Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Thomas Dunne Books (2014), Epub, 368 pages
Description
""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"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MickyFine
Everyone know how the story ends: Peter Pan is victorious and Hook gets eaten by the crocodile. Except that's not the whole story because Hook's curse in the Neverland is that he can never leave and he can never die. Doomed to an eternity of skirmishes with Pan and losing his crew over and over
Peter Pan is one of my favourite novels and I'm always happy to encounter a good re-imagining of Barrie's tale. Alias Hook definitely falls into this category. Focusing on Hook, Jensen creates a Neverland that is darker and harsher than we've seen and makes James Hook a flawed but sympathetic human being stuck in a land that seems designed to punish him. With elements of historical fiction as well as fantasy, this novel will appeal to Pan fans as well as readers who enjoy a tale of self-discovery and redemption.
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again, Hook is stuck in Neverland. Until a grown woman named, Stella, arrives in Neverland. Is she a ploy of Pan's to torture Hook in new ways or could she possibly hold the secret to Hook's desire to escape the land all children dream about?Peter Pan is one of my favourite novels and I'm always happy to encounter a good re-imagining of Barrie's tale. Alias Hook definitely falls into this category. Focusing on Hook, Jensen creates a Neverland that is darker and harsher than we've seen and makes James Hook a flawed but sympathetic human being stuck in a land that seems designed to punish him. With elements of historical fiction as well as fantasy, this novel will appeal to Pan fans as well as readers who enjoy a tale of self-discovery and redemption.
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LibraryThing member Isisunit
I would like to thank NetGalley & Thomas Dunne Books for granting me the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.
"Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard,
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. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale perfect for fans of Gregory Maguire and Paula Brackston.
This version of the popular children's tale Peter and Wendy is one of selfless love and heartrending loss as well as redemption. The two main male characters in Alias Hook are like bits of flotsam, forever trapped in a perilous riptide, clashing together only to be torn apart so that they might once again come together in a vicious cycle of unending strife. Unlike the original tale, this one approaches the story from Captain Hook's point of view. At present the closest comparison of James Benjamin Hookbridge prior to his captivity in Neverland would be to equate him to the character of Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, before he is turned. Though the son of a prosperous merchant, James had a magnetic quality that allowed him to be viewed on equal footing with members of the peerage. Indeed James is rather like an overgrown child, believing himself to be immortal, and certain he had plenty of time to accomplish everything he ever desired out of life. His continued resistance to his father's plans that he settle down and marry, lead him, in a roundabout manner, to become a pirate.
It is a James own immaturity that lands him in Neverland, trapped there by a spell that a voudon priestess put on him. When James and crew survive a terrible storm at sea to arrive at Neverland, they considered it a haven, for it appears deserted. This feeling of safety is short lived after they are attacked by a band of Indian's, followed soon after by a gleeful Pan and his boys.
Pan is thrilled to pirate ship trapped in Neverland. The fact that the captain is a tall, dark, and sinister looking adult makes it that much better, for now the boys have someone to fight. Yet 40-year-old Captain Hook is no match for sprightly young boys who can fly, meaning that Pan wins every single fight. It doesn't help that Pan has a fierce temper, which is rather at odds with his sense of honor. The look a feral glee in Pan's eyes when he uses an axe from Hook's own ship, the Jolie Rouge, to cut off Hook's hand actually frightens Hook, for he knows that boys are vicious and brutal, with no real understand of the consequences of their actions. When Hook revives he finds his entire crew slaughtered.
Yet the game plays itself out repeatedly over the next two hundred years, during which neither Pan nor Hook age. Each time Hook loses a crew member(s), new ones are found wandering lost on the island, always near Pirate's Beach. When Hook discovers where his crew members come from he is saddened, but as they seem unaware of the situation it is only a Hook who suffers.
Everything continues as it always does, with Hook praying for a true death each time he is struck down. Yet his prayers are never answered and he always finds himself returned to his ship, alive once more so that Pan might play his games. And Hook is always dragged back into the games, either because he gives in to his overwhelming bloodlust, allowing that to overrule all else, or out of his desire to try to save his crew from grisly deaths. Hook is resigned to his hellish fate.
Then one day a stranger appears. Another adult, though oddly dressed. Stranger yet, it is a female, despite the trousers she's wearing. Hook rescues her and hides her until he can determine if Pan finally got himself a real mother, or if he's set her up as a spy on his ship knowing Hook would take her, or if she somehow found a way through the enchantment trapping him in Neverland. Upon his discovery that she is in Neverland without Pan's knowledge Hook hides her, knowing that if Pan learns of her he will kill her, for she has broken his cardinal rule of no adults allowed.
What is Stella Parrish's role in this version of the story? For there is danger in her being in Neverland. She's a new variable that could alter the balance, putting Neverland at serious risk. This danger would not be only for Pan, but for all the beings that sought refuge there, magical and human alike. Should the wrong choice be made all the fairies, loreleis, Indians, and other beings that thrived in Neverland would likely be lost from our world, forever. Once Stella and Hook learn of the danger she poses to Neverland Stella understands just how crucial it is to maintain Neverland for children around the world, more than ever.
Ms. Jensen made a very wise choice in having her female protagonist come from 1950; while WWII was still fresh in people's minds, children still possessed a level of innocence that seems to disappear at younger and younger ages in the present day. Had Jensen brought Stella from the modern day the feeling of innocence and childish wonder likely wouldn't have carried the same weight, given the extreme onslaught of video games (especially First-Person Shooters (FPS)), television shows, and social media that kids today are exposed to. Reading books, or having stories read to them, passes out of style at a much younger age for so many kids today, which of course lessens their exposure to the magic that is Neverland, in turn impacting the level of innocence necessary for Neverland to exist. Not to mention Stella may not have been able to summon the necessary belief in the magic of Neverland were she trying to find it today.
Back in Neverland Hook is given warning that this is his third and final chance to ever escape Neverland (not that he'd even been aware that there had been two previous chances for him to leave). But can he figure out what he must do in order to finally be free of Neverland? Is Stella there to help him, or is she there for some other reason? Can Hook redeem himself before it is too late, and can he manage it without putting Neverland in peril?
To see this well known children's tale through the eyes of the antagonist was certainly fascinating. He fit the role well, for he never really grew up himself. He'd run from his responsibilities, considered himself immortal, and justified all the choices he'd made in such a way as to avoid feeling any guilt over them. Essentially he was a child in an adult's body, or at least he was when he arrived in Neverland. Aside from flying were there really all that many differences between Hook and Pan?
Personally I'd say yes, for I don't think that Hook had retained his innocence. Rather he retained all the other parts of childhood and thrown them behind a shield of callousness. He'd had carnal knowledge of women, so right there his innocence was long gone by the time he reached Neverland. So why didn't he stay dead after Pan killed him each time? Was it simply Pan's will that kept him returning time after time? And how could Pan and the other boys remain innocent after taking other human lives? As well written and engaging as I found this tale to be, it clearly left me with some questions that shall stay with me for some time to come.
"Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard,
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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. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale perfect for fans of Gregory Maguire and Paula Brackston.
This version of the popular children's tale Peter and Wendy is one of selfless love and heartrending loss as well as redemption. The two main male characters in Alias Hook are like bits of flotsam, forever trapped in a perilous riptide, clashing together only to be torn apart so that they might once again come together in a vicious cycle of unending strife. Unlike the original tale, this one approaches the story from Captain Hook's point of view. At present the closest comparison of James Benjamin Hookbridge prior to his captivity in Neverland would be to equate him to the character of Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, before he is turned. Though the son of a prosperous merchant, James had a magnetic quality that allowed him to be viewed on equal footing with members of the peerage. Indeed James is rather like an overgrown child, believing himself to be immortal, and certain he had plenty of time to accomplish everything he ever desired out of life. His continued resistance to his father's plans that he settle down and marry, lead him, in a roundabout manner, to become a pirate.
It is a James own immaturity that lands him in Neverland, trapped there by a spell that a voudon priestess put on him. When James and crew survive a terrible storm at sea to arrive at Neverland, they considered it a haven, for it appears deserted. This feeling of safety is short lived after they are attacked by a band of Indian's, followed soon after by a gleeful Pan and his boys.
Pan is thrilled to pirate ship trapped in Neverland. The fact that the captain is a tall, dark, and sinister looking adult makes it that much better, for now the boys have someone to fight. Yet 40-year-old Captain Hook is no match for sprightly young boys who can fly, meaning that Pan wins every single fight. It doesn't help that Pan has a fierce temper, which is rather at odds with his sense of honor. The look a feral glee in Pan's eyes when he uses an axe from Hook's own ship, the Jolie Rouge, to cut off Hook's hand actually frightens Hook, for he knows that boys are vicious and brutal, with no real understand of the consequences of their actions. When Hook revives he finds his entire crew slaughtered.
Yet the game plays itself out repeatedly over the next two hundred years, during which neither Pan nor Hook age. Each time Hook loses a crew member(s), new ones are found wandering lost on the island, always near Pirate's Beach. When Hook discovers where his crew members come from he is saddened, but as they seem unaware of the situation it is only a Hook who suffers.
Everything continues as it always does, with Hook praying for a true death each time he is struck down. Yet his prayers are never answered and he always finds himself returned to his ship, alive once more so that Pan might play his games. And Hook is always dragged back into the games, either because he gives in to his overwhelming bloodlust, allowing that to overrule all else, or out of his desire to try to save his crew from grisly deaths. Hook is resigned to his hellish fate.
Then one day a stranger appears. Another adult, though oddly dressed. Stranger yet, it is a female, despite the trousers she's wearing. Hook rescues her and hides her until he can determine if Pan finally got himself a real mother, or if he's set her up as a spy on his ship knowing Hook would take her, or if she somehow found a way through the enchantment trapping him in Neverland. Upon his discovery that she is in Neverland without Pan's knowledge Hook hides her, knowing that if Pan learns of her he will kill her, for she has broken his cardinal rule of no adults allowed.
What is Stella Parrish's role in this version of the story? For there is danger in her being in Neverland. She's a new variable that could alter the balance, putting Neverland at serious risk. This danger would not be only for Pan, but for all the beings that sought refuge there, magical and human alike. Should the wrong choice be made all the fairies, loreleis, Indians, and other beings that thrived in Neverland would likely be lost from our world, forever. Once Stella and Hook learn of the danger she poses to Neverland Stella understands just how crucial it is to maintain Neverland for children around the world, more than ever.
Ms. Jensen made a very wise choice in having her female protagonist come from 1950; while WWII was still fresh in people's minds, children still possessed a level of innocence that seems to disappear at younger and younger ages in the present day. Had Jensen brought Stella from the modern day the feeling of innocence and childish wonder likely wouldn't have carried the same weight, given the extreme onslaught of video games (especially First-Person Shooters (FPS)), television shows, and social media that kids today are exposed to. Reading books, or having stories read to them, passes out of style at a much younger age for so many kids today, which of course lessens their exposure to the magic that is Neverland, in turn impacting the level of innocence necessary for Neverland to exist. Not to mention Stella may not have been able to summon the necessary belief in the magic of Neverland were she trying to find it today.
Back in Neverland Hook is given warning that this is his third and final chance to ever escape Neverland (not that he'd even been aware that there had been two previous chances for him to leave). But can he figure out what he must do in order to finally be free of Neverland? Is Stella there to help him, or is she there for some other reason? Can Hook redeem himself before it is too late, and can he manage it without putting Neverland in peril?
To see this well known children's tale through the eyes of the antagonist was certainly fascinating. He fit the role well, for he never really grew up himself. He'd run from his responsibilities, considered himself immortal, and justified all the choices he'd made in such a way as to avoid feeling any guilt over them. Essentially he was a child in an adult's body, or at least he was when he arrived in Neverland. Aside from flying were there really all that many differences between Hook and Pan?
Personally I'd say yes, for I don't think that Hook had retained his innocence. Rather he retained all the other parts of childhood and thrown them behind a shield of callousness. He'd had carnal knowledge of women, so right there his innocence was long gone by the time he reached Neverland. So why didn't he stay dead after Pan killed him each time? Was it simply Pan's will that kept him returning time after time? And how could Pan and the other boys remain innocent after taking other human lives? As well written and engaging as I found this tale to be, it clearly left me with some questions that shall stay with me for some time to come.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review. I love fairy tale retellings and was absolutely hooked (pun intended) when I read the synopsis of this expansion on the Peter Pan fairy tale.
Captain James Benjamin Hook is a well educated privateer when he is cursed to play the eternal
This was a very excellently written extension of the Peter Pan story featuring Captain Hook. This story is somewhat sympathetic to Captain Hook and tells us how he came to be cursed to an eternity in Neverland. We learn about Captain Hook's background and history and also watch him struggle in an eternal battle with the forever child Pan.
Stella is a woman from the 1950’s who is sick of dealing with all the war of that era and dreams herself into Neverland. Stella knows a lot about folklore and may finally be the chance to break a centuries long curse that Hook has been looking for. She is so different from the woman Hook has dealt with in the 180o’s that he is absolutely enchanted by her wit, knowledge, and daring.
This book is absolutely beautifully written and engaging, I loved it. There are tons of literature references, battle scenes, adventure, and some romance. Also magic, faeries, mermaids, and curses.
The whole novel gives a new twist to the tale of Peter Pan and explores the darker side of a tribe of boys who is eternally youthful and hence eternally cruel in the way only young boys can be. Most of the story deals with Hook trying to figure out a way to break his curse. Throughout the telling of his tale we go back into his youth and see how he got to the point where he is now.
The story also broaches the topics of fate, destiny and true love. The story is mostly told from Hook’s perspective and I loved his wry and witty tone. This is definitely a book for adults only; there are explicit sex scenes as well as quite a bit of violence.
Overall this was just a spectacular read and I recommend it to everyone. The story was a wonderful balance or beauty, adventure, magic, romance, battle and literature. I would especially recommend to those who are fans of the whole Peter Pan mythos.
Captain James Benjamin Hook is a well educated privateer when he is cursed to play the eternal
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villain to pack of malicious little boys led by Pan in a war that never ends. This all changes with the arrival of Stella, a forbidden grown woman in Neverland whose very presence defies Pan. The magic of Neverland opens up to Stella in ways Hook never imagined and, in Stella, Hook sees his chance to finally break the awful curse he’s been a slave to all these centuries.This was a very excellently written extension of the Peter Pan story featuring Captain Hook. This story is somewhat sympathetic to Captain Hook and tells us how he came to be cursed to an eternity in Neverland. We learn about Captain Hook's background and history and also watch him struggle in an eternal battle with the forever child Pan.
Stella is a woman from the 1950’s who is sick of dealing with all the war of that era and dreams herself into Neverland. Stella knows a lot about folklore and may finally be the chance to break a centuries long curse that Hook has been looking for. She is so different from the woman Hook has dealt with in the 180o’s that he is absolutely enchanted by her wit, knowledge, and daring.
This book is absolutely beautifully written and engaging, I loved it. There are tons of literature references, battle scenes, adventure, and some romance. Also magic, faeries, mermaids, and curses.
The whole novel gives a new twist to the tale of Peter Pan and explores the darker side of a tribe of boys who is eternally youthful and hence eternally cruel in the way only young boys can be. Most of the story deals with Hook trying to figure out a way to break his curse. Throughout the telling of his tale we go back into his youth and see how he got to the point where he is now.
The story also broaches the topics of fate, destiny and true love. The story is mostly told from Hook’s perspective and I loved his wry and witty tone. This is definitely a book for adults only; there are explicit sex scenes as well as quite a bit of violence.
Overall this was just a spectacular read and I recommend it to everyone. The story was a wonderful balance or beauty, adventure, magic, romance, battle and literature. I would especially recommend to those who are fans of the whole Peter Pan mythos.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
I really like the idea of this book. I like many readers can remember growing up reading the story of Peter Pan and watching the movies. Of course Peter was the hero and Hook the evil villain. So again this is why this book sounded appealing that the idea that Hook is not the evil villain but maybe
I liked the beginning of the story. Neverland is not the same place I remember. It is darker. Even Peter and the Lost Boys are tougher. However I agree with other readers that the pacing of the story and how it progresses is slow. So it does make reading the book a little harder to want to stick with it but the characters are good and help to tell the story. While this is more of an adult twist on the story, it felt more like that then the fun upbeat story that I remember. Not that I am say this story needed to be light as the darker side was cool. I just wished that the darker side was just as memorizing to me as I had built it up to be in my head. The author can write a good story though.
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the hero. I liked the beginning of the story. Neverland is not the same place I remember. It is darker. Even Peter and the Lost Boys are tougher. However I agree with other readers that the pacing of the story and how it progresses is slow. So it does make reading the book a little harder to want to stick with it but the characters are good and help to tell the story. While this is more of an adult twist on the story, it felt more like that then the fun upbeat story that I remember. Not that I am say this story needed to be light as the darker side was cool. I just wished that the darker side was just as memorizing to me as I had built it up to be in my head. The author can write a good story though.
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LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Lisa Jensen takes a well-known story and turns it on its head, managing to make Captain James Hook someone you can root for in this engaging and bewitching story.
Opening Sentence: Second star to the right of what?
The Review:
I wasn’t sure what I
In the early 18th century, James Benjamin Hookbridge was just a regular guy. Misfortune falls on him and turns him to piracy, which then eventually leads him to being cursed to a place that supposedly only exists in dreams: Neverland. There, he must continually fight a horde of young boys, led by the infamous Peter Pan. Hook is doomed to die time after time, only to be resurrected to go through it all again. After two hundred years, he is ready to die for real, eager to find a way around the curse. Then one day, something happens that has never happened before: a grown woman appears in Neverland. Stella Parrish. As Hook begins to open up to her, he begins to feel something he hasn’t felt in a long time. Hope. Maybe his torment won’t last forever. Pan isn’t happy about a woman showing up in his land, however, and Stella faces danger at every turn. Will Hook lose both Stella and his newfound hope, or will they be able to end the curse forever?
