Lost Boy, Found Boy

by Jenn Polish

[lovelybookshelf]

I'm not really into fantasy, but I couldn't resist giving this retelling of Peter Pan a try. Technology plus a dystopian feel? That sounds more like sci-fi to me, the kind of book I reach for!

Polish holds true to many of the original Peter Pan character representations and themes, but I wish it hadn't been quite as obvious as it was. Maybe in a longer work there would have been time to allow the reader to figure it out on their own. This was a fast, page-turner kind of read, but it also bordered on feeling rushed. I would have loved a longer book with more detail and more background. I had a lot of questions about the world that were never addressed, which was frustrating since I enjoyed the premise so much.

The loveliness of Polish's writing style was a refreshing contrast to the harshness of the world. And their trans and nonbinary representations were fantastic. It's something you notice right away, then forget because it feels so natural and perfect. You just can't beat #ownvoices stories.