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nadmcglynn's review
3.5
This book is so fun!! The premise is so unique, and I honestly went in not super sure how I felt about a Peter Pan retelling, but I loved it so much. The characters are compelling and the author does a great job making something so familiar feel new and mysterious. I also really enjoyed the bits we got of the outside world. Excited for this to come out! (Thank you Orbit Books for the digital ARC!)
jamiebrito's review
I wanted to like this. I found Disney's version to be just ok, so I was intrigued to try a different version. However, I didn't like Jordan at all. I found her to be mean to the one person who appeared to be her friend and only seemed to care about her next hit(some kind of drug & dust). The world building was also severely lacking. Named places with no map or telling you were they were in relation to these other places. There were also terms in the world with once again an assumption, you know what they are,etc. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an arc of this.
dryadsreadingnook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
malily8312's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was frustrating. It felt like a character study where the characters actions were rushed or out of nowhere. It was an adventure story where the adventure just sorta happened. It was a deep dive into the toxic bonds that trauma forms, but with the characters flip flopping how they felt about each other for the needs of the scene. Overall, the writing was gorgeous and lush and there were so many beautifully written scenes that fell flat because they were missing the connective tissue and establishing work that would have made them whole. Taken individually there were scenes in this book that felt like they came from a 5 star read, but hadn’t earned their emotional depth.
We follow Jordan, Baron, Chay, and Tier (though Chay and Tier are very much secondary point of view characters) as they all meet on Peter Pans island. 9 years ago Jordan and Baron, lost boys on the verge of growing up, fled the island in disgrace and blood. In the intervening years, Jordan has become a prize fighter addicted to a dangerous drug that is the only thing that softens her withdrawal from the islands fairy dust. Baron is struggling to keep his head above water, fighting the pressures of his family and academia and his own demons. When they’re given the chance to return to the island, they take it, Jordan hoping to regain what she thinks is owed to her, Baron hoping he’ll find closure for the things that haunt him. There they find themselves at odds with Peter, themselves, each other, and fate as the old stories seem to the playing themselves out once more. But Jordan and Baron know how it ends for Captain Hook, and they’re not about to let it happen quietly.
I think this book has a lot of good ideas, and the bones of something very interesting that unfortunately wasn’t fully formed. Baron especially seems to change motivations, stances, and thought processes in order to advance the story without explanation. You’ll notice I didn’t even include Chay and Tier in the story description, because they feel superfluous even in their own story. Chay could have been the most interesting character in the story as she struggles with the guilt and trauma of forcing herself to fit into Peters world despite knowing his cruelty, but we simply aren’t given enough time with her to get everything we could have out of that story.
Thank you to Orbit Books and NETGALLEY for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
We follow Jordan, Baron, Chay, and Tier (though Chay and Tier are very much secondary point of view characters) as they all meet on Peter Pans island. 9 years ago Jordan and Baron, lost boys on the verge of growing up, fled the island in disgrace and blood. In the intervening years, Jordan has become a prize fighter addicted to a dangerous drug that is the only thing that softens her withdrawal from the islands fairy dust. Baron is struggling to keep his head above water, fighting the pressures of his family and academia and his own demons. When they’re given the chance to return to the island, they take it, Jordan hoping to regain what she thinks is owed to her, Baron hoping he’ll find closure for the things that haunt him. There they find themselves at odds with Peter, themselves, each other, and fate as the old stories seem to the playing themselves out once more. But Jordan and Baron know how it ends for Captain Hook, and they’re not about to let it happen quietly.
I think this book has a lot of good ideas, and the bones of something very interesting that unfortunately wasn’t fully formed. Baron especially seems to change motivations, stances, and thought processes in order to advance the story without explanation. You’ll notice I didn’t even include Chay and Tier in the story description, because they feel superfluous even in their own story. Chay could have been the most interesting character in the story as she struggles with the guilt and trauma of forcing herself to fit into Peters world despite knowing his cruelty, but we simply aren’t given enough time with her to get everything we could have out of that story.
Thank you to Orbit Books and NETGALLEY for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Child death, Eating disorder, and Addiction
chaptersofmads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
“They had both knew from the beginning that they would not save each other.”
