Hooked - BookWyrm

English language

Published Feb. 12, 2022 by Titan Books Limited.

ISBN:: 978-1-78909-683-5

(1 review)

Once invited, always welcome. Once invited, never free.

Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate of Neverland, has died a thousand times. Drowned, stabbed by Peter Pan’s sword, eaten by the beast swimming below the depths, yet James was resurrected every time by one boy’s dark imagination. Until he found a door in the sky, an escape. And he took the chance no matter the cost.

Now in London twenty-two years later, Peter Pan’s monster has found Captain Hook again, intent on revenge. But a chance encounter leads James to another survivor of Neverland. Wendy Darling, now a grown woman, is the only one who knows how dark a shadow Neverland casts, no matter how far you run. To vanquish Pan’s monster once and for all, Hook must play the villain one last time…

1 edition

chayote reviewed Hooked by A. C. Wise

Review of 'Hooked' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The main events of Hooked take place 8 years after the conclusion of Wendy, Darling. It follows a similar structure as Wendy, Darling, with multiple POVs as well as flashbacks to past events at several different times. While the focus is on Hook, sort of, I also felt like I didn't get as much Hook as I wanted from this. Wendy and her daughter Jane are also POV characters here, and Jane's POV in particular felt like more of a distraction that addition to the narrative. Jane is so focused on the events 8 years ago and resentful of her mother, that she seemed childish and frustrating and her chapters were far less enjoyable. I loved the exploration of Hook's mental health issues, from addiction to an almost-identity-disorder thrust upon him by Pan's power in Neverland. I also enjoyed seeing Wendy and Hook interact as adults in the first half …

The main events of Hooked take place 8 years after the conclusion of Wendy, Darling. It follows a similar structure as Wendy, Darling, with multiple POVs as well as flashbacks to past events at several different times. While the focus is on Hook, sort of, I also felt like I didn't get as much Hook as I wanted from this. Wendy and her daughter Jane are also POV characters here, and Jane's POV in particular felt like more of a distraction that addition to the narrative. Jane is so focused on the events 8 years ago and resentful of her mother, that she seemed childish and frustrating and her chapters were far less enjoyable. I loved the exploration of Hook's mental health issues, from addiction to an almost-identity-disorder thrust upon him by Pan's power in Neverland. I also enjoyed seeing Wendy and Hook interact as adults in the first half of the book. Once our characters end up in Neverland, the events felt very chaotic and I struggled to maintain my interest. It felt simultaneously like not enough and like it overstayed its welcome. Ultimately, I'm glad we got a story from Hook since he was notably missing from Wendy, Darling, but I'm not sure it felt wholly necessary or satisfying as a sequel to Wendy, Darling. I wish we'd gotten this as more of a standalone Hook story, since revisiting the events from Wendy, Darling took so much attention away from Hook.