Review: Everland by Wendy Spinale

Everland
By Wendy Spinale
My Rating: 4 Stars
Date Read: June 2016
Publication Date: May 10, 2016
Hardcover, 312 pages

 

 

 

 

Summary From Goodreads:

 
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.

Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a daredevil boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?

 My Review:

 

It seems to me that there has been an influx of Peter Pan retellings as of late. And I can't help but wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Once Upon A Time has made it so popular with the whole #CaptainSwan thing. I don't know. Some of the retold versions are superb (like Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell) and others are just kind of... meh. I personally like it when they don't stick straight to the original... I love when things are shaken up, and have been twisted and things happen that I don't expect. Read on to find out where this book falls on my loved It/Meh list.

This one actually ranked pretty high on my "like list" It had twists and turns, and it was a little darker, and more violent than the original Peter Pan Story. It was set in a Dystopian world, and it had bits of Steampunk thrown in as well {which I was surprised that I liked, because usually steampunk is just not my cup of tea} It's the Peter Pan we all know and love, but with so many different things thrown in there as well.

There were Cogs and Doc, who, at first, I was comparing to the dwarves from Snow White... And while that still holds true, now I realize that they were more like the fairies from the Tinkerbell movies. I liked that Bella {Tinkerbell} Was this sassy little 12 {maybe... I don't remember her age now} year old, but she had a heart of gold, and only wanted to be seen as an equal to all the other Lost Boys.

I didn't really *get* why they needed the "Pixie Dust" other than the  fact that they were just using it to make the story more similar to Peter Pan... It was kind of weird, and if they'd left it out, I would have been okay with it...but oh well.

I had a love-hate relationship with Gwen. I liked her, and the fact that she was so fiercely protective of her brother and sister, and even Bella and the Lost Kids... But at sometimes she came off as a little bit whiny... which I suppose is normal for a 15 (16? I don't remember... I'm so terrible) year old who has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Usually I'm a bit skeptical of Peter Pan... I mean, he's okay and all in the original... But in most retellings he's kind of.. I don't know, sketchy? Like he has a hidden agenda or something. But I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with him in this version. He's not just this goofy, care free kid. He's got all of the lost kids counting on him to keep them safe.

Then we have Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer (Captain Hook for those of you who didn't know) I'm rather fond Captain Hook (or at least the one that has been made so popular by Once Upon A Time... Ah, that dashing, rapscallion scoundrel with his guy-liner and sassy attitude.. oh my, I can't even *SWOON* *INSERT HEART EYES HERE* 

What? Oh, yeah, I'm getting distracted again, sorry... As I was saying. I have a fondness for the good ol' Captain now, and whenever there's a story, I hope that he gets to be the good guy and at least get a chance at a happily ever after. Well, that's not really what he gets here, but we also get to see more than just the surface. He's not just a bad guy. He's got his reasons for doing what he does.

This is the first book in a trilogy I believe... I'm not sure how their going to intertwine the stories, but I'm curious. When it ended, it was pretty much tied up the way it should have been, so maybe it's going to be a different fairy tale with new and old characters... I don't know, I guess I'll have to wait and find out.