There are a number of positive things to say about this book. It’s remarkably well written and engaging. I found myself immediately engrossed, as the book opens with Hook resurrecting to find himself among his dead crew. This serves to put Hook in a sympathetic light, when all we’ve ever seen him as is a villain. As we learn more about his past and get to see Peter Pan in a light we’ve never seen before, that sympathy grows. I will say it’s possible some readers may have problems identifying with Hook because of his past deeds, but I personally had no such problem.
One of my favorite books from high school is William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. I find the idea that being separated from society will lead people to follow their baser instincts incredibly intriguing. The same idea is displayed here with Pan and his Lost Boys. With no true authority figures, they have no moral compass, and it is incredibly disturbing to see. Maybe never growing up is not such a good thing after all.
On the negative side, the beginning of the book does occasionally drag a bit, mainly due to going back and forth in Hook’s timeline. This back and forth is necessary for the reader to learn what brought Hook to this point, but it does disrupt the flow of the story. Once the story stays firmly in Neverland though, the pace picks up considerably.
All in all, I found this an incredibly intriguing and satisfying read. I believe fans of the Peter Pan story will enjoy this take on the tale. I am also proof that those who aren’t as fond of Peter Pan can also really enjoy this unique version of the story. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
Notable Scene:
The Neverland, they call it, the infant paradise, the puerile Eden where grown-ups dare not tread. They are wise to fear it. but all children visit in their dreams. He finds them by their longing, stray boys for his tribe and girls to tell him stories.
They are not always English children, although he is partial to London.
They have erected a statue to him there. Fancy, a public statue of Pan, the boy tyrant in his motley of leaves, like a king or a hero. While Hook is reviled, the evil pirate, the villain. There is no statue to me.
I’ve heard all the stories. I know the world thinks me not only a simpering fop but a great coward, so affrighted by the crocodile I would empty my bowels at the first sinister tick of its clock. But it’s the ticking itself I can’t bear, the tolling of the minutes, the very seconds, that I am forced to spend in the Neverland for all eternity. Elsewhere, time is passing in the normal way, but not here. Not for me and the boy.
“It’s Hook or me this time,” the boy jeered as the massacre began. But it’s never him. And it’s never me. Since then, he has defeated me innumerable times, but never quite to the death. He wills it so, and his will rules all. How often have I felt my skin pierced, imagined in my wounded delirium that Death has relented and come for me at last? Yet every time, my blood stops leaking, my flesh knits. Sooner or later, my eyes open again to yet another bleak new day, with nothing to show for my pains but another scar on the wreckage of my body.
Is it any wonder I so often tried to kill him? Would not his death break the enchantment of this awful place and release us both? But I never best him. He flies. He has youth and innocence on his side, and the heartlessness that comes with them. I have only heartlessness, and it is never, ever enough.
FTC Advisory: Thomas Dunne Books/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Alias Hook. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Lisa Jensen takes a well-known story and turns it on its head, managing to make Captain James Hook someone you can root for in this engaging and bewitching story.
Opening Sentence: Second star to the right of what?
The Review:
I wasn’t sure what I
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was going to think of this book at first. On one hand, I have for some reason never liked the story of Peter Pan. I’m not sure why, but I just never connected to the story. On the other hand, I love a good bad boy in my fiction: Trent in The Hollows series, Spike on Buffy, Loki in the Avengers movie. So, I figured this book could go either way in terms of whether I liked it or not. Thankfully, I fell on the side of liking it.In the early 18th century, James Benjamin Hookbridge was just a regular guy. Misfortune falls on him and turns him to piracy, which then eventually leads him to being cursed to a place that supposedly only exists in dreams: Neverland. There, he must continually fight a horde of young boys, led by the infamous Peter Pan. Hook is doomed to die time after time, only to be resurrected to go through it all again. After two hundred years, he is ready to die for real, eager to find a way around the curse. Then one day, something happens that has never happened before: a grown woman appears in Neverland. Stella Parrish. As Hook begins to open up to her, he begins to feel something he hasn’t felt in a long time. Hope. Maybe his torment won’t last forever. Pan isn’t happy about a woman showing up in his land, however, and Stella faces danger at every turn. Will Hook lose both Stella and his newfound hope, or will they be able to end the curse forever?
There are a number of positive things to say about this book. It’s remarkably well written and engaging. I found myself immediately engrossed, as the book opens with Hook resurrecting to find himself among his dead crew. This serves to put Hook in a sympathetic light, when all we’ve ever seen him as is a villain. As we learn more about his past and get to see Peter Pan in a light we’ve never seen before, that sympathy grows. I will say it’s possible some readers may have problems identifying with Hook because of his past deeds, but I personally had no such problem.
One of my favorite books from high school is William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. I find the idea that being separated from society will lead people to follow their baser instincts incredibly intriguing. The same idea is displayed here with Pan and his Lost Boys. With no true authority figures, they have no moral compass, and it is incredibly disturbing to see. Maybe never growing up is not such a good thing after all.
On the negative side, the beginning of the book does occasionally drag a bit, mainly due to going back and forth in Hook’s timeline. This back and forth is necessary for the reader to learn what brought Hook to this point, but it does disrupt the flow of the story. Once the story stays firmly in Neverland though, the pace picks up considerably.
All in all, I found this an incredibly intriguing and satisfying read. I believe fans of the Peter Pan story will enjoy this take on the tale. I am also proof that those who aren’t as fond of Peter Pan can also really enjoy this unique version of the story. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
Notable Scene:
The Neverland, they call it, the infant paradise, the puerile Eden where grown-ups dare not tread. They are wise to fear it. but all children visit in their dreams. He finds them by their longing, stray boys for his tribe and girls to tell him stories.
They are not always English children, although he is partial to London.
They have erected a statue to him there. Fancy, a public statue of Pan, the boy tyrant in his motley of leaves, like a king or a hero. While Hook is reviled, the evil pirate, the villain. There is no statue to me.
