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A review by kerrikins
Second Star by Alyssa Sheinmel
3.0
Oh, this book. At times I wanted to throw it across the room, but in spite of that it does have a touch of that good old magic embedded in it.
Imagine a modern day retelling of Peter Pan, except with the magic of the sea and beach thrown in along with some adolescent hormones and a hint of tragedy. Stir it all together and you get this book.
I think Alyssa Sheinmel does a fairly good job of capturing some of the magic of Wendy's story. Flying off to Neverland is replaced with escaping to the beach and endless summer days, sun and sand and surf mixing together to form a magical haven that becomes Wendy's escape throughout the story.
This is most definitely no children's fairy-tale, and the focus isn't so much on romance, either, if that is what some people are looking for or expecting. Instead this is Wendy's journey, and the lines become a little blurry at times - reality versus fantasy, truth versus lies. What does it all mean, anyway? How do we know what's true and what isn't?
There is a definite sweet lyricism to the book, that fairytale blur that makes it easy to read - you can almost imagine yourself paddling out into the ocean to catch a wave, riding a wave so high you feel like you're flying to a magical place where nothing ever goes wrong. There are dark places, though - the moment the wave pulls you under, the harshness of grief, and Wendy struggles to adjust to the idea that maybe she didn't know her brothers as well as she thought she did.
There are moments in the book that are very frustrating, I will say - on the one hand, Wendy is true to that spirit of adventure and leaving at a moment's notice, and I have no doubt that she worries her friends and family. On the other hand, I found myself very frustrated with her parents and her supposed best friend, Fiona - they aren't nearly as loving as I would have expected them to be, nor as supportive. They seem quick to distrust and their reaction to Wendy's problems made me uncomfortable and very protective on her behalf because they seem to just want to pack her off to be fixed.
The ending is both frustrating, perplexing and fitting all at the same time. I am still not entirely sure whether I liked it, though it does leave all paths open, which I appreciated. It reminded me a bit of some episodes of TV shows that I have watched, where the question of reality is brought up and makes the viewer wonder just what went on...
I think that some people will probably downright dislike the ending, but I think I'm all right with the ambiguity... After all, isn't Neverland all about imagination, the possibility of things? What's real and what isn't real...or is the story really about what you learn along the way?
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Imagine a modern day retelling of Peter Pan, except with the magic of the sea and beach thrown in along with some adolescent hormones and a hint of tragedy. Stir it all together and you get this book.
I think Alyssa Sheinmel does a fairly good job of capturing some of the magic of Wendy's story. Flying off to Neverland is replaced with escaping to the beach and endless summer days, sun and sand and surf mixing together to form a magical haven that becomes Wendy's escape throughout the story.
This is most definitely no children's fairy-tale, and the focus isn't so much on romance, either, if that is what some people are looking for or expecting. Instead this is Wendy's journey, and the lines become a little blurry at times - reality versus fantasy, truth versus lies. What does it all mean, anyway? How do we know what's true and what isn't?
There is a definite sweet lyricism to the book, that fairytale blur that makes it easy to read - you can almost imagine yourself paddling out into the ocean to catch a wave, riding a wave so high you feel like you're flying to a magical place where nothing ever goes wrong. There are dark places, though - the moment the wave pulls you under, the harshness of grief, and Wendy struggles to adjust to the idea that maybe she didn't know her brothers as well as she thought she did.
There are moments in the book that are very frustrating, I will say - on the one hand, Wendy is true to that spirit of adventure and leaving at a moment's notice, and I have no doubt that she worries her friends and family. On the other hand, I found myself very frustrated with her parents and her supposed best friend, Fiona - they aren't nearly as loving as I would have expected them to be, nor as supportive. They seem quick to distrust and their reaction to Wendy's problems made me uncomfortable and very protective on her behalf because they seem to just want to pack her off to be fixed.
The ending is both frustrating, perplexing and fitting all at the same time. I am still not entirely sure whether I liked it, though it does leave all paths open, which I appreciated. It reminded me a bit of some episodes of TV shows that I have watched, where the question of reality is brought up and makes the viewer wonder just what went on...
I think that some people will probably downright dislike the ending, but I think I'm all right with the ambiguity... After all, isn't Neverland all about imagination, the possibility of things? What's real and what isn't real...or is the story really about what you learn along the way?
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.