Yet another take on the story of Peter Pan? Why yes. I was a little skeptical to start, and at first the book seemed to confirm my doubt. The beginning of the book really seemed to drag for me. I couldn't really get into it. I almost even gave up finishing it. But curiosity made me keep reading, wondering how all this would tie in to the well-known story of Peter Pan. And finally it all came together and I was hooked.
The authors impressed me with their ability to weave a lot of little details into the story that would later all come together in clever ways. Each time a new yet familiar character was introduced (the crocodile, mermaids, Tinkerbell, etc.) it made me smile. But they did each in fascinating and imaginative ways that I am now very interested in reading the next in the series. You could almost consider this a "prequel" to the Peter Pan story we know.
It begins with a boy named Peter who is an orphan. He and the other "lost boys" from the orphanage are sent by ship to be slaves. On board is a mysterious trunk and strange things happen when people get near it. There is also a girl named Molly on board. They are stranded on an island after being chased by pirates. I'll let you read the rest...
So, I think this is a good book and would be especially enjoyable for a young adult audience. For adults, it might be a little slow at the beginning, but I think that can be somewhat explained by the fact that there is a lot of setup needed at the beginning, and I think the reader is naturally more impatient to get to the action because they already think they know the story that is coming. But it will surprise and delight you. I also found the explanation of how the "Starcatchers" play into the story slightly cheesy, but necessary to put a little more background and serious nature into the fanciful tale we all know and love. I like the slightly darker undertones that this story adds.
Have you read this book? What do you think? Are the other books in the series worth a read?
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