I’ve heard all the stories. I know the world thinks me not only a simpering fop but a great coward, so affrighted by the crocodile I would empty my bowels at the first sinister tick of its clock. But it’s the ticking itself I can’t bear, the tolling of the minutes, the very seconds, that I am forced to spend in the Neverland for all eternity. Elsewhere, time is passing in the normal way, but not here. Not for me and the boy.
“It’s Hook or me this time,” the boy jeered as the massacre began. But it’s never him. And it’s never me. Since then, he has defeated me innumerable times, but never quite to the death. He wills it so, and his will rules all. How often have I felt my skin pierced, imagined in my wounded delirium that Death has relented and come for me at last? Yet every time, my blood stops leaking, my flesh knits. Sooner or later, my eyes open again to yet another bleak new day, with nothing to show for my pains but another scar on the wreckage of my body.
Is it any wonder I so often tried to kill him? Would not his death break the enchantment of this awful place and release us both? But I never best him. He flies. He has youth and innocence on his side, and the heartlessness that comes with them. I have only heartlessness, and it is never, ever enough.
FTC Advisory: Thomas Dunne Books/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Alias Hook. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member winterlillies
Imagine for a moment that there was more to the story of your favorite childhood book and more than one side to the tale? Welcome to Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK, where the infamous Captain Hook is doomed to spend eternity in Neverland and forced to relive his death.
We have good character
Narrative is first person via Hook and I just loved his voice! It stays strong throughout the novel and it’s rich and descriptive. Jensen does a superb job bringing Hook to life and letting us spend time in his head. I also liked the way Jensen set things up with regards to the telling of Hook’s past. It intertwines perfectly with the narrative in the present and at no point did I feel confused in the change of scenes. I really enjoyed the scenes with Hook and Stella because both characters tend to really pour their heart out when they talk. As a reader, we really get to know them at their weakest and it’s beautiful to witness. I know some readers might be turned off by the romance or feel that these two are an unlikely pair, but I just adored them. Most specifically, I just adored Hook!
I debated with the rating between a three and four and in the end, decided on a four for one particular reason: Hook’s narrative. If I have a complainant about ALIAS HOOK, it’s that the overall pace of the narrative is at times a bit slow. While I appreciate Jensen’s storytelling, I did feel that we were being set up for a great reveal from the opening sentence only for it to drag a bit. About 70% into the novel, I just wanted the adventure to be over once certain factors were known and this made me sad because at first, I didn’t want it to end.
Fans of Peter Pan may want to tread lightly with Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. I think it’s important to keep in mind that when we go to read a book such as Jensen’s, that we aren’t going in thinking about the Disney version of J.M. Barrie’s world. Peter is a child and we’re constantly reminded about that throughout ALIAS HOOK and as such, he’s a naughty and arrogant child. More than once I wished he was real because he truly deserved a good spanking. Despite this, I really enjoyed Jensen’s set up concerning Hook’s crew and the Lost Boys.
Overall, I really enjoyed Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. It’s a beautiful magical reimaging of a children’s beloved tale. If you’re a fan of Peter Pan or are looking try a new genre, I highly recommend Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. Just a bit of warning: you’ll want to revisit J.M. Barrie’s original tale and afterwards, you won’t see his characters in the same light.
We have good character
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development, though Jensen does focus a lot on Hook’s character. It makes sense since this is his story. Meet Captain James Benjamin Hookbridge, an educated privateer and the son of gentleman. His father wants him to marry, but Hook wants to do things on his own terms. I won’t go into detail regarding what’s expected of Hook because I want you to meet him and get to know him as I did. Then there’s Stella Parrish, who may or not be one of Pan’s “Wendy’s.” I really liked Stella and she’s a strong woman who finds herself in a world she only thought was fiction. As a woman of the modern era (one key scene involves her explaining airplanes and the role they played in the Second World War to an astonished Hook) and at one time was a governess so she helps Hook manage Pan and the Lost Boys. There are several secondary characters that are important including the men on Hook’s ship. Of course no tale of Neverland is complete without the appearance of Peter. Oh does he dominate the pages!Narrative is first person via Hook and I just loved his voice! It stays strong throughout the novel and it’s rich and descriptive. Jensen does a superb job bringing Hook to life and letting us spend time in his head. I also liked the way Jensen set things up with regards to the telling of Hook’s past. It intertwines perfectly with the narrative in the present and at no point did I feel confused in the change of scenes. I really enjoyed the scenes with Hook and Stella because both characters tend to really pour their heart out when they talk. As a reader, we really get to know them at their weakest and it’s beautiful to witness. I know some readers might be turned off by the romance or feel that these two are an unlikely pair, but I just adored them. Most specifically, I just adored Hook!
I debated with the rating between a three and four and in the end, decided on a four for one particular reason: Hook’s narrative. If I have a complainant about ALIAS HOOK, it’s that the overall pace of the narrative is at times a bit slow. While I appreciate Jensen’s storytelling, I did feel that we were being set up for a great reveal from the opening sentence only for it to drag a bit. About 70% into the novel, I just wanted the adventure to be over once certain factors were known and this made me sad because at first, I didn’t want it to end.
Fans of Peter Pan may want to tread lightly with Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. I think it’s important to keep in mind that when we go to read a book such as Jensen’s, that we aren’t going in thinking about the Disney version of J.M. Barrie’s world. Peter is a child and we’re constantly reminded about that throughout ALIAS HOOK and as such, he’s a naughty and arrogant child. More than once I wished he was real because he truly deserved a good spanking. Despite this, I really enjoyed Jensen’s set up concerning Hook’s crew and the Lost Boys.
Overall, I really enjoyed Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. It’s a beautiful magical reimaging of a children’s beloved tale. If you’re a fan of Peter Pan or are looking try a new genre, I highly recommend Lisa Jensen’s ALIAS HOOK. Just a bit of warning: you’ll want to revisit J.M. Barrie’s original tale and afterwards, you won’t see his characters in the same light.
