Name: Nicole Dykeman's review of Everland (Everland, Book 1) by Wendy Spinale
Item: Everland (Everland, Book 1)
Rating: 3
Author: Nicole Dykeman

Wendy Spinale

London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer. Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a daredevil boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?

Everland (Everland, Book 1)

Ami Is Dreaming Again

London is a ruin, destroyed by German bombs, ravaged by the Horologia virus, and ruled by the ruthless Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, whose Marauders search for and seize the children who are immune to the virus in the hope that their blood will produce a cure--their latest victim is sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling's younger sister and Gwen will do anything to get her back, even join up with Pete and his gang of Lost Boys living in a city hidden underground.

Everland

Nicole Dykeman

I was really excited to read this because I ADORE Peter Pan, but it wasn't everything I wanted. My biggest complaint is that Gwen and Pete's relationship felt wayyyyy too forced, even as someone who wanted from page one for them to be together.

Nadine 

Great spin-off of the Peter Pan story set in a dystopian future. Clever weaving in of the original story elements.

Kaley Catron

I really really liked this! It was such a fun spin on such a classic fairytale and we all know I’m a sucker for reimagined fairytales!

Katharina Hoffmann

I'm now sitting in front of my laptop which means: I finished this book! I actually managed to pull through and read the whole damn thing, hallelujah!
God, it's been a while since writing a review gave me more joy than reading the actual book and this book sounded so promising! A Peter Pan retelling but set in a dystopian London/ England with a heavy touch of steampunk?



But alas, it wasn't handled very well. The protagonist, Gwen Darling, is 15 years old and takes care of her younger siblings, Joanna and Mikey, as they lost their parents in the catastrophic event of the destruction of a biolab in London and the following spread of a deadly disease.

The story is written in the first person narrative with changing perspectives. Gwen's perspective dominates, Hook's perspective comes second. As if that wasn't enough, it's also written in the present tense. This makes for an unusual and for my part very uncomfortable set-up. The fact that there's an age difference of almost 6 years between Gwen and myself certainly didn't help.

I didn't only have a problem with the instant attraction between Gwen and Pete (ahh, yes, the Lost Boy with the "mesmerizing green eyes") and how she was fulfilling the "girl-trying-to-tell-herself-that-she-isn't-attracted-to-boy-although-everyone-around-them-plus-the-reader-knows" kinda trope. I also took notice of how poorly written the younger characters (especially Gwen's brother Mikey, who is 6 years old) were. One of the hardest things to do in YA and children's literature is hitting the right tone when building the character of kids and giving them an authentic voice and tone. Often enough, real children's use of language is far more complex than adults think it is. Sadly, this book didn't manage to do just that.

On top of that, there was unnecessary drama, too much jealousy between the characters, a plot twist everyone could foresee and a cringe-, absolutely cringe-worthy Hook. Every time the story was told from his perspective I felt like closing the book, going



Oh, well. If you already bought this book and haven't read it yet, save yourself some time and make sure it stays that way. If you read it and you enjoyed it: hey, I'm happy for you. If you read it and your reaction was similiar to mine, trust me, you're not alone. We suffered together.

Katie Holem

It was a pretty interesting book, loved Gwen's point of view and dreaded reading most Hooks point of view. It did have hints of Peter Pan, not so much of a retelling though. Still enjoyed the book!

laura

This was a beyond good book. It is 4.5 stars for me. I really loved the world and the the characters were so engaging and such a fast pace read. I loved the twist on neveland and it was so cool. I really enjoyed the duel POV we got and was invested in both sides of the story. I just loved how twisted this story became and all the tieback and connections to the orginal story. I loved the cast of characters and also how the book still addressed historical issues but also brought urban fantasy elements as well. I think the setting of this book was so strong and so well crafted as well. I really loved this story and can't wait for the sequel.

Stephanie Haynes

3.5/5 - this was actual a lot of fun and kept me thoroughly entertained.

"The only way to grow up is to survive."

 

I don't know why it took me so long to read this, but I'm glad I finally did. I saw this book on the shelves at Barnes and Noble plenty of times, always doubting that I would like it. But I got it in my LitCube box for the Peter Pan theme month and decided it was time to crack it open.

