Jennifer E. (jenenglish) reviewed Capt. Hook : The Adventures of a Notorious Youth on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
My brother gave me this for my birthday & he said it was because he knows I love good kids books. He was right. I'd never even heard of this book, but it was a fun read. It's a bit of a dark tale about a younger Captain Hook, and how could I not love a book about a vengeful, mischievous boy with a pet spider?
Bowden P. (Trey) -
Helpful Score: 4
This is a odd one. I want to like it more, but I can't. James (the young Capt. Hook) comes across as a right bastard. He puts up with very little shit and gets back his own. And in one sense its a delight to see this in a YA book. In another, its kind of hard to sympathize with him.
I think I put my finger on what I don't care for: Hart sets up James Matthew, to be a right bastard by all accounts (in all senses of the word), but also made him proud, charismatic, intelligent, charming, capable of firendship and love, as well as possessed of a sort of honor. In short, he moves towards the anti-hero category.
However, instead of embracing that, Hart chickens out and softens James' edges a bit. Instead of seeing these traits in the service of the bad guy, he tries to make James good. Especially in the end which is pure hollywood and a let down.
I think I put my finger on what I don't care for: Hart sets up James Matthew, to be a right bastard by all accounts (in all senses of the word), but also made him proud, charismatic, intelligent, charming, capable of firendship and love, as well as possessed of a sort of honor. In short, he moves towards the anti-hero category.
However, instead of embracing that, Hart chickens out and softens James' edges a bit. Instead of seeing these traits in the service of the bad guy, he tries to make James good. Especially in the end which is pure hollywood and a let down.
Jennifer E. (jenenglish) reviewed Capt. Hook : The Adventures of a Notorious Youth on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
My brother gave me this for my birthday & he said it was because he knows I love good kids books. He was right. I'd never even heard of this book, but it was a fun read. It's a bit of a dark tale about a younger Captain Hook, and how could I not love a book about a vengeful, mischievous boy with a pet spider?
I was surprised that an author who's done screenplays for such great movies just didn't impress me as an author. Normally, I love reading a story from a fairytale villain's point-of-view, but this one just wasn't as good as I was expecting.
Where I think this is okay for teens and older to read, I'm a little disturbed about glorifying the acts of a dysfunctional teen-age villain. Especially when some of the things that happen early-on in the book, like enjoying being whipped with a scourge and threatening to kill fellow students, are just unsettling. Especially when James is some kind of delinquent god to the young boys in the school he attends and where characters who should be good, like Arthur Darling, are nothing more than sadistic bullies.
One thing I did like was that he had a pet spider, especially since I have several--although mine are all safely caged, but was disappointed that they were to only add to his wicked persona and didn't do anything to help the spider's image. I also wasn't surprised at Ananova's interest in James, since young girls are often attracted to the bad-boy types.
The story also never really explains how Hook went bad (Perhaps in another story?). Especially with him freeing slaves aboard a slave-ship. It just doesn't seem plausible that a man destined for villainy would abhor the atrocities of slavery.
Overall, it wasn't that great of a book and I doubt I'd look for a sequel by this author if he did write one. I just wasn't impressed.
Where I think this is okay for teens and older to read, I'm a little disturbed about glorifying the acts of a dysfunctional teen-age villain. Especially when some of the things that happen early-on in the book, like enjoying being whipped with a scourge and threatening to kill fellow students, are just unsettling. Especially when James is some kind of delinquent god to the young boys in the school he attends and where characters who should be good, like Arthur Darling, are nothing more than sadistic bullies.
One thing I did like was that he had a pet spider, especially since I have several--although mine are all safely caged, but was disappointed that they were to only add to his wicked persona and didn't do anything to help the spider's image. I also wasn't surprised at Ananova's interest in James, since young girls are often attracted to the bad-boy types.
The story also never really explains how Hook went bad (Perhaps in another story?). Especially with him freeing slaves aboard a slave-ship. It just doesn't seem plausible that a man destined for villainy would abhor the atrocities of slavery.
Overall, it wasn't that great of a book and I doubt I'd look for a sequel by this author if he did write one. I just wasn't impressed.
