In my review of the first book in the series, Peter and the Starcatchers, I explained that I’m a huge Peter Pan fan, and my expectations for new works are always high. I’ve been disappointed many times – Hugh Jackman in Pan, Disney’s emo-Pan adaptation in Peter Pan and Wendy, and dear, sweet Christopher Walken in the live-action made-for-TV version.
With some of the terrible things that have been done to this story, I was extremely happy to discover Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson understand what makes Peter Pan a great story. And they hit the tone perfectly once again in this sequel to Peter and the Starcatchers.
As with the first, we get a wonderful mix of hijinks, coming-of-age challenges, and genuinely scary moments. There is a terrible new villain on the hunt for the series MacGuffin – stardust. A swirling mass of cold and darkness, he steals the shadows of his victims, leaving them as hapless puppets.
To save the day, Peter must find his way back to London, which is easier said than done. The difficulty of the crossing is a great example of the hardship built into the plot. A less-quality story would have Peter zoom out over the ocean and would be sipping tea in Kensington Gardens by the next scene. But of course, Peter doesn’t how to get back to London! He has to take a ship like anyone else, and as the only ship nearby is full of pirates, he has to stow away, surviving on stolen rations and staying out of sight, lest he be killed by the shadow monster below decks or the cutthroat crew.
Here and later in London, Peter faces real danger. The kind of danger that a child reading the story would need to be brave alongside Peter to face. And that’s the whole point of the story. Leaving the nursery and going out into the world means danger. It means being cold and hungry, and sometimes, it means being betrayed by people you trust. But facing these dangers and still maintaining a sense of wonder and adventure is the goal. Otherwise, the fear of danger becomes an overwhelming force that controls your every moment – tick, tock Hook.
With another great entry in the series, I’m already excited to continue to book three, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, and discover what else the authors have woven into the lore of Peter Pan.