What do you think?
Rate this book
Neverwood Chronicles #1
Lost Girl
Wendy doesn't remember anything about Neverland—or the experiments done on her there as a child. Seven years later, all she wants is a normal life, but shape-shifting shadows plague her dreams and turn her life into a waking nightmare. When the shadows attack at a football game and a boy disappears right in front of her, she realizes these wraith-like shadows are real. They’re not just haunting—they’re hunting.
A mysterious boy named Peter, his foul-mouthed sidekick, and a band of misfit boys intervene before Wendy faces a similar fate. But can they trust Wendy enough to take her to Neverwood Academy and reveal all of their hidden secrets when she's hiding a secret of her own, or will the dreaded Red Skulls find her and drag her back to Neverland?
A mysterious boy named Peter, his foul-mouthed sidekick, and a band of misfit boys intervene before Wendy faces a similar fate. But can they trust Wendy enough to take her to Neverwood Academy and reveal all of their hidden secrets when she's hiding a secret of her own, or will the dreaded Red Skulls find her and drag her back to Neverland?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2016
685 people are currently reading
7142 people want to read
About the author
Chanda Hahn
39 books4,004 followersChanda Hahn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reign An Unfortunate Fairy Tale. She was born in Seattle, WA, grew up in Nebraska and currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their twin children. She attended North Central University in Minneapolis Minnesota for Childrens Ministry. She was also a children's pastor, bookseller and children's librarian.
Books published by Chanda include the UnEnchanted series a.k.a. (Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series) and The Iron Butterfly series.
Chanda is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group. You can direct any inquiries regarding foreign, film, audio and translation rights to him. www.tridentmediagroup.com
Books published by Chanda include the UnEnchanted series a.k.a. (Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series) and The Iron Butterfly series.
Chanda is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group. You can direct any inquiries regarding foreign, film, audio and translation rights to him. www.tridentmediagroup.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
July 18, 2017
Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn is abou Wendy, a girl who was experimented on in neverland. She then forgot about her childhood at neverland but what Happens when someone from her past comes back?
CHARACTERS-
I loved all these characters! Wendy! Peter! Jax! Tink!
They were so amazing. We get to see a lot of their personalities and I just adored them so much.
ROMANCE-
So I shipped Peter and Wendy. But I also really shipped Jax and Wendy too beacause they had a lot of chemistry. The romance between Peter and Wendy though was just beautiful and I'm still crying because Wendy died and got reincarnated and now she can't remember jax or Peter.
Plot-
The plot was so unique. Yes there are lots of Peter Pan retellings but none like this.. with the cool experiments and how it's set modern day.
ENDING-
It killed me in the second book. She better remember Peter and jax or my heart will just shatter.
Characters-10/10
Romance-10/10
Plot-10/10
Ending-10/10
Speed-9/10 (medium at start, middle-end very fast paced)
CHARACTERS-
I loved all these characters! Wendy! Peter! Jax! Tink!
They were so amazing. We get to see a lot of their personalities and I just adored them so much.
ROMANCE-
So I shipped Peter and Wendy. But I also really shipped Jax and Wendy too beacause they had a lot of chemistry. The romance between Peter and Wendy though was just beautiful and I'm still crying because Wendy died and got reincarnated and now she can't remember jax or Peter.
Plot-
The plot was so unique. Yes there are lots of Peter Pan retellings but none like this.. with the cool experiments and how it's set modern day.
ENDING-
It killed me in the second book. She better remember Peter and jax or my heart will just shatter.
Characters-10/10
Romance-10/10
Plot-10/10
Ending-10/10
Speed-9/10 (medium at start, middle-end very fast paced)
January 23, 2019
Ingredients:
- amnesia
- special powers
- morphlings
- dead zones
- bookstore
Characters
- Can we talk about Jax first??? I know that the main character normally gets to be the first part of the "characters" section of a review, but Jax fascinated me SO MUCH that I'm desperate to spill my many and various thoughts. Okay, so first of all, he's sooooo attractive and mysterious... but also kinda creepy. Because . Something about him, though, gave me a soft spot for him, and I feel like there are a lot of heretofore uncovered layers of depth to him that are proooobably explored more in book 2. Suffice it to say that 1) I admit I like Jax and he captivated me the most out of all the characters, and 2) I'm SO INTRIGUED as to what might happen with him later on! Especially after that twist towards the end...
