Review - Far From Neverland by Rylee Hale
I'm gonna say it... TAKE ME TO CHURCH! You know if I start with that, the book I'm reviewing is super hot. If you didn't before, you do now.
I have a special affinity with Peter Pan. The book was always my go-to as a child during a turbulent upbringing, and I still have the library book I STOLE from Princes Risborough library. (I probably owe about £10,000 in fines by now.) It's my most treasured possession. And my favourite character in the story? Captain Hook. I saw him as my protector, and was pretty pissed with Peter when he set the crocodile on him. That's my man! Hands off! (I was about ten...)
Anyway, back to the present day. I've seen people raving about this book, but I usually go for the underdog instead. This time I decided to give it a go. After all, how bad could it be?
It's not bad. It's, like, totally awesome! So awesome I've suddenly become an American teenage girl from the 1990's. I absolutely loved it. Hell, I'm going to get the paperback, it was that good.
Oh yeah, and NOT for kids. No. No, no, no.... With sizzling scenes and Hook being all - dark and intense and Peter submitting to his former adversary's seductive charm, no word was wasted. Peter is all grown up and sensible, with none of the annoying boyish traits of the original book (the crowing, the boasting, the general air of insufferable arrogance.) He has to remember where he came from, and the dynamic between him and Hook, from enemies to lovers, was incredibly well done. I was captivated the whole way through.
So yes, it wasn't just a good story, it was well-written as well. From the secondary characters, like Wendy and Curly and some of the other Lost Boys, and the way the author ties in the original story without it seeming creepy or weird, this is an exceptional book. And the sex? Off the scale good. It's amazing what use a hook can be, the the good Captain proves he has more than one deadly weapon at his disposal. (Sorry...)
I could spend time picking out quotes to show you how good the writing is, but instead, I'm just going to say that reading this book will be an awfully big adventure.
BLURB
Peter Pan left Neverland and grew up. Now I want him back. It’s been fourteen years since he left, since Neverland’s star died out, since a blanket of frost fell over the island. Despite the Jolly Roger being anchored in a layer of ice, I’m not yet willing to give up this perfect, Peter Panless Neverland. Well, it’s not completely perfect. A threat looms here, a shadow devouring the island. I don’t want Pan back, but he’s the only one who can stop it. However, when I find him, there are two problems. One, Peter Pan has no memory of who he really is. Two, I can’t seem to resist him. Making him remember isn’t going to be easy, and not just because I hate him like sin, just like all the sinful thoughts he inspires. I can’t allow him to distract me. The fate of Neverland hangs in the balance. The old Peter Pan has died, and a new one’s risen from his ashes. He’s a star—Neverland’s sun—and I don’t care if I get burned. Captain Hook is very much the villain we all love in this standalone MM dark romance. This Peter Pan retelling is a contemporary fantasy with most of the story taking place in the modern world and contains trigger warnings, high angst, and a HEA. Specific content warnings can be found on the author’s website.
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