Scan barcode
A review by egbella
Becoming Hook by Mary Mecham
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I believe this is my new favorite Peter Pan retelling. Once I started reading, I could hardly make myself put it down, finishing it over the course of one day (not one sitting - only because of work)!
This was such a fun journey, with so many neat tie-ins to both the original tale of Peter Pan and the Disney version. Names such as Captain James Hook, Tinkerbell, and Smee were familiar, as were some of the names of the Lost Boys. Tiger Lily also made an appearance, but I loved the approach that the author took with some of the characters, using them in the story but giving them a new twist. I LOVED finding out some of the twists with Smee and his descendants as well. The name Terrance being mentioned in relation to Tinkerbell also made me smile at one point (the animated Tinkerbell movies, anyone?)
And even though so much of the world was familiar, the new details that the author focused on were so welcome. I enjoyed the dynamics of time working differently on Neverland versus "London" and the pressure that that aspect put on the characters, as well as the ability that the pixies had to grow and shrink. The brief parts with sirens/mermaids was also fascinating, as were the story problems that came up with their blood, and the pixies blood. In general, the new world-building was done so well, even with a world I was already pretty familiar with.
I do have some story questions that weren't answered, but I assume that they're explained more in the next books (i.e. where did Hook's ship come from? What are they doing with Peter? etc.) I'll keep reading in the series to see.
I liked Jimmy/Captain Hook from the start. I'm a sucker for a good villain-is-actually-the-hero retelling and this is one of my favorites now. Although I would have liked to see a bit more of his life with Peter before his change of heart, I loved the backstory that was provided, and found the glimpses of his life that we received fascinating. He was a character I could root for and respect, and I'm so glad he has gotten his own happy ending - even if he makes questionable decisions sometimes. I could also very much relate to his "workaholic-ness", haha.
Tinkerbell wasn't as vivid a character for me. For some reason, I just couldn't relate or connect with her as much, but I still enjoyed her place in the story. She was fiery and resourceful and clearly did care about Hook. Their relationship was really sweet - a bit insta-love in a couple of places, I thought (I wonder why five years of nothing between them went by and then all of a sudden BAM they're in love) - but I didn't really mind. It was a cute dynamic and I was rooting for them.
And Peter. Oh my, Peter. It made me so sad to see what he was like here, but it also made sense. His actions and personality fit perfectly with the story, and even though he is the WORST, he's very well-written and vivid. I am interested to see what happens with him later on in the series because I think he's too powerful a character to just be thrown away after one book.
My only qualms were that the romance made me a tad bit uncomfortable at one place in particular (nothing inappropriate at all, just a bit more touchy-feely than I usually read), and some of the writing itself could have been polished more. But neither were big enough issues to hinder my enjoyment of the story, and I know it's largely personal preference.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this and am going to continue on in the series. Mecham has such a refreshing take on fairy tale retellings and I have yet to read one of her books that I haven't really enjoyed. Especially as many of her themes are ones that I hold close in my life.
So if you enjoy fairy tale retellings with sweet romance, interesting characters, fun spins on familiar classics, and a bit of banter, you might love this one! Especially if you're a fan of Disney's Peter Pan and/or Disney's Tinkerbell movies. I'd probably recommend 14+ for this one.
Content to be aware of: some kisses (tame but passionate), a woman wraps her legs around a man's waist while kissing him, brief mentions of a woman's curves and finding her attractive, a hand is cut off, mental health struggles/depression, kidnapping, "drugging" with Pixie dust, violence in battles, a character recounts her people being tortured and "experimented on", loss.
This was such a fun journey, with so many neat tie-ins to both the original tale of Peter Pan and the Disney version. Names such as Captain James Hook, Tinkerbell, and Smee were familiar, as were some of the names of the Lost Boys. Tiger Lily also made an appearance, but I loved the approach that the author took with some of the characters, using them in the story but giving them a new twist. I LOVED finding out some of the twists with Smee and his descendants as well. The name Terrance being mentioned in relation to Tinkerbell also made me smile at one point (the animated Tinkerbell movies, anyone?)
And even though so much of the world was familiar, the new details that the author focused on were so welcome. I enjoyed the dynamics of time working differently on Neverland versus "London" and the pressure that that aspect put on the characters, as well as the ability that the pixies had to grow and shrink. The brief parts with sirens/mermaids was also fascinating, as were the story problems that came up with their blood, and the pixies blood. In general, the new world-building was done so well, even with a world I was already pretty familiar with.
I do have some story questions that weren't answered, but I assume that they're explained more in the next books (i.e. where did Hook's ship come from? What are they doing with Peter? etc.) I'll keep reading in the series to see.
I liked Jimmy/Captain Hook from the start. I'm a sucker for a good villain-is-actually-the-hero retelling and this is one of my favorites now. Although I would have liked to see a bit more of his life with Peter before his change of heart, I loved the backstory that was provided, and found the glimpses of his life that we received fascinating. He was a character I could root for and respect, and I'm so glad he has gotten his own happy ending - even if he makes questionable decisions sometimes. I could also very much relate to his "workaholic-ness", haha.
Tinkerbell wasn't as vivid a character for me. For some reason, I just couldn't relate or connect with her as much, but I still enjoyed her place in the story. She was fiery and resourceful and clearly did care about Hook. Their relationship was really sweet - a bit insta-love in a couple of places, I thought (I wonder why five years of nothing between them went by and then all of a sudden BAM they're in love) - but I didn't really mind. It was a cute dynamic and I was rooting for them.
And Peter. Oh my, Peter. It made me so sad to see what he was like here, but it also made sense. His actions and personality fit perfectly with the story, and even though he is the WORST, he's very well-written and vivid. I am interested to see what happens with him later on in the series because I think he's too powerful a character to just be thrown away after one book.
My only qualms were that the romance made me a tad bit uncomfortable at one place in particular (nothing inappropriate at all, just a bit more touchy-feely than I usually read), and some of the writing itself could have been polished more. But neither were big enough issues to hinder my enjoyment of the story, and I know it's largely personal preference.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this and am going to continue on in the series. Mecham has such a refreshing take on fairy tale retellings and I have yet to read one of her books that I haven't really enjoyed. Especially as many of her themes are ones that I hold close in my life.
So if you enjoy fairy tale retellings with sweet romance, interesting characters, fun spins on familiar classics, and a bit of banter, you might love this one! Especially if you're a fan of Disney's Peter Pan and/or Disney's Tinkerbell movies. I'd probably recommend 14+ for this one.
Content to be aware of: some kisses (tame but passionate), a woman wraps her legs around a man's waist while kissing him, brief mentions of a woman's curves and finding her attractive, a hand is cut off, mental health struggles/depression, kidnapping, "drugging" with Pixie dust, violence in battles, a character recounts her people being tortured and "experimented on", loss.