- Wendy, our MC, was a well-developed character who MADE SENSE. I've been reading a lot of books lately with female main characters with complexity and distinctive personalities, and that makes me really, really happy. :D
- Peter. Oh goodness, I'm rather conflicted about Peter. I didn't NOT like him, and he , but I had a leetle problem with him. He was getting too physically close to Wendy before they knew each other well enough. He... shuffled over the line, imo. I mean, you don't put your arm around a girl on the bus and kiss her cheek when you barely even know her! (*cough* In a sense.) If they were dating? I mean... sure. But he got close to her like that when they obviously weren't anywhere near ready. And it clearly made Wendy uncomfortable, even if she didn't seem totally averse to it plus was thinking she might like him and all that.
- Tink was AWESOME. Somehow, someway, she's a very likeable brat. Be warned that there is a LOT of mention of her cussing - it's just that she invented a device that translates the language into the sound of little bells tinkling. A clever twist, even if it is annoying that there had to be frequent mention of cursing.
I could get into discussion about some of the other characters, like Dr. Barrie, John, and some of the other lost boys, but I don't have all day to write this review. So MOVING ON.
Setting/World:
I'll evaluate this in contrast to the setting of the original Peter Pan. I have mixed feelings about the "Neverwood," and I would go into detail about what the Neverwood in this retelling even is, but I'm trying hard not to spoil anything. :P I'll just say that although the general concept is SUPER cool, I feel like it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I had a hard time picturing it.
For a contemporary twist on the original Peter Pan setting, this was REALLY well done. The ideas of the shadows, the pirates + Captain Hook figures, and Neverland itself - components of the story that I won't go into even though I could - are brilliant. They hooked me. (Pun totally intended. ;))
Plot:
Full of plot twists, action, and suspense. Not much else to say here. IT SUCKED ME IN.
It punched me in the feels. It made my heart race. Yeah, I LOVED it.
Writing Style:
Despite a number of typos scattered here and there, I really, really enjoyed Chanda Hahn's style for this story. It matched the plot's relatively fast pace perfectly, and it described just enough that I could vividly envision everything that happened while staying simple at the same time. Excellent for fast but thorough reading - and that, my friends, is quickly becoming my favorite kind of style.
In Conclusion...
This is the clean YA Peter Pan retelling we've all been waiting for. SO GO GET IT AND READ IT AND LOVE IT.
Also, I can't wait to hopefully possibly get my hands on Lost Boy maybe sometime soon? Ish? Or maybe in a few years? Or maybe never? Idk. -_-
- amnesia
- special powers
- morphlings
- dead zones
- bookstore
Characters
- Can we talk about Jax first??? I know that the main character normally gets to be the first part of the "characters" section of a review, but Jax fascinated me SO MUCH that I'm desperate to spill my many and various thoughts. Okay, so first of all, he's sooooo attractive and mysterious... but also kinda creepy. Because . Something about him, though, gave me a soft spot for him, and I feel like there are a lot of heretofore uncovered layers of depth to him that are proooobably explored more in book 2. Suffice it to say that 1) I admit I like Jax and he captivated me the most out of all the characters, and 2) I'm SO INTRIGUED as to what might happen with him later on! Especially after that twist towards the end...
- Wendy, our MC, was a well-developed character who MADE SENSE. I've been reading a lot of books lately with female main characters with complexity and distinctive personalities, and that makes me really, really happy. :D
- Peter. Oh goodness, I'm rather conflicted about Peter. I didn't NOT like him, and he , but I had a leetle problem with him. He was getting too physically close to Wendy before they knew each other well enough. He... shuffled over the line, imo. I mean, you don't put your arm around a girl on the bus and kiss her cheek when you barely even know her! (*cough* In a sense.) If they were dating? I mean... sure. But he got close to her like that when they obviously weren't anywhere near ready. And it clearly made Wendy uncomfortable, even if she didn't seem totally averse to it plus was thinking she might like him and all that.
- Tink was AWESOME. Somehow, someway, she's a very likeable brat. Be warned that there is a LOT of mention of her cussing - it's just that she invented a device that translates the language into the sound of little bells tinkling. A clever twist, even if it is annoying that there had to be frequent mention of cursing.
I could get into discussion about some of the other characters, like Dr. Barrie, John, and some of the other lost boys, but I don't have all day to write this review. So MOVING ON.
Setting/World:
I'll evaluate this in contrast to the setting of the original Peter Pan. I have mixed feelings about the "Neverwood," and I would go into detail about what the Neverwood in this retelling even is, but I'm trying hard not to spoil anything. :P I'll just say that although the general concept is SUPER cool, I feel like it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I had a hard time picturing it.
For a contemporary twist on the original Peter Pan setting, this was REALLY well done. The ideas of the shadows, the pirates + Captain Hook figures, and Neverland itself - components of the story that I won't go into even though I could - are brilliant. They hooked me. (Pun totally intended. ;))
Plot:
Full of plot twists, action, and suspense. Not much else to say here. IT SUCKED ME IN.
It punched me in the feels. It made my heart race. Yeah, I LOVED it.
Writing Style:
Despite a number of typos scattered here and there, I really, really enjoyed Chanda Hahn's style for this story. It matched the plot's relatively fast pace perfectly, and it described just enough that I could vividly envision everything that happened while staying simple at the same time. Excellent for fast but thorough reading - and that, my friends, is quickly becoming my favorite kind of style.
In Conclusion...
This is the clean YA Peter Pan retelling we've all been waiting for. SO GO GET IT AND READ IT AND LOVE IT.
Also, I can't wait to hopefully possibly get my hands on Lost Boy maybe sometime soon? Ish? Or maybe in a few years? Or maybe never? Idk. -_-
September 13, 2018
I adored this story. A retelling of Peter Pan, utilising all the characters, but in a modern setting, with a great scientific twist.
The characters aren't necessarily true to type, which was a breath of fresh air, and kept me on my toes. I will be reading the next book in the series. The bad guys are bad, and the good guys leave you guessing. Strong female characters, and enough things that go bump in the night to make your skin tingle.
The characters aren't necessarily true to type, which was a breath of fresh air, and kept me on my toes. I will be reading the next book in the series. The bad guys are bad, and the good guys leave you guessing. Strong female characters, and enough things that go bump in the night to make your skin tingle.
July 27, 2020
Lost Girl was a retelling of Peter Pan featuring child experimentation and unexplained magical shadows. The world was never explained, nor was Neverland, the shadows, the Red Skull, or the morphlings. The book just left too many questions unanswered at the end, and failed to establish any kind of developed setting. The plot was VERY predictable when it didn't take random turns. None of the characters were well developed, nor were their relationships with each other. Wendy (the main character) did not have a motivation for the things she did and often made the worst possible choice. Peter (the love interest/rescuer/kind of friend) had some motivation, even if it took him forever to draw basic conclusions. The writing was poorly done and most of the dialog felt forced. The only thing that saved this book was how quickly it moved and Tink's snarky comments.
August 26, 2020
Really good.
Clean 👍🏻
Recommended 13+
Clean 👍🏻
Recommended 13+
Want to read
January 14, 2021Free on Kindle today 1/13/2021
July 14, 2019
The Lost Girl starts off with our main character Wendy in an institution where the children are being experimented on as it seems they all have been injected with some kind of drug to give them special abilities. The counselor's name is Dr. Smee and one of the main doctors is Dr. Barrie. See where we are going with this? Lost Girl is a rendition of the story of Peter Pan. Hook is the bad guy and his army are called the Red Skulls, they want the kids as part of their army and to use them as soldiers once their powers come to be. What happens though when Dr.Smee and Dr. Barrie realize that the goings-on at Neverland is bad and that they can't subject the kids to it anymore and try to escape. Neverland burns to the ground but separates Wendy and her best friend known as The Boy apart. Years pass and Wendy is now a seventeen-year-old girl as she was adopted after she was found washed up on the beach with no memory of her past. It seems that once the kids die, they come back to life but with their memories of the past wiped. Wendy is starting to see the shadows again and the creatures of her nightmares, this puts her back on the path of Peter, Jax and Tink - her old friends except she can't remember them. I did enjoy this story and had hoped it would take a different ending - one with Teddy and her being reunited. Here's hoping that Book #2 continues more of Wendy's relationship with The Boy and the rest of the Neverwood Team. I did like though how we got to catch a glimpse on how some of the other's lived after they managed to escape from the burning institution. Fans of Peter Pan and it's tales will enjoy this take on the classic tale.
October 19, 2016
The beautiful cover and the synopsis drew me to this book. I was so excited to get an ARC from Chanda Hahn and the opportunity to read this book.
This is not your typical Neverland story with Peter Pan and Wendy, but looks at their lives after they leave Neverland. Wendy is now a teenage who is plagued with nightmares and shadows that change shapes, but doesn't remember anything from her past.
Peter and his side kicks are chasing the shadows that are plaguing Wendy, but now must try to keep her safe. Can they trust her with their secrets and Neverwood Academy or does she pose a threat to them all?
This is very fast paced with a lot of twists and turns that kept me page turning to the end. Love, adventure, danger and suspense are included in this book. No spoilers as this is too good of a book and a must read to find out what happens between Peter and Wendy.
I can't wait to read Lost Boy Book 2 and Chanda has gained another fan.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading fantasy
.
I received an ARC from the author and but required to write a review.
Series: The Neverwood Chronicles Book 1
Characters: Enjoyable and balanced for all ages.
Writing: Smooth and developed.
