Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers, Book 1)

#303
Title: Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers, Book 1)
Authors: Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Publisher: Disney Editions
Year: 2004
463 pages

This Peter Pan prequel/back story should be enjoyable, but I found it a slow, unengaging read. I was abstractly interested in the plot and the illustrations are lovely. It's much better written than, say Inkspell or the Charlie Bone books. It may be how interchangeable and indistinct most of the characters were, especially given that so many were demographically similar--problematic captains with dumb but loyal sidekicks who are both called "idjit," and several boys who can be told apart only because the fat one whines. There were some statements of feelings, but I never felt emotional immediacy or identification with the characters. The plot seemed overly complex for the readers' target age. All that said, however, it was an interesting enough start that I'll probably read the next one.