WENDY’S EVER AFTER, by Julie Wright, Shadow Mountain, July 1, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
Wendy Darling gains new perspective on growing up when she returns to Neverland in Wendy’s Ever After, a YA novel by Julie Wright.
Wendy Darling has grown into a stunning young woman. Her days are filled with social gatherings and elegant balls, but her nights are alive with memories of fighting pirates, soaring through the skies, and other wild escapes through Neverland with Peter Pan—the boy who never grew up.
When Wendy meets a handsome and mysterious stranger, there’s something about him that feels familiar yet elusive. His eyes sparkle with a mischief that tugs at Wendy’s heartstrings, reminding her of Peter. Intrigued and a bit unnerved, Wendy finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome young man and soon finds herself back in Neverland.
Caught between the allure of her past and the promise of the future, Wendy must navigate a perilous new journey, rediscovering the courage and wonder that once defined her youth. As she battles old foes and forges allies with new friends, Wendy is torn between her memories of a boy she once loved and the man who has stolen her heart. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
At the end of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Wendy decides to return home from Neverland and grow up. In Wendy’s Ever After, Wendy is regretting that choice. She misses the adventure and excitement, and she misses Peter.
But when Wendy returns to the magical land, she can’t help but see things through older eyes. Her perspective has changed, and that experience is what will resonate with YA readers. Like Wendy, young adults often look back on their youth with fondness, but are being pushed toward adulthood at what seems like a fast pace. Some may even be racing toward it. And in Wendy, you see it all.
Author Julie Wright has done a great job building on source material while making Wendy’s Ever After entirely her own. Her world building is superb, and Wendy and her “love interest” are well developed. Both experience growth, and some of the best bits are when they spar with each other.
Wendy’s Ever After is a strong read that should appeal to fans of the classic story as well as the Disney and musical adaptations.
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