Growing up, I was all about Disney movies.
Scratch that. I wanted to live the Disney movies. I wanted to sing like Ariel. I wanted to be as waif-like and as blonde as Sleeping Beauty. I wanted to have a pet tiger like Jasmine and explore a whole new world with the ever-prepossessing Aladdin.
But there were a few I definitely didn't like - as a child and even to this day.
Peter Pan was one of them.
I not only didn't prefer Peter Pan; I actively disliked him. As a lifelong rule follower, I didn't care for his devil-may-care attitude toward the Darling family's rules and structures.
And sure, it's a lovely thing to consider a world where one never ages (especially as I currently experiment with four different rotating eye creams), but to do so in a Lord-of-the-Flies like existence with renegades like the Lost Boys?
It wasn't for me. Even Robin Williams starring in Hook couldn't get me to think more kindly of this rebellious character.
I always saw him as a rotten, rule-bending troublemaker and frequently wondered about the what ifs. What if Peter Pan wasn't the grand hero that Disney cartoonists made him out to be? What if he weren't only capable of recklessness, but a dangerous being who was intentionally pursuing harm?
Enter the Darling Girl.
I chose this as my Book of the Month pick, believing I'd finally found an author who sympathized with my anti-Peter-Pan sentiments. But by the last page, I realized Liz Michalski had taken things quite a few steps beyond my mere nose-wrinkling at the Boy Who Never Grew Up.
She imagined a world where he was not only a nuisance, but a harmful character who needed to be sought out and destroyed. Need more details? Read the book.
Not sure about it yet? Then keep reading a little further.
For now, I can tell you that the mystical world of Neverland and its full cast of characters are realized as fact in this story. Except Wendy Darling has now grown up and we've fast forwarded two generations beyond, to be introduced to Holly Darling, her granddaughter. Holly Darling is the successful CEO of a booming skincare company and has a healthy and happy son, Jack. Her other daughter, Eden, has been in a strange coma for nearly a decade, but seems to be faring decently in the best medical care...when one day, she disappears. And the window of her room was left puzzlingly open.
There are lots of questions that stem from here, like why was Eden in a coma in the first place? What would any person - mystical or otherwise - want to do with her? And why does Jack seem to fade with each consective day that Eden remained missing?
When Holly enlists the help of a notorious ex-soldier named Christopher Cooke (who actually has a hook for a hand), you'll most certainly feel like Alice in the Looking Glass, viewing a mirror image of the ol' Disney film...but far more sinister.
For a fairy tale turned fiction, this was an impressive feat. As a character, Holly helped to keeps things somewhat grounded in reality, even as more fantastical elements came to play, like when Tinkerbell made her fairy-like appearance. But this was also a dark and twisty story, one that countless Goodreaders clearly couldn't bear as they left their scathing reviews and low ratings on this novel. Yes, the cover should have been emblazoned with all the trigger warnings - drugs, rape, murder...the whole motley crew. Atop all that, Holly's a perfectly imperfect character. Hordes of readers were frustrated with her seemingly fritzed maternal instincts as they read, some even marking it as a 'DNF,' or 'Did Not Finish' in the book blogging universe.
But I believe Holly's misgivings were by authorial design, not a fatal flaw of the story.
And as far as the creativity goes (however disturbing the plot might be) and the construction of the tale (however forbidding it feels as you're reading), this was an exquisite piece of imaginative fiction that challenges the pat Disney version of this famous tale.
➡️ An amuse-bouche from the book -
'Amuse-bouche' is a restaurant term meaning an appetizer, a free gift from the chef. Literally translated, the French phrase means 'it amuses the mouth'. Here's where I give you a small taste or preview from the book.
"Dr. Darling? I'm so sorry," the voice on the other end of the line says. It hesitates, then continues. "But your daughter? She has vanished. We cannot find her anywhere." The nurse is talking, a deluge of words. Holly's brain tries to catch at them, but she's drowning. Your daughter has vanished. Vanished. "Stop," Holly says. "Slow down. I can't understand you. Tell me what happened." The nurse, having conveyed her point, gets her speech under control. "Eden was in her room at breakfast. I checked on her after tea. Her room is empty! No sign anywhere!" A hard knot forms in Holly's chest. She grasps at any possibility that could explain what happened. "Did you check under the bed? Could she have fallen and rolled beneath it?" "I checked everywhere! Under the bed, in the closet! She's nowhere!" "What about the other nurses? Did they see anything?" "I have asked them all. I have called the gardener. Nothing. But..." The voice on the other end of the phone hesitates. "The window in her room was open, and I am sure I left it closed."
➡️ Review: 🥄🥄🥄 3.5 spoons
⚠️Trigger warnings:
Rape
Drugs
Murder
Emotional and physical abuse/manipulation
Death/murder of children/young adults