Review by chrissiesreadingcorner - Hooked

chrissiesreadingcorner 's review for:

Hooked by Emily McIntire

4.75

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

❗️ There will most likely be SPOILERS in this, so proceed at your own risk! 😉

Ok so I will admit, at the beginning of this I was somewhat skeptical about whether I'd actually end up liking this book because Hook really is dark & at first Wendy does come across as someone that would usually get on my nerves incredibly quickly, BUT BOY WAS I WRONG!

“Just remember that whenever things feel bleak, all situations are temporary. It’s not your circumstance that determines your worth, it’s how you rise from the ashes after everything burns.”

This book had me experiencing the whole range of emotions! Everything from excitement, anger, sadness & happiness to grief, with more than a few "I-need-a-cold-drink-before-I-continue" moments! 🥵 🌶️

The relationship between Wendy & Hook really draws you in & it was so sweet seeing how he ended up falling for her throughout the book, all while trying to convince himself that he wasn't. It was heart-rending seeing both of them struggle with their feelings for each other when they thought that the other one hated them & I felt like I just wanted to scream at them multiple times during this!

At first I thought there was no way I'd find redeeming qualities in Hook, but reading more about his childhood & everything he's gone through, it really made me feel like I could understand why he did what he did. Not to mention the fact that I'm a sucker for the whole "hates-everyone-but-her" trope! And despite the fact that Hook was possessive, protective & downright stalker-ish, he also helped her grow as a person & didn't try to change who she was.

“You want to watch the world burn?” “Let me guess, you’ll set it on fire?” I ask. He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me and settling into my bones. “No, darling. I’ll hand you the match, and stand at your back, watching you become queen of the ashes.”

Wendy starts off as someone that's basically the doormat of her family & friends, but it was so gratifying seeing how she got tired of that & grew out of that role during this book. Despite the best efforts of her father to gaslight her with every conversation they had. I managed to relate to more than a few parts of both of these characters stories & personalities.

I'm only deducting .25 stars because the main climax & conflict resolution at the end felt a bit rushed, like there was too much happening too fast, & it made it feel a bit anti-climatic because of that.

Overall I absolutely adored this book! I ended up reading it in like 4 hours without being able to put it down! It touched on more than a few of my own triggers, so I'd definitely recommend looking into a full TW list before reading it yourself, but I'd 100% recommend it!

Content Warnings