Peyton Darling is determined to officially find where she belongs with her new found family known as The Lost Boys, even if that means finding herself kidnapped by pirates, behind bars for a crime she didn't commit, and at the mercy of the mysterious world known as Neverland. Somewhere between the lies they tell, the mistrust that won't fade with her fedora wearing boyfriend, Justin Ryan, and the Fairy Dust, Peyton will have to decide who she is as well as who she wants to be.
Lies, Trust, and Fairy Dust is the third installment in Xavier Neal's "Never Say Neverland" series and certainly provides a unique stance of the modern day Peter Pan spin-off. There is a lot of action per usual and even more betrayal. Each scenerio of Payton being betrayed provokes an entire range of angry emotions. I've actually come to utterly despise Peter Pan's character and find myself hoping Justin and Payton could somehow elude the notorious Lost Boys. It appears that the darker atmosphere of this story is leading to a thickening of the overall plot of the series in it's entirety. I'm quite eager to discover the end game of Pan's obsession. I enjoy the light hearted adventures, the edge of my seat mysteries, and the heart racing romances. There is one particular scene that felt most at home in this series. It is a moment between Justin and Payton in the kitchen that had me smiling once again. And once again, Peter Pan ruins the moment. I'm longing for advancement in the protagonist's relationship. But it seems some of the scenes between the two have become redundant, ie. Justin's "magical" kisses. I did, however, find the twist with the infamous hook invigorating.
I'm not sure what his role in the future will be in the series, but I'm hoping to see more. I also enjoyed the fast pace if the story and admittedly could not put it down. All books have their pros and cons and ultimately there is more postive than negative to be found in this Neverland adventure. 4 Stars!
