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

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

If Peter Pan has a million haters, I'm one of them. If he has one hater, it's me. If he has 0 haters, I have died. If the world is against Peter Pan, I am with the world. If the world is for Peter Pan, I am against the world.



Okay, that aside this was an incredibly gripping read. I would have finished in a day if it weren't for obligations.  So many things in this story just make sense if you're familiar in any way with the Peter Pan story. There's something so odd about him and Neverland that's just written off as magic and childish whimsy, but thinking about it too hard makes ol' P.P. a bit of a creepy figure who is more in the wrong than people may think. Even before reading this book I'd wondered as a child what exactly did Hook do that was so bad to earn Peter's constant torment and pestering beyond being annoyed with the little bastard who refuses to mature or be responsibility. Hook is one of those childhood antagonists that doesn't really feel like one if the only lense looked at him with is "well, he spoils the fun of children" because... so? and?
The author painted such a tragic image of the boy who would captain the Jolly Roger that it is impossible not to join Team Hook-Did-Nothing-Wrong before it's done. Literally everything that's led him to the point of becoming Hook was casued by Peter's  meddling and you'd have to be on something to even try to convince me that he shouldn't give that "kid" what he deserves. I also feel like I am never going to look at the more cheerful depictions of Peter and his Lost Boys the same way after this book
revealed that the children brought to Neverland from the "Other Place" are all but sows being saved for slaughter, so the blood spilled through Peter's games are what keep the island teaming with magic and Peter young, all-knowing, and immortal
. That went beyond the "Lord of the Flies" vibe that is very present and true, so it's going to stay with me for a little bit.
While some retellings of childhood stories can edge too close to "look at how edgy everything is oooooh", Henry truly Told A Story with sympathetic characters you root and feel for, believable dangers and stakes, and an ending that is both understandably bleak and still hopeful for the day, somewhere, somehow, Peter finally stops getting his way. If only for there to finally be justice for everything he's caused in the name of fun.

Edit: f it. changing my 4.75 to a 5 because this book really grabbed me. No notes on the writing (Henry did great) or any characters beyond the antagonist getting on my nerves, so yeah. A perfect book if you know what you're looking for and what you're getting into.
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