Storyline: Twists and turns that keeps you engaged with the characters.
5 Koala Paws
This is not your typical Neverland story with Peter Pan and Wendy, but looks at their lives after they leave Neverland. Wendy is now a teenage who is plagued with nightmares and shadows that change shapes, but doesn't remember anything from her past.
Peter and his side kicks are chasing the shadows that are plaguing Wendy, but now must try to keep her safe. Can they trust her with their secrets and Neverwood Academy or does she pose a threat to them all?
This is very fast paced with a lot of twists and turns that kept me page turning to the end. Love, adventure, danger and suspense are included in this book. No spoilers as this is too good of a book and a must read to find out what happens between Peter and Wendy.
I can't wait to read Lost Boy Book 2 and Chanda has gained another fan.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading fantasy
.
I received an ARC from the author and but required to write a review.
Series: The Neverwood Chronicles Book 1
Characters: Enjoyable and balanced for all ages.
Writing: Smooth and developed.
Storyline: Twists and turns that keeps you engaged with the characters.
5 Koala Paws
November 10, 2016
I’m a big fan of modern retellings of childhood favorites. When I found out Chanda Hahn had written a new version of Peter Pan, I jumped at the chance to read it. I must say I wasn’t disappointed.
Hahn’s reworking of the classic is so imaginative. Neverland isn’t what we grew up thinking it was. There are Lost Boys and Lost Girls as well. Her spin on the characters and their roles left me smiling—Smee as a female psychiatrist, Captain Hook as the head of a secret military group, and even the playwright himself is a character. When you read how Hahn handled The Twins, you’ll think ‘amazing’.
My favorite character in Hahn’s version is Tink, a female genius who enjoys ‘tinkering’ with inventions and has a foul mouth. She’s trying to kick the habit with an interesting monitor. Every time she swears the device covers her words with the sound of bells. Priceless!
“Lost Girl” is well-written and captivating. Hahn has done a fantastic job at embracing the original Peter Pan and expanding on many themes and ideas previously introduced. This is the my first read by Hahn and definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, “Lost Boy” due out next year.
Hahn’s reworking of the classic is so imaginative. Neverland isn’t what we grew up thinking it was. There are Lost Boys and Lost Girls as well. Her spin on the characters and their roles left me smiling—Smee as a female psychiatrist, Captain Hook as the head of a secret military group, and even the playwright himself is a character. When you read how Hahn handled The Twins, you’ll think ‘amazing’.
My favorite character in Hahn’s version is Tink, a female genius who enjoys ‘tinkering’ with inventions and has a foul mouth. She’s trying to kick the habit with an interesting monitor. Every time she swears the device covers her words with the sound of bells. Priceless!
“Lost Girl” is well-written and captivating. Hahn has done a fantastic job at embracing the original Peter Pan and expanding on many themes and ideas previously introduced. This is the my first read by Hahn and definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, “Lost Boy” due out next year.
February 2, 2018
‘Lost Girl’ is a well-written page-turner and brilliant re-imagining of the Peter Pan tale we all know and love. All the classic elements are present, each with a new spin.
For the first six chapters, readers follow Wendy as a child, locked in the Neverland Institution on an island, fearful of the Red Skulls who force the doctors to run further experiments on the children. Wendy is slow to make friends in her captivity, but the one she calls Boy, with green eyes and auburn hair, she knows she can trust.
Seven years later, Wendy has been adopted by George and Mary, has become an older sister to their son John, and has made a life for herself in high school. All this despite the nightmares and shadows that seem to haunt her. When the shape-shifting shadows attack in public, and Wendy can no longer fight what she sees and pretend that she is normal, she runs away from home to avoid being institutionalized again. Instead, she falls in with Peter, Tink, and the Lost Boys at their Neverwood Academy hideout, in an awkward dance of secrets versus trust.
Rumor has it the sequel, ‘Lost Boy’ will be published very soon. Get your hands on ‘Lost Girl’ while it’s on sale!
For the first six chapters, readers follow Wendy as a child, locked in the Neverland Institution on an island, fearful of the Red Skulls who force the doctors to run further experiments on the children. Wendy is slow to make friends in her captivity, but the one she calls Boy, with green eyes and auburn hair, she knows she can trust.
Seven years later, Wendy has been adopted by George and Mary, has become an older sister to their son John, and has made a life for herself in high school. All this despite the nightmares and shadows that seem to haunt her. When the shape-shifting shadows attack in public, and Wendy can no longer fight what she sees and pretend that she is normal, she runs away from home to avoid being institutionalized again. Instead, she falls in with Peter, Tink, and the Lost Boys at their Neverwood Academy hideout, in an awkward dance of secrets versus trust.
Rumor has it the sequel, ‘Lost Boy’ will be published very soon. Get your hands on ‘Lost Girl’ while it’s on sale!
June 14, 2017
I love fairy tale re-tellings, and though Peter Pan isn't exactly a classic fairy tale, I'm still going to put it in this category. I loved this; it was a fast-paced YA read that kept me so interested I could barely put the book down. The characters were engaging, and I enjoyed the way Hahn wove details from the original Peter Pan into her story. My only complaint is that now I want to read the next one and I have to wait!
October 26, 2018
Twisted
This story was twisted into a very different Peter Pan story then I've ever read. I like this version. I stayed on the end of my seat waiting for Wendy to figure out she wasn't who she thought she was. The story left me with more questions. I hope they get answered in the next book.
This story was twisted into a very different Peter Pan story then I've ever read. I like this version. I stayed on the end of my seat waiting for Wendy to figure out she wasn't who she thought she was. The story left me with more questions. I hope they get answered in the next book.
May 16, 2017
Cannot wait for the next one!!! I love fairytales twisted/retold and I've yet to delve into a Peter Pan one!!!! Absolutely LOVE Chanda Hahn and this book was no exception!!! Beautifully written and keeps you completely enthralled the entire book!!!
June 19, 2017
Perfect read for every lost boy and girl
It's no secret that everything Peter Pan is a weakness of mine and this author nailed it. Wendy, Peter, Tink, and even Nana make an appearance. But read at your own risk, once you go to Neverland, you may not want to leave.
It's no secret that everything Peter Pan is a weakness of mine and this author nailed it. Wendy, Peter, Tink, and even Nana make an appearance. But read at your own risk, once you go to Neverland, you may not want to leave.
August 19, 2019
Chanda Hahn is an absolute Queen at retelling classic fairy tales! This version of Peter Pan is amazing. It’s a modern take with a twist. It sucked me in from the very first page as I held on tight and flew through it. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
December 25, 2016
I loved it. Chanda Hahn has never failed to weave a great tale. Looking forward to book 2
June 14, 2018
Very imaginative. I loved this twist on the usual Peter Pan story. The story was engaging and just pulled me in. I definitely recommend this book.
July 12, 2019
1.5 stars because THAT CONCEPT WAS SO BRILLIANT AND THIS BOOK COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER UGHHHH. *grinds teeth*
March 15, 2021
Well... that was a way to end a book.
March 10, 2021
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Tl;dr: A cotton candy sort of read: fun to escape into for a bit, but short on depth. The strongest aspect of the book for me was the unexpected plot twists at the end, the weakest aspect might be the romance. Would recommend if you're into light, clean Peter Pan retellings. Am planning on reading the sequel.
Warning: massive review ahead! Not for the faint of heart!
Notables:
-not so subtle nods to original/Disney tale: Dr. S. Mee, anyone?
-favorite part: I predicted a few things, but the plot twists at the end genuinely caught me by surprise. Especially the one involving a certain brother... completely unexpected and I love it. I also loved the ending.
-The couple other PP retellings I've read (Neverland.Falling and Dust) tended to stick fairly closer to the original tale than Lost Girl did. Even though there are many elements from both Disney and original this felt like it branches out more in terms of plot and twisting familiar elements.
-John was my favorite character (yay for awesome big brothers!) and despite her lack of screen time Nana was also a favorite (yay for dogs!).
-superpower aspect was pretty interesting (especially a certain Spoilery power)
-I listened to the audio book several years ago (and by "listened", I mean "made it through a few chapters because I am not an auditory person and have only made it through one audio book in my entire life") and despite the gap of time between listening to those few chapters and reading the book I remembered pretty much every detail. Which says something, I guess.
Nitpicks:
-The romance was a pretty significant part of the story, but it was about the same depth as a Hallmark movie. Peter and Wendy's feelings aren't really based on anything... granted, they have history, but how much does that count when neither of them realizes it? And there's a random kiss (not between Peter/Wendy) that I still don't understand the point of...
-bad guys: what are they doing? we have no clue. Hook doesn't get any actual screen time besides a smidgen at the beginning. The entire book seemed more about fighting the morphlings than the Red Skulls themselves. We do find out more info in this regard towards the end, but it would've been nice for more clarity - The bad guys don't seem as intimidating as they could've been.
-Characters tended to be on the immature/shallow side... Wendy's stint at Neverwood is my prime example.
-Not sure if this particular point is spoilery or not, but Peter can also see shadows? I feel like it was something obvious that I should've picked up before good ol' Pete casually mentions it towards the end.
