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Always Neverland (2011)

by Zoe Barton(Favorite Author)

3.84 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0061963259 (ISBN13: 9780061963254)

languge

English

genre

Paranormal Fantasy

publisher

HarperCollins

review 1: At first I was a little put off thinking, 'Oh, it is just a remake of Peter Pan,' and considered not finishing it. But I kept on going and found that really enjoyed the story telling. Ashley is a descendant of the original Wendy Girl and gets taken to Neverland by Peter to be the next mother for the lost boys. It is a perfect, clean and innocent book that I think a lot of girls in the 8-12 age would enjoy.As much as I enjoyed the book, I'm still on the fence about the message being sent. Ashley is an only child of successful parents (her mother is a lawyer) and is very empowered as a young girl. She can't pretend to be the lost boys mother, there is no mothering instinct in her. She wants adventure and recognition. She wants fun and fame! She relents enough to say that she... more would like to be a really cool big sister. I do believe in women's rights; that women should be educated; that they should be granted recognition for their skills. But I think it is a sad thing that we are pushing young girls to seek all of those things first. Why can't a young girl pretend to be an awesome, adventurous mother? Oh, well, at 11 I didn't want to be a mother either. Perhaps I can train up the girls around to look for the best of both worlds.
review 2: Always Neverland was a fun addition to the Peter Pan tale. I especially loved that Barton didn’t try to change the tale of Pan, but rather, added to it. Ashley is a descendant of Wendy so the original story did happen but Always Neverland is an entirely new adventure. I adored Ashley. She’s young, but she proves her worth among the Lost Boys and Peter. She refuses to be like the other Wendy Girls just watching the Lost Boys and being a Mother. Plus, she won’t take a simple no from anyone. Peter says she can’t befriend a mermaid, but she tries anyway. The Lost Boys say she can’t fight, but she does it anyway. Seriously, I love this girl’s determination.The Lost Boys are adorable (though they’d probably deny it and say they’re fearsome) and they all have different personalities. I would have loved to hang out with these boys when I was younger. They’re fun and always ready for an adventure. But of course, they all still have a soft spot that wants a mother.Now, Pan is another story. I have to say he kind of got on my nerves. He was the cockiest little boy I’ve ever seen. I’ll admit, I’ve never read the original story, but I imagine he acted much the same in the original, but I can’t say I like it.I loved all the adventures Ashley had. There were fights with pirates, mermaid befriendment, lion riding, food trees, Never bird riding, and so much more. I found myself sitting down to read only to look up and discover I’d already read 1/3 of the book!The Nutshell: Always Neverland is a retelling/addition you don’t want to miss. There’s plenty of the old Peter Pan that you know and even more new adventures. If you still have even the tiniest amount of kid in you, then this book is for you. less

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