I love reading fairytale retellings, but I never read [b:Peter Pan|34268|Peter Pan|J.M. Barrie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337714526l/34268._SX50_.jpg|1358908] ones. This is because it's common to have Peter depicted as a villain. Even one of my favorite shows, "Once Upon a Time," has this trope. Even though I love season two, I can't watch it anymore because of how horribly Peter Pan is portrayed. The idea of making everyone into a villain is a cheap shot - one that young adult fantasy as a genre does too regularly. In "Stars," Wendy echoed my exact feelings about this book when she said "everyone here is insane."



Peter Pan has always been one of my favorite fictional characters. I will be the first to admit that he's strange and quirky, and accidentally puts his friends in danger, but he's more a Gryffindor than anything else.



Peter taught me that it's ok not to be like everyone else, and that it's normal to not want to grow up. I thought I was alone in that. I appreciate his adventurous spirit, love of nature and loyalty to the lost boys. I think it's dangerous to make Peter out to be a villain, because if all children's heroes are portrayed now as villains, then who will we have to root for? Life feels empty without righteous characters.



The reason I bring this up is because in "Stars" Peter is sneaky and manipulative. While he's intriguing and I was desperate to know more about him, his childhood innocence is absent. The pirate raids felt out of character, and I can't believe what he did to Tink at the end of the book.



What really irked me, and made it impossible to give this book a four star rating, was JOHN DARLING. I've read many books but I've never come across such a sexist pig! If he would've thrown a few insults at Wendy I would've been able to tolerate it, because siblings do this. However, the amount of sexist and offensive comments he makes are terrible! I want to fight him for poor Wendy's sake. I know that John is an upper class, privileged guy from the twentieth century who doesn't know better, but it's still wrong! I feel that John shouldn't have been portrayed so harshly.







While some characters did bother me, the pacing and descriptive language were lovely. I was completely absorbed in the world of Neverland and all the new ideas Oakes had for its depiction. From Hook's liquor stash to the houses that the lost boys lived in, I loved the scenes of Wendy exploring the island. Later I'll continue reading this series, especially since Hook will be in the next book and I can't wait! I have the sneaking suspicion that Peter has been lying about him all along.