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Escape from Neverland
You don't need time portals, magic wardrobes, rabbit holes or faery dust to experience a different world...all you need to do is walk into the Wyrde Woods.
Wendy Twyner doesn't have much self-esteem when she walks out of the dilapidated council estate where she lives and strolls into the Wyrde Woods -only a few miles away but worlds apart. There she finds her perceptions challenged and possibilities for change which fill her with hope for a brighter future, though there are dark twists and seemingly impossible obstacles on this journey.
An Urban Fantasy Thriller with a dose of Magical Realism thrown in for good measure. This is also a Green Thriller and Eco-Book with a strong emphasis on the environment.
Intended for Young Adults and older. There's some Rock-n-Roll but nothing explicit. This is the first part of the two-part Lord of the Wyrde Woods series.
Wendy Twyner doesn't have much self-esteem when she walks out of the dilapidated council estate where she lives and strolls into the Wyrde Woods -only a few miles away but worlds apart. There she finds her perceptions challenged and possibilities for change which fill her with hope for a brighter future, though there are dark twists and seemingly impossible obstacles on this journey.
An Urban Fantasy Thriller with a dose of Magical Realism thrown in for good measure. This is also a Green Thriller and Eco-Book with a strong emphasis on the environment.
Intended for Young Adults and older. There's some Rock-n-Roll but nothing explicit. This is the first part of the two-part Lord of the Wyrde Woods series.
- GenresFantasy
247 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
701 people want to read
About the author
Nils Nisse Visser
25 books83 followersSpent childhood and youth abroad in Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. Didn't have much to show for it at the end of the road, except for some great experiences, a host of friends, and a spoonful of English. Being fundamentally lazy, tried to make a living with the language skills of the latter, rather than learning new tricks or developing fresh skills. I.e. secondary school teacher of English at various Dutch secondary schools. However, my insistence that education should be fun in order to be effective didn't really fit in with a system that is geared to paperwork rather than pupils.
Currently trying to make a living as a full-time writer in Brighton, UK.
Currently trying to make a living as a full-time writer in Brighton, UK.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 6, 2015
The single most important task of any book I happen to pick up and start reading is to make me care about the characters involved. An interesting plot, skilled use of language and an author’s evident love for their creation are also essential. These things, combined with my less than great attention span, mean that I sometimes lose interest in a book and move onto something else. Happily, Nils Visser’s thoroughly impressive Escape From Neverland (the first book in a series) not only ticks all the right boxes but is written and delivered with a charm and passion that had me glued to the story and turning page after page. And all this over a period of just a couple of weeks when I was wandering through some pretty exotic locations in the real world. I certainly wouldn’t have switched my Kindle on for anything less during that time.
The story is based around the central character Wendy, cleverly introduced as a somewhat troubled, combative teen who is soon revealed to be a complex, interesting individual. I don’t reveal or step through plots in my reviews, but essentially (aside from the various hints of supernatural activity) the story demonstrates that environment is everything, or as good as. Take someone who appears to be nothing more than a problem to the wider world, a rejected non-member of society- and transplant her to a completely different environment, and often a positive result ensues. Add in the possibility and promise of a surrogate family and everything that that entails, and perhaps witness a transformation of the individual.
This is what really makes the book for me. It’s about transcending the grim confines of a life from which no escape was thought possible, and it’s about the importance of family- the people who have the patience, insight, wisdom and love to provide security and second chances, no matter the past.
It ends on quite a cliffhanger, so I’m grabbing a copy of the second book in the series as soon as I’ve posted this review. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.
The story is based around the central character Wendy, cleverly introduced as a somewhat troubled, combative teen who is soon revealed to be a complex, interesting individual. I don’t reveal or step through plots in my reviews, but essentially (aside from the various hints of supernatural activity) the story demonstrates that environment is everything, or as good as. Take someone who appears to be nothing more than a problem to the wider world, a rejected non-member of society- and transplant her to a completely different environment, and often a positive result ensues. Add in the possibility and promise of a surrogate family and everything that that entails, and perhaps witness a transformation of the individual.
