"When they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out". 
 This weird, disturbing sentence from J M Barrie's Peter Pan concerns Peter's band of child warriors, the Lost Boys; and it was this very sentence, heavy with malicious implication, that inspired artist and author Brom to retell the story of Peter Pan. 
 Let me say now - this book pulls no punches. However creepy you think Peter Pan could get, The Child Thief is probably going to exceed your expectations in the horror category. Actually, I'm trying very hard to recall anything nice or good that happened in this book. In other words, prepare yourself for disturbing images, harsh themes and language, and ultra-violence in the form of limbs and faces being hacked off, torture and children being drowned, burnt and otherwise brutalised. 
 Now, I like a good dark fairytale, and I also don't mind reading violence and so on, but this is pretty damn disturbing. Worse than Game of Thrones. But, it's also a really good story. 
 The story follows Nick, a young kid in New York who's run into some trouble with a merciless drug dealer and his gang. Lucky for him, Peter's been on the lookout for new children to join his Devils - Brom's new name for the Lost Boys - and so sweeps in to save him from a sticky end and takes him home to Avalon, the new Neverland. There, Nick meets the other Devils, as well as vicious monsters such as the Barghest and the once-human Flesh-eaters. It is these Flesh-eaters whom Peter is rallying against, collecting children to train as warriors to help him protect Avalon. 
 Nick is a character who, when faced with a shock as massive as a magical island filled with murderous occupants, doesn't take it very well. He fights, curses, argues and moans. He tries very hard to hold his ground and see through the romantic and noble veils Peter twitches over the Devils' eyes. He's tough and smart, and his character development really shines. Peter, too, is a great character, whose backstory, motivations and mindset are all as enigmatic as he appears himself. 
 Other characters, both good and bad and based on various folk tales, myths and legends, make for a strange and varied cast of creatures, all interesting in their own way. 
 Themes of morality, mortality and war are huge elements of this novel, and overall Brom does a great job in describing the hopelessness and despair these themes can cause. One thing is that I felt that sometimes the violence throughout the novel took away from the inner struggles of Nick and Peter, especially towards the end of the novel. As well as this, the plotting wasn't as tight as I would've liked, with the story being a little too drawn out it my tastes. 
 However, Brom tells a brilliantly twisted story packed with action, with a fantastic version of Peter. Plus, the book is beautifully illustrated by Brom himself. If you're feeling strong-hearted, I would recommend this creepy retelling.