By Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu
I have read every Twisted Tale so far, and this one has been one of the most enticing adventures yet! Written by Liz Braswell, this novel gives a much-needed sequel to the story of Peter Pan and especially Wendy Darling. It is the eighth book in the Twisted Tales series and has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The synopsis is as follows, “What if Wendy first traveled to NeverLand… with Captain Hook? Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling’s life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess, it all makes her wish things could be different. Wendy’s only real escape is in writing down tales of NeverLand.
After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow. So when an opportunity to travel to NeverLand via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But NeverLand isn’t quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help. But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for NeverLand, it’s up to the two of them to save Peter Pan and his world.”
This story was definitely an adult take on the original, and I would strongly recommend only letting people aged fifteen and older read the story to handle the adult themes presented in this novel. Other than that, I really enjoyed this story. This is definitely a case of the book being far different from the cartoon that we all grew up with. As a frequent fan of the Twisted Tale series, I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year, and I highly recommend it to any reader who loved Disney growing up. “Straight On Til Morning” is currently available on Amazon.com for purchase. Keep an eye out, because later this year will be another Twisted Tale titled “Unbirthday.”