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
From the moment I read what this book was about, I was certain I was going to love it. A dark, diverse Peter Pan retelling with themes of trauma, grief, lost childhood, addiction, etc. was right up my alley. I love the light, fairytale, whimsical versions of Peter Pan but I also know how well the story can lend itself to darker themes and I was excited for what the author was going to do with this.
Before I carry on with the review, I want to say that I'm aware that this was this author's debut and the act of writing a book is an impressive feat. Not every book will be for every reader. That doesn't mean I am not aware of the work put into this or that I mean any ill will to the author themself. Even just the act of including all of the rep in here (disability, specifically) was incredible and something we need more in fantasy.
That being said, I cannot remember the last time I struggled this much to read a book. My issues were with every aspect of the story made it difficult to even pick up. I struggled with the pacing, the worldbuilding, the characters, the writing style, and even the way the themes were handled (specifically ones I had experience with.)
There's so much that could have been fantastic about this book, but I don't feel like it was capable of reaching its full potential.
The world-building was a mess that was barely described and when it was described, I ended up more confused than I was before. I understand the world beyond the Island is supposed to be like ours, but not - though even this is never really explained, other than a difference in currency and the Peter Pan book having been written by a different author.
The Island itself was a geographical disaster. While I understand the intention of this may have been to replicate the dream-like confusion and nonsensical view of the world that exists in childhood, no one ever questions it or brings such a thing up - leaving the reader to wonder if they're just immensely stupid or if nothing is truly being explained.
The characters were impossible to connect with/care for/sympathize with, any of it. We're supposed to believe that they're this way due to the trauma they've experienced from the island and the Dust addiction, but then we have flashbacks to one of them (at age 7) beating the shit out of their 4 year old sister because their family loved her ballet moves. Sibling rivalry is a thing and I'm not lessening that, but you can't have me believe a character is only terrible because of what Peter Pan made them and then show me they were always terrible.
Another thing, Peter wasn't even a character. He was a cardboard cut-out villain that murders mercilessly and giggles. That's literally all he does. He goes from acting like a drunk child to calling Tink a bitch. The story of Neverland always includes the fighting and stopping of pirates. That's a plot that can get dark and I appreciate that, however; the violence felt sadistic for the sake of being sadistic. This Peter and his Lost Boys don't imagine themselves as the Island's valiant protectors or glorious heroes stopping the villains, they're just creepy and torture any adult they come across.
One final point before I end this review, as it is already long and negative enough. I usually try to stay objective and keep my personal opinions out, but in case you're like me, I wanted to mention: this book was very descriptively written and could be particularly graphic or disturbing, especially when it comes to the gore or the vomiting. I'm not usually bothered by what I read, but there were moments this actually turned my stomach.
If you're someone with sensitivities, triggers, or even just sensory issues I would recommend being aware of that before heading into the book.
Overall, I'm absolutely devastated that I disliked this as much as I did, but I can't honestly rate it any higher. As always with ARCs, I'm grateful to have read it and I truly do wish the author the best.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
From the moment I read what this book was about, I was certain I was going to love it. A dark, diverse Peter Pan retelling with themes of trauma, grief, lost childhood, addiction, etc. was right up my alley. I love the light, fairytale, whimsical versions of Peter Pan but I also know how well the story can lend itself to darker themes and I was excited for what the author was going to do with this.
Before I carry on with the review, I want to say that I'm aware that this was this author's debut and the act of writing a book is an impressive feat. Not every book will be for every reader. That doesn't mean I am not aware of the work put into this or that I mean any ill will to the author themself. Even just the act of including all of the rep in here (disability, specifically) was incredible and something we need more in fantasy.
That being said, I cannot remember the last time I struggled this much to read a book. My issues were with every aspect of the story made it difficult to even pick up. I struggled with the pacing, the worldbuilding, the characters, the writing style, and even the way the themes were handled (specifically ones I had experience with.)
There's so much that could have been fantastic about this book, but I don't feel like it was capable of reaching its full potential.