This is what really makes the book for me. It’s about transcending the grim confines of a life from which no escape was thought possible, and it’s about the importance of family- the people who have the patience, insight, wisdom and love to provide security and second chances, no matter the past.
It ends on quite a cliffhanger, so I’m grabbing a copy of the second book in the series as soon as I’ve posted this review. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.
June 18, 2015
I haven’t read a fantasy novel in quite some time now and I was happy that the choice to read this one turned out to be a good decision. Escape From Neverland by Nils Visser is definitely a must read.
I really loved the way it was written and although the strange language the author has created and woven into the book can be a little confusing at first, I found I rather liked it and think it is quite creative and unique.
The story follows the main character Wendy (aka Wenn in the Wyrde Woods) who is a troubled teenager who flees her life in a children’s home and discovers a whole other life full of magical creatures living in the Wyrde Woods. Throughout the book you follow Wendy/Wenn on her journey and really get to know her as if she were someone you may actually know in real life.
The characters are colourful and wonderful and I loved them all. The dialogue was witty and well written and this story was all round really interesting and brilliantly done. I highly recommend this book to others and if the author were to submit the next book in the series to me for review it would go straight to the “Definitely Read” list.
I really loved the way it was written and although the strange language the author has created and woven into the book can be a little confusing at first, I found I rather liked it and think it is quite creative and unique.
The story follows the main character Wendy (aka Wenn in the Wyrde Woods) who is a troubled teenager who flees her life in a children’s home and discovers a whole other life full of magical creatures living in the Wyrde Woods. Throughout the book you follow Wendy/Wenn on her journey and really get to know her as if she were someone you may actually know in real life.
The characters are colourful and wonderful and I loved them all. The dialogue was witty and well written and this story was all round really interesting and brilliantly done. I highly recommend this book to others and if the author were to submit the next book in the series to me for review it would go straight to the “Definitely Read” list.
August 30, 2015
I can't wait to go back to the Wyrde Woods! I love it when a book makes you care about the characters. Wenn is relatable because she is flawed and real and her triumphs and good news become the reader's triumphs and good news. Joy and Willick and Puck become your family and even the places (the woods, Neverland) have a personality.
I hope that Wenn stops apologizing to Willick for the end of their first encounter, though. Given her past, her reaction was completely legitimate and Willick's hurt feelings don't matter a jot compared to her safety. That's something abuse victims don't hear often enough and sadly, on that point, this books seems to reinforce that Wenn should keep feeling bad that she didn't immediately trust a strange man's intentions towards her.
But, since that is my only gripe, and since I was completely transported into Wenn's world and I grinned like a loon for most of it, I maintain the 5 star review. Can't wait to dive into the next book.
I hope that Wenn stops apologizing to Willick for the end of their first encounter, though. Given her past, her reaction was completely legitimate and Willick's hurt feelings don't matter a jot compared to her safety. That's something abuse victims don't hear often enough and sadly, on that point, this books seems to reinforce that Wenn should keep feeling bad that she didn't immediately trust a strange man's intentions towards her.
But, since that is my only gripe, and since I was completely transported into Wenn's world and I grinned like a loon for most of it, I maintain the 5 star review. Can't wait to dive into the next book.
May 7, 2015
The moment i picked up the book, it was hard to put it down again. That's probably why I finished the story in three days. I can't wait to read the next book and where the adventure is going to lead. I personally love fairy tales and especially how they were represented in this book, in a way I haven't read before. I also enjoyed thinking with Wenn about what Joy and Willick were actually saying since the words they used were quite unfamiliar to both Wenn, and I the reader. At the end of the book I discovered there was a glossary I could peek at.
May 26, 2015
This book gripped me from Page One. Fantasy? Yes, but: All the characters are vivid and three-dimensional, you can laugh and cry with them. The storyline is well constructed and I, for one, was drawn into the fabric of this wonderful (in most senses of the word) tale... This is one of the few books, of the many that I read, that I have actually bought in print. Why? Because I intend to reread it more than once. Do yourselves a favour - get it, read it...
