Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean

Inside Jacket Blurb:

Neverland is calling again. . .Something is wrong in Neverland. Dreams are leaking out—strangely real dreams, of pirates and mermaids, of warpaint and crocodiles. For Wendy and the Lost Boys it is a clear signal—Peter Pan needs their help, and so it is time to do the unthinkable and fly to Neverland again.

But back in Neverland, everything has changed—and the dangers they find there are far beyond their dreams. . .


Wouldn't you like to stay a child forever? Wasn't life much simpler then? Something changed in your world when, one day, somebody asked you "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and you were actually able to give them an answer. Being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. In Peter Pan in Scarlet the children from the original story have grown up, but they get one more chance to become children and return to the fantasy world of Neverland.

This is a very good book. I absolutely loved the first few chapters and I enjoyed reading it out loud to the class so much. This is the kind of book you just have to own. It is a work of art.

Confession time. I never really liked Peter Pan much. Even as a child, I never found the story to be very interesting. However, one day S.A., our delightful English HOD, came into the office with this book. I was immediately hypnotized by the cover and begged to be the first one to read it.

This has to be one of the best book covers ever! I love the shimmering map that is kind of in the background. I liked to just hold it in my hand and walk around with it. Even the paper is that beautiful, thick white paper that feels so good to the touch. Wherever I went, people kept coming up to me and asking to take a look at it. I love when that happens.

Anyway, the story is very good. You will enjoy it. It is a teen novel rather than a children's story and I think most people would get something out of it. It is so nicely written and really captures your imagination. The first three chapters are incredible and rank up there with some of my favourites. Geraldine has such a great start in this one. The climax hit pretty early so I was a little slow in finishing it, especially when I got Twilight and I wanted to see why everyone was reading it.

However, I still think it is very interesting and I would highly recommend it. The story really wrestles with the idea of becoming an adult and what that all means. I liked that about the book.

There is something strange about that time in our lives when we go from being a child to a teenager and then from being a teenager to an adult. For me, it was a tough time. I wasn't in a big hurry to grow up - which might explain why I still behave a bit like a teenager. :-)

5/5 Stars