Everland by Wendy Spinale

Everland is a YA fiction novel by Wendy Spinale. It's the first book in the Everland series. London has been destroyed by a group of Germans called the Mauraders. After a biological warfare plant was bombed, a deadly virus was released, killing nearly all of the adults and leaving most children orphaned and sick. The leader of the Mauraders, Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, also known as Captain Hook, is on the hunt for a cure. Meanwhile, Gwen Darling meets a boy named Pete, the leader of an underground city of Lost Boys. When it becomes apparent that Gwen is the only person truly immune to the virus, Captain Hook makes it his personal mission to find her. At the same time, Gwen, with the help of Pete, Bella, and several other Lost Boys, is on her way to Everland to rescue her sister, Joanna.

Sex: None. There is obviously romantic feelings between Pete and Gwen. Also, Lily is very flirtatious with the Lost Boys. Pete mentions that Gwen, Bella, and Joanna are the only girls left and may be used to save the human race if they are captured.

Language: Mild.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Captain Hook drinks rum.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Several people die. Captain Hook and his Mauraders are pretty violent. There are a couple of fight scenes. The death scenes are detailed but not too terribly graphic.

Final Note: One of my favorite things to read is retellings of Peter Pan. This was probably one of the most unique ones I've ever read! I loved the steampunk aspect. Wendy Spinale changed just enough to make it a new story, but still kept the characters I know and love. I can't wait to see what else happens in this series!

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Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

The Rapid Reader

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