Second Star by Alyssa B Sheinmel

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.

Reviewed by Angie on

4 of 5 stars

Share
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.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 18 March, 2014: Finished reading
  • 18 March, 2014: Reviewed