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The Lost Boys are dreaming of Neverland and bits of their old adventures are spilling out into their adult lives. Something has obviously gone wrong in Neverland, so Wendy and the Lost Boys head back to find out what.
It was a very interesting premise, and I quite liked the setup, but Peter Pan in Scarlet was not quite the dashing, rollicking adventure that I was expecting. Much attention is given to the set-up and the novel takes quite a while to build to its climax. I found myself losing interest and struggling to persevere. Although McCaughrean has some lovely moments - the fairies, the last 1/3 of the novel - Peter Pan in Scarlet was a bit of a drag. Possibly it would be much more interesting, and more fun, to read the book to a youngster. There are elements that I really enjoyed: the Witches Maze, Fireflyer, and Slightly. Unfortunately, these are elements aren't enough to sustain the adventure. McCaughrean doesn't quite channel Barrie's thrilling adventure, possibly because of the very linear nature of the narrative and the underlying theme of The Great War. More fully incorporated into the narrative, it might have created a more nuanced story with more depth of emotion. As it is here, the impact of the war and its effect on Neverland is left as a sort of side note, and parenthetical reference sparingly applied. Blink and you might miss it.
It was a very interesting premise, and I quite liked the setup, but Peter Pan in Scarlet was not quite the dashing, rollicking adventure that I was expecting. Much attention is given to the set-up and the novel takes quite a while to build to its climax. I found myself losing interest and struggling to persevere. Although McCaughrean has some lovely moments - the fairies, the last 1/3 of the novel - Peter Pan in Scarlet was a bit of a drag. Possibly it would be much more interesting, and more fun, to read the book to a youngster. There are elements that I really enjoyed: the Witches Maze, Fireflyer, and Slightly. Unfortunately, these are elements aren't enough to sustain the adventure. McCaughrean doesn't quite channel Barrie's thrilling adventure, possibly because of the very linear nature of the narrative and the underlying theme of The Great War. More fully incorporated into the narrative, it might have created a more nuanced story with more depth of emotion. As it is here, the impact of the war and its effect on Neverland is left as a sort of side note, and parenthetical reference sparingly applied. Blink and you might miss it.
