Forever Neverland by Susan Adrian

By yalitreader on June 23, 2024

Summary: Clover and her brother, Fergus, who has autism, are sent to live in London with their grandparents for the summer. Adjusting is hard for them, but it gets even harder when Peter Pan shows up outside their window one night and whisks them away to Neverland. Once there, it isn't all fun and games though. New dangerous enemies await, and they need the help of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys to defeat them.

Review: The adventure element of this book was great. It was what for me most invested in the story. Their problem-solving skills were exciting. Fergus solving his way off of the island and Clover working her way out of Scylla's lair were both very interesting to me. Similarly, I loved the inclusion of the Greek mythology and the fun magical elements of the pixies and mermaids All of that, combined with the adventure, were very fun.

I will say that this book took me a minute to get into because it was a bit of a slow start, but once Grandma acknowledged Peter (which was a super cute moment), the book started moving along quickly. I'm glad the portion of the book where they were living in London was short and that Peter came and whisked them away just a few chapters in.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Fergus and Clover. Watching that develop throughout the story was really enjoyable. We got to see both of them develop: Fergus became more confident in himself, and Clover learned how to back off and let Fergus be independent. I liked those journeys for them both.

Another interesting element of this story was the explanation of Neverland. It was described as having what you bring with you, meaning Wendy brought the pirates, but they've since disappeared. In this story, it meant Fergus brought Scylla from his love of Greek mythology, so now they had to defeat her. I'm especially fascinated by the dragon, though, and I'd love to read a sequel focused on that.

I did find Peter's personality to be a bit brash and abrasive, though. I kind of liked it in one regard because even in the old movies, I always found him to be a bit of a jerk, so I appreciated the author really highlighting and emphasizing that in this book. He was very much an entitled teenager who wanted to be right the entire time, which was annoying, but fit my prior perceptions.

There was also the interesting voice recorder which served as a mightyyyy convenient plot device. When it was first introduced as being Fergus's special item, it was weird. Then it made sense why it was included as Fergus used it to record the singing for Scylla to play for herself forever. It seemed as though the author knew she wanted Scylla in the plot and how to "defeat" Scylla, but she needed a way to incorporate a voice recorder "naturally", but it all came off as inorganic and like an afterthought.

The ending was super cute, though, with Shoe deciding to come home with Clover and Fergus. I enjoyed that. I would honestly even read a sequel focused on her adapting to life in London after leaving NeverLand. It feels like there's multiple ways a sequel to this book could look, and the author could easily monetize that!

Really, this was just a fun, easy book that is so easily marketable to younger readers. I think it'll be a popular one on my shelves next year!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended reader: Anyone who likes:

Fantasy
Fairy tale retellings
Sibling relationships
Characters with disabilities
Characters with autism
Magic
Greek mythology
Mermaids
Peter Pan

Discussion Questions:

Do you believe that Peter Pan is the Pan from Greek mythology? Explain your thinking with 2-3 specific details from the story. If Peter Pan IS Pan, why would he hide in Neverland?
Describe both Clover and Fergus before their journey to Neverland. What role did they play in each others lives? Then, describe them AFTER their journey. How have they each been changed by their experience?
How is Shoe different from the other Lost Boys? What does she do to help the group on their adventure? Why do you think she ends up deciding to go back to London? What do you think will be the hardest things to adjust to in her new life?
Describe Peter's leadership style. Do you think he's a good leader? Why or why not? What qualities does he have that make him good, and what qualities does he have that make him not so good?
Do you think Scylla is truly a villain? Why or why not? What were her motivations in the story? Did she go about doing things the right way? What theme could the author be trying to include with Scylla's character?

Specifics of the book: