"The Lost Girl"  by Casey L. Bond

                                         May 3, 2024

                                                                                                      Review by Katy Grant

 Who is Peter Pan…really? There are two sides to every tale and Casey L. Bond has just offered us

another look at this boy, only now he is a man. Neverland is no longer the happy place of Peter and his lost boys, a villainous Hook on the horizon, beautiful mermaids, and others. Readers may never see it in the same light again.

 Ava has lived with her sister Belle since she was found as a child, alone, no memory of who she was or where she belonged. Grown now, it has been her turn to take care of Belle. The shadows Belle had kept closely guarded for years have broken free and are taking her over. Belle loses herself as she watches from the roof top for the second star to appear in the sky where there is none. Until there is.

 As a lifeguard it has been Ava’s job to save people who flounder in the water, but tonight Belle has demanded to be taken to the beach, she pulls Ava with her into the water. Ava is afraid. Belle’s eyes have become dark, she has become overshadowed. Suddenly she grabs Ava holding her so tightly, she fears her ribs will break. The shadows within Belle become black wings and she lifts Ava high up into the sky as they fly off into the night towards the bright star that shouldn’t be there. Now, Ava dares not let go.

 Dropped on a sandy beach, Ava lands on her ankle and rolls. When she finally tries to stand, she realizes something is seriously wrong with her ankle, she aches all over and Belle has taken off beyond the palm trees. Ava takes her first painful steps into Neverland.

 Rescued from Wraith, one of the lost boys, by Hook, Ava has no idea who to believe or trust. She needs to find Belle, but that isn’t likely as she finds herself pulled onto Hook’s ship of pirates. If she needed confirmation that Hook is a villain, she finds it in the mermaid, alive but slowly dying, captured and nailed to the front of his ship. He shares the tale of the change in the merfolk from beautiful and kind to viscous and beastly.  Hook bargains with Ava for information. She soon hears a totally different story about Peter Pan and Neverland, as she realizes Tinkerbell is the sister who so lovingly raised her. And who now holds the answers and means to stop or assist Peter Pan with his desires and return her home.

 At the heart of this tale is Pan’s need to escape Neverland, no matter the cost to others, the havoc and pain he has caused needs to be stopped and rectified. Hook along with his men and other creatures have been drawn in and suffered because of Pan’s actions. He is willing to help Ava, but they must find Belle; she is the key to stopping Pan and hopefully returning what they have lost. The more Ava learns about Hook the closer she is drawn to him. He isn’t the total villain she may have once believed.

Magic be here, along with dark secrets, curses, hatred, villainy, and death but it is also underscored with hope. There is much drama, adventure, and heated romance as well. As we rush to the last page there is a surprising twist that will have you watching for the second star, in the sky, that will guide readers to the next tale in this wonderfully creative, heartbreakingly romantic fantastical adult tale. There is so much to relish, to lament, to explore in this new version of Neverland and those who dwell there. What you read in these pages will have you questioning what you thought you knew for some time to come. I highly recommend this tale and its spicy romantic look at a hero who isn’t quite a hero but not quite a villain either and a boy that is more lost than I ever thought.