Hooked

This revisionist fantasy with provocative philosophical verve and depth incites empathy for a most engaging anti-hero while revealing the primal maliciousness imbedded within the tale of Peter Pan. Reclusive Jonathan Stuart inherits a living nightmare when he’s bequeathed an ancestral sword and the personal log of Jas. Hook, captain of the Jolly Roger. Prophetic nightmares, crumbling romance, and an unexpected pregnancy are only the start of Stuart’s problems. Soon he’s dragged into Never Land, a place where cruelty spreads with smiles and adults are denied death. Icons Wendy, Pan, and the Lost Boys are stripped of syrupy sentiment, and Stuart is forced to play pirate in a demon boy’s escapades. Weiss emphasizes the horrific heart of Faerie in a poetically lush exposé of fragile reality and tormented psyches. While awkward narrative structure and flashy dialogue occasionally hamper suspense, this acrobatic juggling of archetypes challenges preconceived notions of right and wrong and highlights the fear at the heart of children’s frolic. (BookLife)