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burntotears's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a lovely, ethereal tale about finding your tribe and yourself but also putting yourself first too. It was really beautifully written and just hits you deep and the audiobook narration really makes this feel like you're there. Just love it!
jjcraftsandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
(Free review copy)
An engrossing contemporary take on Peter Pan set in Edinburgh with a diverse cast and a teen struggling to find his place in a hard world.
Brody hates his life, how he's always compared to his smart older brother. How they never have enough money. How the other kids on the estate tease him and call him fairy. But then Nico invites him to Everland and brody finds a place he prefers to the real world.
Brody is such a strong but vulnerable character. He's angry at his situation but at the same time he knows it's not his families fault and he struggles with it so much. Trying to be a good kid and do his best but feeling like he doesn't belong and isn't allowed to be his true self. I loved the fact that Everland became a place to go for so many people like him just like Wendy and the lost boys in the original. The cast of characters and friends that Brody meets is diverse - Everland has doors all over the world - but it was the people around him in the real world that really made this book for me.
I loved the disability rep of Brody's dad and how Brody thinks about him. It's obvious that the author has either done her homework or has first hand experience with the benefits system in the UK. The second Brody;s mum is mentioned as having a brown envelope (Also known as the brown envelope of doom to us fellow disabled) my heart sunk. I think so much of the strength of this story is in the little things. There's so many moments that are subtly mentioned that make the story feel true. From the hints about Brody's brother, or Brody's best friend or that envelope I mentioned.
I loved how the idea of Everland was placed on such a modern contemporary setting. But more than that, in a run down, struggling part of Edinburgh that felt gritty and real and from the authors own experiences of the city.
For me this is a heartbreaking and yet hopeful book at the same time in exactly the same way as Peter Pan (which is one of my favourite books) and I love how the setting brought a new twist to the tale.
Rep: gay MC, m/m, disability rep (agoraphobia, panic attacks and a wheelchair user), lots of the side characters are poc and queer.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, ableism, eating disorder
An engrossing contemporary take on Peter Pan set in Edinburgh with a diverse cast and a teen struggling to find his place in a hard world.
Brody hates his life, how he's always compared to his smart older brother. How they never have enough money. How the other kids on the estate tease him and call him fairy. But then Nico invites him to Everland and brody finds a place he prefers to the real world.
Brody is such a strong but vulnerable character. He's angry at his situation but at the same time he knows it's not his families fault and he struggles with it so much. Trying to be a good kid and do his best but feeling like he doesn't belong and isn't allowed to be his true self. I loved the fact that Everland became a place to go for so many people like him just like Wendy and the lost boys in the original. The cast of characters and friends that Brody meets is diverse - Everland has doors all over the world - but it was the people around him in the real world that really made this book for me.
I loved the disability rep of Brody's dad and how Brody thinks about him. It's obvious that the author has either done her homework or has first hand experience with the benefits system in the UK. The second Brody;s mum is mentioned as having a brown envelope (Also known as the brown envelope of doom to us fellow disabled) my heart sunk. I think so much of the strength of this story is in the little things. There's so many moments that are subtly mentioned that make the story feel true. From the hints about Brody's brother, or Brody's best friend or that envelope I mentioned.
I loved how the idea of Everland was placed on such a modern contemporary setting. But more than that, in a run down, struggling part of Edinburgh that felt gritty and real and from the authors own experiences of the city.
For me this is a heartbreaking and yet hopeful book at the same time in exactly the same way as Peter Pan (which is one of my favourite books) and I love how the setting brought a new twist to the tale.
Rep: gay MC, m/m, disability rep (agoraphobia, panic attacks and a wheelchair user), lots of the side characters are poc and queer.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, ableism, eating disorder
sophescapesreality's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was a wonderful magical story with deep characters that make you feel with them. Plus who doesn't love a cute gay love story?
slacy116's review against another edition
3.0
This book was adorable. It was heartwarming, charming, and had wonderful and open-minded vibes through and through.
expelliosa's review against another edition
It had nothing to do with the book itself. I think in high school I would have devoured this book it just wasn’t gripping me as the reader I am today. I really enjoyed the narrator. I just couldn’t pay attention and found that I didn’t care. That’s not the book’s fault, I just wasn’t that into it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Homophobia
literaryliege's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mysti_8l's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I came into this book with pretty low expectations, as I haven't been blown away by YA novels in the past. However, this book pleasantly surprised me with how maturely it portrayed mental illnesses, the importance of family, and the struggle to find your place in the world.
My favorite character was Jake, as his story line was handled beautifully and made for a great climax. I also enjoyed many of the side characters, such as Megan, Kasia, Zahra, and Jett. The author did a fabulous job with explaining each character's motives so that you could sympathize with them even if you didn't agree with their actions. I thought Brody was a good protagonist; he was nothing exceptional, but someone you could root for and not a complete blank slate.
The character that fell the flattest for me was Nico. In theory, his story line about applying for art school while having little support from his family sounds like it should be interesting, but I just couldn't get very invested. Additionally, I thought the romance between Brody and Nico was a bit boring and unnecessary, but I'm not a huge fan of romance, so that could just be me.
Moving on to the plot, I really enjoyed the story lines that took place in reality. The family conflicts were the most compelling part of the novel because the author allowed the characters to exist in a gray area. For example, despite Brody's frustration towards his father, he also understood that he was disabled and couldn't completely control his actions.
Finally, I'm conflicted about the limited information we received on Everland. On one hand, I think that the lack of information demonstrates how Everland is a dreamlike world, seeing as many dreams can't be fully explained. A full explanation of the lore wouldn't have fit into the plot very well either. But on the other hand, I would have loved to have some more time with Kasia as she explored the library and learned about how the doors to Everland work.
My favorite character was Jake, as his story line was handled beautifully and made for a great climax. I also enjoyed many of the side characters, such as Megan, Kasia, Zahra, and Jett. The author did a fabulous job with explaining each character's motives so that you could sympathize with them even if you didn't agree with their actions. I thought Brody was a good protagonist; he was nothing exceptional, but someone you could root for and not a complete blank slate.
The character that fell the flattest for me was Nico. In theory, his story line about applying for art school while having little support from his family sounds like it should be interesting, but I just couldn't get very invested. Additionally, I thought the romance between Brody and Nico was a bit boring and unnecessary, but I'm not a huge fan of romance, so that could just be me.
Moving on to the plot, I really enjoyed the story lines that took place in reality. The family conflicts were the most compelling part of the novel because the author allowed the characters to exist in a gray area. For example, despite Brody's frustration towards his father, he also understood that he was disabled and couldn't completely control his actions.
Finally, I'm conflicted about the limited information we received on Everland. On one hand, I think that the lack of information demonstrates how Everland is a dreamlike world, seeing as many dreams can't be fully explained. A full explanation of the lore wouldn't have fit into the plot very well either. But on the other hand, I would have loved to have some more time with Kasia as she explored the library and learned about how the doors to Everland work.