After doing herself near-fatal harm, Kit has returned to her island home. But it’s a place she hardly recognises: the witch and the mermaids are hiding and the pirates have sailed to more bountiful shores. In their place is Neverland and its inhabitants – damaged teens too sick to be in regular school, watched over by her psychiatrist uncle. And now Kit is one of them.

Kit has a choice. She can use illicit night-time adventures with friends and mysterious new boy Rohan to avoid the truth. Or she can separate harsh reality from childhood fantasy and remember the night of her parents’ deaths.

What really prompted her family’s departure from the island? Did a monster drive them away? Is the monster still there?

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Praise for Neverland

‘As compelling and treacherous as the sea, Neverland is a punch to the gut, a siren song, an elegy.’ – Lili Wilkinson, author of The Boundless Sublime 

‘Neverland is wild and tricksy and tantalising—I fell in love with its pirate heart and gorgeous prose.’ – Simmone Howell, author of Girl Defective

‘Darkly sublime, subversive and haunting, lush and honeyed—everything I love in a book.’ – Allyse Near, author of Fairytales for Wilde Girls

‘McGovern’s tale echoes everything from J.M. Barrie to Homer, but is first and foremost a striking, sensitively drawn odyssey that sets sail from the far shore of trauma.’ – Cameron Woodhead, Sydney Morning Herald

‘A dark and compelling examination of memory, self-determination and the dangers of romanticising the past.’ – Lian Hingee, Books + Publishing 

‘This book is extremely well written. Characterisation is strong and the mystery behind the death of Kit’s parent’s, and her mother’s behaviour, are revealed slowly as Kit’s memories resurface.’ – Liz Derouet, Reading Time (CBCA)

‘Neverland is a gorgeously written book full of wonderfully atmospheric Peter Pan references which lend the story a somewhat menacing air of magic and mystery. There is a captivating quality to the writing which really draws you into another world. This is the kind of thoughtful, lyrical book that manages to charm and enchant while also never shying away from hard truths and painful subject matter.’ – Tanaya Lowden for Booktopia, ‘7 New Must Read YA Releases’

‘This is a powerfully emotional and mythic work that draws parallels with the journey of Odysseus, cast adrift on the high seas, in pursuit of safe harbour.’ – Natalie Platten, assistant manager and children’s book buyer at Readings Doncaster, Readings Blog

‘Filled with suspense, darkness and loss but balanced with camaraderie, bravery and love.’ – Better Reading

‘Margot weaves a wonderful tale and builds an empathetic protagonist. She has a wonderful way with words that she uses to create magical places and memories. in Neverland Margot asks us how our memories of the past help form our future? She has made me question everything that I thought I knew about my past. How magical to have the ability to do that for your readers.’ – Danielle, Three Four Knock On the Door Bookshop

‘…every character in this book feels so layered and complex; even Kit’s dead parents come to life in her memories and the stories other people tell. You feel like you’re stepping into a fully formed world with history and presence and that’s not an easy feat.’ – Simone Corletto, Tulpa Magazine

‘A wonderful fusion of fairytales and folklore with a dark and mysterious undertone, Neverland is a brilliant book about grief, nostalgia and recovery, that is both enchanting and raw in equal measure. An atmospheric and beautifully crafted tale for fans of YA and beyond, it’s the perfect book to read if you’re after some serious escapism with a sprinkle of magic.’ – Lucy Pearson, The Literary Edit