A review by bittennailbooks
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Forever cursed, a child's wretched plaything.

I am no retelling fanatic but a local horror bookseller put this book in my fantasy loving hands and said "read this, you'll love it." So I did!

An absolute sickening delight of a read that encompasses Lord of the Flies and a twisted Neverland through the eyes of none other than: Captain James Hook. The original lost boy.

Henry breathes a paternal life into this originally paper tiger character from fairy tales past. Before he was Hook, Jamie was the caretaker for the discarded play things of Pan, our lost boys. Either picked off by pirates, many eyed things, or one another - bloodshed just means another boy for Pan to bring home as a toy, with Jamie left to care for them, or clean up the bodies. The mirage of Peter wavers when Jamie realizes Pan's never ending lies, so begins a cat and mouse game on the island of Neverland.

A must read: 5/5