January 4, 2015
A lovely story, with beautiful scenery descriptions. Really loved it!
April 27, 2015
reading Escape from neverland is a spellbinding experience. The dialogues of the adolescent girl wendy and others in the imaginative council estate of Neverland in Sussex are so strong that you just want the story to keep on going. In all its desperate aspects of breaking up self-confidence, this book can read as a upgrade of One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest.
A conflict in trust made Wandy flee right into de Wyrde woods where she meets people that accept her unconditionally as an inhabitant in their World where fairies and ghosts are normal subjects to talk about. Very soon her feeling of trust and respect for the Wurde woods grow and grow and as a reader you get the feeling thad she is going to be the right woman in the right place at the right moment. The promise for a whole chronicle of these books with their fascinating dialogues and way of drawing you into the plot is one I appreciate very much. I do hope there will be more to come.
A conflict in trust made Wandy flee right into de Wyrde woods where she meets people that accept her unconditionally as an inhabitant in their World where fairies and ghosts are normal subjects to talk about. Very soon her feeling of trust and respect for the Wurde woods grow and grow and as a reader you get the feeling thad she is going to be the right woman in the right place at the right moment. The promise for a whole chronicle of these books with their fascinating dialogues and way of drawing you into the plot is one I appreciate very much. I do hope there will be more to come.
October 18, 2015
I bought this book for my granddaughters' who are teenagers because it is about the angst of Wendy, also a teenager.
Moreover, it is set in the glorious county of Sussex in England where I come from, so I decided it was a must-read for me first.
Oh, I wasn't disappointed, not at all...
Poor Wendy was from a broken home on a council estate and existing in a childrens home, her only escape was reading books...until one day she'd had enough and ran away...and then her adventures began! But every now and then she had to go back to reality.
Whether it was in her mind or in her dreams or was indeed real, I will never know because the clever author intertwines Wendy with Wenn in the woods, the Wyrde Woods, that she found herself in.
I will say no more, just read it and see but be prepared for some scary times, sad times but also good times, along the way...
Moreover, it is set in the glorious county of Sussex in England where I come from, so I decided it was a must-read for me first.
Oh, I wasn't disappointed, not at all...
Poor Wendy was from a broken home on a council estate and existing in a childrens home, her only escape was reading books...until one day she'd had enough and ran away...and then her adventures began! But every now and then she had to go back to reality.
Whether it was in her mind or in her dreams or was indeed real, I will never know because the clever author intertwines Wendy with Wenn in the woods, the Wyrde Woods, that she found herself in.
I will say no more, just read it and see but be prepared for some scary times, sad times but also good times, along the way...
May 26, 2015
I'll be honest - I first saw this book on the shelves at a reenactment show, browsed and put back as needed cash at the time. Then the author offered to donate part of his profits from his next series to a friend's animal rescue and I learnt part of the profits of this series go to to an owl rescue. So that gave me the nudge to buy. I wasn't really expecting too much as found that's the best way to approach small press and self-published books.
But really pleasantly surprised. The book read well, was wonderfully evocative of times and places and showed a high level of characteristion. You really began to care for the characters and want to know what happened to them. There is a rich depth of folklore in the book but it wears it lightly. I strongly recommnd this book and author and look forward to his next works. Also you get to help some needy animals too.
But really pleasantly surprised. The book read well, was wonderfully evocative of times and places and showed a high level of characteristion. You really began to care for the characters and want to know what happened to them. There is a rich depth of folklore in the book but it wears it lightly. I strongly recommnd this book and author and look forward to his next works. Also you get to help some needy animals too.
July 7, 2015
On her first journey through Wyrde Wood, troublemaker Wendy Twyner turns into Wenn. There the Twyner-girl caught me, totally. I loved her encounter with Willick whose local speech supported my experience of the change of scenery in a remarkable manner. Wyrde Wood drew me in as it did with Wenn. Back at the youth care institution the girl struggles, but her experience of real care and interest from her new Wyrde friends gradually allows her to gain and keep control, lower her guards, admit grief and open up to change. A great read that moved me profoundly.
April 14, 2015
Very enjoyable surelye! Great use of language. I felt very wrapped up in Wenn's life and I'm looking forward to reading book two!
April 16, 2015
Nils Visser – Lord of the Wyrde book one: Escape from neverland.
Dit boek is in het engels uitgebracht. Mijn recensie schrijf ik in het Nederlands, zodat de Nederlandse lezers het boek misschien ook willen gaan lezen.
Het verhaal gaat over Wendy (Wenn) en zij leeft in een instelling wat ze Neverland noemen. Bij Neverland denk je aan Peter Pan. Maar niets is minder waar! Het is een soort gevangenis, waarin jongeren proberen te overleven. Ze worden gezien als uitschot. Wendy besluit om weg te lopen als haar favoriete therapeut aangeeft te vertrekken. Ze komt in de Wyrde Woods terecht. Daar krijgt ze de schrik van haar leven als ze in het donker een gevleugeld monster tegenkomt.
Ze ontmoet daar Willick, hij praat met een apart accent. Gelukkig staat er achterin het boek een soort woordenlijstje. Want je moet je daar echt even aan wennen. Maar het is niet storend. Het maakt het juist leuk en op zijn eigen manier uniek. Ze komt later terecht bij Joy, een Dame die in het boos leeft en samen met haar Uilen in een huisje woont. Ze gaat zich er thuis voelen. Helaas moet ze weer terug naar Neverland. Terug in Neverland mist ze het bos meteen. Ze gaat steeds vaker wandelen in het bos en komt daar dan ook Puck tegen. Ze worden vrienden en hij verteld haar alles over de vreemde dingen die in het bos gebeuren (of in het verleden hebben plaats gevonden).
Zij houdt van verhalen en Puck kan haar plaatsen laten zien in het bos die de verhalen extra power geven. Puck kan heel veel verhalen vertellen, dus voelen ze zich goed bij elkaar.
Het enige wat haar tegenhoudt is Neverland en de mensen die daar zogenaamd voor haar zorgen.
Het is een leuk en vlot geschreven verhaal.
Deel 2 is ook al uit. Als je van engelse boeken houdt en light-fantasy, dan is dit boek een aanrader.
Ik heb dit keer geen sterren in mijn hoofd, maar een cijfer. Ik geef het boek een 7! komt neer op 3,5 sterren ongeveer!
Dit boek is in het engels uitgebracht. Mijn recensie schrijf ik in het Nederlands, zodat de Nederlandse lezers het boek misschien ook willen gaan lezen.
Het verhaal gaat over Wendy (Wenn) en zij leeft in een instelling wat ze Neverland noemen. Bij Neverland denk je aan Peter Pan. Maar niets is minder waar! Het is een soort gevangenis, waarin jongeren proberen te overleven. Ze worden gezien als uitschot. Wendy besluit om weg te lopen als haar favoriete therapeut aangeeft te vertrekken. Ze komt in de Wyrde Woods terecht. Daar krijgt ze de schrik van haar leven als ze in het donker een gevleugeld monster tegenkomt.
Ze ontmoet daar Willick, hij praat met een apart accent. Gelukkig staat er achterin het boek een soort woordenlijstje. Want je moet je daar echt even aan wennen. Maar het is niet storend. Het maakt het juist leuk en op zijn eigen manier uniek. Ze komt later terecht bij Joy, een Dame die in het boos leeft en samen met haar Uilen in een huisje woont. Ze gaat zich er thuis voelen. Helaas moet ze weer terug naar Neverland. Terug in Neverland mist ze het bos meteen. Ze gaat steeds vaker wandelen in het bos en komt daar dan ook Puck tegen. Ze worden vrienden en hij verteld haar alles over de vreemde dingen die in het bos gebeuren (of in het verleden hebben plaats gevonden).
Zij houdt van verhalen en Puck kan haar plaatsen laten zien in het bos die de verhalen extra power geven. Puck kan heel veel verhalen vertellen, dus voelen ze zich goed bij elkaar.
Het enige wat haar tegenhoudt is Neverland en de mensen die daar zogenaamd voor haar zorgen.
Het is een leuk en vlot geschreven verhaal.
Deel 2 is ook al uit. Als je van engelse boeken houdt en light-fantasy, dan is dit boek een aanrader.
Ik heb dit keer geen sterren in mijn hoofd, maar een cijfer. Ik geef het boek een 7! komt neer op 3,5 sterren ongeveer!
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September 6, 2015Wenn is relatable to so many people because she is angry, frustrated and mostly misunderstood. She gets these moods that she can barely control and feels bad about them later. This irrationality is so familiar to all teenagers and therefore a mustread for any person that loves to escape into the world of books. The author mixes magic and reality so well that the story feels like it could really happen. A MUST READ!
October 27, 2022
This duo of books by Nils Visser is quite a trip! Escape from Neverland and Dance Into the Wyrd are two halves of a magical tale that weaves the modern world, the Otherworld, and the land itself into a compelling adventure. (Just a note: The two books aren't really stand-alones; you can read Escape from Neverland by itself but you really need to have read it first before reading Dance Into the Wyrd.)
I'll try to do this review without giving away any spoilers, but that's going to be hard.
Visser manages to combine the grimy world of the run-down modern city with the magic of the old woods and the Old Ways - and the result is a beautiful, touching story that managed to make me alternately elated, angry, and sad. The main character is a teenage girl with a bad attitude - and who could blame her, given her background and her upbringing in a ratty juvenile care home? But when she steps into the Wyrde Wood and meets some very interesting people (and a few non-people as well), she has no choice but to change. What are her real values? Who, and what, is she willing to support and help and maybe even risk her life for?
This pair of books encompass the hero's journey, but with a lot of marvelous twists. There's magic, and then there's Magic. There is power in the land, always has been. Sometimes it's just a matter of opening yourself up to it.
I'll try to do this review without giving away any spoilers, but that's going to be hard.
Visser manages to combine the grimy world of the run-down modern city with the magic of the old woods and the Old Ways - and the result is a beautiful, touching story that managed to make me alternately elated, angry, and sad. The main character is a teenage girl with a bad attitude - and who could blame her, given her background and her upbringing in a ratty juvenile care home? But when she steps into the Wyrde Wood and meets some very interesting people (and a few non-people as well), she has no choice but to change. What are her real values? Who, and what, is she willing to support and help and maybe even risk her life for?
This pair of books encompass the hero's journey, but with a lot of marvelous twists. There's magic, and then there's Magic. There is power in the land, always has been. Sometimes it's just a matter of opening yourself up to it.
November 14, 2020
An enchanting, but disturbing novel. Abandoned as a child, Wendy has become psychologically damaged. Not so much by the abandonment, but rather, by the care(?) homes and mistreatment she has been subjected to by the staff and bureaucracy of these institutions.
An insight to the workings and inherent cruelty of these places, from the child's perspective.
An insight to the workings and inherent cruelty of these places, from the child's perspective.
March 20, 2016
LOVED. IT. From the relatability of the characters to the fascinating lore, to the marvelous character development and compelling plot! Wendy as the narrator has a distinct voice that is uniquely hers, and it was wonderfully distinct from the dialogue of other characters. I love the brilliant Sussex accent so cleverly phrased; I love the tender, no-nonsense wisdom of Joy and Willick; I love the portrayal of Puck. This is a fantastic start and a beautiful world and I really enjoy the author's writing style!
October 21, 2015
It took me a while to get into the story, but then I was well and truly hooked. I like the language of the Wyrde Woods, the literary allusions and I think Nils Visser has done a great job creating this new and wonderful world. The only character I cannot seem to relate to is Wenn herself.
She is too elusive, and for me her back story does 't add up. I do find myself looking forward to reading part 2 and 3!!
She is too elusive, and for me her back story does 't add up. I do find myself looking forward to reading part 2 and 3!!
August 5, 2015
A great read! Very creative and imaginative. I Really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews