A dark and twisty take on the world of Peter Pan.
In 1909 England, a handsome pirate leads Wendy Darling back to Neverland.
At almost 18, Wendy is expected to marry soon—in fact, her mother has been obsessed with the notion ever since the recent death of Wendy’s father. But Wendy detests all her suitors and daydreams about the fun she had with Peter Pan. Still, she agrees to attend a ball, and there she meets Liam Blackwell, an intriguing Navy lieutenant who ignites a sense of adventure in her. Not only is he charming, he’s lost his mother and can understand Wendy’s grief. When he leaves the ball, Wendy quietly follows him through the streets of London. Soon she finds herself back in Neverland, eavesdropping on Liam and his uncle—Captain Hook. Not only is Liam the pirate king’s heir apparent, his mission is to kill Peter Pan. Horrified, Wendy vows to find Peter first and stop Liam from carrying out this plan. But she realizes there’s something terribly wrong with the island as well: The normally verdant forests are dying. Wendy will have to save both Peter and Neverland, all while fighting her attraction to the suitor who’s turned out to be an enemy. Peter comes across as truly eerie, and Liam and Wendy’s romance deftly walks the line between fantasy and reality, making for a gratifying return to a Neverland remade through the lens of young adulthood. Main characters present white.
A dark and twisty take on the world of Peter Pan. (discussion questions) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781639933877
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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