Author: Aiden Thomas with original copy and details from J.M. Barrie
Title: Lost in the Never Woods
Category/Type: Young Adult; Upper
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre: Legends/Myths/Fairy Tales
Publication Date: March 23, 2021
Number of Pages: 384 pages of story text; including acknowledgements
Geographical Setting: Astoria, Oregon (where The Goonies took place!) as well as flashbacks to Neverland.
Time Period: Present day but also flashbacks to five years ago.
Series (if applicable): This book is not a part of a series.
Plot Summary: Wendy Darling is a volunteer nurse in the children's ward at the local hospital. She just graduated high school and maybe has aspirations to be a pediatrician but being a nurse is practical and respectable and cheaper. Things seem like they're going well for Wendy but she can't shake the thoughts about that time she wandered into the woods five years ago with her little brothers only to reappear six months later, alone, and with no memory of what happened in between. She also can't stop telling the children at the hospital stories about a certain boy who never grows up... When Wendy gets in an accident after a mysterious shadow lands on the hood of her truck, she meets someone vaguely familiar who needs her help and will force her to confront the past that has disappeared from her mind.
Content warnings: Child death, death of loved ones (described on the page), trauma, grief, child neglect, gun violence.
Subject Headings: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Works
Appeal/Characteristics of Young Adult Fiction:
Published by Children's and Young Adult publishers- According to their Tumblr (?!) the publisher Swoon Reads "publishes the latest and greatest Young Adult Fiction."
Features teenaged protagontists- In this retelling Wendy Darling has just turned 18 and finished high school but has not begun college. The other main characters are also in their teens.
Aimed at middle school and high school students- This is clearly still Young Adult and not New Adult. While Wendy and her best friend have graduated high school, they are not in college and the plot makes it clear that Wendy has things from her childhood and at home that need to be worked out before she can begin to have adult experiences. Also, there is zero sex on the page and while there is a bit of kissing, there is no mention or suggestion of sex which further sets this book in Young Adult and not New Adult.
The heart of YA is the coming-of-age story about a teen's first step towards deciding who they are and what they want to become- Wendy has issues and major trauma to work through and she thinks she knows who and what she wants to be when she grows up but has spent most of her teen years caring for her grieving parents. Throughout the story Wendy's adventures move her towards the process of realizing her full potential and deciding who and what she really wants to be.
Appeal/Characteristics of Fantasy and the Legends/Myths/Fairy Tales subgenre present in this book (SLIGHT SPOILERS IN THE LAST TWO BULLET POINTS):
Detailed settings depict another world, often located on Earth, but almost always set out-of-time, in past times, or invisible to most people. Magic frames the story- While the majority of this story takes place in the present day "real world" there are flashbacks to five years ago and to Neverland. Also, Peter Pan's temporary time in this "real world" brings magic that frames the tale.
Story lines feature good versus evil, as protagonists battle and ultimately conquer malevolent forces-- although victory does not come easily or cheaply. Story lines also explore ways to discover one's own potential, magical or otherwise. Titles are frequently part of a series with a continuing story told over multiple books- This title has a clear good and bad side that drives the plot forward: as in most version of Peter Pan, Wendy needs to help Peter get is shadow back. This good versus evil is taken to the extreme because this time Peter's shadow has a will of its own. The story also complicates who is good and bad with a plethora of morally grey side characters including Wendy's parents and neighbor.
Despite the genre's ultimately optimistic outlook, a note of melancholy pervades even when a victory is achieved- This is ultimately a tale of dealing with grief and lasting trauma. Victories both large and small are won but the events of the past can't be undone. The books ends positively but that doesn't mean readers may not shed a tear for the sadness that stains the edges of the happy ending.
Characters, clearly defined as good or bad, often attain specially magical gifts. Even good characters will find themselves challenged, both physically and ethically. Characters may include mythical creatures-- dragons, unicorns, elves, wizards-- Wendy is definitely physically and ethically challenged as she works through the task that needs to be done; reattaching Peter's shadow will also force her to confront her past. While human in appearance, Peter is the magical creature this time around and he'll help Wendy realize her potential as the story progresses.
A great deal of the Fantasy genre concerns itself with retelling old stories- This book is very open about being a Peter Pan retelling and J.M. Barrie is listed as a contributor to the book.
3 terms that best describe this book:
Traumatic
Heartwarming
Powerful
Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
The Real Peter Pan: J.M. Barrie and the Boy Who Inspired Him by Piers Dudgeon- This book is about Michael Llewelyn Davies, the boy who inspried J.M. Barrie to create the Peter Pan character. Readers of Lost in the Never Woods may enjoy learning more about back story for the original tale.
Neverland: J.M. Barrie, Neverland, and the Dark Side of Peter Pan also by Piers Dudgeon- Lost in the Never Woods presents a grim version of the Peter Pan tale and readers may be interested to learn about the darkness that clouded the life of the original author of the story.
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- This retelling of a little known fairy tale, the Goose Girl, gives reader a fantastical look at the maid's side of the story. Vanya is an expert jewel thief until she is cursed by a goddess in the woods. She has one month to right her past wrongs and break the curse but she can't do it alone. This retelling also uses a fairy tale and magic to work through trauma and grief. Readers will fall for the morally grey characters and as a treat for those who like the story: Little Thieves is just the first in a trilogy. Bonus points for diversity with two ace-spectrum leads as well as lesbian main characters and multiple side characters on the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor- Alice was cast out of Wonderland after her aunt murdered her parents. Now she lives with the Liddells in a world where no one believes her fantastical stories. She represses the memories of her youth but they all come rushing back when her party is crashed by someone from Wonderland who needs her help. Readers who like the use of a fairy tale to work through family issues and trauma will find much to enjoy in this action adventure novel.
Nettle & Bone (FORTHCOMING, April 2022) by T. Kingfisher- A sister needs to be saved and an evil prince defeated but in order to do that Marra must complete some impossible tasks. Taking a different spin and considered "folklore inspired" this original story also deals with family, fear, finding your power and the ties with community that help save the day.
Reading the Whole Collection
Finding Neverland (film)- This movie, featuring Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp, explores the story of the family that inspired J.M. Barrie to create the Peter Pan stories.
The Goonies- This 1980s classic action adventure movie centers young adults as the heroes of a twisted fairy tale involving criminals, pirates, buried treasure, and maybe an octopus? The movie is set in Astoria, Oregon so fans of Lost in the Never Woods will find story and location connections here.
Peter Darling by Austin Chant- This book is a bit of a stretch but is the only Peter Pan retelling I've come across that also really spins the tale on its head. In this LGBTQIAP+ Romance, Peter returns from living in the real world to find that the only person who really missed him was good ol' Captain Hook. Will this excitement lead to danger and bloodshed or something far more complicated?
Citations
Characteristics of YA fiction taken from
Brookover, S., Burns, E., Jensen, K. (2014). What's new about New Adult?. The Horn Book Magazine. January/February 2014.
Characteristics of Fantasy novels taken from
Wyatt, N. and Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Third edition. ALA Editions.