Second Star to the Right

“Hourglasses are a delicate, precise way to keep time enslaved.” It was a line that made me gasp in awe, and I just had to read it aloud to my friends, who all gushed over the immaculate writing. From that very first line, Natalya M. Newman grasped my attention with her stunningly crafted sentences, emotionally developing characters, and thrilling plot.

Second Star to the Right is a Peter Pan reimagining. The story of Peter Pan was a vivid part of my childhood, weaving itself into costumes, birthday cakes, and nightlights. So, I went into this book with hopeful expectations for a fun, light, and sentimental read. Second Star certainly isn’t as cheery as the original so I did have to adjust my expectations, but once I had, I enjoyed it immensely. Being able to step back into Neverland as a wisened teenager, it was delightfully nostalgic to rekindle my relationship with my old friends. The masterful depictions and great detail of each setting, character, and scene created an extensive world that felt magical.

This novel is heavily centered around Peter Pan, with Neverland being an extension of Peter’s brain — the entire island is in danger as he falls deeper into depression. Desperately holding on to the childhood values that we loved him for, Peter feels increasingly lost as his family grows up, leaving him behind. Newman executes the theme of mental health together with a found family trope to create a more mature retelling of the classic. The story develops many complex characters, including old friends from the original Peter Pan. I especially enjoyed the point of view of Pirate 7, as it gave me a rare insight into the life of one of Hook’s lesser soldiers. The characters and the way that they interact are incredibly intriguing, as you’re never quite sure if they’re doing the right thing or trusting the right person. The once-evident line between Good and Bad may not be as clear as Peter Pan would have you believe.

The chapter titles are masterful hooks, as they are definitions for seemingly random words. For example, one chapter is titled, ‘ludic’, and another is ‘perturbed’. Reading the definition under the word titles always caused me to want to move on to the next chapter, to see how this word would be relevant.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 12-18 who loves fantasy, loved Peter Pan, and wants to sink their teeth into a magical, high-stakes yet homely fantastical world. It’s a perfect book for connecting with characters, and I hope it ‘hooks’ you just as much as it did me.