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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Second in the Peter and the Starcatchers children's fantasy-adventure series about a boy who will never grow up and can fly.
Peter has gotten just a bit too cocky on Never Land, teasing Captain Hook and the pirates when he's the only one who can fly. He's not setting a very good example as a leader and because of it, James gets caught by Hook and his crew. Rescuing James leaves the Mollusk peoples' compound unguarded which enables Lord Ombra to steal away Fighting Prawn's daughter, Shining Pearl.
Two good things do come of this, however, Peter has learned that Lord Ombra does something to peoples' shadows and Lord Aster and his daughter, Molly, are in trouble. Peter must follow the ship back to London.
And so Peter's adventures begin. Again. With an angry Tink's help, Peter makes it to London by stowing away on Le Fantome with yet more adventures upon arrival. Canaries. Jail and a cage. A prison escape. Rescue. A talking bear. Sneaking into the Tower. Saving the day.
And don't think that Peter, Molly, and Tinker Bell are the only ones having all the fun! James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted are in for their own escapades between hide-outs and traps even as they eventually foil Captain Hook...nyah-ah-ahh...
Peter is the obvious hero with a great deal of help from Tinker Bell...even if she is incredibly pissed off at him. Molly Aster is a strong supporting character even after they have to admit Molly's childhood friend, George Darling, from across the square into their plans when Molly's mother, Lady Louise Aster, is kidnapped. Lord Aster appears briefly in the beginning with a strong end while Fighting Prawn and the Mollusk people and Teacher play their part at the beginning of the story.
The Lost Boys, James, Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted break up the main adventure with their own perils while the terrified antics of Captain Hook (the former Captain Black Stache), Smee, and the rest of the stranded pirate crew provide a striking resemblance to Dustin Hoffman and company from the movie Hook—I can just hear Hoffman's Hook crying out for Smee!
Slank is back from Peter and the Starcatchers. Seems he had to eat his friend Little Richard to survive being marooned at sea! This is his last chance to make up for losing the starstuff in the first place. Captain Nerezza commands Le Fantome and he and his crew have been following that nutcase's delusional directions about that, surely, non-existent island for months! Then there's Lord Ombra. He's not a man, he's Other in every sense of the word and a chill follows his hooded and cloaked shape everywhere he goes. Ah, but he only goes anywhere at night when the light can be directed and the shadows are strongest.
A truly fantastical adventure of escapes and rescues flying across the ocean and amongst the chimney pots of London. Chim-chim-cherree anyone? Childhood fantasies of playing pirate, creating a hide-out, and general running amuckness await any reader young or old. Adults will enjoy the Peter Pan references while both will enjoy the thrill of adventure.
Heck, mom and dad might want to turn it into a geography and historical lesson with Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge! Use the excitement generated by Barry and Pearson to really sink the message in.
Quibbles: I should think both Barry and Pearson would know better than to refer to a Lord Aster and then call his wife, Mrs. Aster. I'm rather surprised the wolves didn't do a better job of sniffing out the ambushers. I also kept expecting Tink to talk to the ravens???
For the most part, this is really, really well-written except for the extremely occasional slips into that patronizing tone when adults talk down to children. If you like Peter Pan, you'll love Peter and the Starcatchers.
The cover seems straight from Peter Pan as Peter helps a nightgown-clad Molly out into a moonlit sky through the tall, open casement window, white sheers swaying with the breeze, just as Lord Ombra grabs for her hand. Lovely effective use of a blue-and-green hologram ink for Tink's trail swirling up from the floor and around Molly and Peter and then switching to the goldleaf hologram effect for the linework and text for the title and authors' names.
As for the title, Barry and Pearson do refer, at the end, to more than one shadow thief, but almost the entire story surrounds just one and I think it would have been more appropriate to title it Peter and the Shadow Thief.
The Story
Peter has gotten just a bit too cocky on Never Land, teasing Captain Hook and the pirates when he's the only one who can fly. He's not setting a very good example as a leader and because of it, James gets caught by Hook and his crew. Rescuing James leaves the Mollusk peoples' compound unguarded which enables Lord Ombra to steal away Fighting Prawn's daughter, Shining Pearl.
