Peter and the Starcatchers

When Peter and his fellow orphans of St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys are put upon a rust bucket ship called the Neverland and sent to be servants of an island king he discovers more than he ever thought he would; a very special girl, a very special trunk and magic beyond his wildest dreams. What you never could have imagined can change your life forever.

I was very surprised by how engaging I found this classic adaptation to be. I have a very vague recollection of reading the original Peter Pan back in elementary school but I'm pretty sure I didn't enjoy it any where near as much as this. Likewise I know I've seen bits and pieces of the Disney movie adaptation, but it was never one of my favorites. Here we are told he back story of show more Peter Pan, my guess is long before Wendy was even a gleam in her mother's eye. Peter has always struck me as a more self-important type and in this book he really isn't like that at all which probably accounts for why I liked the story so much. Also very intriguing is the story of how Neverland became the magical island it is depicted as, complete with mermaids and friendly (?) savages. I was equally happy with Molly and the idea behind the Starcatchers.

I had always thought that the concept of Peter being forever young was supposed to be the ideal but in this book the idea was rather melancholy. However, it also left hope for change in the future, which has already been explored in the movie Hook and I'm sure other varied sequels I probably don't know about. My only complaint is that although Peter, the kids and most everyone in the story are supposed to be English, the dialect and story all seem very American.

All in all I thought this book was a delightful adventure I'd strongly recommend to children grades 5 and up and, of course, adults who still like to think they're kids. show less

Summary: A prequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Peter, a young orphan, is put aboard the ship Never Land with several of his friends, bound for service at the court of a foreign king. Also on board is Molly, a spunky young girl, and a mysterious trunk said to contain "the greatest treasure ever took to sea." Peter soon learns that the trunk is full of starstuff, magical and powerful dust that falls from the sky, and that Molly is a Starcatcher, a member of a group bound to find the starstuff and keep it from the hands of those who would use its power to evil purposes. However, the Starcatchers are not the only ones to want the trunk: the Never Land is being tailed by the nefarious pirate Black 'Stache, intent on claiming the trunk for show more himself. A huge storm causes a shipwreck, though, and pits Peter, the Starcatchers, the crew of the Never Land, the pirates, and the natives of the island in a race to claim the trunk and the transformative power it holds.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. It didn't have the same tone as Barrie's original, but it certainly captured the spirit, and what's more, it managed to fit in all of the elements of the story in an imaginative way without sacrificing an exciting story. The idea of "starstuff" being responsible for the creation of Neverland - and of Peter himself - was a stroke of genius, and is entirely consistent within this book and with the original. I also really enjoyed getting a glimpse of Peter before he became Peter Pan, and Captain Hook before he became Captain Hook, etc. - the main character elements are there, but so are the seeds of their eventual transformation into the classic characters we all know and love. I can't help but compare this to Geraldine McCaughrean's Peter Pan in Scarlet, where the tone matched that of the original Peter Pan much more closely, but where the story was predictable and tedious. Even though the reader knows where the story of Peter and the Starcatchers is going to end up, Barry and Pearson make getting there an exciting ride.

Recommendation: Imaginative fun for plenty of winks for Peter-lovers, and a good action-adventure story for everyone else. show less

Excellent! Such clear, vivid language and well-written humor. This was such an interesting story - I kept snatching minutes throughout the day to read a chapter or two. The shorter chapters make it very readable as well. I love books that "talk to you" and treat you like a part of the story. I really connected with Peter, Molly annoyed me a bit, and Black Stache was absolutely fabulous. This book seamlessly fits as the start of a series of books describing how Peter became Peter Pan. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest in the series, and cannot wait to see the Broadway show!!

I've never been hugely enamored of the Peter Pan legend, but this prequel is fairly charming. Peter and his friends are orphans put on a ship to be sent to be slaves for a foreign monarch. On board is a strange trunk sought after by good guys and bad guys alike, including the rather familiar pirate Black Stache. In short, this is a children's book. It was okay to read as an adult, but I would have enjoyed it far more twenty years ago.(Amusing aside: when I first wrote this I listed the authors as Dave Barry and Ridley Scott. Methinks that would have made for a very different story.)

It's no secret that Peter Pan is one of my favorite children's stories, Disney movies, etc. I've sometimes been told I suffer from Peter Pan syndrome. I don't know all the ins and outs of what that means, but I definitely have plenty of immature tendencies and am willing to revel in the joys of childhood more than your average stuffy adult. Anyway, when I heard about Peter and the Starcatchers, I was stoked.

This book (the start of a series) is a re-imagining of the Peter Pan story. This book is the story of how Peter became the Peter Pan that we know….how he (and others) got to Neverland. Where the magic came from. How he and Captain Hook became rivals. Basically a new beginning of a new and fresh telling of the Peter Pan adventures.

I show more had encouraged my two boys to read the book at the same time as me so we could talk about it. Unfortunately, the book starts out a bit slower than they were in the mood for and they both gave up about 40 pages in. Now that I've finished the book, I have encouraged them to push through…letting them know that they are nearly to the point of exciting adventure that goes on nearly non-stop through the end of the book.

The opening few chapters have a lot of character and plot development that is very interesting and creative and even a bit suspenseful, but not very action packed or exciting right away. Granted, as compared to the original Peter Pan story, the opening here is probably more enticing to young readers. :-)

I really had a lot of fun seeing Peter grow into the Peter Pan I know and love. I also loved the way the pirates were portrayed (particularly the Captain)…they were much more violent and repulsive than sometimes portrayed. This made them feel more realistic (and more frightening and threatening).

I thought that the way Peter was transitioned into being Peter Pan was handled very smoothly and made for a natural and fun presentation. It also answered a few of the somewhat ambiguous questions from the general Peter Pan mythos.

The writing style was a lot of fun…dark and creepy at times, witty and humorous at others. For the sake of younger readers (and their 21st century short attention span), it might have been better to have one exciting action scene closer to the beginning. But as an adult reader and one who grew up with slower paced children's stories, I found it perfectly acceptable and I hope I can get my boys to give it a second chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to diving deeper into the series to find out what happens next.

****
4 out of 5 stars show less

2023: This was not at all the book I remember reading in 2007. I must be remembering the second one. Anyway, my Super Readers LOVED this book. It was their favorite of the summer. I like that Peter could easily be cut out of it and the book could be renamed Molly and the Starcatchers without missing a beat.

Peter and other orphan boys are placed on the ship Neverland and set sail for Rundoon not knowing that they are accompanying Molly Aster, a starcatcher. When the ship is attacked by pirates searching for a trunk filled with starstuff, the adventures begin!

This book was loads of fun, sort of a prequel to Peter Pan showing how Peter became the way he is, why he can fly, how Neverland got its name, and even the birth of Tinker Bell.

Looking forward to the next adventure!