Second Star to the Right

Second Star to the Right puts a unique twist on the world of Peter Pan and Neverland, creating an enjoyable world that is vibrant and colourful, with sinister and dark undertones.

Peter Pan takes Wendy to Neverland to be his storyteller and entertain the Lost Boys, but due to a prank she ends up with Tigerlily. The two bond as Wendy explores the wonder of Neverland, but Neverland itself becomes darker and more dangerous as Hook and his pirates get bolder and Peter’s mind becomes more unstable. When Hook steals a magical flute, Peter and the Lost Boys decide to get it back, unaware that this time Hook has a deadly plan to get his revenge on Peter.

The novel frequently shifts between multiple perspectives, sometimes mid-paragraph, like between Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys, or Wendy and Tigerlily. This is confusing to start with, but you get used to it as the story progresses. It also adds depth to the book as it gives insight into many other characters' lives and motivations, such as Wendy, Tigerlily, Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and makes the book more interesting than if it had just focused on Peter. The narrative tone also cleverly changes depending on the character. Through the eyes of the younger ones, Neverland is a magical place filled with wonder and any danger is lessened. When it’s the older characters’ perspectives, there are always concerns or threats, and danger feels stark, real and threatening. I thought this was quite clever and reinforced the changeable nature of Neverland.

The characters in the novel were all unique and have a creative twist from Barrie’s original. My favourites were Tigerlily and her fierce winged warriors, a pirate from Hook’s crew with a conscience, and the exploration of Peter’s character and the darker elements of never growing up. I thought the connection between Peter and Neverland’s fate was clever, as well as the contrast between Peter and Hook. There was also a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in the book including Wendy and Tigerlily’s relationship, a non-binary leader, and a polyamorous relationship. Unfortunately due to the amount of new and introduced characters, there often wasn’t much room for character development in major figures, which meant that sometimes people’s actions or decisions didn’t make much sense.

I enjoyed Newman’s fresh take on the classic story, as well as the weaving of more sinister elements of the plot. At times I thought the story was slow, especially at the beginning, though I thought that the quality of the writing made up for that. I would recommend this to people ages 12-15 that enjoy YA fantasy or fairy tale rewrites.