This one is very much the first book in a series in many ways. We get reintroduced to a familiar story told in a really cool and unusual way. The relationship between the magical and mundane (and how Wendy Darling fits so neatly in the middle) is rather fascinating. Plus the feminist tone of the book made it fun and empowering as Wendy overcomes obstacles.

At some points, the perspective felt a little odd - trying to imitate the way, say, a TV show captures glances between other characters. Also the sheer number of times an eyebrow is personified is a little weird. The ending was abrupt and didn't feel conclusive. It felt like you should have been able to turn the page and start the next chapter but it was over. There was no sense of resolution.

I'm not super familiar with the original story of Peter Pan, so if there were a lot of references to the original, I probably missed them. But I did generally enjoy the story.

"Poppy was perfectly happy for Wendy to go wherever she liked, especially if she could ride along in the carriage. She was a bit irked at Hook anyway for failing to understand that he was no longer in charge."



The Wendy sat on my wishlist for forever, so imagine my hapiness, when NetGalley offered the first book in a celebration for the release of the second one!

And I loved it! I know, it doesn't seem like it, since I read it back in September, and am only just reviewing it now, but I really liked it.
Wendy was a great main character, headstrong and brave, and not as annoying as many other protagonists become when they're headstrong to the point of being idiotic. She was very likeable, and, to be quite honest, I loved how every animal that met her immediately assumed she was in charge, because she was. Even with the way how this works in a historical context (it is set back in 1789), she is never set back because of her sex.
Even Hook accepted that she's a bamf.

While we're talking about Hook: Is it bad that I'm rooting for him instead of Peter? Because since I watched that one season of Once Upon a Time, I have a hard time sympathizing with Peter. Even in this (very good) retelling, he's kinda one-dimensional, especially since Wendy spends most of the time away from him.
But maybe that'll change with the second book, maybe Peter gets much more likeable, we'll see. (Or, I saw, because I read the second book right after the first, but for the sake of this review, let's pretend I didn't)

All in all, a fantastic retelling of Peter Pan, with very likeable characters and great dogs!


Thanks to NetGalley and the authors for providing this ARC!

The cover is quite appealing. I really like the golden Title. Also Wendy with her sword is quite impressing.
The writing style of the book was fluent and easy to read. It also suited the setting in the 18th century. The story is written from the view of the author, also often the feelings and thoughts of Wendy are included.

Wendy is a stubborn girl (and later woman) in this book. She does not want to be like every other girl of this time and tries to find her own path. However, this path is not often easy. She comes across a view quite interesting other characters. It was nice, that she got her own gang, which was having her back no matter what. I also liked the characterization of Hook in this book. Certainly quite different then in the original, but nevertheless fascinating. It was nice to see the contrast of Peter's and Hook's view on Wendy. The authors included in this fairy-tale now also a quite political part, which makes you think about patriarchism and your point on the topic. Also the description of this opinions was quite suitable to the time, the story was set in. Peter was also a interesting character. The authors kept his arrogance and self-confidence, which was quite funny to read (but also sometimes a little bit annoying). However, it still felt like, he is one of the good guys.
Which is actually quite interesting, if I think about what creature he is in this book. Although - as it is discovered - not all things are like most people think and not every monster bites.

The accurate research of the authors made the historical setting quite realistic. Also the adaptation of the fairy-tale was very nicely and quite refreshing. Further, the political part was quite challenging. So over all, this different elements fit together really good and made in total a very interesting story.

The end of the book was also quite adventorous and surprising. It is quite open and makes you want to read the second novel.

Fazit:
Nice composition of politics, historical setting and fairy-tale-adaptation. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars :)

I really wanted to like this book because I'm always searching for Peter pan retellings. This was a slightly more historical take on the classic tale with more high fantasy elements woven in as well. However, the story was stretched to take on these new elements but it wasn't fully expanded to allow for more depth or richness. The characters felt flat and the dialogue stilted. Peter Pan was delightful but as the character we already know, without much backstory given to show us new sides to him, or any of the other characters. They had slightly different roles than I was used to but they didn't have complex personalities or ambitions. I was ultimately disappointed but still kept reading for the fun adventure plot. I was happy to see how Wendy ended up, even if I wish I could get to know the characters better.

What a marvelous retelling of Peter Pan. The most extraordinary thing about this novel was the tone and voice of the novel. The third-person omniscient voice had such a beautiful tone, filled with nostalgia and warmth that it fills the reader with joy. It was so reminiscent of JM Barrie’s classic work and even captured some of the levity found in the movies. The tone works so well with the pacing of the novel to grab and captivate the reader. It is not a very fast-paced novel as it focuses on building up the new origins of Wendy Darling and the world she is in, so that tone is essential for the storytelling to keep the reader engaged.

As far as character development goes, Wendy was exceptional. The author was able to capture Barrie’s essence of Wendy, that mature seriousness as well as that love of adventure that makes her such a great character. Wendy faces many hurdles in this novel, and everything together pushes her. As a woman, her dreams seem unattainable, and yet nothing breaks her spirit. Oh, the cleverness of these authors to make Wendy oh so very clever, it makes her such a joy to read and follow on this adventure.

The way the authors also thought to bring in the other characters was quite ingenious. They fit into the story perfectly and balance each other out quite well. From Hook to John and Michael to Peter and Tinker Bell, these characters were developed so well and balance each other out wonderfully. There is such fun and powerful imagination that went into constructing and adapting these characters to this novel.

The Wendy is a steadily paced novel with such a wonderful atmosphere to it as well as great character dynamics.

*e-arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I have not read many Peter Pan retellings but this is by far my favorite of the ones I have. Wendy was such a wonderful character to read about. She was very smart, strong, and over all a kick butt character!

Overall this book felt like a very original retelling and was very entertaining to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a take on the Peter Pan story, it was different and refreshing. I loved Wendy, her determination and resolve to not let her gender determine her way in life. The way the authors wrote about Wendy and her friends, like Michael, John, and Nanna were humorous and yet realistic, and I could not put the book down. Captain Hook was even a bit of an enigma and very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA, Adventure, Fantasy, and classic retellings. I cannot wait to continue the series.

Described as a re-telling if Peter Pan, but oh so different when actually reading it!

This book is about Wendy Darling, an orphan, through her child years and then young adult on a ship. This is the first book in a series. This book is more about building the story and introducing the Peter Pan characters we all know.
Very well written and can’t wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

"[…] Wendy Darling believed in magic. It was the only thing that made sense.

Opinions, however, were divided on the subject."

Among the few Peter Pan retellings and adaptations that I have read, this one would have to be my favorite. Wendy is a strong and fierce character able to face down any situation, despite what the honored Captain Hook attempts to throw at her. Peter remains boyish enough to his true character, but he also maintains the wildness of Neverland in his personality. I enjoyed diving into this book and learning to fly all over again.

I am so excited to say that I really enjoyed this book! I am always hesitant to request ARCs for sequel books that I haven’t read the first books for, but for this synopsis I had to make an exception. It also was offered in ARC form as well as sort of a box set so there wasn’t as much risk. I also turns out that I request books without realizing they are in a series as well. I also was not aware that this book was a Peter Pan retelling, until I took a closer look at the synopsis. I have never read Peter Pan nor have I watched the movie, but I do have a basic understanding of the story. After the disaster that was Ever Alice, I didn’t know if I would ever find a retelling that I actually enjoyed reading. That all changed as soon as I started this book.

The Wendy follows an orphan, Wendy Darling, who wants more than anything to become a ship captain. After the Home Office offers her a job, she learns of a new fight brewing in England. But even her new job does not give her the freedom she is looking for and that freedom has consequences.

I listened to this book on audio, instead of using the ebook copy that was sent to because I felt like I would never get to it if I left it on my phone. The time limit of the library audiobook also pushed me to read it right this minute. I read this entire 300 page book in one day. I intended to split the listen over 3 days but once it started it was hard to stop listening. The narration was very well done and the book is written in 3rd person omniscient, so whenever anything happened the other characters thoughts were also included, which always cracked me up.