 

Everland is not at all what I was expecting. Usually when I read Peter Pan retelling, they still very much resemble the original story, but this one is so different yet it has important aspects that was kept from the original story. Did that make sense?

 

 

The take on steampunk was a great idea. Its never been done before-as far as I know-and worked well with the plot. It adds machinery and other things that make the story good. I did feel like the steampunk wasn't front and center, though. It felt more dystopian with a hint of steampunk added in. I loved what steampunk there was. I don't normally read that genre, so it was an eye opener to that kind of world. The set up for this world is great. I loved how everything is broken down, it's scary and you never know if you'll get another meal or thrown in the sewers for the crocodiles to eat you.

 

Gwen is such a strong character, but she doesn't yet realize it. She's been dealt with a raw hand and to see her have the lives of her two younger siblings on her shoulders is sad. She goes through a lot to keep them all safe and fed. Of course, she's bitter about it. She's the oldest, so the responsibility would be handed to her. It's a tough world out there, as what was known as London is now Everland, a dangerous place where marauder inhabit the land and kill children who aren't smart enough to stay away. I liked how despite her bitterness, Gwen would do anything to get her siblings back.

 

"What more is left here for you but faith?" Pete says, extending a hand to me from the open window. 

"And a little bit of pixie dust," Bella adds, pouring the rest of the gold into my hand."


Pete-who is Peter-was adorable. I liked how he was still boyish in attitude, but underneath he's more adult than he'd like. Everyone had to grow up after the virus went out, killing every adult (minus some). But I loved that he was still cute and young despite having to take care of a lot of people and things.

 

I adored Gwen and Pete together. Gwen is unsure about him and why he would be helping her, especially in this world where helping could come with another demand. Nothing is free. And Pete just wants to save everybody.

 

"Pete tilts my chin up. The lantern lights his handsome face and green eyes that remind me of the color of lucky clovers. "You are a Lost Girl."

 

Bella is feisty, much like TinkerBell, yet she was little and sick and just wanted a friend. Who wasn't a boy. I felt for her, and though there was little jealousy, it wasn't for the same reason as TinkerBell. I loved her wings. They're mechanical and pretty.

 

Hook. Oh, man. Hook. He's not an old pirate in this one. He's only a few years older than Pete himself. I thought he was just an angry dude with wanted to impress his mommy. But there is so much more to Hook than first seen, which I loved. It really gave depth to his character. Plus, he could be downright scary at times.

 

"I'm certain my reptilian pets would relish fresh meat instead of the rotting corpses that inhabit the sewers," I say, pulling the hammer back again.


This story is told from both Gwen's and Hook's POV. which I loved surprisingly. This world was captivating, from the characters to the setting. I felt like I was really there. It's hard to see (read) them go through so much stuff that kids shouldn't have to. I can't wait for the rest.

Celia Adams

Steampunk dystopian Peter Pan YA retelling? It's like a sundae where you dump all your favorite things on top. Overland was a great, fast-paced book, the world building(and subsequent world destroying) was awesomely done and the Peter Pan references were tasteful and made sense in the story without loading you down with the classic tale. Would definitely recommend!

Laney Riggs 

Hailey Smith

Ashley Harris

Kelly Cotton

Magen Irwin 

Alyssa S.

Cat Walker

stephanie archer 

Maegan Kennedy

Tegan Anderson

Sophia De La Garza

Karen Charlotte Sørvold

Kendra Jones

London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her younger siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the deadly Marauders-the German Army led by the cutthroat Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer. Unsure if the outbreak has spread but desperate to leave, Captain Hook is on the hunt for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the surviving children. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until one day when they grab Joanna. Gwen will stop at nothing to get her sister back, but as she sets out, she crosses paths with a daredevil named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it might cost Gwen more than she bargained for.

Ami Is Dreaming Again &
Everland (Everland, Book 1) by Wendy Spinale

Reviews

Join the club

Ami Is Dreaming Again &Everland (Everland, Book 1) by Wendy Spinale

Reviews

Join the club

Ami Is Dreaming Again &
Everland (Everland, Book 1) by Wendy Spinale