Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

Starred Review Barry and Pearson, no strangers to the literary spotlight, offer humor and thrills for a young audience in this prequel to Peter Pan. At sea, unwittingly heading toward a perilous fate in a cruel king's court, Peter and a group of fellow orphans become involved in a plot to steal a mysterious star substance that can make people fly. Teenager Molly, also aboard ship, is one of the Starcatchers, those who want to preserve the integrity of the substance and save it from falling into the wrong hands. Alas, there are evil, grabby hands all around, including those of the cruel pirate Black Stache--though by book's end, Stache will have only one. It's not so much the story that's good here, though it's a rousing tale, and to the authors' credit, there are explanations for everything found in the classic story--from Peter's inability to grow up to the name Neverland. The real lure is the richly drawn characters, especially the villains, who exhibit just the right amount of swagger and smirk. The pacing is excellent as well. Although this is a long book, very short chapters make it manageable for younger readers, and the nonstop action will keep the pages turning. This deserves the hype.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

In a story explaining how Peter Pan and the Lost Boys (here all orphans) and Captain Hook ended up in Never Land, Peter and the boys join forces with Molly, a Starcatcher. The book is slow and not nearly as funny as it wants to be; too many plot twists and stereotyped characters mar what could have been a wild pirate adventure.

Kirkus Reviews

A much-loved humorist and a renowned writer of adult thrillers make a strong combined crossover bid with this compulsively readable prequel to Peter Pan . The plot revolves around a trunk full of "starstuff," a celestial substance that induces both feelings of well-being and unpredictable physical changes (the ability to fly or to stop aging) in those who handle it. When a secret society called Starcatchers tries transporting the starstuff to safety, the shipment is hijacked for nefarious purposes by the wonderfully named Slank—after which it changes hands over and over as a quintet of orphans led by alpha male Peter, feared pirate Black Stache (named for his facial hair), mermaids, island folk, and an oversized crocodile dubbed Mister Grin are thrown into the never-a-dull-moment plot. Despite continual danger and violence, wounds and corpses disappear with Disney-like speed, and by the end, all the major characters except Wendy and sibs appear onstage (and Black Stache is ready for a new moniker). This doesn't capture the subtler literary qualities of its progenitor, but readers drawn by authorial star power or swashbuckling will come away satisfied. (Fiction. 11-13, adult)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-This prequel to Peter Pan refers as much to the 1953 animated Disney film as to J. M. Barrie's original play and novel. The early chapters introduce the archetypal antagonists: Peter, leader of a group of orphan boys being sent into slavery aboard the Never Land, and Black Stache, a fearsome pirate who commands a villainous crew. New characters include Molly Aster and her father. Molly, at 14, is an apprentice Starcatcher, a secret society formed to keep evildoers from obtaining "starstuff," magic material that falls to earth and conveys happiness, power, increased intelligence, and the ability to fly. Inevitably, the ships wreck off a tropical island and a trunk of starstuff is temporarily lost. Here, readers meet more familiar characters: the mermaids in their lagoon; the indigenous people who live in the jungle (modern versions of Barrie's redskins); and, of course, the crocodile. The authors plait multiple story lines together in short, fast-moving chapters, with the growing friendship between Molly and Peter at the narrative's emotional center. Capitalizing on familiar material, this adventure is carefully crafted to set the stage for Peter's later exploits. This smoothly written page-turner just might send readers back to the original.-Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook are back in this delightful sequel to the popular Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004/VOYA December 2004). The story begins with Peter and his fellow orphans living comfortably on the remote Mollusk Island, which they have dubbed Never Land. Molly, the intrepid heroine of the first book, is back in London with her parents, who are guardians of a powerful substance known as "starstuff." Peter's only problem is boredom, which he alleviates by taunting Captain Hook and the other marooned pirates. Peter also feels uneasy because the powers he has obtained from the starstuff, including the ability to fly and to never grow old, have forever set him apart from his friends. The peace of island life is shattered when the sinister Lord Ombra and his henchmen come searching for the starstuff. Ombra discovers the starstuff is in London with Molly's family, so Peter and Tink undertake a dangerous journey to warn Molly. Peter makes it to London in time to rescue Molly, but Molly's mother is kidnapped by Ombra. This sequel is even better than its predecessor, with all the excitement and magic but more drama and suspense. Lord Ombra is a frightening and formidable villain, a not-quite-human creature who has the ability to control people by stealing their shadows. There is not quite as much humor here, but the more complex characters and relationships make the story more compelling. It is an exciting, rousing read perfect for fantasy adventure fans.-Amy Luedtke.