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LibraryThing member PaperbackPropensity
I was only accompanying a friend at the book store when I saw this on the shelves, and I knew I had to have it. As a lover of Barrie's Peter Pan, I felt the most compassion for two characters: poor Wendy who wanted adventure, only to end up playing a never ending game of House, and Captain Hook
With this novel, I was more than sated. Lisa Jensen does justice to the "redskins," breathes life into those insipid mermaids, adds a whole new dimension to the fairies, and best of all, we get inside the mind of the Captain.
Alias Hook is a proper fairy tale. It's got adventure, sword fighting, magic, and a hero you root for. He's an unlikely hero, yes, and he never thinks of himself as one, but the reader knows better. Like all good fairy tales it's got romance. I was suspicious of how I would feel about Stella Parrish, but watching her story unfold, as well as their romance (perfectly and realistically paced), I loved her fiercely. These are two characters you love both together as a couple, and separately as individuals. She is no Xena, so don't expect that, but the lady has "got salt," and she's got all the wit James Hookbridge needs in a partner. Their lives are intertwined. Their bond, their creative swearing, it's all very natural.
I was delighted to read about the "truth" of the mermaids, and the fairies too. There is magic, but there is also culture, something lacking in children's tales. And here, I must note as well how pleased I am at the age of these two main characters. They are not twenty something, but aged appropriately so that they have lived, really lived, and you love them all the more for their broken bits, their darkness, their ugly. It's a fairy tale for adults, and that's something the world needs more of.
I spent much of the book wowed by the beautiful prose, riveted, and hungry for that creepy Pan to get what he deserved. The way I turned out to feel compassion for the boy was just so right, so human. That's what Alias Hook is. It is a novel that is raw and real, a fairy tale which is really about life, about hope, and love, and choices. A story about growing up, and second chances.
It is a story about redemption.
And like all great stories, you give a hearty cheer for the heroes in the end.
If you really love books, you will understand how after reading the last words I closed the book and held it to my chest.
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with his melancholy eyes, inferior companions, and loneliness at night. But we know Wendy gets her happy ending. With this novel, I was more than sated. Lisa Jensen does justice to the "redskins," breathes life into those insipid mermaids, adds a whole new dimension to the fairies, and best of all, we get inside the mind of the Captain.
Alias Hook is a proper fairy tale. It's got adventure, sword fighting, magic, and a hero you root for. He's an unlikely hero, yes, and he never thinks of himself as one, but the reader knows better. Like all good fairy tales it's got romance. I was suspicious of how I would feel about Stella Parrish, but watching her story unfold, as well as their romance (perfectly and realistically paced), I loved her fiercely. These are two characters you love both together as a couple, and separately as individuals. She is no Xena, so don't expect that, but the lady has "got salt," and she's got all the wit James Hookbridge needs in a partner. Their lives are intertwined. Their bond, their creative swearing, it's all very natural.
I was delighted to read about the "truth" of the mermaids, and the fairies too. There is magic, but there is also culture, something lacking in children's tales. And here, I must note as well how pleased I am at the age of these two main characters. They are not twenty something, but aged appropriately so that they have lived, really lived, and you love them all the more for their broken bits, their darkness, their ugly. It's a fairy tale for adults, and that's something the world needs more of.
I spent much of the book wowed by the beautiful prose, riveted, and hungry for that creepy Pan to get what he deserved. The way I turned out to feel compassion for the boy was just so right, so human. That's what Alias Hook is. It is a novel that is raw and real, a fairy tale which is really about life, about hope, and love, and choices. A story about growing up, and second chances.
It is a story about redemption.
And like all great stories, you give a hearty cheer for the heroes in the end.
If you really love books, you will understand how after reading the last words I closed the book and held it to my chest.
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LibraryThing member lauraodom
I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of Tiger Lily with this novel... a retelling of the story from Hook's point of view, perhaps. However, this book was so much more than that. It was such a well-crafted piece of literature. Don't get me wrong -- I like "chick flick" books as
First of all, I would not categorize this as YA fiction. This is an adult piece. Maybe that's what surprised me. This is a story of Hook, who has been sentenced to a life without end as the villain. He has grown weary without aging in his 200 years. Pan is portrayed as the true villain -- the one who makes the rules, who orders Hook to play by his games in this place where Hook finds he cannot die. Yet, things begin to happen that show that maybe Pan isn't as much as control as he thinks he is... and a woman mysteriously shows up on the island, despite his orders against it.
The characters, especially that of Hook, but even other supporting characters, are exquisitely written. You see Hook's depth -- all his flaws and insecurities... as well as his good intentions and yes, even his love. The setting was also complex and well-crafted. I enjoyed so much about this book & all its layers!
Would I recommend this to a fellow book lover? Yes!
Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? No. Some of the scenes are too adult in nature.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.
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well as the next gal. There is certainly a time and place for light-hearted easy reads, but this book was not one of them. It wasn't a difficult book to read, by any means, I just mean that it felt "meatier" than most of the YA books that I've grown accustomed to reading lately.First of all, I would not categorize this as YA fiction. This is an adult piece. Maybe that's what surprised me. This is a story of Hook, who has been sentenced to a life without end as the villain. He has grown weary without aging in his 200 years. Pan is portrayed as the true villain -- the one who makes the rules, who orders Hook to play by his games in this place where Hook finds he cannot die. Yet, things begin to happen that show that maybe Pan isn't as much as control as he thinks he is... and a woman mysteriously shows up on the island, despite his orders against it.
The characters, especially that of Hook, but even other supporting characters, are exquisitely written. You see Hook's depth -- all his flaws and insecurities... as well as his good intentions and yes, even his love. The setting was also complex and well-crafted. I enjoyed so much about this book & all its layers!
Would I recommend this to a fellow book lover? Yes!
Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? No. Some of the scenes are too adult in nature.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member mariannelee_0902
Alias Hook was supposed to turn into a favorite. I know it was. Peter Pan is one of my all time favorite books, so why exactly wouldn’t I like this book?