Content: None/Mild: basically just kissing, also mentions of human experimentation... Also some violence, but nothing graphic/disturbing. Frequent mentions of Tink swearing, although the actual words are "bleeped" out (or should I say "belled" out? ) by her censor band.
Have you read Lost Girl, and if you have, what are your thoughts? Do you know of any other decent PP retellings besides this one and the ones I've mentioned?
Tl;dr: A cotton candy sort of read: fun to escape into for a bit, but short on depth. The strongest aspect of the book for me was the unexpected plot twists at the end, the weakest aspect might be the romance. Would recommend if you're into light, clean Peter Pan retellings. Am planning on reading the sequel.
Warning: massive review ahead! Not for the faint of heart!
Notables:
-not so subtle nods to original/Disney tale: Dr. S. Mee, anyone?
-favorite part: I predicted a few things, but the plot twists at the end genuinely caught me by surprise. Especially the one involving a certain brother... completely unexpected and I love it. I also loved the ending.
-The couple other PP retellings I've read (Neverland.Falling and Dust) tended to stick fairly closer to the original tale than Lost Girl did. Even though there are many elements from both Disney and original this felt like it branches out more in terms of plot and twisting familiar elements.
-John was my favorite character (yay for awesome big brothers!) and despite her lack of screen time Nana was also a favorite (yay for dogs!).
-superpower aspect was pretty interesting (especially a certain Spoilery power)
-I listened to the audio book several years ago (and by "listened", I mean "made it through a few chapters because I am not an auditory person and have only made it through one audio book in my entire life") and despite the gap of time between listening to those few chapters and reading the book I remembered pretty much every detail. Which says something, I guess.
Nitpicks:
-The romance was a pretty significant part of the story, but it was about the same depth as a Hallmark movie. Peter and Wendy's feelings aren't really based on anything... granted, they have history, but how much does that count when neither of them realizes it? And there's a random kiss (not between Peter/Wendy) that I still don't understand the point of...
-bad guys: what are they doing? we have no clue. Hook doesn't get any actual screen time besides a smidgen at the beginning. The entire book seemed more about fighting the morphlings than the Red Skulls themselves. We do find out more info in this regard towards the end, but it would've been nice for more clarity - The bad guys don't seem as intimidating as they could've been.
-Characters tended to be on the immature/shallow side... Wendy's stint at Neverwood is my prime example.
-Not sure if this particular point is spoilery or not, but Peter can also see shadows? I feel like it was something obvious that I should've picked up before good ol' Pete casually mentions it towards the end.
Content: None/Mild: basically just kissing, also mentions of human experimentation... Also some violence, but nothing graphic/disturbing. Frequent mentions of Tink swearing, although the actual words are "bleeped" out (or should I say "belled" out? ) by her censor band.
Have you read Lost Girl, and if you have, what are your thoughts? Do you know of any other decent PP retellings besides this one and the ones I've mentioned?
May 12, 2021
Look, I get it. I’m a woman in my late 20s so I’m clearly not the targeted demographic, but I doubt I would have liked this book even as a preteen.
So like… where are the answers? Nothing was explained in this book. The facilities, the weird abilities, the shadows, the military people, even the characters’ feelings. Nothing had any reason to it. Also, Wendy is a 17(?) year old runaway who gets a job fairly close to her family home, calls her family from her workplace and whose family think she is mentally ill. Do you really expect me to believe that said family wouldn’t have the police out looking for her? Missing posters plastered everywhere? Her face on the damn news? This girl is supposedly sick enough that they want her sent to a psychiatric facility, but she basically works just down the street, wanders around in broad daylight and never gets spotted? And no one is looking for her? Make it make sense, please.
The characters were dull and flat. Wendy’s “falling in love” with Peter felt like an eleven year old’s first crush, and even that had no reason. Why on earth would she love him? He was boring, possessive and had zero personality. Why would any of them like Wendy? She was also boring, with the added insult of being whiny, indecisive, clingy, and just generally pathetic and a burden on every other character. I think the intention for Tink was for her to be quirky and snarky with trust issues or something, but she was just a dick. An abusive, spiteful, hateful dick. How any of them liked her at all was beyond me. Her attitude toward Wendy was nothing short of disgusting, so much so that if someone spoke to me that way within minutes of meeting me, they’d be crawling away without their teeth, and Wendy… likes her because of it? What is wrong with her? Does she enjoy being belittled and humiliated? Utterly ridiculous.
Also, this book was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes and entire paragraphs that just didn’t make sense. Let me find an example.
Seeing that Mr Bernard forgot, she went to the door and flipped the sign to open. Of course the zillion customers waiting outside chose that moment to come barging through the door to buy up all the books. Well, she wished there were a zillion. She would have been satisfied with one or two. Instead, all that sat outside on the front walk were a couple of hungry sparrows.
