign me up! It was an intriguing tale and had a great plan, clever world building and adaptations to the original material. I wanted to love it. A great take at portraying PTSD, abuse, misogyny and homophobia... But I was bored. The stakes felt high, but I had no connection to the character and their narration. I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily