October 1, 2016
Gr 8 Up-This second installment in the series picks up the action without missing a pounding heartbeat. With Wendy and Michael now in the clutches of Hook, the pirate captain becomes the focal point of this volume. Life on board Hook's boat, the Sudden Night, is harsh and cruel. Hook sees in Wendy a solution to his long-running feud with Peter Pan. He now possesses what Peter desperately desires: Wendy. But as Hook and Wendy plot a revenge that satisfies both of them, the heroine begins to see the cracks in Hook's fierce facade. As the two scheme, and Michael sweetly worms his way into the affections of the crew, the pirate captain's backstory emerges. Years ago, a mysterious client tricked his father into sailing through a portal leading to Neverland. Young Hook, aboard the ship, became friends with Peter Pan, until he realized that Peter intended to possess Hook's father for himself. When the friendship ended in tragedy, the pirate swore revenge on Peter. The crux of the novel centers on the one element that keeps the battles between the pirates and Pan from being nothing more than a game of strategy: Pan's shadow. Only when the identity of the shadow is revealed and conquered can Peter be defeated for good. Fully nuanced characters balance the riveting plot. The shocking ending will leave breathless readers anxious for the next book. VERDICT This series just gets better. But readers should start at the beginning to fully enjoy the ride.-Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor School District, Lancaster, PA
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