Book Review: Never Ever by Sara Saedi

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Never Ever
Author: Sara Saedi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: June 21st 2016
Review Source: Viking Books for Young Readers

Wylie Dalton didn’t believe in fairy tales or love at first sight.

Then she met a real-life Peter Pan.

When Wylie encounters Phinn—confident, mature, and devastatingly handsome—at a party the night before her brother goes to juvie, she can’t believe how fast she falls for him. And that’s before he shows her how to fly.

Soon Wylie and her brothers find themselves whisked away to a mysterious tropical island off the coast of New York City where nobody ages beyond seventeen and life is a constant party. Wylie’s in heaven: now her brother won’t go to jail and she can escape her over-scheduled life with all its woes and responsibilities—permanently.

But the deeper Wylie falls for Phinn, the more she begins to discover has been kept from her and her brothers. Somebody on the island has been lying to her, but the truth can’t stay hidden forever.

Never Ever was refreshing and full mystery that had me staying up past my bedtime to finish this story.

The thing that attracted me most to Never Ever was that it was a modern day retelling. Usually the retellings I've read in the past have sticked close to the original versions and they didn't stand out to me. Now I can say that Never Ever surpassed all of my expectations and then some.

Never Ever starts off with Wylie and her brothers heading to a party to celebrate her birthday as well her as brother, Joshua's, last night with them since he'll be going to juvie for two years. Once they arrive at a party they meet a mysterious guy named Phinn and the adventures for the Dalton siblings start. 

I was captivated by the way Sara Saedi wrote her characters. Characters that were boring to me from the films were full of life and sass in this tale. Wylie is someone who is sarcastic, fights for what she believes in and doesn't back down no matter the odds.

There was a twist at the end of the book that I did not see coming, Sara Saedi shocked the day lights out of me and I loved it. I've always felt as if there more to Peter Pan and his carefree persona. Phinn is someone who has a lot of secrets, good or bad you'll have to start this story now to find out. 

Reading this book I felt as if I was exeperminteing everything with Wylie, the different places of Minor Island and the food described made me wish the place was real so I could go visit for a day. 

Throw away everything you think you know about Peter Pan and join me on this new modern day retelling that you'll be sure to enjoy and want more.