Name: Dust
ISBN: 9781621841296

Kara Swanson

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale... Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real--since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire's desperate search points to London...and a boy who shouldn't exist. Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins. The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan--and herself.

Dust

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale. Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real---since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire's desperate search points to London... and a boy who shouldn't exist. Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins. The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan---and herself.

Mary Horton

This is going to be a tough one to review.

*le sigh*

This was one of my most-anticipated reads for the year - for many years, actually. I love the author dearly and that always makes it hard to review books that feel, well, disappointing.

Things I liked:
- Peter Pan retellings !!! Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories, so I'm always down for another Neverland tale. 
- Ok but have you seen this cover?! It's even more stunning in person.
- Tiger Lily is an actual Queen™ and no one can convince me otherwise. She has teal streaks in her hair and wears hippie clothes and is basically way cooler than I will ever be. (but I also want her to be my best friend pleaseeee)
- I can tell this story has a lot of the author's heart & I love that!! 
- Some people may disagree but I actually loved that Dust dove into the darker themes of Peter Pan. There were a few aspects of Pan's backstory that just . . . dang. That's all I'm saying (#spoilers) but they're heftyyyy and I actually loved the dark themes. Because I'm weird like that?
- Mental health rep! Ok, so to be honest, I appreciated this . . . but it was really, really hard to read. It was kind of triggering for me right now, just for where I'm at mentally. I full-on broke down during one chapter and had to set the book down for a while. 

Things I didn't:
- I really never connected with the characters. I tried so so hard, but there was always a huge disconnect between me and the story, and I don't know why. I am the Big Sad. 
- Not much . . . happens?? Like I expected the majority of this book to take place in Neverland, but they don't even get there in the first one. It just felt like nothing really happened.
- It was very taxing to read. I just felt so tired from reading this. The amount of miscommunication + angst with the main characters (as well as some personal triggers) exhausted me. I felt like it took so much out of me and gave me nothing in return. 
- Yeah, that miscommunication I mentioned? Agh. A lot of it was completely unnecessary, and characters kept being like "oh my gosh I don't even know you any more" about literally. every. single. thing. Like, I have news for you, honey - you don't know squat about each other because you literally just met. (I realize I sound like a crotchety old woman in her rocking chair with her fifteen cats, but alas, that's what I am.)
- It just felt a little awkward? The writing style didn't totally gel with me; it felt a little "off" and the pacing was all over the place.
- Again, this just triggered a lot of personal things in my life right now and it was a Rough Experience

In conclusion: I am a very tired and sad bean. I wanted SO MUCH to like this but just really struggled to get into it. I will likely end up reading the sequel at some point (BECAUSE PETER PAN), but only when I'm in a better space mentally. :)

2.5 stars

Libby Kowitz

***Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review, but the views held are my own.***
Maybe growing up isn’t letting your soul die but entering another adventure. – Kara Swanson, Dust 
THIS. BOOK. 
Who else grew up adoring Peter Pan? I seldom watch movies more than once or twice in a row, but I watched Peter Pan about a thousand times as a kid. I adored J.M. Barrie’s tale and loved the whimsicalness of Neverland. Peter Pan was probably one of my first introductions to fantasy, and as a result, that story has shaped how I’ve viewed the genre. 
I am pleased to say Dust well exceeded my expectations. There are so many things I love, and I will try to write them all down without giving anything about the story away. 
First, let’s talk about Peter Pan. Wow. He was, by far, the most intricate character in this novel (though all the characters are beautifully done) and the depth to him was astounding. Kara Swanson took what we all know and love about Peter—his childish hatred of growing up—and turned it into a wonderfully awful flaw he desperately needed to grow out of if he wanted to save Neverland. He’s made mistakes, and his determination to ignore those mistakes is one of my favorite things. 
Claire is amazing. I think there are so many female leads out there who are so busy kicking butt that they forget to… be human. Claire is raw and scared but also strong and fierce. She’s just a normal girl with magic she doesn’t understand, and I think that is what makes this story so powerful. I love a good narrator who doesn’t completely trust herself. Her fear of her magic—and her insecurities—is something you don’t often see, and it added another layer to this tale. 
I also want to say how thoughtfully done her diagnosis backstory was done. As a chronic illness sufferer, reading about a character who struggled to find answers about an ‘illness’ she suffered from hit me hard and made her so very relatable. 
Right there with Claire, Tiger Lily is a different kind of female lead who is equally vulnerable. I love a good female friendship, which is so often neglected, and Claire and Lily’s friendship is honestly so wholesome and just what I needed when I sat down to read this. They’re two different kinds of heroes, but neither one ever belittles the other for their vulnerabilities or shortcomings. There is no jealousy toward their different relationships with Peter, and I am here for it. 
Hook was a brilliant character, too, because, quite frankly, I never knew whether or not he was the villain or a friend trying to help, right up to the end. He was nothing like I’d imagined Hook would be, and I think the mystery of his character is well-done and well-written. 
This story, to me, felt very character-driven, but the plot was intricately woven and unfolded beautifully. I was hanging onto every word in the novel, waiting for the story to unfold. I have been left, anxiously awaiting the release of Shadow, and Dust isn’t even out yet! 
I would have loved to see more suspense/tension. However, this did not detract from my enjoyability of the novel, and quite frankly I highly recommend taking a plane to London and learning to fly with Peter, Lily, and Claire. 
Who knows, you might even find some pixies along the way…

Dust

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