Second Star

by Alyssa B Sheinmel

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.

• ISBN10: 0374382670
• ISBN13: 9780374382674
• Publish Date: 13 May 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 May 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips

In the beginning, I kind of liked Second Star. I felt really bad for Wendy and her family. I was really on her side—I supported her desperate attempts to find her brothers and her unwillingness to give up. And, at the beginning, I kind of liked Pete too. He seemed nice and friendly. But then things went kind of downhill...

First: Pete and Wendy start making out REALLY soon. Like they basically just met. And then she manages to fall asleep while kissing him (what a blow to the poor guy's ego).

And it feels as though we might go on kissing forever. In fact, I don't remember the end of our kiss at all; the next thing I know, I'm waking up to the sound of Pete's voice saying gently, "The tide's probably on its way out by now."

But then we find out that Pete had a GIRLFRIEND at the time. He did break up with her later that night, but it doesn't change the fact he had a girlfriend when he was making out with another girl.

Then, Wendy helps them ROB A HOUSE. But robbing it wasn't enough, they also had to dirty the place.

I glance back at the bed before we leave the room behind; it's a mess. The beautiful comforter is covered in sand; the pillows are tossed haphazardly on the floor. Ever since I was a little girl, I made my bed every single morning. My parents had to beg and bribe my brothers to make their beds before school, but they never had to remind me to make mine. It feels strange to leave such a mess behind.

So jumping on someone's bed with your gross, sandy feet doesn't feel wrong or illegal? It just feels "strange" because you usually always make your bed at home? Does this girl not care about these poor, innocent people she just robbed?

Then the rest of the book deteriorates into a mess of Wendy "loving" TWO guys she's only known a week (or less) each, Wendy sleeping in a house with complete strangers, Wendy taking mysterious pills she's offered, Wendy running into dangerous situations head on without thinking for two seconds, and an ending that massively really disappointed me. It had a feeling of "all that... for nothing?" At least that's how it felt to me. I felt like nothing was accomplished.. we were just running in circles for the whole book then went right back to where her parents were all along. I think mostly I just really wanted Wendy to find her freaking brothers. Honestly, I didn't hate the book until the ending. Sure there were PARTS of the book I hated (the drugs, the stupid decisions, etc.) but there were peaks and valleys. The book would be "okay", then there'd be a shitty moment. Then it would go back to "okay", then another shitty moment. So I didn't hate the book. But then I got to the ending, and that's when I hated it. It just left me with negative, annoyed feelings about the whole book.

[Kim Deister]

Having recently read the classic Peter Pan, I was intrigued by the idea of a retelling of that story. I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings and this is the first one I have come across that is based on that story.

Second Star is tells a very different story than that of the original Peter Pan, especially the Disney adaptation with which most of us are familiar. There are themes that are much darker and more intense, very much a modern-day retelling. Although it is set in California, much of it takes place on a hidden beach that gives the feeling of the fairy tale land far, far away. It is definitely not the Neverland we remember, but it is still a place that is created to be somehow separate from the rest of the world.

Wendy is a great character, one I feel that many of us can relate to. She is living in the sort of limbo that happens when you have lost someone close to you. She is suffering and lost, but she puts that all aside to put on brave face for those around her. She is unable to accept the loss and she is determined to learn the truth. To that end, she goes on a journey that takes her to places she could not have imagined.

Pete and Jas, our Wendy's potential love interests, are not the typical love-triangle boyfriends, the good guy versus the bad guy. Each of them has elements of both. Pete (our obvious Peter Pan) cares for the people in his "family" and is fiercely loyal to them, but he also has his secrets that seem to keep him a bit aloof. Jas (our Hook) is more open about his bad boy ways, but he seems to have a more realistic and true idea of love and relationships.

There a lot of dark themes in this book. Death, loss, disappointment, betrayal, distrust, drugs. Most of these things are not the kinds of things we would normally expect in Neverland, but they are an integral part of the story. The drug arc is a big part of the story, the "fairy dust" reworked. This arc played into several of the story lines and there was no small amount of tragedy attached to it. Some may not like the emphasis on this aspect, but I thought it played in well to not only the surf culture, but to some of the other things (no spoilers) that occurred towards the end.

While there was romance, the true story was found in Wendy's journey. There was a lot of mystery and not a lot of obvious clues. However, once the story was resolved, I was able to look back and see some foreshadowing.

Some Quotastic Goodness

--The air around him is bright, like the stars are following him, his very own spotlight (Loc. 62).

--The water rises with a gentle touch, the sea wrapping its cool arms around me (Loc. 62).

--It's as if the ocean has swallowed my memories whole (Loc. 2866).

My Recommendation: I enjoyed this book very much. You will not find the Wendy Darling, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, or John and Michael of your childhood. The story is much darker, more intense.

Note: I received this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review. This is an honest review based on my own opinions.

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Second Star was such a nice surprise! It definitely sounded like something I would enjoy, but not this much! It was actually an almost 5★ read, but a few things held me back. Wendy has just graduated from high school, and is enjoying a day at the beach with her classmates. Then she meets Pete which changes the course of her summer. Instead of preparing for college and hanging out with her BFF, she goes off searching for her brothers who went missing earlier that year. She visits every beach along the coast, until she finds Pete again, and senses he may know something about her brothers' disappearance.

What initially drew me to Second Star was that it's a retelling of Peter Pan. I was really curious how this would work with the missing brother plot. While I loved how it formed the base of the story, I do think the author took things too literally. My only complaints are directly related to the connections to the original. First, was the names. I was very distracted by the fact that everyone had their original name. Our narrator is Wendy Darling, her brothers are John and Michael, and her dog is Nana. Then there's Pete, his bitchy girlfriend Belle, and the drug dealer, Jas. I had to assume that Peter Pan didn't exist in this world, since no one comments on the names. Second, was surfing being referred to as flying. I get it, but it was still a bit much to me. Finally, the drug Jas sells is pixie dust. I just wish the author had been as imaginative with her naming as she was with the rest of the story.

Second Star is a perfect example of why I feel compelled to finish every book that I read. While I did enjoy the beginning and middle, it's the ending that really blew me away. I did not see that coming at all! I loved that twist! It's my favorite kind and was totally 5★ worthy! So while I don't think Second Star was amazing as a retelling (it was too straightforward), it was amazing as its own story! Highly recommended!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[jnikkir]

I'm so confused. Possibly deeply disappointed. Definitely meh about most of it. *sadface* I wanted to love this so bad!! Full review to come closer to release date.