The Child Thief

By: Brom

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

In the vein of Gregory Maguire’s bestselling works, the award-winning artist Brom takes us on a haunting look at the true world of Peter Pan, in his first full-length novel. From modern day New York to the dying land of Faerie, The Child Thief reveals the world of Peter Pan through the eyes of an insecure runaway who is seduced by Peter’s charm. But any dreams of a fairy wonderland are quickly replaced by the reality of life and death survival as Peter’s recruits are forced into a lethal battle in which the line between good and evil is blurred.

©2010 Brom (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

A gory retelling of Peter Pan

I thought this book was very well written and it kept my attention, the narration was excellent. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it really is very violent and gory. In some cases it really seemed gratuitous and did not advance the plot. So, if you are squeamish you will want to avoid this one.

Wow. Really good book. Loved it.

I didn't know going in just how good this book would be. From chapter one though, I was sucked into this world of magic. I'm normally a thrill reader, love Stephen King, so this isn't my usual cup of tea, but wow. Great spin on Peter Pan. Glad I took a chance.

Great twisted Peter Pan story

couldn't stop listening!! This truly a great story with a hell of a twist and turns at every chapter

A good twist on Peter Pan

I would recommend this book. It was actually good, a little slower pace then I normally like but still a good read

Twisted Peter Pan

There are a whole host of mythologies and faerie tales at play here. My first thought was that this was a dark retelling of Peter Pan, which is not all that far off the mark. This is a twisted gory ode to Peter Pan and Avalon and other faerie stories. If you really think about Peter Pan, even the Disney version, he's basically I child predator--a kidnapper. Then if you think on the original, non-watered down version, Peter is pretty cruel, he kidnaps children and sends them to war against his enemies. His lost boys are frequently killed in battle, or put out to pasture if they begin to "grow up". That's really messed up!

All that being said, Peter, is a child thief who tricks runaways, or kids from bad situations into following him into the mists of Avalon. And if they manage to make it through the mist, they're trained as soldiers in his personal army. Everything Peter does is for the Lady Modron and to protect Avalon, but it all comes at a cost. The child thief has lead countless children to the deaths.

This story had loads of deaths, battles, magic and just general craziness. All-in-all I really enjoyed it.

BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE

What made the experience of listening to The Child Thief the most enjoyable?

EVERYTHING!! The story is gripping and the narrator is extremely talented

Who was your favorite character and why?

Can there be such thing as favorites??? How about a quadruple tie between Peter, Nick, Redbone, and Sekeu? haha

Which scene was your favorite?

The drowning exorcism scene. Leeroy's confession was so disgustingly chilling and Kirby's voice acting for him just made everything far more real. I get chills thinking about it

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

To die would be an awfully big adventure.

Any additional comments?

GET THIS AUDIOBOOK

Brom is great!

This was my second story from Brom. He has such a unique style… Dark, macabre, yet thoroughly enjoyable. His character development is very rich. You could see the world he painted and feel the anguish of many.

Perhaps it was the preconceived notions I had of Peter Pan, but Brom is able to turn all the character tropes on their head. For so many of his characters, you didn’t know whether to love or hate them. That tug-of-war was one of the things that made the story so fun and kept me engaged. I am still trying to figure out peter pan and I hope that after the story ends, he found some way to truly redeem himself.

The story was great. The reader did a fine job with providing inflection and a noticeable sound for each of the characters. I definitely noticed how young and lively Peter and the other boys sounded in the narrators voice. It was appreciated.

Take a chance on this one. It is definitely worth the ride.

One of my New Favorites!!!

Would you listen to The Child Thief again? Why?

Yes- Very Creative & engaging. The Narration fit the tone of the book

What other book might you compare The Child Thief to and why?

American McGee's Alice (A video game that puts a dark twist on another classic children's tale)

Which scene was your favorite?

SPOILER ALERT- Rescuing "Tinkerbell" and the unexpected sinking of Avalon and the results that follow

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

See above

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend

Incredible ! 10 Stars !

This book is amazing !
I absolutely love everything about it. The plot, the characters, the realness, the research done to write this epic telling of a story I didn't want to hear another version of... ever !
It was my love for, Lost Gods and Krampus that made me listen to this. I admit I was ready to hate it and give it a 1 star wishing I could give it a zero.
Now I want the best movie producer out there to make a 3 part movie out of it ! It is very captivating and gritty and sad and horrifying and disgusting and sad and and everything you should want from an author.
I highly recommend this book. 10 times over if you've read Krampus and Lost Gods. It's simply another Home Run !

A dark and twisted Pan

The Child Thief is a very dark and twisted telling of the Peter Pan story. It's more similar to the original dark tale than the Disney version most people are familiar with. This is full of violence and death, but still a very dark and mysterious tale. Brom never disappoints! My only complaint is about the author. He only has 3 books! I need more! lol Great narration by Kirby Heyborne.