I received an advanced reader copy (electronic) of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. Thank you to Titan books and A.C.Wise for allowing me to read Hooked before it’s release.

I absolutely adore fairy tale retellings, so when I read the synopsis for this book I was instantly intrigued! I found myself enjoying seeing such a darker side to Neverland, though I did feel at times I was missing some information; most likely because while it is not listed as a sequel anywhere I could see, it definitely read like one. I found out after reading about Wendy Darling and I can’t help but wonder how much my experience reading Hooked would have changed if I had only read that first.

My favourite character was without a doubt James/Hook. I found his POV chapters to be the most interesting and I loved his troubled connection with Samuel; I absolutely loved the fact Hook within this book is romantically entangled with a man.

Speaking of things I loved about this book, I was SO onboard with the fact that things were subverted; turning Peter Pan’s whole character on its head was brilliant.

I did however feel both Wendy and Jane were a bit flat when lining them up next to such a complex and flawed character as James/Hook.

I am an absolute sucker for a Peter Pan retelling. I have read and watched a lot over the years and I’m not sick of it yet.

As far as Pan retelling’s go I enjoyed it, but if you prefer Peter Pan tales of adventure this might not be the retelling for you. It is mostly a Wendy’s Daughter, Jane and Captain Hook story told in flashbacks and present time. Elevator pitch would be what happens after you escape Neverland if Neverland isn’t ready to give you back.

I would have loved to read more Peter but the story was still enjoyable. The start got a little repetitive for me but I understood why as is was so important to Captain Hook’s story setting him up as a victim and Peter as a Villain. Something different in this retelling were our secondary characters, the lost boys and the pirates all had different names to the original story. I did love the addition of the Pirate surgeon Samuel and the inclusion of queer characters!

Overall a very quick and enjoyable book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review. - 3.5 stars

I thought this dark thriller in the Peter Pan universe would be right up my alley. The novel focuses on issues Captain Hook, Wendy, and her daughter Jane have after returning from Neverland, and it is clearly a continuation of the author's previous novel Wendy, Darling, which I haven't read. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book and ended up skimming the end after making it to 60% finished. The flashbacks were interesting, and I think if the book had them as the main storyline rather than flashbacks I would have been more interested. I just got bored (and somewhat confused) reading any of the “present day” chapters. I do wonder if some of my confusion comes from not having ready Wendy, Darling - I'll edit my review if I ever do and it helps! I recently read Darling Girl, and the darkness of Hooked was very similar… I just feel like I want something different from a Peter Pan retelling.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Although I have seen this book put forward as somewhat of a standalone, for the best experience I would recommend reading Wendy, Darling first. While the events of Wendy, Darling are summarised nicely in Hooked, the Neverland we return to is not the dangerous but beautiful place that we first set foot upon in Wendy, Darling. Gone are the Lost Boys with their boyish, cruel playfulness. Gone are the Indians (sic) or the tortured things that were left of them when Wendy finally returned. Gone, too, is Peter Pan himself; although perhaps not. Instead, the land we return to is as broken and twisted as Hook himself, and to truly appreciate the difference, I believe one should read the other book first.

In Wendy, Darling, we learn that Hook and his pirates sailed their pirate ship into the sky and escaped Neverland long before Wendy returned, leaving nothing behind but a beached wreck full of ghosts and memories. What happened to them after that, we never learned.

In Hooked, that question is finally answered.

After escaping Neverland, Hook finds himself back in London. More than fifty years have passed since he fell into Neverland and now Hook is no longer a pirate but a broken man with a opiate addition that threatens to swallow him whole - if the past and his self-loathing do not swallow him first.

"Fill up every space in yourself with the knowledge that you can do this, because you’ve done it before. Leave no space for doubt, then aim for the second star to the right and keep on straight until morning."

Eight years after her own escape, Jane is now a young woman studying medicine. She has not forgotten Neverland, and some wounds have still not healed. Her relationship with her mother is a strained, fragile thing. In many ways, Jane still blames Wendy for everything that happened when she was a child.

Especially when a shadow of Neverland, one of Hook's dark demons, slips through a crack into the real world and steals away someone Jane loves.

While Wendy, Darling was in part a tale about a mother who had to destroy a piece of herself with her own hands to save her daughter, Hooked is a tale about a man who has been broken over and over again by Peter Pan. Hook is both a monster to be hated for what he has done, and a victim to be pitied for what has been done to him. He battles not only with addiction but with disability, PTSD, and a fundamental self-loathing of himself, a belief that he cannot be anything more than what he has become and that he does not deserve to love or be loved. In him we see the cycle of abuse and violence - the need to enact upon others the hurt that has been done to him.

I read Wendy, Darling in preparation for this book, and it had me hooked (hah!) from the first page, but it took a while for Hooked to get there. I enjoyed the concepts of this book but did not find the first half of it all that engaging. Once Jane returns to Neverland, however, the story found its footing and really began to shine. There was a real sense of loss in how different Neverland had become since we were last there. In many ways, it echoed the way in which Neverland was different for Wendy when she returned, too, as if with each return something more of it is lost.

Sometimes, you don't have any choice but to grow up.

Struggling to leave a review as DNF'd around 30% of the way through. Just couldn't get into it and didn't enjoy it.

3.5/5 Stars

I definitely preferred this book to ‘Wendy Darling’, which I don’t think is necessarily marketed as the first book but is definitely a prequel and links into this book majorly.

Although the only character I enjoyed in this book was Hook/ James, I enjoyed the comprehension of his villainy and how it wasn’t as straightforward as being ‘good’ or ‘evil’. The other characters fell very flat and did not quite come to life.

I thought the exploration of survivors guilt and grief was done well, and the feminist themes were developed nicely.

I did find the pacing of the book a little out of sync and would have preferred it to have been quicker in some parts but slower in others. Again like in Wendy Darling I found there to be a lack of world building for NeverLand and wish it had much more development.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this book for an honest review.

After quite enjoying Wendy, Darling, I was looking forward to seeing what AC Wise did with another infamous Peter Pan character: Caption James Hook.

However, I was left pretty disappointed. I enjoyed the darker twist in Wendy, Darling, and while that was definitely present in Hooked, I felt like this book wasn't as well put together. There were took many perspectives - I didn't realise that it was going to be basically a continuation from Wendy, Darling in terms of Wendy and Jane's stories - and the flashbacks were more enjoyable than the present.

While it did have some enjoyable parts, and I did appreciate the darker perspective on a story we all know so well (and love), it wasn't enough for me to enjoy it more than I did. Also, it's definitely a sequel, and that's no evidence on the promotion information. While technically you wouldn't HAVE to read Wendy, Darling before reading this one, I'm very glad I did because so much of Wendy and Jane in Hooked wouldn't make that much sense if you hadn't read the 'first one'.

So while it had potential, it's a 2-star rating for me, which, going off Goodreads rating system is 'it was okay'.

I would have been grateful to know prior to starting this book, that this is a SEQUEL or at least companion novel to Wendy Darling by the same author.

Despite that, I tried my best to get into but it felt like a fever dream, too many POVs, confusing time lines and although the writing is undeniably compelling, the pacing and put felt a bit all over the place for me to enjoy. Sadly, I could not finish this book for the above reasons. Maybe I would understand more if I had read Wendy Darling prior to this one? I am unsure.

But if you are into Peter Pan retellings, grim dark, as in VERY grim dark themes, mental issues being explored as well as the use of drugs and do not expect a linear timeline and things left unclear or unsaid, then this is a book for you!
Just not for me, and that is okay! Which explains my average rating! :)
2,5 rounding down to 2 stars.

Thank you Netgaley for this e-copy, I would just appreciate more information before requesting this one and since I cannot leave a review with no stars, then this is what I can honestly provide right now. Hope you take this as constructive feedback :)

AC Wise’s stunning take on the Peter Pan mythos continues, picking up the story where Wendy Darling left off, bringing back familiar faces and introducing a new – but also familiar – character in the guise of James Hook.

As with Wendy Darling, the book takes the view of Peter Pan as a dangerous villain, a childlike spirit with immense power who wishes people to bend to his whims. We meet a Hook who was forced into the role of pirate captain, but who escaped and is now grieving his dead lover.

I did like some aspects of this book. AC Wise can write well, and I loved the feminist and queer spin on the classic tale; however, something about this one didn’t quite work for me and I felt it was a little too long for my liking. I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t resonate with me, but it’s still a book I’d very much recommend.

I have no idea what I just read. The constant changing of timelines and weird imagery paired with characters using opium and multiple POVs has left me totally confused. The parts I did understand were also just not good enough to make me try to understand the rest.

I'll start off by saying that I picked up this book because I really enjoyed Wendy, Darling. I have no idea why this isn't being marketed as a series, it is the same characters and world and this really is a sequel, set several years after that book concludes. The only reason I didn't love Wendy, Darling was the bizarre ending. Well, this book was like an entire book of an epilogue extending the weirdness. I got really confused multiple times and eventually started skimming over the weirder parts which probably didn't help but I figured I would not understand them anyway.

I also feel totally gypped on the premise of this book. I was promised a book about a gay Captain Hook in a twisted feminist Peter Pan. What I got was 1/3 old James looking back on his time in Neverland with glimpses of his romance and then 2/3 a continuation of the Wendy/Jane story from Wendy, Darling. The promised plot was not delivered or at least way underdelivered. There might be a story worth telling in there but this book got so caught up in trying to be literary and lyrical and different that it just fell into a mess of confused purple prose.

I still would recommend Wendy, Darling, I thought it was a very solid book. If the ending of that one doesn't leave you at all confused or angry, maybe given this one a try as a sequel and further dive in the realms of weird.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

It was an interesting retelling to our old and beloved Peter Pan. I liked the focused on Captain Hook, and the way he was portrait. Mind you there're three POV and two timelines, sio it might be a bit confusing although all of it is clearly shown. Cap Hook is a broken person full of Peter Pan BS. I've read some others PT retellings and this one was a favourite. Really liked the feminist theme around the book, but I thought it wasn't that deep and it is not a feminist retelling, but it is a QUEER CAP HOOK retelling and I loved it!!

English:

Thanks to Netgalley for sending a digital copy of this book

I requested this book without knowing it was a sequel to Wendy, Darling. As a result, I had to read the first book because I did not want to miss significant cluea. But his review will mainly be focused on the second book.

I have to say it was a disappointment. There are many things that overlap in time and space with the first book but apparently, they did not happened at the same time as per what the first book said. I will try avoiding any spoilers, but the coherence of the timeline is a bit blurred.

That is the primary reason for the 2 star rating I give it, but there are others:

The characters of Captain Hook and one of the other pirates. I thought it was going to be even more gayer than the first book (which is something that I was really looking forward as the first book just mentioned it and at the end). However, I found they tried to be too mysterious as in the first book and the relationship between the characters was somewhat confusing. There is a lot of time-jumping backwards and forwards and more POVs, which are even more confusing as it is written in 3rd person...

The characters of Wendy and Jane were already developed in the first book, but still they have overmuch protagonism in Captain's Hook story. Plus, it takes too much time until things start to thoroughly develop (just like the first book). I understand we need context, but most of that context was given in the first book and that only leaves some need for Hook's backstory. Which, again, confusing and somewhat incoherent with the events of the first book.

Taking everything into consideration, I genuinely liked the idea, the worldbuilding and the magic system. I also enjoyed how it affected the characters and their relationships, which was very interesting to see between Wendy and her daughter, specially now after what happened in the first book. But, the overall development of the story... I found it lacking something, apart from the fact that some things do not add up to previous events.

Spanish:

Gracias a Netgalley por el envío en digital de este libro.

Pedí este libro sin saber que era la secuela de Wendy, Darling. Por eso, tuve que leer el primer libro porque no quería perderme ninguna pista importante. Pero esta reseña se centrará principalmente en el segundo libro.

Tengo que decir que fue una decepción. Hay muchas cosas que se solapan en el tiempo y en el espacio con el primer libro, pero aparentemente, no sucedieron al mismo tiempo según lo que decía el primer libro. Intentaré evitar cualquier spoiler, pero la coherencia de la línea temporal es un poco borrosa.

Esa es la razón principal de las 2 estrellas que le doy, pero hay otras:

Los personajes de El Capitán Garfio y otro de los piratas. Pensaba que iba a ser aún más gay que el primer libro (cosa que me hacía mucha ilusión ya que el primer libro sólo lo mencionaba y al final). Sin embargo, me pareció que intentaron ser demasiado misteriosos como en el primer libro y la relación entre los personajes fue algo confusa. Hay muchos saltos en el tiempo hacia adelante y hacia atrás y más puntos de vista, que son aún más confusos ya que está escrito en tercera persona...

Los personajes de Wendy y Jane ya estaban desarrollados en el primer libro, pero aun así tienen demasiado protagonismo en la historia de El Capitán Garfio. Además, tarda demasiado tiempo hasta que las cosas empiezan a desarrollarse a fondo (igual que en el primer libro). Entiendo que necesitamos contexto, pero la mayor parte de ese contexto se dio en el primer libro y eso sólo deja con algo de vacío para la historia de Garfio previa a este libro. Que, de nuevo, es confusa y algo incoherente con los acontecimientos del primer libro.

Teniendo todo en cuenta, me ha gustado mucho la idea, la construcción del mundo y el sistema de magia. También me gustó cómo afectó a los personajes y sus relaciones, que fue muy interesante ver entre Wendy y su hija, especialmente ahora después de lo que pasó en el primer libro. Pero, el desarrollo general de la historia... Me pareció que le faltaba algo, aparte de que algunas cosas no cuadran con los acontecimientos anteriores.

-Ele

Hooked reminded me of its prequel a lot, while also being distinctly its own thing.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for the opportunity.

I have my own blog now (www.daysinotherworlds.com), so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)

Release date: 12th of July 2022.

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I'm not the biggest fan of fairy tale retellings and the like of stories, or rather I rarely find series that interest me enough to pick them up. The ones I tried, have also not been the greatest at representing what this sub-genre is capable of producing. That is, until I read Wendy, Darling by the author last year. I was lucky enough to get an ARC for it as well, and it blew my mind.

The way the author handled Wendy's trauma and her fight against her demons following the aftermath of Neverland was brilliant. Emphasizing on the motherly side of the situation was a huge bonus and making it a darker version of a retelling was just the icing on the cake. In my humble opinion anyway.

A. C. Wise comes back in Hooked and does it all over again for another prominent character in the original Peter Pan fairy tale, Captain Hook.

Both book take the main character in them and dissects what Neverland and Peter Pan to be exact, has done to them. In Hooked, it paints the Captain in such a broken state that it somewhat erases the more comical depiction, other media has used for him. While also adding a new dimension of horror to the whole Peter Pan situation.

It's even more horrible the farther in the book I get, because a learned situation or a conditioned situation into a person is not easily changed. I was able to see Hook's struggles in trying to let go, get better, how to cope and coming to terms with what has happened to him throughout the years in Neverland. The developments and regressions were very interesting, and it also added a certain level of realism to coping with trauma.

And I absolutely loved that.

The story shifts in the timeline from the time in Neverland, the past before it, the past after it, current time and so on. But, there wasn't any time where I actually felt that I was confused by what's happening and I'll attribute it to the author's honing of her craft, the smaller cast number and finally, the fact that I read this after Wendy, Darling.

This is a standalone sequel, and while a chance to read it first is there as the story is recapped several times, I strongly urge anyone to read it second. It'll make the world have a lot more sense, and the true weight of why this is horrible is felt much better given what happens in the predecessor.

Wendy, Jane and the others are not forgotten either. Although they have a smaller role in the bigger scheme of things, this time along. Wendy in particular is not as prominent as she was before and it makes sense why she isn't. Moving away to give the chance for the others to have their moments is also incredibly fun when done well and A. C. Wise is brilliant for me in writing her characters.

The one thing that has stopped me from loving it as much as the previous book however, comes with my bane in entertainment, romance.

It's something I struggle with a lot in my readings (easily noticeable if anyone has been kind enough to follow my reviews for a while now), or media in general and this time was no different. The progression of the story is heavily reliant on a relationship in the series, and I'm in the sad minority of those who don't enjoy seeing a progression in that field in any way, shape or form.

But, the awesome thing here is that it's a me problem and it doesn't reflect on the book or how it's written in any way.

Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and while I do wish for more in this series, I do believe that it ended in a very good spot. But, I'm now a much bigger fan of A. C. Wise than before, and will surely be checking out anything else in the future if she had a hand in it. Brilliant work.

Final rating: 3.5/5

3.5 stars???

I think that the idea and the plot were GOOD. Very solid.

But, a bit of finesse to the writing style could be better???

I personally enjoyed it but I slowly lost attention when I read it. It was good but the quality deteriorated as the pages went on??

I loved the idea though, I'd probably read it again just because of "Hook" (cause y'know, got me hooked) and that there was a lot of depth to the character and the motivations that came with it.

Loved this story and the writing. This just reminded me so much of the pirates and the carribbean movies. Loved this book!! Would recommend to all

3.5/5 There was not enough Peter Pan in this book!! I know it’s a spin off, but it had so many references and things but no actual Pan? Like yeah sure there’s Captain Hook and Never land and the Lost Boys but WHERE IS PAN?

Anyway this was a really cool story in concept, but the writing felt a bit… lacking. Some of the scenes were written really well! The fight scenes were really immersive and kept me intrigued. But I felt there were some moments that lacked dialogue and that would have brought the characters to life for me.

I’m not sure if this was supposed to be an adult or a young adult book, but the language definitely read like the younger end of YA. Jane’s inner thoughts, especially regarding her mother, definitely seemed like something a younger teen would think. I didn’t feel like the mother-daughter bond was a strong plot point in this book, but Jane sure seemed to think so!

The chapters felt really long and full of reminiscing, flashbacks, etc. and overall I didn’t really feel connected to the characters! (also a petty note, Jane and James are so similar). An entertaining read, but I found myself skimming over quite a few chunks to get to the plot lines I was more invested in (Hook and the ship)

A decidedly haunting retelling of the Neverland tale.

Wendy & her doctor daughter Jane. A masterful nod to Agatha Christie & Arthur Conan Doyle.

James Hook called to mind an aging Jack Sparrow.

"The sense of loss is immediate. But instead of scrambling to the corner to plead with empty air, he presses down on the feeling of absence like a bruise and lets it ground him. The ache in his chest eases, if only for a moment."

Don't expect the childhood favorite joy and laughter. This is not that Disney fluff. No pixie dust here. But definitely worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for a honest review.

I'm a sucker for retellings and Peter Pan was one of my favourite childhood stories. Combine it with the story of Hook (one of the best villains ever), and I was intrigued! And while the author shows a nuanced portait of the pirate with both evil and good sides, I had a hard time getting into the story. One of my issues were the multiple POVs: we got Hooks, Janes and Wendies stories, with multiple timelines. I personally would prefered to be focused on the Hook storyline, but I understand why the author wanted to tie in the womens stories. In addition, I hoped to see more of Neverland, but sadly maybe one third of the story took place there.

Overall this is a great retelling with interesting characters, but it didn't fufill my expectations. A very solid 3 stars from me

Hooked is a very unique and socially modern retelling of Peter Pan. It switches throughout a few POV's and timelines, so if possible I would recommend reading it in one sitting to avoid unnecessary confusion. That being said, the way that the story is told, though occasionally confusing, is very interesting. I absolutely love this authors writing style and the dark and whimsical atmosphere she created. Lastly, as advertised, this is a feminist take on Peter Pan. And while I enjoyed the feminist themes in this book and explorations of darker topics such as survivors guilt, where this book really excelled for me was in its reframing of typical "good" and "bad" characters. Most fairy tales have very simple structures and are some kind of a parable, so the characters tend to be very cut and dry "good" or "bad". Because of this, I think the best way to do a fairytale retelling is to completely redefine those notions, which this book does. Overall, while I do wish I had read Wendy, Darling before this for a little more context, I'm really glad I picked this book up and would absolutely recommend it.

This book took me a while to get through, but let me just state that that WAS NOT the books fault! The book was good, I liked it quite a bit. I loved reading from the POV of Wendy, Jane and James. Seeing James/Hook as a kind and just a bit messed up character. You go back in the story all the way to before Pan turned him into Hook and trapping him in Neverland, and while in Neverland to him meeting his lover and figuring out ways to get out of Neverland. And I really liked that to the story. Peter Pan being the bad guy and James/Hook forced into the bad guy role, but actually being really kind and compassionate. I also really liked Jane, this girl who, as a child, was taken to Neverland and instead of having good memories from there like her mother, came out with trauma. But still going back to save the people she cares about. It made her seem really strong and resillient.
The only thing that kept me from the higher stars for this book, was the writing. It was just a lot? I don't know how to explain. But besides the story making me confused itself, the writing style didn't help with that either. It was so lyrical and all over the place. Amd the story was too, going back and forth in time, in memories, in hallucinations. It goes so confusing that I eventually just stopped trying to understand and just started reading it. And after that, it was a really good story in itself. I really liked it!
So yeah, it was a good book. Maybe not my cup of tea with the style of writing. Maybe a bit confusing (could be, in the beginning, my own fault because I realised I never read Wendy, Darling before this.). But in the end, it was a really great book. And a really amazing dark Peter Pan retelling which I really loved!