This book was both extremely funny and intriguing. There were so many characters that I recognized from my limited understanding of Peter Pan, such as Wendy Darling and Captain Hook. The aspect that really made this retelling better than Ever Alice was that rather than using the same characters as the original, The Wendy imagined a world that was significantly different from the source material, but still takes the same general path.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and I am so interested to learn more about them in the next book in the series, The Navigator. I have moved that book up to my “very soon” TBR and will probably be reading it next month. I am in a brand-new mood for retellings, leave a comment if you have any favourites that I should check out. Happy Reading.

4.5 stars

Overall this was a solid three-star book for me. Sorry to spoil that for people who like the suspense of waiting to see what the result will be but that's probably the easiest way to sum up my feelings for this book.

This isn't a Peter Pan retelling by any means, I think it would be better described as a Peter Pan reimagining. Instead of being a loved daughter Wendy is a scrappy orphan who really wants to be an explorer (well, she wants to travel and be on boats and I've extrapolated from that). In this version of the story Pan and his lost boys feel more like 'fae' or creatures from another world heading through to attack England - you know, an ordinary tale of everyday folk. It's surprising how much of the story those things change, it gives the story much higher stakes, you go from 'oh three children might never see their parents again' to 'people are dying it's war'. Overall I thought that the setting worked, it was interesting enough to see all the original references imagined anew and for the most part, nothing felt like it was shoehorned into place.

But let's talk about Wendy herself, our heroine, the character I was desperate to see them get right. I think they did, Honestly, it's hard to say because for the most part Wendy does go after her dreams against all odds and she has a lot of gumption particularly towards the end of the book. There are a few moments where it felt a lot like she ought to realise that what's happening to her is not a good thing and bail quickly - I don't know, maybe that was asking too much of a heroine like this?

I thought the plot was interesting, obviously most of that is driven from the setting and this idea of the military vs Pan, but there were also some interesting moments with Hook  -which I won't go into here because I think they're best discovered for yourself. It hasn't stayed with me hugely but I have the sequel to read as well and I'll be interested to see how these characters fare when taken into book two.

This book is, I believe, self published* and while I've read some very good self-pub fantasy in my time I've also read a lot of truly awful stuff. This fell happily towards the 'good but not amazing' end of that spectrum (hence the three-star rating). It's nice to find things like this on Kindle Unlimited (if you have access) as it's the sort of book that you can enjoy but not worry too much about - does that make sense?

Overall this did give me what I wanted which was a Peter Pan story in which Wendy is actually the main character. I won't say it's perfect, and some of the feminism is a little 'CAN'T YOU SEE HOW FEMINIST WE'RE BEING' which may not be to everyone's taste (I'm a fan of the show don't tell but that's me), but it's a nice easy read for anyone looking for a flying pirate ship!

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Wendy is available now!

A good discovery!
I like the story rewritings, and here, I liked the turn that the story took, even if some points bothered me.

Wendy is a strong young woman who doesn't give up her dream of sailing on the seas, even though her status as a woman forbids her.

The main points that bothered me were Wendy's many "love interests" (which we could have done without) and the fact that she seems to be unable to be hated as if she were so perfect that everyone was finishing to appreciate her.

In short, a good reading, which I'll discover the second volume with pleasure! ^^

I'm super picky with Peter Pan retellings, but I quite enjoyed this! I was unique, very different from any retelling I'd read before, which I greatly appreciated. I loved the characters, especially Wendy. It was intriguing, and I had a fun time throughout. I didn't love the book, but it was fun.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Before spotting this on Netgalley, I'd never heard of this book or this author, and I don't understand why, because The Wendy is really good. I'm a sucker for Peter Pan retellings, but I've never read one from Wendy's point of view, and I've never read about a Wendy reimagining quite like this one.

This Wendy kicks ass!

She's clever, she's good with a sword, she's loyal and brave and determined, and I absolutely adore her.

This book completely reimagines the Peter Pan story, and I loved the creativity and originality. I've read and watched quite a few Peter Pan retellings over the years, and this one really stands out from the crowd.

I can't wait to read the sequel :)

The Wendy is a unique and original retailing of the Peter Pan story.

Unsurprisingly, considering the title, this version revolves around Wendy Darling, recast as a destitute orphan who dreams of a life at sea. Unfortunately for Wendy, because she's poor and because she's a girl, it seems that this is never going to happen. The story first follows her as a child and then as a teenager developing the skills and the knowledge that will allow her to break out of of the roles society expects of her.

The main body of the story takes place once Wendy has achieved a commission to the Home Office and is working on a super-secret project to track the Everlost -- who we would know as the Lost Boys -- under the supervision of Captain Hook.

The Wendy is full of action and adventure. The writing style makes it feel like the chapters are moving very quickly and the pacing is really good. There were one or two points where I felt the story lagged just a tad but overall all I thought that it kept up a really good rhythm throughout.

I loved Wendy. She's brave and bold. She's determined, loyal and driven. She's a great character! The other characters were slightly less developed than Wendy, but it was still interesting to see the reimaginings of canon characters as well as the great original ones that the authors have added for their story.

There were a few things about the writing style that didn't sit quite right with me personally, but I think this is personal taste rather than an actual flaw. For instance, I found the phrase about Wendy's "secret smile" lurking at the corner of her mouth was over used. I know it's a well-known reference within the Peter Pan story, but it just repeated too many times and I began to really notice it. Sort of like the "released a breath she didn't know she was holding" cliche (which I actually didn't spot at all in The Wendy!). A few times, especially towards the beginning, I felt that the writing was a little too "storytelling" feeling. Which again, I totally understand and some people going to adore because it's a classic novel retelling, and it gives a slight fairytale feel to the story. However, for me, it just doesn't work the way I think it was meant to.

If you've spent any time at all on this blog, you'll know how much I adore retellings and finding new takes on old stories. I've really struggled to find a Peter Pan retelling that I like. I've read a few but none have really sat right with me: I have a similar problem with Alice in Wonderland.

The Wendy is one of the best Peter Pan retellings I've read.

It's full of sword fights and pixie dust and flying, but it balances out the fantasy elements with the bureaucracy of the Home Office, a look at societal norms, gender roles and how our heroine's choices and opportunities are affected by the world she lives in. I really liked that the book builds up Wendy's character throughout the story into someone that you really believe is capable of everything she's going to be capable of, rather than just sticking a sword in her hand and saying she's a Strong Female Character. Wendy earns her way in the world with practice, patience and hard work.

I really enjoyed The Wendy and I'm very much looking forward to reading the sequel, The Navigator, at some point next month.

As an aside: Check out that freakin' cover art! It's absolutely stunning! It's such a beautiful example of an illustrated cover done beautifully. I'll definitely be looking up the artist's work.

With thanks to Netgalley for the digital arc, opinions here are my own.

I was very excited to receive a free copy of The Wendy as it sounded like an intriguing read. A very different version of Peter Pan.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, but not outstanding. This is a series, and being the first book, it was all about the building of the story.

It has all the Peter Pan characters you’d expect with a twist, and things did happen throughout the book enough to be an enjoyable read. But I felt like it was also a long introduction to the rest of the series. I shall look forward to reading the next book to see how things progress and whether I’ll continue from there.

A solid 3 star rating.

Awww this was such a delightful retelling of Peter Pan, Wendy Darling and Captain Hook! I was so happy for Wendy at the end it brought tears to my eyes. It was such a cute story with quite a bit of humor too. I found myself laughing quite a bit. If you're in the mood for an uplifting, light-hearted story you should read this. It's the perfect book to put a smile on your face. : )

I was totally caught out by how entertained I was by The Wendy - what a treasure for an adult reader of young adult fiction. Written in delightful classic style, with a strong historical-setting-meets-magical-universe, this rewritten fairytale made me feel like a voracious teenage reader again.

Known from the classic Peter Pan, Wendy is re-imagined as a brave, strong and determined orphan who becomes a secret asset to the British special forces. Her ability to detect the magical 'everlasting' creatures, alongside her faithful dog Nana, means she inevitably comes into contact with the very charismatic Peter Pan, the angry but darkly handsome Captain Hook, and her loyal and loving platoon of soldiers, including Michael and John.

I was worried that Wendy's feminist sensibilities would become annoyingly out of step with the tone and period of the novel, but was relieved when she remained relatable, endearing, and inspirational. I'd love to recommend this book to any keen reader, child or teenager, knowing these characters are ones to look up to.

