Hooked

When it comes to Peter Pan retellings or books inspired by Peter Pan, I’m all in! But, I’m yet to find an adaptation I’ve enjoyed, and sadly Hooked is no different.The premise of Hooked is a good one. Captain Hook finally escapes his endless torture in Neverland and makes a home for himself in London. But 22 years later, a beast escapes Neverland and finds him. This dangerous situation creates a ‘chance’ encounter with Wendy and her daughter Jane. The only solution, is to face the monster head-on.However, this darker tone, which I usually love in an adaptation, just doesn’t quite work. It feels too gentle like it's trying to be more adult, raw, and gritty, but it's just not quite there. It’s also described as a feminist take, but I don’t really see it. Yes, we see Jane’s struggle to be taken seriously in her training to be a doctor, but other than that, it’s not talked about at all.There's also a lot of internal dialogue and not nearly enough external dialogue, outward character description, and world-building. I’d say 50% of the book is internal dialogue rather than action.The story flicks between the past and the present. London right now, and Neverland in the past. It's the stories involving Neverland that are the most interesting. London, not so much. I wish the book's latter half was longer and so much of the inner character monologue was removed. So that it could feel like more actually happened. Peter Pan, for me, was all about whimsy and action, a plot that moves fast, and although this is a slightly darker take, it would have been good for that plot style to mirror it.The end was ultimately satisfying, but it was a bit of a slog to read.2.75 starsThank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel