""Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile who drags him down to a watery grave. But it was not yet my time to die. It's my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy, with that infernal, eternal boy." Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan's rules. From the glamour of the Fairy Revels, to the secret ceremonies of the First Tribes, to the mysterious underwater temple beneath the Mermaid Lagoon, the magical forces of the Neverland open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in the pirate captain himself, she begins to see someone far more complex than the storybook villain. With Stella's knowledge of folk and fairy tales, she might be Hook's last chance for redemption and release if they can break his curse before Pan and his warrior boys hunt her down and drag Hook back to their neverending game, in this beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale perfect for fans of Gregory Maguire and Paula Brackston"--
3.5 Stars
Peter Pan and the Lost Boys weren't all about fun and games...at least not when it came to Captain Hook and his crew. Instead we find a very tortured Captain Hook beaten down by the things that Pan has done. The author creates a James Hook that you can't help but empathize with. He's basically been kidnapped and beaten down by a band of savages who live with no rules and force James to play their twisted game. But when librarian Stella finds her way into Neverland and to James, he begins to find a reason to fight back like he never has before.
I really enjoyed this very unique perspective of Captain Hook. Lisa Jensen took a favorite fairy tale and put a very adult spin on what it was like for James Hook in Neverland. You can't help but like James. He never had a easy life and you wanted him happy and to find a way to win. Never, in all my years, would I have ever imagined I would want Captain Hook to defeat Peter Pan. But as you read this fractured fairy tale, you can't help but root for the underdog captain.
A great summer read. If you're looking for something slightly different, definitely think about giving this one a try.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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15 July, 2014:
Finished reading
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15 July, 2014:
Reviewed