Praise for Wendy Darling Vol 2:
"This second installment in the series picks up the action without missing a pounding heartbeat…This series just gets better." — School Library Journal “For readers craving a whimsical adventure and an unforgettable sequel to the first Wendy Darling, this swashbuckling plot will leave readers stunned well beyond the last page." —The Reading Room
"If you love Once Upon a Time, read Wendy Darling: Seas . . . In this extraordinary, stunningly written adventure, readers will encounter a darkly suspenseful twist on an old tale which reminds readers of every age of a Neverland-lesson: we never truly grow up." —Elle magazine
"Top 10 YA Fall Reads by Authors We Love." —Culturalist
Featured in “9 Imaginative Fairy Tale Retellings" by Portalist
Featured on Girls' Life Fall Reading List
"This twisted spinoff of a famous children's tale is filled with richly developed characters and fast-paced, eloquent writing. With Seas, Oakes delivers a stunning sequel to her Wendy Darling series. Stuck on board a pirate ship with the infamous Captain Hook, Wendy must quickly learn to face her true nature, and choose what kind of heroine she will be: sappy or strong, as she is swept inexorably toward a showdown with a chilling and maniacal Peter Pan. Oakes does a marvelous job slowly chipping away at her characters’ exteriors to reveal what lies beneath, be it true heroism or malignant evil." —Alane Adams, award-winning author of The Legends of Orkney series
"If the first Wendy Darling pulled me away from familiar adventures in Neverland, Book 2 has me sprinting away from them… and I didn’t know how badly I wanted that deviancy until it was too late. Oakes’ delicious plot twists and rich revelations leave you just the right amount of full, but they mostly leave you crying out for the final installment in this micro-epic where Wendy’s authenticity is the unquestionable star. Oakes’ signature style of dark fantasy retellings is intoxicating, and the much awaited Captain Hook does not disappoint." –Mason J. Torall, author of The Dark Element
Praise for the Wendy Darling series
“A dark twist on a familiar tale that readers will have difficulty putting down." —School Library Journal
"Oakes superbly crafts both a story with wings and a Neverland with teeth, a story that will tempt any reader into never growing up.” —Brianna Shrum, author of Never and Never and How to Make Out
“Described in lush, lingering detail, Neverland is all that Peter Pan promises: vibrant, gorgeous, filled with magic and excitement. But it also harbors unexpected dangers . . . perhaps none greater than Peter himself. While she is initially intoxicated by his charisma, Wendy's practical good sense, stubborn loyalty, and newly liberated fire give her the courage to defy Peter . . . only to land, in a stunning cliffhanger, in even worse peril. Dark, even horrific in its graphic bloodshed and psychological menace; but the nuanced portrayals?of a hero frequently excused by his whimsical glamour and a heroine too often dismissed as girlishly insipid?are riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews
“We are all familiar with the story of Peter Pan, whether from J.M. Barries’ original 1911 novel or the many film versions it inspired. Oakes’ tale, told from Wendy’s point of view, breathes new life into Peter’s story and makes it her own. This Neverland is far more mesmerizing and dangerous than Barries’, and I was pulled in by the lyrical writing. Every time I opened the cover, I felt completely transported into Wendy’s world. The perilous call of the mermaids, Tinker Bell’s violent obsession with Peter, sinister Captain Hook ? all compelling reasons to read Wendy Darling.” —Middle Shelf Magazine
Past Praise and Awards for Colleen Oakes
Winner—2014 Next Generation Independent Book Awards—Young Adult Award-Winning Finalist—2014 International Book Awards—Fiction: Young Adult “Most Cinematic Indie Books of 2014” —Kirkus Reviews 2014 “Best Indie Books of the Year” —Kirkus Reviews "Oakes continues to weave literary magic as she pulls you down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland like you've never read before. Experience the world anew as you learn how a young princess becomes the villainous Queen of Hearts." —Chanda Hahn, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Unfortunate Fairy Tale series