Lost Boy: All children grow up except one... Paperback – 4 July 2017

I spotted this book originally after one of my students returned it to the library and just from the cover, I knew I'd be hooked. Peter Pan is one of those classic stories that enthralled me as a child but like so many others, as I grew up I suspected there was more to Peter than the impish child we all knew and the shine grew dim. Christina Henry's novel here has done a great job of explaining what I suspected for a long time, brutally honest about the hijinks and the consequences through the eyes of the original Lost Boy, a character we know before he became a character we know. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for events to come to pass, but I was so not ready when they finally did. This is a far better read than the official sequel, in my opinion, though I suspect Great Ormond Street would not approve of the depiction of their short-lived boy who never grew up!

My partner was extremely happy with the book.

Aside from the film, Hook, I've never cared for Peter Pan. Unlikeable character. This book was perfect for me as it gives the other side of the story.I hope it gets made into a film or series one day!My only criticism is (not really a spoiler) his hook could have come from something more sentimental, like made from swords of lost boys of something.And there was plenty of reasons for him to be afraid of crocodiles but it wasn't noted

I've never seen Peter Pan, I haven't read the original book (started it, didn't like it) and I am only vaguely aware of the story (boy who never grows up, who lives in a magical place with lost/stolen/abandoned children; there are some pirates led by a hook-handed captain, and there's a fairy). I really loved this and zoomed through it, although it deserved a much more careful reading, which it will get very soon. It is clever, well-written, with superb descriptions of complex emotions. I enjoy stories that retell well-known ones from a different viewpoint (eg Wild Wood, which is the Wind in the Willows from the perspective of the stoats); but this is definitely a fairy story meant for grown-ups.

This book is just so wowing!!!! The ending was so unexpected!!!!! This is such a good book!! I so recommend it!!!!! When you read it, you will know my shock! It’s so good!!!

Having loved Christina Henry’s Alice & Red Queen books, I couldn’t wait to read more from her.This was just as dark and brutal as the Alice duology, which I loved, however it didn’t quite have the same immersive quality as the other books.I disliked Peter from the get go, which I think is the point, but i felt so strongly about him that it actually made it difficult to read. He was selfish, cruel and careless, treating the Lost Boys like disposable toys - which I suppose they were to him.The book takes place in Neverland, but I didn’t feel like we got to explore much of it. We don’t get to board any pirate ships, or visit the mermaid lagoon, all we really see is the tree that is their home and a little of the rocky terrain nearby. This took away the sense of adventure and journey that the Alice books had, and it lacked a feeling of discovery.I loved Jamie as a main character, he was brave and kind, but I liked that he was also flawed. He wasn’t pure, he got angry and he was violent, and this made him feel more real. Most of the other characters didn’t have much backstory or play a critical part in the story - I will say this by way of a warning, don’t get attached to anyone reading this because Christina is merciless and there is a lot of death!The main storyline itself is slightly predictable and I was expecting a bit more of a twist, I also wasn’t really a fan of the open ending - it felt like the author had tried to stay true to the background and timeline of the original Peter Pan tale, and I much preferred the way she’d twisted everything on its head in Alice/Red Queen where I honestly didn’t know what to expect of the characters we know so well!I would still recommend this to fans of Christina’s writing or of Peter Pan retellings (I love them personally!).

This is a fabulous book that takes another story from our childhood and turns it on its head. It's dark, violent and heartbreaking but with a sliver of hope. Peter Pan 'steals' children to become playmates on his magical island, but not all of them are lost boys and not all of them want to stay young forever. It's about the loss of innocence, a coming of age book, and it's about love. It's a fantastic read and I felt quite bereft when I'd finished it.

Love the mystery this story leaves you with to play out ever after. The author uses childish thoughts against you. It’s like awakening a lost story.