Claudia Mills, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
In this final volume of the “Starcatcher” trilogy, Molly and her father join with George Darling, Peter Pan, various lost boys, and even Captain Hook to foil evil King Zarboff the Third, evil scientist Viktor Glotz, and supremely evil shadow Ombra in their plot to use starstuff to destroy not only the entire world, but the entire universe. Barry and Pearson are experienced storytellers, deftly interweaving several suspenseful storylines chockablock with action-packed adventures, converging on a series of just-in-the-nick-of-time climaxes. It is not surprising that young readers flock to their book signings dressed up as pirates. But those who know and love the original Peter Pan will find much of this incarnation of J. M. Barrie’s characters unforgivable. How can the elegant and class-obsessed Captain Hook, educated at a famous British public school, who in Barrie’s book cries, “Proud and insolent youth, prepare to meet thy doom!” now utter sentences like “there ain’t nothing up here to hit” and “Looks like them red-painted savages is heading to the local savage village”? How can cocky Peter Pan obey every order of Molly’s father with a meek and dutiful “Yes, sir”? Most of all, how can Peter, “gay and innocent and heartless,” who does not even know the difference between a kiss and a thimble, blush while he kisses Molly on the lips? If authors are going to appropriate well-loved classics for their own commercial purposes, they should at least read the original book first. 2007, Disney/Hyperion, $18.99. Ages 10 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 18))
In this double-stranded, nearly nonstop close to the Starcatchers trilogy (at least its direct line; the authors are also producing spin-offs), peaceful Mollusk Island is overrun by savage invaders, while Peter, acerbic Tinkerbell and the Starcatchers are away in the North African land of Rundoon battling the darkness-loving Others. For one long pause, the reconstituted shadow-eater Lord Ombra stops to explain in great detail the Others's scheme to rewind the entire universe back to its preûBig Bang state, and to reveal that the fabulously valuable "starstuff" that falls to Earth occasionally is effluent from "a leak in the plumbing of the universe." Otherwise, it's all one grand and glorious string of captures, escapes and cliffhangers, with a large supporting cast featuring a flying camel, a giant snake, a mad Russian rocket scientist and lots of monkeys. In the end, all's been set right and the main characters are, more or less, in place for the opening of Peter Pan, to which this has all been a prelude. Kudos to Barry and Pearson for a funny, clever, melodramatic romp. 2007, Disney Editions, 496p, $18.99. Category: Fantasy. Ages 11 to 13. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pat Koontz (Kutztown Book Review, Spring 2008)
This is an action-packed conclusion to the Starcatchers trilogy. In this fantasy, Peter, Tinkerbell, Molly, George, and Molly’s father find themselves in a place called Rundoon. They are prisoners of a wicked King Zarboff and his big snake, who loves to eat humans. The shadow creature, Lord Ombra, is back and is trying to destroy the world and everyone in it using a rocket that carries starstuff. Back in Neverland, there are more problems as the Scorpion Tribe tries to destroy the pirates and the Mollusk Tribe. The pirates and the Mollusk tribe unite to try and destroy the Scorpion Tribe. There are flying camels, magic carpets, a giant snake, lots of monkeys, a mad Russian rocket scientist, and even a flying ship (manned by Captain Hook) as Peter and friends try to save the world. This is a wonderful, fast-moving, and exciting adventure written by two very talented authors. In the final story of the Starcatchers trilogy, the fun continues as the Starcatchers try to save the world. The good characters are always in trouble and they always seem to find a way to overcome the bad guys. The authors have done it again as they created the final story of this entertaining trilogy. This trilogy is a “must have” for every elementary school library!!! Category: Fantasy. 2007, Hyperion Books, $18.99. Ages 9 to 13.

Amy Luedtke (VOYA, February 2008 (Vol. 30, No. 6))
The fate of all existence rests in the hands of Peter Pan and his allies in this gripping final installment of the Starcatcher series. After their previous adventures battling pirates and the shadowy malevolent beings known as "the Others," Peter, the orphaned "lost" boys, and Tinkerbell are trying to content themselves with a quiet life on Mollusk Island. When attacked by the savage Scorpion warriors, Peter and his friends escape only to be captured by the evil King Zarboff and brought to the exotic land of Rundoon. While imprisoned, Peter learns the dreadful Lord Ombra, the Others' leader, is still alive and implementing a diabolically dangerous plan to obtain more of the mysterious and powerful "starstuff." Peter also discovers shocking information about his parents and his true identity, and is forced to use his special abilities to help the Others. Meanwhile back in London, Molly, an aspiring member of the noble Starcatchers and Peter's would-be love interest, learns of the Others' threat. Molly and her friend George Darling head to Rundoon to help Peter and rescue Molly's father. Captain Hook and his band of pirates even play an unexpectedly heroic role as they get caught up in the action. This thoroughly satisfying and fast-paced adventure blends humor and drama in a compelling and moving story about friendship and growing up. Although billed as the last book in the series, Barry and Pearson pose enough unresolved questions to create the possibility of further Peter Pan adventures. VOYA CODES: 5Q 5P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2007, Hyperion/DBG, 463p., $18.99. Ages 11 to 15.