Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Peter and the Starcatchers #2

by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Greg Call (Illustrator)

In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to Peter and the Starcatchers, we discover Peter leaving the relative safety of Mollusk Islandâ along with his trusted companion Tinker Bellâ for the cold, damp streets of London. On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the darkand deadly, slithering part-man/part-creature Lord Ombra. It seems that the dreaded Ombra has a variety of mysterious powers including the ability to make shadows disappear. When Peter reaches London, he sets out to find the indomitable Molly. Together they must combat Ombraâ s terrible forces to both protect the Starcatchers and the treasured starstuff and most importantly to rescue Mollyâ s mother from the clutches of evil. Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have done it againâ written a compulsively readable, impossible-to-put-down tale that will delight readers of all ages.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Magic

556 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2006

About the author

Dave Barry is a humor writer. For 25 years he was a syndicated columnist whose work appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad. In 1988 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Many people are still trying to figure out how this happened.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.

Reviews

[Molly Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like the one before it, was absolutely delightful! I read it in an effort to take a small angst vacation. Peter Pan is my all time favorite children's story/ fairy tale, so these books are right up my alley. In this one, we are starting to see Peter struggle with the fact that the other Lost Boys are growing up, as is Molly, but Peter never will. I'm interested to see how Barry and Pearson will develop this part of the storyline, because in J. M Barrie's book, the Lost Boys are children forever. Just like Peter.

I have to say that George Darling irritated the snot out of me at times. He's very pretentious and doesn't like Peter at all. Peter pretty much hates George, too. Molly tries to keep George at arms length with the situation as much as she can, but he forces himself into the situation despite her efforts. Also, it becomes clear that Molly and Peter need George's aid and resources, no matter how much Peter tries to deny it! Molly tries not to show favoritism when it comes to the boys, but does have a wonderful moment when she puts George in his place after he crosses a line with his assessment of Peter.

I'm interested to see how the situation with Peter and the Lost Boys will develop. Will Thomas, Tubby Ted, James and Prentiss be renamed as Tootles, Slightly and the other Lost Boys we know and love? Where are the Twins? How and when will the Lost Boys stop aging, like Peter? And when will we first hear "Second star to the right and straight on til morning"?

[S.V. Veen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series! I'm a huge Peter Pan fan and this take on the classic story is awesome.
Part 2 really managed to expand the world of Pan and works as a perfect prequel to beloved story by J.M Barrie. Really looking forward to the next chapter!

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I love this even more than the first book. Lord Ombra is one of the most terrifying villains I’ve ever read—a creature who can steal shadows and control people. Eerie, exciting, and creative, and still the best Peter Pan retelling (even better than the original story).

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this offering better than the first book in this series, Peter and the Starcatchers! The pirate, "Black Stache" returns with his new moniker, Captain Hook. Slank returns to Mollusk Island searching for "starstuff" with the villainous Lord Ombra and the adventure continues when Peter learns Molly and her family are in danger.

Failing to locate the coveted "starstuff" on the island, Lord Ombra sets sail for England with two stowaways; Peter and Tinker Bell, who hide themselves on his ship. Once in England, Peter has no end of trials and tribulations in his attempts to locate and warn the Aster family. There are many page-turning kidnappings and rescues, as well as troublesome mishaps which make it difficult to set this book aside. As a fan of the original, I deeply appreciated guest appearances by James Barrie and George Darling.

I could quibble about a few things; Louise Aster could have dismissed Jenny from employment; I think the natives would have missed the Lost Boys after a few days and searched for them; but, all in all, I found this to be an enjoyable and suspenseful read. Four stars for this imaginative story!!

[Ry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an awesome book!!!!!!! Kinda scary at some parts, so I recommend previewing before giving it to younger readers, but it would be a great read-aloud (my mom read the first book in the series aloud)!

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this series is excellent

[Jeremy Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is no one selling this audiobook? Someone take my money! Do the authors and Jim Dale have Venmo?
Listening to an audiobook on YouTube is miserable. No chapters, no sleep timer, no adjustable speed. I sacrificed, but it was worth it.

It's a good sequel, you can tell they worried a lot less about fitting the prequel to the story. Much more Better Call Saul, much less Rogue One. Lord Ombra is awesome, and the story is still fun, although less witty. It was a little long.

Reading Starcatchers I rolled my eyes learning that Starstuff brought about both Michelangelo and Atilla the Hun. But Starstuff connected to Stonehenge and the Pyramids? Hell yes.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m loving this series! This installment introduced George Darling as a young teen, and it also had the best little cameo!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***Borrowed the audiobook CD’s from the library

The cover is definitely reminds you of Peter Pan with the flying out the window scene :)

I really like this series and so does my son. I know the library has the first 4 books in audio, so we will be borrowing them all to listen in the car.

