Well, I finished it. I'm not entirely sure how, but I did. I nearly DNF this thing so many times, and I honestly wish I had. I utterly resent this book for taking up any of my brainspace and time.

So, where to begin? The pacing is awful. Not much happens for much of the book and I ended up skimming huge chunks of it. The writing is ponderous and the author seemed to delight in phrasing sentences with the passive voice. Until this point, I had never understood why English teachers loathe the passive voice. Now I know. It's harder to read and comprehend, and the sentences are needlessly complex. Also, the passive voice removes the reader from feeling any of the emotion or immediacy in the book.

Characterization... I have no clue as to Gwen's personality. She is such a blank slate. She had zero character. I felt she was more a plot point than a fully realized character. Also, her choice to not go to her parents but to a high school party after returning from Neverland MADE NO FREAKING SENSE. But it happened, because plot.

Which brings me to: the plot. Or, the meandering mess that had plot-like elements, sort of. But huge chunks of the book contributed nothing to furthering the plot.

Okay, now on to the truly bad. First, let's start with a mini-bad. Early on (and by early on, I mean nearly 50 pages in -- see above comment on pacing issues), Gwen's father said magic was the only reason the country was prospering despite it's massive debt. No, just no. The implication that a giant national debt is catastrophic is just flat out wrong, and that misunderstanding and misinformation contributes to electing idiots to political office who don't understand how government works. A relatively minor point in the book but it seriously raised my hackles.

Now, the big-bad. The redskins: who were problematic back in 1904 when Barrie's play first debuted, and in 1953 when Disney made its movie, and are still super problematic in 2016 and holy fuck why. Because the author, in a book published in 2015, decided to make a point about how the context of these offensive stereotypical caricatures matters, and that the "redskins" were important as a source of whimsy and magic on their own. The author equates playing cowboys and Indians and an ignorance of the wider (read: "adult") problematic context with a state of childlike wonder and innocence. This was the point when my eyes bugged out of my head and I nearly threw the book at the wall.

"You redskins are like the mermaids and the fairies... you're not real. Not back in the real world. You're just this fictional, romanticized version of a real culture of people who mostly have the short end of the stick these days. But it's like everyone's so afraid of you because you are more real than mermaids and fairies and magical creatures.... You're nothing like Native Americans, but a little like their history, and that inbetweeness of real and make-believe scares people. Like we're going to forget the difference between real Native American people and Indians in our western movies."

Old Willow nodded. "There is a time and a place for everything, and if there is no place for redskins in what you call 'reality,' then this is where we will be... until they choke us out as well. There are those who would not have us even exist here. People think that only the serious is important. They forget how essential it is to remain whimsical."

OH HELL NO. NO. JUST NO. Also? The belief that people can separate stereotypical fiction from reality? Speaking as a minority woman, I can tell you that is blatantly untrue. The redskins are offensive as fuck, and trying to gloss over that and make it all right? No, that's not all right. Not at all. ( )

I received a review copy of The Neverland Wars from the author, Audrey Greathouse, in exchange for an honest review.

The Neverland Wars is a whimsical tale that takes us to the forests of Neverland in a familiar and yet entirely new way. 16-year-old Gwen chases after her younger sister when Peter Pan shows up at their bedroom window and offers to whisk them away. Gwen insists she's going to protect her sister, in order to bring her home, but soon finds herself swept up in the magic and wonder of Neverland. And who can blame her? The author creates such a peaceful and serene place that it felt like escape just reading about it. It brought back all that I loved about Peter Pan as a child. Through this world, the author explores the themes of what it means to grow up. I really liked the contrast between reality and 'Neverland,' though by the end it hints there might be more fictional characters brought to life, turning the Neverland Wars into the war between reality and story. There are so many exciting possibilities there, and definitely a strong point for the series. But only future books will tell how those ideas will be explored.

Gwen is at a transitional period in her life as a teenager, and the author does a great job illustrating her discomfort, both back in 'reality' and in Neverland. She isn't really a lost child, nor is she an adult, and she feels torn between both worlds, which was a nice conflict. All in all, Gwen's character was great. Right off the bat I felt connected to Gwen because of how she looked at the world. Sure, arguably she has a very mature way of looking at things for a teenager, but as I was exactly the same way at 16, it's hard to cite that as a fault. Rather that endeared me to Gwen's character and made me want to see more of her perspective. I wished I could've gotten a bit more of Gwen's inner monologue, since her character gets a bit eclipsed by the events going on. It would be nice to see more of her thoughts and personality mixed in with the action.

Gwen's maturity aside, I found the writing style in this book rather verbose. The narration itself was a bit mature and didn't have the same tone as a lot of other YA books out there, though this isn't a bad thing. I'm vehemently against 'dumbing' down books for kids, and it's nice to see a YA novel that sells it straight to the audience.

The only things that took away from the story was the shifting POV and a lack of stakes. It seems like an 'omniscient' POV was used for this book, and while I'll admit there are books out there who manage it, it is an extremely difficult POV to do well. It takes away from my experience as a reader, as I never know when we're going to shift into someone else's head and see what's going on with them. Though I wasn't lost by shifting heads, it still took me out of the story and kept distance between me and the characters. I wanted to be all in Gwen's head, not partly in everyone's, because this is Gwen's story. Plus, it takes away the mystery when the narrator informs me what certain characters are thinking or what's motivating them, while our main character never has the opportunity (or it isn't shown) to learn that information. It creates distance when the reader and the main character are on different pages.

As well, I had a problem with the lack of stakes, which contributed to an overall lack of tension. Though there were heavily implied stakes of what would happen if Gwen couldn't bring her sister home, of what would happen to Neverland if the adults found their way to it, etc., but it was at times too thin. You need to outline what's at risk, what could be lost, otherwise there's no tension and 'edge of your seat' moment. If there are no consequences to your characters losing their mission, then what does it matter if they win, either?

Despite that, the ending really left me feeling light. I promise, no spoilers; the sudden ending kinda jarred me, but only because it took a moment for it to settle what the ending had implied, what Gwen's decision had been. It left me with a glowing smile and that soft happy ending feel. And as much as there are a lot of unanswered questions left, there was something really satisfying about that ending.

All in all, 3/5 stars. Such a lovely, whimsical tale. Made my heart happy. ( )

Full of whimsy but...

I scored a copy of The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse from YA Bound Books for an honest review. First of all, isn't the cover gorgeous?! Well spoiler alert, the cover definitely reflects the goodies found within.
Sixteen year old Gwen Hoffman's world is turned upside down one cool October night as her 8 year old sister goes missing from her bed. With only an open window and traces of fairy dust as clues (yes you read that right, fairy dust), Gwen shockingly discovers the world may not be quite what she thought and that perhaps it is indeed filled with the magic and wonder of her beloved bedtime stories. Determined to bring her sister back, Gwen embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to Neverland where she romps through the jungles, mingles with mermaids, dances with Indians, and even escapes a close encounter with a certain hostile crocodile. During her time in Neverland with none other than Peter Pan himself, Gwen learns of a war raging between Neverland and Reality. The borders of the two lands are slowly breaking down as the two sides fight to control magic and Gwen must decide which side she's on.

This book was such a fun read! Rich in detail, alive with imagery, and so beautifully scripted I was swept away on an adventure of my own into Neverland. Audrey perfectly captured the magic and wonderment of a classic fairy tale all the while giving it new life. It was a perfect balance of old and new. This book left me yearning for the days of carefree childhood, wishing that I too could be a lost child gallivanting in Neverland. Gwen is such a relate-able character, on the cusp of adulthood but still clinging to the remnants of childhood. The amount of thought and detail put into creating Neverland was so enjoyable, from all the well written stories Gwen told the children, the folklore from the Indians, to my personal favorite story from the mermaid Lasiandra on how mermaids are born. The book ends on a major cliffhanger with so much tension, and I am assuming this is one of a planned series. I will most definitely be reading anything I can get my hands on by Audrey Greathouse, such a great storyteller! ( )