But the fact is, I didn’t really connect to this. Ever. I actually put it down about 3 times before I even forced myself to read it
And… why force myself to read it if I hated it so much, you ask? Well frankly because I thought it would get better.
But my problem with this book was essentially the writing. There was too much introspection and backstory for my like; I felt like nothing really happened for 60-70% of the story.
This book’s saving grace, was ironically, the audiobook narrator. I would have abandoned it if someone hadn’t been reading it for me.
It's a shame, really, because this book has a wonderful premise. It gives Hook a completely different storyline, and turns Neverland into a twisted place. Peter Pan isn't the boy you thought you knew... I rather enjoyed the last 15% of the story.
However my enjoyment of the last part can't possibly make me forget about the struggle I had while trying to get through the book. Maybe if you read it, you'll enjoy it more?
But the fact is, I didn’t really connect to this. Ever. I actually put it down about 3 times before I even forced myself to read it
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again.And… why force myself to read it if I hated it so much, you ask? Well frankly because I thought it would get better.
But my problem with this book was essentially the writing. There was too much introspection and backstory for my like; I felt like nothing really happened for 60-70% of the story.
This book’s saving grace, was ironically, the audiobook narrator. I would have abandoned it if someone hadn’t been reading it for me.
It's a shame, really, because this book has a wonderful premise. It gives Hook a completely different storyline, and turns Neverland into a twisted place. Peter Pan isn't the boy you thought you knew... I rather enjoyed the last 15% of the story.
However my enjoyment of the last part can't possibly make me forget about the struggle I had while trying to get through the book. Maybe if you read it, you'll enjoy it more?
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I picked this up ¬because I’m one of the seemingly-few people who’ve read Jensen’s previous novel, ‘Witch From the Sea,’ which was a highly entertaining historical fantasy of the swashbuckling life. Here, she continues on with the pirate theme, writing a riff on ‘Peter Pan’ from the
I have to admit that I had my doubts about the premise. Stories based in another author’s world are often suspect: there are so many ways in which it can go horribly wrong. Probably due to my attitude, it took me a little while to get into the book – but then, it fully won me over.
Captain Hook, the story posits, was Captain Hookbridge – a wealthy, 17th century rake who lived a cruel and dissolute life as a privateer until the curse of a woman he’d wronged sent him into the Neverland. Trapped and unable to die, he endures endless years as the nemesis of Peter Pan that J.M. Barrie’s stories introduced us all to. But one day, the unthinkable happens – an adult woman is found in Neverland. Parrish is escaping the trauma she endured as a nurse during WWII – but no one in Neverland is prepared for what her arrival might mean.
Peter Pan is a particularly difficult story to work with, I think, because it has so much about it to love – while simultaneously being deeply problematic from a modern point of view. I feel that in ‘Alias Hook’ Jensen succeed in capturing the magic that readers such as myself remember from childhood – while simultaneously creating a romantic adventure for adults – which also has a lot to say about what it actually means to ‘grow up.’ Jensen’s message about maturity – specifically ‘manhood’ - is one that a great many people today could stand to take to heart.
As a child – Barrie’s Peter Pan worked for me. The idea of never growing up was undeniably attractive. And, as an adult, ‘Alias Hook’ worked for me. It shows the limitations (and heartlessness) of aspects of childhood [her Pan is a dangerous tyrant in all his innocence]; discusses the problems caused when people don’t learn and grow with the years, and shows the possibility of a richness to life that children have not yet glimpsed. The conclusion is sweet and satisfying, full of the possibility of healing and redemption, without being overly sentimental.
I’m glad to see that, although it might’ve taken quite a while, Jensen’s been picked up by a major publisher. Hopefully more tales of the sea will be forthcoming!
Advance copy of this book was provided by NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity to read - as always, my opinion is my own.
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point of view of Captain Hook.I have to admit that I had my doubts about the premise. Stories based in another author’s world are often suspect: there are so many ways in which it can go horribly wrong. Probably due to my attitude, it took me a little while to get into the book – but then, it fully won me over.
Captain Hook, the story posits, was Captain Hookbridge – a wealthy, 17th century rake who lived a cruel and dissolute life as a privateer until the curse of a woman he’d wronged sent him into the Neverland. Trapped and unable to die, he endures endless years as the nemesis of Peter Pan that J.M. Barrie’s stories introduced us all to. But one day, the unthinkable happens – an adult woman is found in Neverland. Parrish is escaping the trauma she endured as a nurse during WWII – but no one in Neverland is prepared for what her arrival might mean.
Peter Pan is a particularly difficult story to work with, I think, because it has so much about it to love – while simultaneously being deeply problematic from a modern point of view. I feel that in ‘Alias Hook’ Jensen succeed in capturing the magic that readers such as myself remember from childhood – while simultaneously creating a romantic adventure for adults – which also has a lot to say about what it actually means to ‘grow up.’ Jensen’s message about maturity – specifically ‘manhood’ - is one that a great many people today could stand to take to heart.
As a child – Barrie’s Peter Pan worked for me. The idea of never growing up was undeniably attractive. And, as an adult, ‘Alias Hook’ worked for me. It shows the limitations (and heartlessness) of aspects of childhood [her Pan is a dangerous tyrant in all his innocence]; discusses the problems caused when people don’t learn and grow with the years, and shows the possibility of a richness to life that children have not yet glimpsed. The conclusion is sweet and satisfying, full of the possibility of healing and redemption, without being overly sentimental.
I’m glad to see that, although it might’ve taken quite a while, Jensen’s been picked up by a major publisher. Hopefully more tales of the sea will be forthcoming!
Advance copy of this book was provided by NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity to read - as always, my opinion is my own.
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LibraryThing member vonze
So, what if the shoe was on the other foot, and the adorable little Peter Pan, isn't so adorable?
What if he's an impish murdering maniac? Oh, and Captain Hook, who is actually a fairly decent guy, is trapped in Neverland and forced to fight Pan forever.
I was drawn to this book because I typically
Overall, 3.5 stars. I expected the book to be a little more romantic. It was more of an adventure, with heavy focus on trying to escape Neverland. Much like many vampire characters, Hook is at the point that he hates his life and being immortal. Realistically, that's fine. However, as he was the only narrator, I became impatient with it. I really wish part of the story had been told from Stella's perspective; a grown woman so desperate to be a mother that she dreams herself to Neverland to care for the lost boys.
But it was a fun read. Well-researched, and captured the feel of the world created by J.M. Barrie. The ending is very sweet. I'd watch a movie version of it!
What if he's an impish murdering maniac? Oh, and Captain Hook, who is actually a fairly decent guy, is trapped in Neverland and forced to fight Pan forever.
I was drawn to this book because I typically
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enjoy re-tellings and unique character perspectives. I read J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan a few years and thought it was very endearing. On a side note, my husband wishes he was Captain Hook, so I'm strangely the perfect audience for this, lol.Overall, 3.5 stars. I expected the book to be a little more romantic. It was more of an adventure, with heavy focus on trying to escape Neverland. Much like many vampire characters, Hook is at the point that he hates his life and being immortal. Realistically, that's fine. However, as he was the only narrator, I became impatient with it. I really wish part of the story had been told from Stella's perspective; a grown woman so desperate to be a mother that she dreams herself to Neverland to care for the lost boys.
But it was a fun read. Well-researched, and captured the feel of the world created by J.M. Barrie. The ending is very sweet. I'd watch a movie version of it!
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LibraryThing member DoingDewey
Before he was sent to Neverland by a curse, Benjamin Hookbridge was a ruthless privateer. Now he’s simply a storybook villain, at the mercy of his childish opponent. His hatred has kept him from imagining any way out but death until Stella Parish enters Neverland. Although Hook fears this is just
I found this book based on a blurb from Elizabeth Blackwell, author of the fantastic adult retelling of sleeping beauty, While Beauty Slept. Usually I don’t pay attention to author blurbs, but you can bet I’ll be taking her recommendations from now on! Although the feel of Alias Hook is different, I think both books share some qualities which make them successful. Both have placed the characters in more real danger than in the originals. This made me more emotionally invested in their stories, less certain everything would work out, and more moved by the character’s struggles. Both have added other adult elements as well, including more complex relationships. They’ve also made the settings far more vivid and impressive. The way Lisa Jensen imagines fairies and mermaids would be more at home in epic fantasy than in a traditional fairy tale. Epic is really the only word I can come up with to describe the amazing world she created. She has invented an incredible, unique take on the whole mythology of Neverland which I loved learning about.
As you might expect, Hook is a classic anti-hero. He certainly doesn’t imagine himself as a hero at all! Reading about his character growth and his relationship with Stella was so satisfying. Both characters were intriguingly complex and I loved them both. The writing was beautiful and poetic, making it easy for even a non-visual reader like myself to imagine the story playing out as a movie in my head. I don’t know what else to say about this superlative story that will do it justice. Really, everything about it – writing, characters, plot, setting – was perfection. If you loved While Beauty Slept, enjoy fairy tale retellings, or like stories about redemption, Alias Hook should be at the top of your to-read list.
This review first published at Doing Dewey.
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another trap of Peter’s, her faith in him and in the magic of Neverland might be exactly what’s needed to set him free.I found this book based on a blurb from Elizabeth Blackwell, author of the fantastic adult retelling of sleeping beauty, While Beauty Slept. Usually I don’t pay attention to author blurbs, but you can bet I’ll be taking her recommendations from now on! Although the feel of Alias Hook is different, I think both books share some qualities which make them successful. Both have placed the characters in more real danger than in the originals. This made me more emotionally invested in their stories, less certain everything would work out, and more moved by the character’s struggles. Both have added other adult elements as well, including more complex relationships. They’ve also made the settings far more vivid and impressive. The way Lisa Jensen imagines fairies and mermaids would be more at home in epic fantasy than in a traditional fairy tale. Epic is really the only word I can come up with to describe the amazing world she created. She has invented an incredible, unique take on the whole mythology of Neverland which I loved learning about.
As you might expect, Hook is a classic anti-hero. He certainly doesn’t imagine himself as a hero at all! Reading about his character growth and his relationship with Stella was so satisfying. Both characters were intriguingly complex and I loved them both. The writing was beautiful and poetic, making it easy for even a non-visual reader like myself to imagine the story playing out as a movie in my head. I don’t know what else to say about this superlative story that will do it justice. Really, everything about it – writing, characters, plot, setting – was perfection. If you loved While Beauty Slept, enjoy fairy tale retellings, or like stories about redemption, Alias Hook should be at the top of your to-read list.
This review first published at Doing Dewey.
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LibraryThing member lost_in_here
3.5.
I liked it; didn't love it. It did drag at times but in the end it was a fairly decent read.
I liked it; didn't love it. It did drag at times but in the end it was a fairly decent read.
LibraryThing member lexilewords
Realistically this is more of a 3.5 for me....but as someone who has always been suspicious of Peter Pan, I appreciate Jensen agreeing with me so that earns it another half star.
There has been a lot of different renditions of Hook in my life time--the move HOOK with Dustin Hoffman, PETER PAN with
And that has nothing on the LITERARY versions...
So Hook has gotten a lot of play in the last 30 years or so okay? This however was an intriguing take as it focuses more on the man who was Hook before, during and after being Pan's "foe" Captain Hook. and that peaked my interest like you wouldn't believe.
There has been a lot of different renditions of Hook in my life time--the move HOOK with Dustin Hoffman, PETER PAN with
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Jason Issacs, PETER PAN with Christopher Walken, PAN with Hugh Jackman, Disney's animated Hook, WENDY AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES' animated Hook, Syfy's NEVERLAND's Hook, ABC's ONCE UPON A TIME's Killian Jones/Hook...And that has nothing on the LITERARY versions...
So Hook has gotten a lot of play in the last 30 years or so okay? This however was an intriguing take as it focuses more on the man who was Hook before, during and after being Pan's "foe" Captain Hook. and that peaked my interest like you wouldn't believe.
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Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2013
Physical description
368 p.
Local notes
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.