A review by tales_of_monika
The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz

4.0

Honestly, who doesn't love some good old treasure hunting and piracy?

Jocelyn sets out on an adventure to find her father's hidden treasure. She must decode the map and face Krueger - a gruesome pirate who is eager to get his hands on Hook's gold.

As the story unfolds we are introduced to new characters such as Tiger Lily and Evie, who become Jocelyn's friends and help her out on her journey.

What I find really interesting about the Neverland in these books is that the people who come to visit may come from different time periods, which leads to Jocelyn meeting someone from her past. And it turns out that Jocelyn must convince Evie to go back home, despite Evie's protests, before she can finally set out to find the treasure. Her life depends on Evie's decision.

I adore the narrator in both books. Jocelyn's story is told from an old, grumpy man's point of view, which definitely adds a lot of humour throughout the book. The book is full of unexpected twists - even for a children's book! It even made me tear up - at one point Jocelyn has to choose between staying in Neverland forever with Evie or letting her go back to her own life and never see her again.

Sometimes the story reminded me of Disney's Treasure Planet - but that's only a plus!