Hello everyone, here is my book review for Shadow by Kara Swanson, the sequel to Dust and the second book the Heirs of Neverland duology, which is a Peter Pan retelling. It's slightly longer than the one I posted on Goodreads, and also includes some of my favorite quotes. So, enjoy... I'm not good at fangirling, but I tried my best ;)
OH. MY. WORD.
And you thought Dust was good. (Which it is, but...)
Okay, I knew from the set up with Dust that things were probably going to be intense and something wasn't... right with Connor. Oh boy. I wasn't ready, okay.
This is one of those books you struggle to write a review for because it's so good. The descriptions, the characters, the plot twists, the THEMES. It all came together to make Shadow and this duology a definite reread.
I have never read Peter Pan, in fact I think most of what I know about it would be from this duology, haha. But oh my word, this book was even better than Dust. Yes, it was.
Was it darker? Yes. Was it harder? Yes. Did near drownings occur more than once? Yes. Did it make me tear up at one point (which is a feat for a fiction book)? Yep. Were there so many plot turns and twists it made my head spin? You bet. Slightly bittersweet ending? Totally. Was it one of my favorite books of 2024? Absolutely.
The characters-! Yesss. There were some unexpected ones (of both the bad and good kind). Both main characters grow and change so much. Both with themselves, and in their relationship with each other.
There was Tootles and Tiger Lily, perfect side kicks <3 Who are awesome, okay. Tiger Lily's spirit is amazing, and when she showed up, I was like, "How did I forget about this awesome girl?" And Tootles perseverance- don't underestimate him because of his somewhat silly name. Don't, okay, because he has got grit and determination and steadfast spirit.
Claire <3 grows a lot. I have to admit, I didn't agree with her choices or reasoning in Dust and found her a little bit... gullible? when it came to the choices she made. But I still liked her and I have to admire her for the way that she sticks with her brother. How she fights for him just as Peter fights for his island. Probably she's not my favorite because Peter is, and since she's resisting against Peter a lot, well that doesn't help me like her more. But she is still awesome, I still understand her. I still relate to her.
But oh yes, Peter. Peter, my favorite character from Dust. Who comes face to face with all the consequences of his decisions in Shadow. Comes face to face with his own shadow. But he never, ever gives up. He doesn't give into the chaos, doesn't just let his past choices have the island. He grows so much from the selfish little boy he was and I adored it. He chooses to grow up. Chooses to become more and face his shadows.
And plot? It was intense. It wasn't easy. Sometimes I could suspect what was coming but I never guessed it fully. Because I cared for the characters, it sucked me into the plot that much more. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed and maybe, just maybe, a little too perfectly wrapped up. But I can easily let it slide when it made me tear up. And it was bittersweet in it's own way.
SPOILERS IN BOLD:
"I'd gladly grow old with you if we could." That line just hit and it made me tear up. It symbolized just how much Peter has changed, how much has changed between him and Claire and how much they'd been through. To be clear, I was pretty sure Claire wasn't going to stay dead. That trope doesn't work anymore on me lol, and if a main character does stay dead, I'm always pretty shocked. I've only read one book where that actually happened with a main character. But there was lingering uncertainty and Peter's grief was very real, and I just- wow.
Definitely my favorite line.
One of my favorite scenes before that was Claire and Peter's second kiss, and their dance with the pixies. It was so sweet and perfect, and I'd waited one and a half books for it, okay? And it was maybe half the reason I teared up at the above line.
You know how you know that characters are fixing to face something really hard, but there's this tender or special moment beforehand, and you just want to stay there forever and not have them face what they have to face even though you know they have to? That's what that scene was for me.
Still, as great as the plot was, it was the THEMES woven in that made it for me. Never preachy, always natural, not even necessarily overtly Christian. But they were there. They were SO GOOD. Different from Dust, but still connected. Especially the theme of the shadows, of your own shadows, and of overcoming them. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the book.
I liked Shadow better than Dust both for the themes, for the fact that Peter isn't lying to Claire anymore, and there was more fantasy elements. While Dust is set primarily in London, Shadow is pretty much all Neverland. And it was awesome.
Spoilers for the end of Dust in bold:
To be clear, I don't think Claire was wrong in rejecting Peter for his lying. He needed that wake up call. Though I do think she was wrong to react by choosing to go with Hook instead. But once the deception is cleared out and Claire changes, as well as realizes Peter has grown up, it makes things that much better for me in Shadow.
Now, for some of my favorite quotes from Shadow. These aren't even all of them, guys. I could've chosen so many others, including one that I wish I had. But here is a sampling...
This book is a definite reread for me. The whole duology is. It's not the easiest read, especially Shadow, but it is in the end a worthwhile one. The characters go through a lot. The whole island goes through a lot. We, as we live life, go through a lot. But on the whole, I think this story reminds me that though there are shadows, they can be fought. They can be overcome. Even our own shadows inside ourselves can be defeated by the power of Christ's sacrifice. A reminder we all need.
Because of the themes and the darker edges of Shadow, I'd recommend it for ages 16 - 17+. I would rate the same for Dust. And I would also warn readers of Dust, who've yet to read Shadow... Shadow isn't the same as Dust. There's different elements. Different characters. A whole different setting.
But, in my opinion, it's even better.
Until the next post, may you be blessed,
Abby 💜