Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc! I had a lot of apathy for this book unfortunately, as it was one of my anticipated upcoming books for 2024 yet fell flat. I thought the retelling would be looser, the characters more engaging, and the fantasy elements more prominent. That being said, I did like how the author used the “dust” as a not only a symbol for drug addiction, but a drug itself. This book excels in its darkness. It does not pull punches when it comes to said themes, and that I do appreciate, but they do little to tamper my apathy.

3.5 ⭐

This is a very dark and emotional take on the Lost Boys + Peter Pan. There was amazing representation on all fronts and some incredible writing.

However, there were a quite a few sections that were a bit confusing.

I do think many people will enjoy this book (there are many beautiful parts), it just didn't necessarily resonate with me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley, Orbit and P.H. Low for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I appreciate what this book was trying to do, I’m not sure it’s for me. I loved the idea of the gender swapped Captain Hook but I found the main characters very hard to invest in and the world building a bit confusing. I love an unlikeable woman as a main character but I had such an unpleasant time in with Jordan that spending time with her began to feel like a chore.
I just don’t think it’s for me.

At the turn of the twentieth century, J.M Barrie wrote a fairytale of a magical place where lost boys go and avoid orphanages and workhouses. Their leader, a boy who refuses to grow up, flies, and with the aid of a pixie, rescues more boys for this magical land. In the century since, there have been numerous reinterpretations of this classic children's tale in both print and screen, and in These Deathless Shores, P.H. Low gives us one of the most touching and heartbreaking one that I have read. This book is by no means a children's tale, touching on addiction, abuse, eating disorders, and mental health in a fairly grown up way. It changes perspectives, letting us see that not all villains are really the villain and sometimes heroes have non-heroic motives. The writing style is a bit magical too, not exactly melodic, but just as captivating as the story itself. I would recommend this story to anyone who is ready to grow up to a darker side of the fairytale.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I love retelling, and Peter Pan is a retelling that doesn't come around that often. This gives a fresh take on a familiar story that helps you see behind a character / villain you don't normally. It was an interesting take on the story and did keep me interested for quite awhile. I will definitely keep my eyes on this debut author thankyou for all your hard work!

Gorgeous and devastating, P. H. Low’s debut fantasy is a richly reimagined tale of Captain Hook’s origin, a story of cruelty, magic, lost innocence, and the indelible power of stories. Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up. Now, she’s twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the addictive magic Dust of her childhood. With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories—of pirates and war and the heartlessness of youth—intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms. If that makes her the villain…so be it.

A very cool Captain Hook origin story. This has been done before, so not too much new content here. However all of it was done to near perfection and I was hooked from page one. A very good strong 3.5 stars:)