This is such a fun series with tons of adventure. My son and I love listening to it in the car before and after school. If I could nail my son down longer than this, we would listen to more of it each day but sadly I just don’t have the time. This is a long book with 9 CDs to listen to. I loved the whole thing. Peter is very courageous, but he tends to cause much trouble like any normal boy. Tink is a spit fire, and it is always humorous to listen to Peter’s translations of what she says to everyone. Of course, boys are in the story though they do not play as big of a part in this story as well as the Mullosk people. Molly is a major part of the story again, and she is just as brave as the last story though she definitely has some girl fits of temper in this story.

I love how well the story is told by the authors. Their descriptions make the story easy to relate to, and I got pulled right into it.

I highly recommend this series to adventuresome kids who would love a good story related to Peter Pan, but it is so unique and wonderful to listen or read. I have already recommended it to several students in the high school when the topic of Peter Pan came up during spirit week for fairy tale day. Well time to find something new :)

[Katrina G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this whole giant thing in one sitting. I'm so in love with this version of Peter Pan that I didn't even realize I had spent over 5 hours reading this. There was so much adventure in this book, and a lot of new characters that helped make the story better, and it was such a good read. I love Peter so much, and it was really fun reading the scenes between him and Tinker Bell. I'm excited to read what happens in the next book, as there wasn't a cliffhanger at the end, so I'm no sure what to expect.

[Kevin Wolcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series!

[Macjest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series was better than the first. This time Peter and Molly must help with the Return of the Starstuff. There was a cute Easter Egg featuring James Barrie. I had to put the book down for a while because it was just too long. Once I came back to it things finally picked up again.

[Jayelee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doodleadoo good book

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite A Few Fun Moments, this is the Weak Link in the Trilogy

I just finished re-reading this book to my wife and daughter, and it lived up to my expectations and recollections from previous read throughs: it's not nearly as good as either Book One (Starcatchers) or =Book Three (Secret of Rundoon), but it serves as a necessary bridge between the two and has some gripping moments! Highlights below:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Set months after the events of Peter and the Starcatchers, this story details the Others' response to Peter and Molly's heroic efforts to keep the starstuff out of their clutches. Enraged at their loss, the Others dispatch a shadow being named Lord Ombra and a team of minor villains to retrieve the starstuff by any means necessary. After stopping off at "Neverland", the Others learn that Molly and her father took the starstuff to England to conduct "the return", the mysterious process by which Starcatchers send starstuff back to the sky. Peter stows away on their ship as they set sail for London, and joins forces with Molly to once again thwart the Others on an adventure that takes them from the Tower of London to Stonehenge.

*TOO SCARY FOR FOR BEDTIME READING: Whereas most of the villains in Book One are kind of bumbling cartoon characters, Lord Ombra and his crew are genuinely scary! There are lots of creepy scenes in which Ombra assumes control over his victims' actions by stealing their shadows, and a couple of moments in which he hurts those who stand in his way. Keep that in mind as you prepare to read this to kids, especially right before bed!

*TOO LONG: This is the longest of the three books, and also the least action-packed. That makes for a kind of long, slow trudge through the first two-thirds of the book before things heat up for the climax. It seems like the authors wanted to spend time paying homage to their favorite British sites, and the plot suffered for it a bit.

*GRIPPING CLIMAX: That said, the climax of this book is pretty awesome! Wolves, bears, and the magical forces surrounding "the return" combine to make for a great sprint to the finish of the book. I was planning on a 2-star review until I got to the last 100 pages, which "bumped it up a star." :)

*NOT AS TIED TO J.M. BARRIE'S WORK (BUT ONE GREAT CAMEO!): Much of the magic in Book One derives from seeing more and more elements of Neverland falling into place. Since much of this book takes place in England, though, that magic kind of gets lost here. Aside from introducing a villain that removes its victims' shadows and introducing a young George Darling, the book's ties to J.M. Barrie's original are pretty thin. J.M. Barrie himself does make one touching cameo, though!

All told, I might just Cliffnotes this book next time I work my way through the trilogy. It's okay, but not any better than that. I look forward to reading The Secret of Rundoon; if memory serves, it will be worth the wait!

[Brandon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't fun like the first one, at least not on that same level. I didn't fall off the couch laughing or get funny looks as I chuckled to myself in the breakroom. But this book was better than the original in some ways. Better story, more tension, some unexpected emotions, fewer (seemingly) annoying villain POV scenes (at least in the second half of the book.) (Although I don't know that that counts because the villain POV scenes in both books are well written and rather entertaining.)