After a cliffhanger ending, I'm left wanting more. This book will make a great addition to our Urban Fantasy collection in the library, and one I'll specifically enjoy recommending to some of our lovers of fantasy.

This was a quick, fun read. I love retellings of fairytales, especially darker retellings. Even though the original Peter Pan is pretty dark, this retelling was light and fun. The writing was clean and easy to follow and I loved the storyline.

I wanted a bit more worldbuilding though. The fae aspect of the story was very interesting, but we don't get a lot of information on it. More lore would have been great, but I still enjoyed the book overall.

The obvious misogyny throughout the story annoyed me as well. I know it's set in 1789, and we were apparently at peak sexism time, but Wendy is just way too calm about it. It made me mad, but the characters in the book just glossed over it. It was all a little stereotypical of a period novel, which I guess I can't complain about since the world was like that, but here I am, still complaining.

Wendy was a bit of a Mary Sue, and for someone who is so smart, she seems a little naive at times. It also annoyed me that she has like three love interests, maybe even four. It was all just a little predictable.

You know when you just request a book from NetGalley because the cover looks stunning? Well, The Wendy (and consequently, The Navigator) was one of these books. Sure, the synopsis sounded interesting enough – a Peter Pan retelling – but it was the covers that drew me in. After reading both books I decided to review them together, as they are very much two parts of the same story, and I think if you just read The Wendy you may feel cheated at the end, given where it stops, if you don’t know that The Navigator exists.

Meet Wendy Darling, an orphan with a dream – that is, to one day captain a ship in the British Royal Navy. She is, perhaps understandably for the time, laughed at, but she persists, taking lessons from a helpful expert, and using more than a little gumption to procure herself a position – perhaps not in the Navy, but something official nonetheless. She is enlisted to help protect Britain from something new – magic. Enter Peter and his Everlost, flying down to steal children in the night and in general being massive magical nuisances.

This story gives you all the familiar faces, from Michael and John – not her brothers in this story but part of her squad – to Captain Hook. Even Nana is in this, a discovery that made me squeal in delight as she was always one of my favourite things in the animated movie. In a twist, Captain Hook is not the typical moustache-twirling pirate captain, but actually a renowned captain in the Navy, and responsible for shoring up Britain’s defences against not only the French, but these magic terrors as well. This leads to unlikely alliances and more than a small amount of frustration on both sides. During these stories Wendy is constantly battling the expectations of both society and her friends, trying to prove that she is not weak of mind, or body, and capable of great things. There are some things that get on my nerves a little bit – and with me other readers, I’ve noticed – and that is that she seems to be able to do no wrong. Everybody – even though some grudgingly – like her, even love her. I wish she could be a little more flawed. It does fit the style of the story, as none of characters have massively complex character flaws. Ah, and Peter! While he is aged up a bit – to match our older Wendy and company – he is still as juvenile and overconfident as you expect him to be. He is a perfect match for our Wendy, and I do love what the writers have done with their interpretation of Tinkerbell, who of course is also featured.

I won’t go too much into the plot – that would give away things too much – but I think overall I enjoyed The Wendy more than The Navigator. While the latter continues the story, it also feels a lot more convoluted (and that’s saying something, as in The Wendy there is already a lot of two-and-fro’ing with our characters!). I do like their version of Neverland, which of course cannot be absent in a Peter Pan retelling. There were some changes made to some of the inhabitants – I’m guessing to avoid the caricatures they were in the original – which I found worked either way. There is apparently a novella featuring Tigerlilya and Peter which would hopefully shed more light on their relationship.

My main gripe with The Navigator versus The Wendy, is that while the latter had a reasonably simple plot and stakes, the Navigator suddenly upped this not once, but twice, in a way that did not work for me. Some of the backstory created for Peter was not required to further the plot, and it created this personal vendetta aspect that felt so unnecessary – they had already established a common goal for our team of adventurers, it didn’t need the extra escalation of stakes!

All in all I highly enjoyed reading these stories, and will be definitely on the lookout for the third instalment that is likely to follow. It also seems from the blurb at the back that these stories have been created in an experimental way – completely funded by Patreon support in advance, one chapter at a time!