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A review by hedrigall
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry
5.0
4.5/5 stars
*Spoiler Free Review*
Reading this in preparation for a Hook Halloween costume, I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I really enjoyed my time with this book.
Telling James Hook’s side of the story, I don’t think I can look at the Peter Pan mythos the same way ever again. Christina Henry crafts an engrossing portrayal of Peter Pan and the evil side of perpetual youth: Lack of morality, acceptance of violence, selective memory, self-absorbed.
I tried keeping the mentality of the possibly unreliable narrator in the beginning of the story, but quickly forgot about that as I got lost in the plot. This may be worth a reread when I’m not distracted by the raw emotions I felt.
I might have a somewhat empty grievance with this book. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that you know how this book ends: The Pan plot as we know it begins. But the story I read was so harrowing provocative that I find myself wanting *more* resolution, more catharsis for Jamie’s plight. I’ve never read the original Pan novel, but somehow I don’t think Hook does very well for himself in the end. Maybe I just have to accept that, that Peter gets a happily-everafter.
Is it petty to take away half a star because I want more continuation/relief from what is essentially an alt-prequel? Maybe. Is it remarkable that an author can write such an alt-prequel that makes me dissatisfied with the nature of its sequel property? Absolutely, bravo. That should be recognized. I may even edit this later and give it the 5 stars solely on that fact alone, but I can’t discount the lack of resolution I felt coming fresh out of the story. I want to ask, what will THIS Hook that I’ve come to know do now,
Additional notes:
-Wanted to reiterate how much I loved Peter’s portrayal and a refreshing take on the Youth vs Adulthood dynamic
-This novel was apparently a semifinalist on Goodreads for Best Horror, and while I wouldn’t call myself exactly scared anywhere in the story, there was definitely some horrified looks at my Kindle screen.
*Spoiler Free Review*
Reading this in preparation for a Hook Halloween costume, I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I really enjoyed my time with this book.
Telling James Hook’s side of the story, I don’t think I can look at the Peter Pan mythos the same way ever again. Christina Henry crafts an engrossing portrayal of Peter Pan and the evil side of perpetual youth: Lack of morality, acceptance of violence, selective memory, self-absorbed.
I tried keeping the mentality of the possibly unreliable narrator in the beginning of the story, but quickly forgot about that as I got lost in the plot. This may be worth a reread when I’m not distracted by the raw emotions I felt.
I might have a somewhat empty grievance with this book. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that you know how this book ends: The Pan plot as we know it begins. But the story I read was so harrowing provocative that I find myself wanting *more* resolution, more catharsis for Jamie’s plight. I’ve never read the original Pan novel, but somehow I don’t think Hook does very well for himself in the end. Maybe I just have to accept that, that Peter gets a happily-everafter.
Is it petty to take away half a star because I want more continuation/relief from what is essentially an alt-prequel? Maybe. Is it remarkable that an author can write such an alt-prequel that makes me dissatisfied with the nature of its sequel property? Absolutely, bravo. That should be recognized. I may even edit this later and give it the 5 stars solely on that fact alone, but I can’t discount the lack of resolution I felt coming fresh out of the story. I want to ask, what will THIS Hook that I’ve come to know do now,
Additional notes:
-Wanted to reiterate how much I loved Peter’s portrayal and a refreshing take on the Youth vs Adulthood dynamic
-This novel was apparently a semifinalist on Goodreads for Best Horror, and while I wouldn’t call myself exactly scared anywhere in the story, there was definitely some horrified looks at my Kindle screen.