Peter and the Starcatchers

I admit I had all kinds of doubts about reading this book. The story is co-written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and I really didn't know how they could successfully collaborate. Peter and the Starcatchers is an adaptation of Peter Pan by J. M. Barie. I haven't read the latter, so I can't compare the two. But I did like the Barry-Pearson story.

Barry-Pearson tell the story of Peter Pan's origins and how he came to live in Neverland. In this story there are two groups - Starcatchers versus The Others who both seek the power of star stuff* that falls to earth. Peter and his friends are orphans being sent to a distant island to be used as a slaves. They get caught up in the battle between the Starcatchers and The Others. Wendy and Peter join forces to protect the star stuff from pirates and The Others. Eventually, Peter and Wendy end up in Neverland in the midst of a battle between all the groups interested in gaining control of the star stuff.

The authors successfully capture pirate dialogue and reader expectations. The star stuff did seem a bit silly but it is just as plausible as an explanation for a Peter Pan who can fly as anything. The story was a fresh retelling of the classic and a very fun read.

Book rating: 4 stars

*I have to wonder if the authors were inspired by Babylon 5 when writing this story. This quote immediately popped into my head when I was reading the book.

"Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff, we are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective."

Ambassador Delenn, A Distant Star