OTHER HAPPY THOUGHTS:
The authors did a great job with Tink. She's not as annoying and stuck up as she is in the original, but she's still very true to character.
They met a Darling. Made me happy. But Peter bumped into a random guy named James Barrie. Made me more happy. And Mr. Barrie directed Peter "second to the right and straight on 'til..." which was the absolute best part of the book. So much happy.
For a seemingly cheap fantasy cash grab of a prequel, this story does an amazing job of establishing setting. I don't know that I've ever felt like I was in London like I did while Peter was trekking through it.

OTHER SAD THOUGHTS:
Okay, so does everyone have to be jealous of everyone? I get it that Tink is jealous of every girl ever (it couldn't be any other way) but teacher is also jealous of someone at one point and so is Molly, and George, and even Peter. Could we all just not fall in love while we're still kids? (On the other hand, A+ for writing a really convincing awkward fourteen-year-old in George. Nailed it. Nerd.)
I'd have liked to have seen some different personalities from the various villains. Hook is Slank is Nerezza. I thought Ombra would be different, but he wasn't really. I wanted him to be creepy and ominous and near silent but he ended up barking orders at everyone just like the rest of them. Some varied villains could have taken this book to the next level.

As it was though, I really enjoyed this read. Sped through it in a day. No regrets. Can't wait to get to the rest of the series.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But overall, I found it tiresome.

As I said in the review for the first book, I felt like they could have cut at least 25% without any damage to the overall story. How many times do we need to read about Peter (and usually Tink and sometimes Molly) barely escaping yet another danger? Another reviewer mentioned the Harry Potter franchise when commenting on the length; I found other parallels: the name of Peter's school (St Norbert's School for Wayward Boys) and the one Harry allegedly attends (St Brutus's Center for incurably Criminal Teens) - but maybe they're both based on real school names? And Ombra has so many similarities to the dementors. The jumping back and forth between plotlines got monotonous. But what exasperated me the most was how Ombra is always GROANing - would it have hurt Barry or Pearson to pick up a thesaurus??

It's not a bad book, it's just a little too full of itself. Maybe I should have listened to it, like Susan recommended. Maybe Jim Dale's voice for Ombra would make all those *groans* bearable.

[Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the Peter and the Star Catchers, but this book was even better. The plot was tighter (and quite unpredictable), the characters more developed, and the story just raced along. The bad guys were scarier to me than the previous ones, and the situation was both more fantastic and more desperate than the last book. I loved that George Darling was introduced into the story. I literally could hardly put this book down - I was so anxious to see what was going to happen next.

This book is, however, fairly dark and scary (of course, I'm also a total wimp). I wouldn't read it as a nine-year-old, that's for sure. But get a bit older than that, and I think just about anyone would really enjoy this story.

Read my complete review at http://everydayreading.blogspot.com/2...

[Melaniemouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, for the most part. My biggest complaint is that it was excessively long. There was an awful lot of filler. Lots of unnecessary, superfluous details and even side stories that just filled pages. We don't really need to know exactly what is happening every single minute to every single character... I will continue with the series, because I heart Neverland. I just have to take breaks in between installments.

[Mina Batra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the previous book, Peter and The Shadow-thieves was just a another made up backstory of Peter Pan. However... this book strayed away from the original Peter Pan story we all know and love, therefore it was more interesting to read!

[Grace Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother Jude ( I’m reading this book to him and Truman now) was looking through the books I’ve read on here, and noticed I only gave this one four stars, and was shocked. He looked absolutely betrayed. He said I MUST make it five stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
So, this is an updated rating from Jude ❤️

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is absolutely charming. It's just the right amount of faithful to the original story and just the right amount original. It also doesn't belittle its readers for being young which I absolutely love. Nothing drives me crazy more than a book assuming the reader is unintelligent. This book is also setting up important building blocks to get to the story we all know and love, introducing George Darling, insinuating that perhaps Molly will be Wendy Darling's mother and that there's a future generation to come.

I'm interested to see how things will develop with the Lost Boys on the island, seeing as they should be aging. Peter seems to be having more ease with realizing, "Oh, man. Everyone else is aging but me." It's a sobering thing for any immortal to come to terms with, let alone someone who's still a child in mind and body.

I thought the book's concept for Lord Ombra, the villain, was pretty awesome to be honest. There may be nothing to fear but fear itself, but I feel like a living shadow should get an honorable mention. You knew from the title of the book what his skill set was going to be. I loved that he was more ghost than human, though I have a thousand questions as to how someone gets that way. Corrupted starstuff perhaps? I'm interested to see if we ever see more like him, though that might get to be a bit repetitive if we do. Still, Lord Ombra was a great villain.

