Date published: May 13th, 2014
Synopsis: A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.
What I Thought:
It turns out this book is a loose re-telling of Peter Pan. I haven't read the original book by J.M. Barrie or seen the Disney version in a very long time, which as it turns out it is a good thing. I had seen so many mixed reviews before I started reading, I was worried my views would be unbiased. Honestly, once I started reading, everything faded away and I was completely engrossed in the story.
Saying I enjoyed this book is an understatement. There were moments where my heart was as broken as Wendy's and others where I was flying high, just like she was. It's really hard for me to put a finger on exactly why I enjoyed the book so much. I liked the unknowing of it all and how determined Wendy was to get some answers.
Going back to the Peter Pan reference, as I read I recognized names of characters from the movie and some of the story came back to me. I love how Alyssa Sheinmel took a risk and re-told this classic story in a contemporary setting with teenagers and modern issues. It made for a very interesting and amazing story. There were times when I was wondering, just like Wendy, is this real? Is she imagining things? What happened to her brothers? I just got caught up in Wendy's journey and I wanted her to find the answers to all her questions.
I was really torn between Jas and Pete. Just when I thought I had them figured all out, something happened and I was left with new information to process. Although I loved the way the book ended, I would love for Alyssa to write another book featuring Wendy. I'd love to know what happens to her, Jas, and Pete, and everyone else I met in Second Star.
If you're a literary purist, then you may not like this book. However if you love a well written story that will hook you, keep you entertained, and guessing about what'll happen next, I think Second Star is a great book to pick up.
Purchase links:
About the Author
I was born in Stanford, California, and even though I moved across the country to New York when I was six years old, I still think of myself as a California girl.
Like so many writers, I grew up loving books. I loved stories so much that when there was nothing to read, I wrote my own stories just to give myself something to read. And when there was no pen and paper to be had, I made up stories and acted them out by myself. I played all the parts, and I was never bored.
Like so many writers, I grew up loving books. I loved stories so much that when there was nothing to read, I wrote my own stories just to give myself something to read. And when there was no pen and paper to be had, I made up stories and acted them out by myself. I played all the parts, and I was never bored.
*A copy was given by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all opinions are my own.*
No comments:
Post a Comment