Lost Boy: An Extended Trigger-Free Version of Losing Neverland

Escapism, Book 2

By: Evelyn Montgomery

Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Joe Arden

When Peter Pan discovers his forbidden magic, he’s faced with an ultimatum.

Stay in London, or escape to a whole new world. A place where a fairy named Tinker Bell is his most loyal companion, pirates rule the seas, mermaids are friends with the fae, and lost boys live out their childish dreams.

But leaving London comes with a price.

Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

When Peter decides to steal Wendy away one night, headed for the second star to the right, Tinker Bell’s jealousy grows. The lost boys turn on him. The mermaids and fae work against him. And an evil, dangerous shadow falls on Neverland.

Jas Hook.

©2024 Evelyn Montgomery (P)2024 Blue Nose Publishing

The extra content made this title so worth it

After Losing Neverland, I immediately went into Lost Boy because I was not ready to leave this version of Neverland.

I honestly wondered how listening to the same core story again was going to feel, but putting everything in chronological order with additional content changed the whole experience for me. There were moments from Losing Neverland that suddenly made so much more sense. The additional chapters gave me more of Peter and helped me understand how he became the man we meet later.

I also felt like I understood Wendy so much better in this version. She isn't just along for Peter's story. Wendy is so pivotal to everything happening in Neverland, and seeing more of her choices in order gave me a different appreciation for her. There is so much love behind the decisions she makes, even when those decisions hurt both of them.

And listen... were there still moments where I wanted to defend Peter and argue with Wendy? Absolutely 😂 But I could also see how much she was carrying. She made choices she believed were necessary, and she had to live with Peter never fully understanding her reasons.

Joe Arden was incredible as Peter. Hearing more of his story and the changes in him gave Joe so much room to show the evolution of this character. Joe's performance made it easy to hear Peter becoming harder without ever losing the part of him that just wants to be loved. The vulnerability surrounding his magic completely pulled me in.

Maxine Mitchell was once again fantastic as Wendy. I loved hearing her bring out the strength in this character. Wendy can stand toe to toe with Peter while still loving him so deeply, and Maxine made that internal battle so present. There is pain in Wendy's story, but she is never passive in it. Maxine gave me a much greater appreciation for her in this version.

Joe and Maxine make Peter and Wendy feel so completely connected. Even when they are furious with each other, you can hear that neither one has ever truly been able to let the other go. I loved getting another version of their story now to get into Saving Tink despite having serious misgivings on Tink being redeemable.

Tropes: Peter Pan retelling, fantasy romance, dark fairytale, found family, forbidden magic, second chance romance, morally gray MMC, friends to lovers to enemies to lovers

Peter & Wendy will pull at your heartstrings!

Please note...this is an extended trigger-free version of Ms. Montgomery's Losing Neverland.

Just like with Losing Neverland Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden knock this one out of the park. They are in essence the same story but there are slight differences between their performances in the two. Maxine does a phenomenal Tinker Bell and we see/hear more of her in Lost Boy vs Losing Neverland. Joe's Hook has slightly more aggression in his voice at certain points in Losing Neverland vs Lost Boy but his Peter voice.....probably my favorite in Lost Boy (it is my favorite of the two after all). These two have truly taken these stories to the next level with their narration.

This retelling is nothing like all the others I have heard about. There is a uniqueness to the plot, a twist that the reader finds out in the very beginning....which is not Evelyn's normal writing style. So once you know the big secret you in turn get the beautiful tale of how it came to be. Where things went so wrong between these two seventeen years ago.

You are taken to Neverland in chronological order with Lost Boy vs Losing Neverland that alternated between past and present. By the author taking us back to the beginning with them the reader is able to feel so much more connected to present day Peter and Wendy. They are each other's first loves....each other's only loves. They experience all of their firsts together. While this is a slow burn the author gives the reader plenty of tension build up and little sprinkles of spice here and there.

Along with Peter and Wendy there are familiar characters that play a part in their story....Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, John, and numerous Lost Boys. Of course this wouldn't be an Evelyn Montgomery book if there weren't a few more plot twists thrown in the mix to have you guessing and/or questioning. Her writing, as always, flows poetically across every page. I do not know how she manages to continuously give her readers books that are written the way they are.