Two good things do come of this, however, Peter has learned that Lord Ombra does something to peoples' shadows and Lord Aster and his daughter, Molly, are in trouble. Peter must follow the ship back to London.
And so Peter's adventures begin. Again. With an angry Tink's help, Peter makes it to London by stowing away on Le Fantome with yet more adventures upon arrival. Canaries. Jail and a cage. A prison escape. Rescue. A talking bear. Sneaking into the Tower. Saving the day.
And don't think that Peter, Molly, and Tinker Bell are the only ones having all the fun! James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted are in for their own escapades between hide-outs and traps even as they eventually foil Captain Hook...nyah-ah-ahh...
The Characters
Peter is the obvious hero with a great deal of help from Tinker Bell...even if she is incredibly pissed off at him. Molly Aster is a strong supporting character even after they have to admit Molly's childhood friend, George Darling, from across the square into their plans when Molly's mother, Lady Louise Aster, is kidnapped. Lord Aster appears briefly in the beginning with a strong end while Fighting Prawn and the Mollusk people and Teacher play their part at the beginning of the story.
The Lost Boys, James, Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted break up the main adventure with their own perils while the terrified antics of Captain Hook (the former Captain Black Stache), Smee, and the rest of the stranded pirate crew provide a striking resemblance to Dustin Hoffman and company from the movie Hook—I can just hear Hoffman's Hook crying out for Smee!
Slank is back from Peter and the Starcatchers. Seems he had to eat his friend Little Richard to survive being marooned at sea! This is his last chance to make up for losing the starstuff in the first place. Captain Nerezza commands Le Fantome and he and his crew have been following that nutcase's delusional directions about that, surely, non-existent island for months! Then there's Lord Ombra. He's not a man, he's Other in every sense of the word and a chill follows his hooded and cloaked shape everywhere he goes. Ah, but he only goes anywhere at night when the light can be directed and the shadows are strongest.
My Take
A truly fantastical adventure of escapes and rescues flying across the ocean and amongst the chimney pots of London. Chim-chim-cherree anyone? Childhood fantasies of playing pirate, creating a hide-out, and general running amuckness await any reader young or old. Adults will enjoy the Peter Pan references while both will enjoy the thrill of adventure.
Heck, mom and dad might want to turn it into a geography and historical lesson with Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge! Use the excitement generated by Barry and Pearson to really sink the message in.
Quibbles: I should think both Barry and Pearson would know better than to refer to a Lord Aster and then call his wife, Mrs. Aster. I'm rather surprised the wolves didn't do a better job of sniffing out the ambushers. I also kept expecting Tink to talk to the ravens???
For the most part, this is really, really well-written except for the extremely occasional slips into that patronizing tone when adults talk down to children. If you like Peter Pan, you'll love Peter and the Starcatchers.
The Cover
The cover seems straight from Peter Pan as Peter helps a nightgown-clad Molly out into a moonlit sky through the tall, open casement window, white sheers swaying with the breeze, just as Lord Ombra grabs for her hand. Lovely effective use of a blue-and-green hologram ink for Tink's trail swirling up from the floor and around Molly and Peter and then switching to the goldleaf hologram effect for the linework and text for the title and authors' names.
As for the title, Barry and Pearson do refer, at the end, to more than one shadow thief, but almost the entire story surrounds just one and I think it would have been more appropriate to title it Peter and the Shadow Thief.
reefshark's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
3.75
I liked this overall, though I didn't think it was as good as the first one. I was particularly distracted by the really minor side plot with Hook and the Lost Boys. It just felt like it was tacked on to remind us they existed and didn't do much of anything to develop any of those characters, which seems like a lost opportunity. Lord Ombra is exceptionally creepy and I liked learning more about the lore of the Starcatchers.
samcurler13's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hannahlovesstories's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
cbarteau's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
3.75
sophoc1es's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Still one of my all time favorite books, but it moved quite a bit slower than the first.
kamkanga's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty good sequel, the bad guy is a very interesting idea, however I wanted more explanation about Peter Pan's shadow. They ended it saying there are more shadow thieves, so maybe we'll hear more on that later. It wasn't quite as captivating as the first book, but still pretty decent, especially for a kids' book. I enjoyed it.
katrenia's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great series and book two doesn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the appearance of more familiar characters from Peter Pan.