Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry (2017)
Fiction | Fantasy | Horror
Blurb:
“There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.
Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.
Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.”
–Goodreads
pooled ink Review:
My mixed reaction upon finishing this book: Grumpy but impressed.
Wow. I have some very mixed feelings about this book haha but I think the Peter Pan story just might be forever ruined for me now…
Writing-wise this book deserves top marks because the story was written so well, especially in weaving together what we all know and love as the Peter Pan tale into this darker more chilling truth. I’m not giving it 5-stars however because…I don’t know but I just can’t. My soul won’t let me. (Take that Peter!) As brilliant as it was and even though I think it absolutely succeeded in its goal, I just never want to read this ever again haha.
The plot was so slow and creepy and bloody and chilling and every action and word was laced with a sense of dread for the ending that it was almost a depressing read honestly. But oh gosh, Peter and Jamie (a.k.a. Captain Hook) were written so well, they each evolved so slowly that it was horrifying to compare the wild boys they were so long ago to the blood that binds them in the end.
The original theatrical script of Peter Pan was so enchanting, the Broadway musical production so cheeky, the Disney movie so classic…and there are several other versions of the famous Peter Pan tale but this one…this one was like a gothic horror story, slow and chilling to the bone.
From the very start you knew there could be no happy ending. We all know that Peter and Hook are enemies for always. And yet as you get to know Jamie, Peter, the lost boys, and the island, you just can’t help but hope that somehow this story will surprise you and that magically everything and everyone will be okay because goodness always wins…right? Especially as you unravel the truths alongside Jamie you’ll forget that you already know his fate, you’ll forget and you’ll hope and you’ll suffer for it. This book was like a southern gothic horror story with a Lord of the Flies vibe and a dash of the fairytale. It’s a prequel to the Peter Pan story so many are familiar with and yet after reading this it will forever shift your perception of that beloved children’s tale.
It was so messed up. It’s human nature to cry out for justice and yet everything was so twisted and horrible and past the point of return and NO JUSTICE. WHERE’S MY SWEET JUSTICE?
I just…I have so many conflicting emotions right now haha. On one hand I want to stand up and applaud its cleverness and finesse with which it carves out a bloody backstory for the boy who never grows up and yet on the other hand I’m so chilled and infuriated with the ending (despite knowing deep down what it would be all along) that I never want to think about this book again!
If you are a fan of Peter Pan and villain origin stories then you’ve got to check out this book because it really will make your jaw drop and your spine shudder and your heart roar for justice. If you’d rather stick with the happy Disney version then by all means spare yourself and do so.
Lost Boy is a villain’s origin story for once they were all just a wild group of lost boys yearning to be happy and free, that is until one boy began to grow up and as he did the games began to lose their shine. Peter Pan is a character well known and his story is one told a thousand times over, and yet this particular story shatters the beautiful boy who flies in dreams and with this veil lifted your blood with chill. Vicious, forthright, and written with a blood-inked pen, this is a story that will stick with you long into the night after you’ve witnessed the horrible truths within. Say goodbye to your childhood and good luck sleeping.
Cheers.
Purchase here: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
Meet Christina Henry!
CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the CHRONICLES OF ALICE duology, ALICE and RED QUEEN, a dark and twisted take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as LOST BOY: THE TRUE STORY OF CAPTAIN HOOK, an origin story of Captain Hook from Peter Pan.
She is also the author of the national bestselling BLACK WINGS series (BLACK WINGS, BLACK NIGHT, BLACK HOWL, BLACK LAMENT, BLACK CITY, BLACK HEART and BLACK SPRING) featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle Beezle.
She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
-Goodreads
pooled ink 