Lost in the Never Woods Review: Don’t expect magical fairies in this dark Peter Pan retelling

Did someone mention “Peter Pan retelling,” and “Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas,” in the same sentence?

Because all I heard was “Peter Pan retelling,” and I. came. running.

Who can blame me?

Peter Pan is a classic portal fantasy that’s got it all:

🏴‍☠️ bloodthirsty pirates

🧚 jealous fae

👑 kidnapped princesses

✨ pixie dust-induced aerobatics

👩‍👦‍👦 immortal found family

But the real question is…

Does Aiden Thomas’ sophomore YA novel measure up to the unadulterated magic of its source material?

Let’s dive into my Lost in The Never Woods review to find out!

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Lost in the Never Woods Summary

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Published March 23rd, 2021 by Swoon Reads

Five years ago, Wendy and her two younger brothers disappeared into the woods.

Only Wendy came back.

Wendy has tried to put the trauma behind her, but then children start to vanish from her hometown. Now she can’t help but question what really happened in the woods all those years ago.

To make matters worse, a boy she thought only existed in her dreams has fallen from the sky. (Literally!)

Together, they must team up to find the lost kids and rescue them from a terrible fate.

FOR FANS OF: YA mystery, dark Peter Pan retellings, Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas.

Content + Trigger Warnings

Absent and emotionally distant parents, alcoholism, child death, depictions of grief, loss of a loved one, memory gaps, kidnapping, obsessive behaviors (compulsive hand-washing habit), trauma, violence, anxiety, PTSD, shooting/gun violence, signs of survivor’s guilt.

Lost in the Never Woods Review

What I Liked About Lost in the Never Woods

1. Peter Pan is more mature and emotionally complex than ever before

To kick off my Lost in the Never Woods review, let’s start with the obvious choice:

Peter Pan.

In J. M. Barrie’s original story, Peter is the adventurous and mischievous boy who wouldn’t grow up.

But let’s face it.

He’s also a selfish little turd.

(We love him anyway, of course.)

In their latest 2021 YA novel, Aiden Thomas has reimagined the immature, tantrum-prone Peter Pan we’re all familiar with…

as a self-sacrificing teen with hidden depths.

“Peter could push things too far and get distracted, but she was also starting to see that he was a Noticer. And the worst thing about Noticers is that it was hard to hide from them.”

Now don’t get me wrong.

Peter is still as childlike as ever; that vital part of his character hasn’t changed.

But this iteration of him is more empathetic and emotionally complex than any I’ve encountered before.

And as a self-proclaimed Peter Pan retelling expert, when I say that Aiden Thomas’ version is unique and compelling, you know I mean business.

Simply put:

Lost in the Never Woods recasts the beloved character as a pure-hearted, lonely boy who would willingly sacrifice his own happiness to help ease the suffering of others.

“‘I don’t like seeing people in pain,’ Peter finally said quietly. There was a strange edge to his voice, almost an urgency, like he was trying to make her understand.”

So what I’m saying is if your love for Peter Pan hasn’t grown 10x by the time you finish the last page, then I will just assume you’re an unfeeling robot.

2. A perfectly eerie, atmospheric setting that gave me chills

Don’t expect any cutesy fairies or playful mermaids in this creepy Peter Pan retelling.

Because where the original 1911 novel is all bright whimsy and fantastical magic…

Lost in the Never Woods is hauntingly eerie and tragically twisted.

“Shadows are made up of all the dark and bad parts of yourself. They feed off of bad thoughts—fear, worry, sadness, and guilt.”

Set in the dark, dreary forests of Astoria, Oregon, Aiden Thomas cleverly juxtaposes the chilling atmosphere with the tropical paradise of Neverland.

And I couldn’t get enough.

So if you’re in the mood for …

• skeleton trees
• unexplained disappearances
• nightmares in the daylight
• empty hospital beds
• murderous shadows

…then have your library card at the ready, because this book is precisely what you need.

3. An authentic look at grief and trauma that will make your heart ache

I will not lie to you in this Lost in the Never Woods review.

So if you’re expecting a cheerful story where Wendy Darling returns from Neverland and rides off into the sunset…

I’ll tell you right now – you won’t find it here.

In this dark Peter Pan retelling, Aiden Thomas reinvents Wendy as an eighteen-year-old girl trapped in the past and haunted by grief.

She’s stuck.

Unable to move past the mysterious disappearance of her two younger brothers, she struggles with survivor’s guilt and a compulsive hand-washing habit.

“She couldn’t keep herself from scrubbing away at them. People stared at them and sometimes the kids asked how she’d gotten hurt. It was embarrassing and she felt like they outed her as being odd, but the feeling of her hands being dirty made her skin scrawl. She bit her nails down to nubs, but things still caught under them sometimes.”

But here’s the thing:

Thomas approaches Wendy’s trauma with such gentle compassion and sincere understanding; it brought tears to my eyes.

Despite its dark plot twists, Lost in the Never Woods is ultimately a story about hope and healing.

“I want you to live, Wendy, not just endure.”

The narrative offers a shoulder to cry on for every traumatized child that has had to grow up too soon.

And at the end of it all, there’s only one word I can think of that fits right:

Bittersweet.

What I Disliked about Lost in the Never Woods

4. All Talk and No Action

So here’s the deal –

Peter and Wendy are fighting against the clock to solve the life-threatening mystery of the disappearing children, and what do they do?

They go swimming in a hidden lagoon, make a quick stop for ice cream, and sneak away to take showers.

So basically:

They do nothing.

“They should’ve done something. Wendy should’ve stopped it. That was why she was here, that was what she was supposed to do, but she hadn’t.”

“We need to do something!”

This is Wendy’s favorite phrase for half of the book.

And although I wish I didn’t have to say this in my Lost in the Never Woods review…

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it was off-putting.

“‘We can’t just go get ice cream and sit in the grass making daisy chains all day!’ she snapped. ‘Sure we can!’ He took her hand in his and started walking backward…

Throughout the story, a constant “What should we do?” dialogue loops on repeat, accompanied by a dull rhythm of inaction.

The result?

The narrative feels downright unpolished.

And that leads me to my next point…

5. The Narrative Moves in Fits and Starts

I’m going to be honest here –

I almost didn’t finish reading Lost in the Never Woods.

The reason?

I’ll give you three (I’ve always been an overachiever):

• The pacing was awkward and inconsistent
• I was not fully invested until the 2/3 mark
• The plot lags in the middle

Turns out, for at least a hundred pages, nothing. Freaking. Happens.

(Refer back to point number 4).

Thankfully, the story finally finds its stride and finishes strong with an emotionally charged, poignant climax.

Nevertheless!

That doesn’t change the fact that the plot unfolds about as quickly as a snail stuck in quicksand.

So what I’m trying to say is this:

Lost in the Never Woods is an excruciatingly slow-paced book.

Lost in the Never Woods Review:
The Final Verdict

So my Lost in the Never Woods review all adds up to this:

Aiden Thomas’ dark YA Peter Pan retelling is exactly that – dark.

Wendy suffers from PTSD, shadows hunt Peter, and a twisted secret agonizes them both.

But despite a slow pace and awkward plotting, it’s ultimately a bittersweet story about hurt, healing, and hope.

And I promise you this:

It will haunt you long after you turn the last page.

Now over to you:

What did you think of my Lost in the Never Woods review?

Jump into the comments and let me know one thing about this book that sounded interesting to you!