Also, props to the book for coming full circle at the end. That was a great return to normality chapter.

Ultimately, I don't think you can get away with not reading the previous book before reading this one since they make a lot of references to it. However, it's totally worth reading, so I recommend it.

[Kevin Hikel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some years back, someone gave my family a box full of books that they thought our kids might be interested in. In that box was the first book in this series Peter and the Starcatchers. It sat on a shelf for awhile before I decided to give it a read and I was not disappointed. Now I've finished the second book and it has only gotten better.
The first book left Peter on Mollusk Island (aka, Never Land) and this book picks up there with Peter and the lost boys living alongside the Natives and Hook and his stranded Pirates. We quickly find out, however, that a new evil, Lord Ombra, a shadow thief, is after the star stuff that gave Peter his ability to fly and never age. Lord Ombra proves to be a formidable foe as the action quickly moves to London where we are reintroduced to Molly Aster and her parents who are Starcatchers as they seek to return the powerful starstuff.
Even at over 550 pages, the book moved quickly with short, action-filled chapters that kept the story moving quickly from one group/storyline to another. This all led up to a dramatic climax and a satisfying ending.
Though this is an older series, that does not seem to be published anymore, I am glad I found it and am look forward to reading the rest of the books.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the first book in the series, but still an enjoyable ride!

Instead taking place on the high seas and on an island, this time our story is mostly set in the foggy, cold streets of London. A creepy dark hooded figure is stealing people’s shadows and gaining control of them— and he wants Molly Aster and her mother next. So Peter sets out to rescue Molly.

The tedious wait for the rescue was what made this book less enjoyable for me. Peter ran into trouble again and again in London, distracting him from his main goal. And the things and people he ran into didn’t add to the story at all. It was more like filler stuff and things to happen just for the sake of them happening. I thought maybe he would do something like save the children who were serving that awful man and take them back to Neverland with him or that Tink would rescue the monkey that dangled from the animal collector’s chain... but they just escaped from their captors and nothing good came from it. It was as if those parts existed in the story just to make something exciting happen.

Anyway...

I did enjoy the book— especially narrated by Jim Dale— and it’s a fun story to listen to on the road. I do think the first book is much stronger though.

[jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with the constant description of London as dirty and cold because nobody hates British people more than I do.

As I remembered, the second book is absolutely iconic. The first is a great setup and sets the tone for the series, but this one really allows everything established to be used to tell another story.

Very impressed with how creepy they managed to make the villain while still being middle-grade appropriate. It is a fine line between making something too intense and there not being enough sense of danger/urgency, and I think they do it well. I would LOVE to read an alternate version of this written for adults, as I think the deeper emotional complexities and antagonists would shine.

On to the next one!

[Redfox5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only very recently read the official sequel to the J.M Barrie, which wasn't that great and features a very unlikable Peter Pan, so I wasn't that excited about this when it come up on my tbr list.

However I should have remember how awesome the first book was! I like this series so much better than the original Peter Pan books. Peter is actually likeable in this book and the supporting characters are ones you can get behind. The baddies are proper baddies, especially Lord Ombra who was pretty creepy.

I enjoyed the change of scenery from Never Land to London. And I have a sneaky feeling Molly & George might end up being Wendy's parents.

The book is also filled with lovely illustrations. This series will keep you 'Hooked' (see what I did there? ;) )

[Camille Hoffmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun addition to the first one :). I like that they threw the original author (J.M. Barrie) in there, like a cameo :). I think I enjoyed this one a little more than the first one. Maybe it's because I knew the characters a little better, or maybe it's because Peter is a bit more mischievous and playful as we know him to be, or because we get to know Tinker Bell better and see her relationship with Peter. Regardless- it's another quick read about a fun twist on a classic story . I do wish there had been more with Captain Hook (Although the last page totally had me giggling haha :D ).

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reading this series out loud to my daughters at bedtimes. My eldest already read the first three but both are enjoying this run, as an I. This is a wonderful retelling of the Peter Pan story, providing additional depth and background to an already fun framework. It’s a fun read for this adult but very enjoyable for my 9 and 11 year olds.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do adore a good backstory, and Dave Barry and his co-authors provide just that for the Peter Pan saga. Favorite moment in this installment: when J.M. Barrie meets Peter in a dark London alley. He walks away musing, "Peter. That's a good name . . ."

[Jonathan Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel that checked all the boxes for me. This was a much darker, and spooky storyline. I especially loved my quiet discovery of how things in this series (prequel?) set you up for the story of Peter Pan we all know. I put in a good many hours reading this in 2-3 days, and couldn’t step away. Onward to book 3!

[Rosa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! This was a bit more fast paced than the first book in the series. I love Tinker Bell's role in this story!