I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It Came From Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo Published by Crooked Lane Books on June 9 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Cynthia Pelayo reimagines the story of Peter Pan, with elements both new and familiar, in this emotionally charged tale.
This isn’t the first Peter Pan retelling I’ve read that casts Peter as the villain—check out Lost Boy by Christina Henry for an excellent example of that—but it was a good one! Cynthia Pelayo did some unique things with the Peter Pan story that I haven’t seen before, and even better, she sets her tale during World War I and draws parallels between the war and Wendy’s experiences in Neverland. As with other Pelayo books, the story is beautifully written and evocative, and I enjoy it a lot.
It’s been twelve years since Wendy Darling and her brothers John and Michael managed to escape Neverland, after being held captive by the monstrous Peter Pan. It’s the beginning of WWI and Wendy has found work as a teacher at Marigold House, an orphanage for children of war torn families. Wendy herself spent several years there after her return to London, and for her it’s a safe haven, a familiar place where nothing can go wrong.
Until she starts seeing and hearing odd things: crows gather outside, unfamiliar shadows appear on the walls, and someone is calling her name. Wendy and her brothers killed Peter—or did they? Wendy always checks the windows to make sure they are locked, but it seems Peter might have found a way back. And when one of the young children in her care goes missing, Wendy decides to ask John and Michael for help. It’s time to return to Neverland to finish what they started, once and for all.
In Pelayo’s version of Peter Pan, the writer J.M. Barrie based his beloved classic on the real life experiences of Wendy, John and Michael. Wendy and her brothers have grown up under the scrutiny of a public who read Barrie’s happier, shinier version of the story, unwilling to acknowledge that the children actually had a very traumatic experience in Neverland. Poor Wendy was nearly institutionalized after trying to explain to the adults in her life what happened, and she soon realized that no one actually believed her. I loved this “story within a story” element, especially the sadder, darker consequences of hiding the truth. The three siblings haven’t seen or spoken to each other since their return, and for Wendy, it’s heartbreaking not to have her brothers in her life any more.
Most of the story is told through Wendy’s eyes, and I loved her combination of vulnerability and strength. Wendy is a caretaker at heart. She was responsible for her little brothers, and when they were swept away to Neverland, she became “mother” to the other boys on the island. After tragedy struck and many of the boys were lost, she’s having to deal with not only her own trauma and trying to make sense of everything that happened, but the fact that she couldn’t protect the boys from Peter. The story is told in the present, but through flashbacks we eventually learn what really happened in Neverland.
Pelayo gradually builds tension, and the events in Neverland become more and more menacing as the story progresses. What starts as a fantastical adventure soon turns dark and deadly. Peter isn’t a boy at all, but what is he? I’ll leave that for readers to discover. Late in the story Peter’s origins are revealed, and I quite liked the author’s idea, especially because it’s one I’ve never seen associated with this story before. The bottom line is that in this version, Peter is a predator, stealing children, playing cruel games, and ultimately casting them aside when he’s done with them.
And always in the background is the war. Wendy decides to volunteer at a hospital and is asked to comfort the dying soldiers by reading to them. Michael has enlisted and is about to leave for the front lines in a matter of weeks. The uncertainty and tragedy of war intermingles with the return of Peter and his evil intentions, casting a dark cloud over everything. Still, Wendy is the bright shining light in the story, ready to vanquish the threat and save her loved ones.
Readers who love Peter Pan retellings should definitely pick this up. And even if you aren’t a fan of the story, It Came From Neverland offers so much more than the story you might be familiar with.
Big thanks to Kaye Publicity and the publisher for providing a review copy.
This sounds fascinating! I love a good retelling — and reading your review makes me realize that Christina Henry’s Peter Pan book is one of the few of hers that I haven’t read. It sounds like the mix of fantasy and the war works really well. I’ll have to check this out!
I think the war setting gave it a lot of extra depth:-)
This does sound like a good one…though I’m not a huge fan of all these books casting Peter Pan as the villain. I always liked Peter Pan growing up. ;D
I love that version of Peter too, it’s hard to see a childhood character turn evil. But it was very well done:-)
Wow, an interesting take on it! There’s a much more vicious and nasty side to Peter Pan than people who only saw the Disney version realise, so it seems quite fitting to me, too.
I tend to like the “evil” Peter versions of the story the best:-)
I’ve read quite a few Peter Pan retellings but it’s been a while and I’m really loving the sound of this one, especially since you liked it!
It’s definitely one of the better ones:-)
I can’t resist a Peter Pan retelling, especially a dark one. Still trying really hard to fit my review copy of this one in, and it sounds like I won’t be disappointed.
Hopefully you can fit it in, it was very well written and had some surprises:-)
A Peter Pan retelling – I mean, really, who can resist it! And this sounds so good with the WW1 backdrop taking place and an evil Peter!
Lynn 😀
I loved the WWI setting!
I’ve read some pretty great Peter Pan retellings and I’m really looking forward to this one.
I always like seeing how different authors twist the original story:-)
Oh wow, this sounds intriguing! I wasn’t aware of Henry’s dark retelling either and I’m fascinated by the idea of turning Peter Pan into a horror story!
I love when authors surprise readers with the unexpected, and that’s what Pelayo did!
This sounds like such a unique and interesting take on Peter Pan. I love that it uses the book itself in such a clever way and am curious to discover the truth about Peter in this version. Hopefully I’ll manage to get the ebook soon and dive in myself
Lovely review, Tammy! I’m thoroughly regretting not requesting this one when I saw it on the Netgalley dashboard as I’ve always loved Peter Pan and enjoyed the retellings I’ve read.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a Peter Pan retelling. But then again, I don’t think I ever read Peter Pan, just watched some movies. Glad to see this one worked well for you, that the author was able to take the story in new directions.
I can’t believe I still haven’t read this one, but I’m glad to have seen your positive review because now I’m even more excited to read it. I feel like a lot of the retellings I’ve read generally focus on Peter Pan and Hook and not Wendy as much, so I’m eager to read that aspect. Glad you enjoyed this one!
What an interesting idea for a retelling, especially with the WWI backdrop. I am glad you enjoyed it, nice review!
This does sounds like a really interesting take on Peter Pan and Neverland. Very curious about what Pelayo does with his origins. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I’ve been seeing some good reviews of this one, glad to see you enjoyed it s well. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/07/06/e-galley-review-every-version-of-you-by-natalie-messier/