Saturday Short: Peter and the Starcatchers

Goodreads Summary: Don't even think of starting this book unless you're sitting in a comfortable chair and have lots of time. A fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold-and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger. Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerse the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan.

I started this almost as soon as I had finished reading Barrie's Peter Pan, the original novel written for children, and I have to admit I enjoyed it quite a bit more. Though Peter and the Starcatchers does not keep exactly to the original plotline [What retelling does?] it brings in enough that the story is recognizable as Peter's and fun to read. The chapters are short, fairly common from what I've read in middle grade, and because they are so short you end up flying through them. 

I found Peter himself to be a far more enjoyable character in the book than his original where he often comes across as arrogant, in this story you see more of the young boy trying to find his way and I enjoyed that. And his friends are fun. You get to see how a lot of the characters of Neverland become the people who we are familiar with and I can't wait to see how they continue to develop in the other books. [:

All in all I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Peter Pan or anyone looking for a fun middle grade read. Four out of five stars!