Review Detail

Young Adult Fiction 667
entertaining graphic novel
Overall rating
 
3.5
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
NEVERLANDERS is a clever graphic novel that reimagines the future of Neverland through the eyes of a new group of lost children/teens. Bee and Luz are at the train station asking for change when Luz is knocked onto the train tracks. With an injured ankle, she is unable to get back up and Bee hops in to help. The train is getting close, and luckily, a boy offers some help getting back onto the platform just in the nick of time. Appreciative of his help, they invite him back with them.

Bee and Luz are part of a found family of children/teens who have banded together to form their own community. The boy who helped them reveals he is the last lost boy and whisks them away to Neverland with the help of Tink. Once there, they are attacked by the pirates who are waging a war against Neverland to get to the Heart of it all. While Bee and most of the others embrace the island as their new home, Justin is feeling wary and not sure that they should stay there.

As the war wages on, they will have to use their wits and newfound magical powers to defend Neverland from the onslaught before it is too late.

What I loved: This is an exciting new take on Neverland in an action-packed read. The illustrations here are incredibly detailed and lush, filling every page. The characters are highly expressive and really come to life throughout the story. Although Bee takes the lead, the others are also well-constructed and have unique personalities that shine through the story. It is easy to love and appreciate them as they are and the ways they handle what life has thrown at them amidst the magic of Neverland.

The novel has some important themes around generational responsibility around leaving the planet better than it was before, war and its devastation, found family, the importance of altruism, human tendency to turn away from suffering/selfishness, and the utility of nature vs caretaking. The story centers around the tree that is the Heart of Neverland, which takes care of the Neverlanders, but is sought by the adults (Otherlanders) who want to use it in a way that destroys it. The Otherlanders are not thinking about their social responsibility to future generations and focus on their selfish desire for using up the tree. This is a continuation of the beginning of the story where adults are ignoring the children in need at the train station, even in messes they created (such as the man who knocked Luz onto the tracks). The war is being waged with very different tools on each side, which also spurs some discussions around control of such.

The graphic novel itself is really well done with speech being easy to follow and clear paths for reading on each page. The amount of text to pictures is reasonable without any knowledge dumps and information coming up relatively smoothly. With the time spend world-building, it does seem like this could be an intriguing series (though the major conflicts here are resolved).

What left me wanting more: There is a heavy focus on war and fighting, which will appeal to fans who like superhero graphic novels. Additionally, the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the slow build of the earlier story and focus on the development of the characters/their powers and the war being waged. I would definitely be interested in reading more with these characters.

Final verdict: A fast-paced and imaginative graphic novel, NEVERLANDERS tackles some thought-provoking themes within an entertaining story. Recommend for fans of reimagined fairytales.
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September 07, 2022
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