What? All the customers chose that moment to come in but there were no customers? And why is this nonsense so… rambly? If the characters with fleshed out this much, this book might have been saved.
I’m annoyed because had the characters been less one dimensional and had the book had a better editor, it would have been a winner. The plot had so much potential, but everything else ruined it and that makes me sad.
So like… where are the answers? Nothing was explained in this book. The facilities, the weird abilities, the shadows, the military people, even the characters’ feelings. Nothing had any reason to it. Also, Wendy is a 17(?) year old runaway who gets a job fairly close to her family home, calls her family from her workplace and whose family think she is mentally ill. Do you really expect me to believe that said family wouldn’t have the police out looking for her? Missing posters plastered everywhere? Her face on the damn news? This girl is supposedly sick enough that they want her sent to a psychiatric facility, but she basically works just down the street, wanders around in broad daylight and never gets spotted? And no one is looking for her? Make it make sense, please.
The characters were dull and flat. Wendy’s “falling in love” with Peter felt like an eleven year old’s first crush, and even that had no reason. Why on earth would she love him? He was boring, possessive and had zero personality. Why would any of them like Wendy? She was also boring, with the added insult of being whiny, indecisive, clingy, and just generally pathetic and a burden on every other character. I think the intention for Tink was for her to be quirky and snarky with trust issues or something, but she was just a dick. An abusive, spiteful, hateful dick. How any of them liked her at all was beyond me. Her attitude toward Wendy was nothing short of disgusting, so much so that if someone spoke to me that way within minutes of meeting me, they’d be crawling away without their teeth, and Wendy… likes her because of it? What is wrong with her? Does she enjoy being belittled and humiliated? Utterly ridiculous.
Also, this book was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes and entire paragraphs that just didn’t make sense. Let me find an example.
Seeing that Mr Bernard forgot, she went to the door and flipped the sign to open. Of course the zillion customers waiting outside chose that moment to come barging through the door to buy up all the books. Well, she wished there were a zillion. She would have been satisfied with one or two. Instead, all that sat outside on the front walk were a couple of hungry sparrows.
What? All the customers chose that moment to come in but there were no customers? And why is this nonsense so… rambly? If the characters with fleshed out this much, this book might have been saved.
I’m annoyed because had the characters been less one dimensional and had the book had a better editor, it would have been a winner. The plot had so much potential, but everything else ruined it and that makes me sad.
September 27, 2019
Find more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!
Lost Girl has been on my to-read list for years! I am a huge fan of Peter Pan retellings. Some of my favorite books are Pan retellings, in fact. I was so open to reading a new take on the story that I jumped at the chance when the audiobook popped up on my library app!
Wendy has been to Neverland and back and has been adopted by a loving family. She's plagued with nightmares and haunted by shadows and runs away when her parents try to send her to an inpatient clinic. Again. She ends up with the Lost Boys, trying to figure out if she belongs with them at all.
There are a lot of things I didn't love about Lost Girl, the first of which is that it really is not a Peter Pan retelling at all. This is a science fiction novel about a lab that experiments on children and what happens after they escape with characters named Peter, Wendy, Tink, etc. There are lots of nods to Peter Pan. For example, Peter plays Monopoly with the thimble piece, the kids have a "kiss" brand on their necks, and some of them have an ability called "Panning." But this isn't a retelling of Peter Pan in any way, shape, or form. It is a fun story, but I feel that calling it a Pan retelling is misleading.
My second issue is that, when a book is set in the real world as this one is, it needs to follow real world rules. Early on Wendy runs away from home rather than be sent to a clinic. She proceeds to live in a park and then get a job. She even uses the phone at her workplace to call home and her mom picks up. I don't know what universe they live in that a seventeen year old couldn't be found in this scenario.
This story was fine even if it wasn't perfect. If I'd gone into it planning to read an X-Men style sci-fi, I probably would have really enjoyed it! I'd definitely still recommend this if that's what you're looking for. But I went into this expecting a Peter Pan retelling and came out pretty disappointed.
Lost Girl has been on my to-read list for years! I am a huge fan of Peter Pan retellings. Some of my favorite books are Pan retellings, in fact. I was so open to reading a new take on the story that I jumped at the chance when the audiobook popped up on my library app!
Wendy has been to Neverland and back and has been adopted by a loving family. She's plagued with nightmares and haunted by shadows and runs away when her parents try to send her to an inpatient clinic. Again. She ends up with the Lost Boys, trying to figure out if she belongs with them at all.
