Publishers Weekly
05/03/2021
In this contemporary Peter Pan reimagining, Ancrum (The Weight of the Stars) reframes the fantasy as an after-hours adventure set in the shadows of Chicago. Wendy Darling, 17 and Black, chafes against her overprotective parents’ restrictions during her first week in the city where her mother was raised. When charismatic Peter Pan, who’s white, climbs through her broken window, she accepts his invitation to a party, sneaking out to join Peter and a group of disenfranchised teens, including “very short and very angry looking” Tinkerbelle, who’s bisexual and blonde. The route to the party is fraught with danger—the group evades police raids led by Detective Hook, and Wendy begins to realize that the night, and Peter, may conceal a dark agenda. Ancrum injects a healthy dose of intersectionality into the original’s structure: the group attends a drag performance at the Mermaid’s Lagoon nightclub, and the relationship between Tink and her girlfriend Ominotago, who is Ojibwe, is well wrought and tender. Upholding the spirit of adventure and the value of found family, Ancrum ramps up the tension through the increasingly discomforting night, creating a layered reworking. Ages 14–up. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for Darling:
“Bright, beautiful, and deeply unsettling, Darling is pure magic. It will lure you in, but it won’t let you go.”—Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends and Even If We Break
“This spellbinding and diabolical adventure could only come from the brilliant mind of K. Ancrum. You’ll read it straight on till morning!”—Caleb Roehrig, author of The Fell of Dark
“Darling is the magnetic and addictive Peter Pan retelling we deserve. It takes you on a hurricane of an adventure filled with earnest and aching characters you will immediately want to protect, versus sinister and chilling truths you won’t see coming. I could not stop reading!”—C. G. Drews, author of A Thousand Perfect Notes and The Boy Who Steals Houses
“Darling is the Peter Pan retelling with the diverse cast and queer representation of your dreams.”—Aiden Thomas, New York Times–bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
“Spellbinding and psychologically compelling.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Upholding the spirit of adventure and the value of found family, Ancrum ramps up the tension . . . creating a layered reworking.”—Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
06/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—Wendy Darling's first Saturday night in Chicago takes an interesting turn when a charming boy named Peter crawls through her window and invites her to a party. With her BFF Eleanor a text away, Wendy jumps at the chance to explore the city with the handsome, albeit slightly reckless, Peter. Along the way, she meets friends like Tinkerbelle, Ominotago, and Fyodor while establishing a new enemy in Detective Hook. What begins as one impulsive night on the town turns ominous as a darker side of Peter is revealed. If Wendy makes it till morning, she'll never be the same again. Ancrum delivers a creative modern adaptation of a children's classic. Wendy is a character to root for as she maneuvers her way through the streets of Chicago. While cleverly transitioned to the 21st century, this Peter Pan retelling lacks the character depth needed to elevate the intrigue and mystery. Eleanor's presence on the page serves more as a plot filler rather than a critical piece of the story. Though savvier readers may predict the creepy twist, it's nevertheless sure to leave their skin crawling. Wendy is Black, Peter is white, and the supporting cast is diverse in ethnicity and sexual orientation: Ominotago (the Tiger Lily replacement) is Ojibwe and Irish and bi, Fyodor (Wendy's romantic interest) is Russian and biromantic asexual. VERDICT A solid reimagining of Peter Pan that will satisfy those looking for a thrill in their retellings.—Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL
Kirkus Reviews
2021-04-30
A grim, modern-day manifestation of the Peter Pan tale drawn from subtle, dark elements in the original text.
Wendy Darling is a sweet, naïve 17-year-old who just moved to Chicago. One night, Peter Pan comes through her open window, expecting an empty house and instead becoming enamored with the girl inside. Wendy herself is immediately enchanted by Peter, whose boyish charm and good looks convince her to join him for a night on the town along with his spunky and snappy ex-girlfriend Tinkerbelle. During the course of a single night, Wendy runs into more of Peter’s connections, including a collection of orphans he houses off the grid, a Detective Hook eager to bring him down, and other counterparts from the source material (including the racist caricature of a Native girl, gracefully realized here as a three-dimensional young Ojibwe woman). But as the night goes on and Peter’s facade grows more transparent, the frightful truth at his center threatens the safety of everyone involved. Eschewing literal magic, Ancrum’s remix is spellbinding and psychologically compelling despite a slower-moving middle. The haunting truth surrounding Peter is well earned and disturbing, a perfect—and bleak—transformation of the character for the 21st century. Wendy is Black, Peter and Tink are White, and the supporting cast represents myriad racial and queer identities.
Dynamically reckons with the real-life ramifications of someone who refuses to grow up. (Thriller. 14-18)
