A mysterious old letter hidden in a secret compartment of an antique desk leads Sarah and Aidan to a startling discovery: The story of Peter Pan is not fiction after all! They end up on the adventure of their lives as they flee from the police, the FBI and a very persistent private detective – all to keep the starstuff from the evil Lord Ombra and protect Never Land from the outside world.
Harmless stuff? Or will the villain who possesses ravens to pursue our two heroes – and even possesses people at times – be too scary for your child?
Let’s take a look at what’s really inside “The Bridge to Never Land.” (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
The Good Stuff
Sarah and Aidan are the typical sister and brother. They have their disagreements, but their love for each other is obvious. They stick together through thick and thin and try to protect each other when things get dangerous.
Characters also put their own lives on the line for others. For example, Sarah gets mortally wounded trying to save Peter Pan’s life. And Peter risks his life to come to Sarah’s world to save Aidan – knowing he may never be able to return to Never Land.
Violence
“The Bridge to Never Land” is a real page-turner. Sarah and Aidan go from one perilous situation to another as they follow clues to the hidden starstuff – and then run for their lives from the police and Lord Ombra.
For example…
– Sarah and Aidan are attacked by a pack of hungry wolves in a cave and barely escape injury – or worse.
– A young professor who helps them – JD – gets punched by a policeman.
– Sarah almost drowns – but is saved by a mermaid.
– Hook captures a flying Peter Pan in a net and later tries to kill him.
– Sarah is speared in the chest with Hook’s hook – and almost dies from her injuries.
Magic, Sorcery and Spirituality
Needless to say… any story about Peter Pan has magic. The boy can fly, for pete’s sake! And when Sarah and Aidan discover the box of stardust, they are also able to fly. They even use the stardust to make a police van lift off the ground and float away. When Sarah is injured, the starstuff heals her – and saves her life.
But then there’s Lord Ombra. Sarah and Aidan’s first introduction to him is in a flock of ravens that attack their hotel room window. But who is this guy?
Near as I can tell, Lord Ombra is part man, part shadow. He can steal people’s shadows. And he can possess a person to read their thoughts and/or manipulate them. He possesses several characters in the book to achieve his goals – including Aidan.
What does he want? The starstuff, at all costs. It will allow him to destroy all of creation and cause the world to be in darkness. To get the starstuff from Sarah and Aidan, he pursues them as a flock of ravens and possesses people at times to try to get close to them.
Sexual Content
None.
Drugs and Alcohol
None.
Foul Language
Mild stuff. There are about a dozen exclamations of “oh my god” – mostly by Sarah and Aidan.
Other Negative Stuff
Sarah and Aidan lie to their parents as they pursue clues to the location of the starstuff. They also run away from home. They did it to protect their parents from Lord Ombra, but still… they could have left a note.
My Two Cents
“The Bridge to Never Land” is a wild ride for kids. Like the other books in The Starcatchers series, it’s full of adventure and magic – and gives a fresh, new twist to the Peter Pan story.
There is some mild violence and language, but I feel it’s appropriate for most kids ages 10 and up.