There are a lot of things I didn't love about Lost Girl, the first of which is that it really is not a Peter Pan retelling at all. This is a science fiction novel about a lab that experiments on children and what happens after they escape with characters named Peter, Wendy, Tink, etc. There are lots of nods to Peter Pan. For example, Peter plays Monopoly with the thimble piece, the kids have a "kiss" brand on their necks, and some of them have an ability called "Panning." But this isn't a retelling of Peter Pan in any way, shape, or form. It is a fun story, but I feel that calling it a Pan retelling is misleading.
My second issue is that, when a book is set in the real world as this one is, it needs to follow real world rules. Early on Wendy runs away from home rather than be sent to a clinic. She proceeds to live in a park and then get a job. She even uses the phone at her workplace to call home and her mom picks up. I don't know what universe they live in that a seventeen year old couldn't be found in this scenario.
This story was fine even if it wasn't perfect. If I'd gone into it planning to read an X-Men style sci-fi, I probably would have really enjoyed it! I'd definitely still recommend this if that's what you're looking for. But I went into this expecting a Peter Pan retelling and came out pretty disappointed.
June 13, 2023
"It never happened. It was just a dream."
That was not that good. I pushed through it as I've had it for 3 years, but I didn't love it. It’s classified as YA but felt as if it were written for a much younger audience. The characters were immature and acted younger than 17-18-year-olds do. I didn’t like the characters very much for these reasons and the plot didn’t do much for me either. The plot points and general storytelling jumped around confusingly and I felt the story could have been edited much better. That’s not to say this is bad, the idea had potential. I think this would be much better enjoyed by readers younger than myself, maybe around 12 years old. Especially for the fairly faithful to the Disney Peter Pan adaptation aspect. I don't plan on continuing with the series but I do hope many other readers find value in this and can enjoy it more than I did.
That was not that good. I pushed through it as I've had it for 3 years, but I didn't love it. It’s classified as YA but felt as if it were written for a much younger audience. The characters were immature and acted younger than 17-18-year-olds do. I didn’t like the characters very much for these reasons and the plot didn’t do much for me either. The plot points and general storytelling jumped around confusingly and I felt the story could have been edited much better. That’s not to say this is bad, the idea had potential. I think this would be much better enjoyed by readers younger than myself, maybe around 12 years old. Especially for the fairly faithful to the Disney Peter Pan adaptation aspect. I don't plan on continuing with the series but I do hope many other readers find value in this and can enjoy it more than I did.
July 10, 2017
This is the first book I have read by this author, but I saw that she has written a lot of books and many of them have pretty high ratings. I thought the "modern" take on Peter Pan sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. It started off ok, and I thought it had potential. But it just never reeled me in. Also, there were a whole bunch of weird errors in the book (like wondering instead of wandering) that started to get distracting. Overall, I just never connected and it felt a little too "young" for me. I don't see myself reading more from this author.
August 7, 2019
I basically forced myself to finish this book because I enjoyed a previous series by this author so much, that I guess I hoped the end would save it for me. The story is very dark, but I've read and enjoyed dark tales before and yet, I can't quite figure out why I disliked this story so much. Maybe the fact that there were too many times when I was left thinking Huh? Sorry. I guess I'll stop while I"m ahead and give up on the rest of the series.
August 26, 2018
And 3 stars is kinda generous...
Let me start off by saying I sort of liked it and plan on reading the next one. The plot was very original, really enjoyed the premise, but the writing man... just plain bad. Really amateur sounding. Just hope the next one is better because it had a lot of potential, it really is a shame it is not written better.
Let me start off by saying I sort of liked it and plan on reading the next one. The plot was very original, really enjoyed the premise, but the writing man... just plain bad. Really amateur sounding. Just hope the next one is better because it had a lot of potential, it really is a shame it is not written better.
June 14, 2019
Wow!! I absolutely love the spin of this series!!
I Just finished reading the book and just like that it ended!! Oh man I need answers and I'm starting to feel the hangover. Cannot wait for the next book! I really enjoyed this spin of the story! Loved it!!
I Just finished reading the book and just like that it ended!! Oh man I need answers and I'm starting to feel the hangover. Cannot wait for the next book! I really enjoyed this spin of the story! Loved it!!
June 1, 2017
Woodrow!
Another amazing book by Chanda Hahn. I cannot wait for the next installment! If you love Peter Pan, this is a great twist!
Another amazing book by Chanda Hahn. I cannot wait for the next installment! If you love Peter Pan, this is a great twist!
Read
September 6, 2019It's really not working for me. Too many characters, and it jumps around without any indication that it's doing so...and the narrator just isn't cutting it...
January 18, 2021
This book is absolutely incredible!!!⭐
Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews