Hooked, by A.C. Wise (Titan)
Once invited, always welcome.
Once invited, never free.
Neverland is not a safe place but not for the reasons given
in the books and movies. It’s a poison in the blood, an addiction whose single
taste changes a person forever. A long time ago, a malevolent eternal child
snatched a young man from his English home and transformed him into an immortal
villain: Captain Hook. Never able to win against Peter Pan and always at the
mercy of the menacing crocodilian beast, Hook’s world has become one
blood-soaked death after another. Then a slowly evolving relationship with his
ship’s surgeon awakens memories of the man he used to be, a man capable of
goodness, self-sacrifice, and even love. After discovering a door through the
sky, Hook and his surgeon return to London, living in the shadows and always fearing
the return of the beast and the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface of
his mind. On the eve of World War II, a murder throws Hook together with Wendy
Darling and her grown daughter, and it’s only a matter of time before Neverland
sinks its claws into them again.
The narrative style is intense, dark, and eminently
accessible. Moving from one timeline to another, the story unfolds as a spiral,
layering connected events, character journeys, and emotional resonances. I
especially admired how the author offers understanding without excuses for
Hook’s violent deeds. Like other survivors of horrendous abuse, Hook is still
responsible for his actions. He is what Peter Pan made of him—the
quintessential adversary. He is also what he then makes of the ashen dregs of
the man he might have been.
I missed Wendy, Darling, A. C. Wise’s previous novel
based on Peter Pan, but I never felt the lack. It’s the mark of a
skillful writer to create a sequel (or several) that stand so solidly on their
own, no previous experience is required. Instead, Hooked captured me so
thoroughly, I’m ready to grab anything else I can find by the author.
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