The world-building was a mess that was barely described and when it was described, I ended up more confused than I was before. I understand the world beyond the Island is supposed to be like ours, but not - though even this is never really explained, other than a difference in currency and the Peter Pan book having been written by a different author.
The Island itself was a geographical disaster. While I understand the intention of this may have been to replicate the dream-like confusion and nonsensical view of the world that exists in childhood, no one ever questions it or brings such a thing up - leaving the reader to wonder if they're just immensely stupid or if nothing is truly being explained.
The characters were impossible to connect with/care for/sympathize with, any of it. We're supposed to believe that they're this way due to the trauma they've experienced from the island and the Dust addiction, but then we have flashbacks to one of them (at age 7) beating the shit out of their 4 year old sister because their family loved her ballet moves. Sibling rivalry is a thing and I'm not lessening that, but you can't have me believe a character is only terrible because of what Peter Pan made them and then show me they were always terrible.
Another thing, Peter wasn't even a character. He was a cardboard cut-out villain that murders mercilessly and giggles. That's literally all he does. He goes from acting like a drunk child to calling Tink a bitch. The story of Neverland always includes the fighting and stopping of pirates. That's a plot that can get dark and I appreciate that, however; the violence felt sadistic for the sake of being sadistic. This Peter and his Lost Boys don't imagine themselves as the Island's valiant protectors or glorious heroes stopping the villains, they're just creepy and torture any adult they come across.
One final point before I end this review, as it is already long and negative enough. I usually try to stay objective and keep my personal opinions out, but in case you're like me, I wanted to mention: this book was very descriptively written and could be particularly graphic or disturbing, especially when it comes to the gore or the vomiting. I'm not usually bothered by what I read, but there were moments this actually turned my stomach.
If you're someone with sensitivities, triggers, or even just sensory issues I would recommend being aware of that before heading into the book.
Overall, I'm absolutely devastated that I disliked this as much as I did, but I can't honestly rate it any higher. As always with ARCs, I'm grateful to have read it and I truly do wish the author the best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual content
ginalucia's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you Angry Robot Books, for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really, really wanted to love this book, and honestly, I did… at first.
The first few chapters of These Deathless Shores pull you in. They twist and turn the story of Peter Pan, adding just the right level of mystery and darkness with a slow reveal. I was loving it.
This book is essentially a gender-bent Hook origin story with a little darkness. I’m going to be honest though, the darkness mostly comes from the characters themselves and their various addictions.
I’m not sure this was handled well. It’s sensitive, sure, but it’s also incredibly repetitive and tiring. This, rather than the plot, was the central point in the story and that honestly, isn’t enough for me.
The romantic relationships in the book also left much to be desired. They felt toxic and unhealthy, making it hard to root for anyone involved.
One aspect that particularly frustrated me was the lack of visual descriptions of the characters. It made it difficult to picture them in my mind, especially Peter, leaving me to rely on visuals from other media.
This is also an issue when it comes to atmosphere and world-building. It felt like the author was relying heavily on our preconceived notions of Neverland rather than fully immersing us in the world.
These Deathless Shores is filled with lyrical prose. If you love that as a writing technique, you may well enjoy this book more than I did. For me, lyrical prose is hard to get through when coupled with a slow pace, repetitive themes, and hard-to-love characters.
If you’re a Peter Pan fan, it’s worth giving this book a go regardless. It may work for you, even if it didn’t work for me.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Alcoholism
battlebotwrites's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I finished this, put the book down, and just said "Damn" out loud to an empty room. But DAMN! Low's voice here is absolutely stunning and there were so many lines in here where I had to stop to reread because they were SO BEAUTIFUL!! This book manages to be devastating and hopeful all at once. The new spin on the story of Hook blew me away. Like you think you know the story but you DON'T know the story. Jordan had me by the throat from page 1 and Baron is my sad little Boi and must be protected. Wow. Just wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
avy9891's review against another edition
4.0
I love retelling’s of childhood stories. Love the way dark topics were integrated into the story without it being overwhelming. And not in a way that would be triggering for people. I’d definitely recommend this book to everyone if you love a good retelling.
bookspam's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75