I received an E-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year after reading Aiden’s debut novel Cemetery Boys last year. Unfortunately, my high hopes for this book were not met. It is a mostly enjoyable read but one of my favorite features of Cemetery Boys, the relentless spirit of hope, was missing. After a year of living through a pandemic where I’m looking for every spark of joy I can get, this just wasn’t the book I needed right now.
This book, especially near the end, feels hopeless. There are no HEAs here. While I love the author’s writing style and was rooting for Peter and Wendy, there was something inherently pessimistic about this book. I really love how Aiden’s writing sucks me in immediately and instead of being actively aware that I’m reading, I can get sucked along for the ride. The closer I got to the end of the novel though, the more uncomfortable I grew. The reasons for this discomfort are all spoilers, but the establishment of the haunting and foreboding atmosphere of the Never Woods is one of the best parts of this book. I think Aiden’s style and passion shine a little brighter in his debut than in this book, but it is a solid novel and I can’t wait to read what is next from them, the hopelessness of this book just was not right for me at this time. I went through the whole booking hoping for a victory for Peter and Wendy that did not feel hollow. I wanted Wendy to be able to be happy, to be able to enjoy living again instead of just surviving, the ending, while more true to real life, gave me none of the things that I had hoped for Wendy. Nothing seems to truly change for Wendy even after the events of the book, especially the last five percent or so of the book. Peter gets an ending that he can handle but that also takes an element of his happiness.