A review by mackle13
Captain James Hook and the Curse of Peter Pan by Jeremiah Kleckner, Jeremy Marshall
4.0
3.5
Peter Pan is another one of those stories that I would say I'm a fan of even though I'd never actually read it. I grew up with the Disney movie version, and have read a few retellings and versions, but I've never read the original story. So I can't really say how this compares to that.
That said, I like pirates and I was curious to read a version of the story where Hook isn't the villain he's made out to be.
I was somewhat surprised to find how little Peter Pan was actually in this story. He acts more as a catalyst, and he does show up from time to time, but, mostly, this is the story of James Hook and how he turned from young, English school boy to a member of the British navy to pirate - and Pan definitely does play an important role in the events that unfold.
This book is on the darker side, and there were times where I found myself surprised that it's essentially listed as a kids book. I mean, in the next book of the series there's a scene where.
I remind myself that children aren't as bothered by blood and violence in stories as parents are about their children reading it - but if you're a parent cautious about the amount of violence in a story, I'd recommend reading this one first before giving it to your kids. (And it's not quite the cartoon violence of the Disney movie... )
There's also a certain level of moral ambiguity, as Hook becomes, essentially, an Ahab to Pan's white whale.
But, for me, that was all to the good and a big part of what made the story interesting. It's painted in shades of grey, and Hook is, after all, a pirate. Whether he is justified in his quest for Pan or not, there are events which unfold which clearly make him not entirely innocent, either.
I will say that the middle slogged a little bit, even with the story being so short - but the beginning was strong, and the ending was very good. Overall, I ended up enjoying this story much more than I had anticipated, and quickly jumped into the next book to finish the story. (We only get to Neverland at the end of this story, so this one serves almost as a prequel to the original Pan story, whereas the next book in the series covers those events.)
Peter Pan is another one of those stories that I would say I'm a fan of even though I'd never actually read it. I grew up with the Disney movie version, and have read a few retellings and versions, but I've never read the original story. So I can't really say how this compares to that.
That said, I like pirates and I was curious to read a version of the story where Hook isn't the villain he's made out to be.
I was somewhat surprised to find how little Peter Pan was actually in this story. He acts more as a catalyst, and he does show up from time to time, but, mostly, this is the story of James Hook and how he turned from young, English school boy to a member of the British navy to pirate - and Pan definitely does play an important role in the events that unfold.
This book is on the darker side, and there were times where I found myself surprised that it's essentially listed as a kids book. I mean, in the next book of the series there's a scene where
Spoiler
one of the pirates shoots himself in the headI remind myself that children aren't as bothered by blood and violence in stories as parents are about their children reading it - but if you're a parent cautious about the amount of violence in a story, I'd recommend reading this one first before giving it to your kids. (And it's not quite the cartoon violence of the Disney movie... )
There's also a certain level of moral ambiguity, as Hook becomes, essentially, an Ahab to Pan's white whale.
But, for me, that was all to the good and a big part of what made the story interesting. It's painted in shades of grey, and Hook is, after all, a pirate. Whether he is justified in his quest for Pan or not, there are events which unfold which clearly make him not entirely innocent, either.
I will say that the middle slogged a little bit, even with the story being so short - but the beginning was strong, and the ending was very good. Overall, I ended up enjoying this story much more than I had anticipated, and quickly jumped into the next book to finish the story. (We only get to Neverland at the end of this story, so this one serves almost as a prequel to the original Pan story, whereas the next book in the series covers those events.)