Christina Henry is a wonderful author. I loved her books on Alice and I was very excited about a Peter Pan retelling. Christina Henry did not disappoint at all. This was such an interesting twist on Peter Pan. In this version, Peter Pan is creepy and not to be trusted at all. The story also talks about how Captain Hook is created and it was amazing. I get it. Yes, I actually felt sympathy for Captain Hook. Loved this book with its well developed characters, fast paced plot and wonderful twist on an old favorite.

Peter Pan always was a happy on the surface story with very dark undertones and this horror story definitely capitalizes on those undertones.  It's a dark, dark, re imagining of Hook's origin story and it's going to screw up how you see Peter Pan, especially the Disney version, forever.  I like the direction the author went with the story and it's quite imaginative and different.  An enjoyable read from a creative mind.

I just really could not get into this book. I have read the author's previous stories set in the skewed world of Alice in Wonderland, but I could not connect to this one. It was well written, just not for me.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Wow.  Christina Henry sure can write! This is only the second book of Henry's that I've read, but both have made a real impression on me.

<em>Lost Boy</em> is "The True Story of Captain Hook" so it's not really much of a surprise who the narrator of the story is, but Henry weaves a magical tale here, re-imaging the Peter Pan mythos and in the tradition of great rivalries, Peter Pan and Captain Hook begin as the best of friends.  It is Peter, in Henry's telling, who has a darker side and creates Hook, or rather turns his first 'lost boy' (the first boy Peter brings to the island) into a man who hates everything that Peter stands for.

Jamie, who will become Hook, is Peter's 'Number One' - the boy who trains the new boys, who makes sure that everyone is fed and well prepared for whatever mischief Peter wishes to get into.  He was also the first boy who Peter ever brought to the island, and while other boys have died, fighting the pirates or by other means on the island, Jamie has always remained safe, tough, and first for Peter.

Through a series of events, carefully brought before the reader, Jamie begins to lose his affection for Peter. He begins to realize that Peter has no concept of right and wrong or life and death. If a boy dies fighting the pirates, then Peter will just go to 'the other place' and bring back another down-trodden boy to fill the gap. But Jamie realizes that Peter has made a mistake when he brings back the very young Charlie.  Unlike the other boys Peter's found, Charlie has a mother who is likely missing him and searching for him. When Peter wants to simply discard Charlie, Jamie takes him under his wing and will even challenge Peter in order to protect the young boy.

There is SO MUCH going on in this book - subtleties that might be missed by some readers - and connections to the J. M Barrie story/play that make this feel just so<em> right</em>.

It is definitely a dark book, with boys dying with some alarming frequency, and we see Peter here as a bit of a monster.  And yet, when Henry writes it, we see just how correct she is.  How looking at Peter Pan from just a slightly different vantage point, sheds new light on the story.

And Christina Henry can really turn a phrase! There's a touch of romance here - entirely in line with what a young lad of twelve or thirteen or fourteen might feel, but spoken by that lad as an adult.  When I came across this phrase: "I knew then that when I stopped loving Peter my heart looked for other things, and Sal was filling up all the space that Peter used to take there." I said aloud, "That's beautiful!"

This was one of those unique books that on the one hand I don't want to end because I'm so in love with the language and the story-telling and the characters, but on the other hand, it's dark and uncomfortable and I want it to end because it's making me slightly uncomfortable

This is just powerful storytelling and I recommend it highly.

Looking for a good book? <em>Lost Boy</em> by Christina Henry is a beautiful, dark story of Peter Pan and the creation of Captain Hook.

This book just wasn't for me. I definitely think there will be people who love it, but I had a hard time caring for the characters. I'm not a huge fan of horror as a genre though so I honestly think it's more my issue than a problem with the book.

There have been a few books that propose to tell you how Captain Hook and Peter Pan came to be. This by far is the bloodiest. Jamie was the first Lost Boy. He was the best friend of Peter Pan. The first boy on the island to never grow up. But over time he did grow up. Peter did not. Peter will always be the school yard bully that you worry kills neighborhood cats when no one is looking. He will do anything for his enjoyment, and only keen eyes can see that Peter does not play at the games he invents, but uses them for his own purpose. Playing games day in and day out only works for one boy. To others, playing deadly games loses its shine when you spend your time burying kids eaten by crocodiles, or tore in half by cannon shot. The island is magic, but not all magic is good, sometimes magic is a curse. And sometimes the villain is the hero of the story. It’s all about perspective, and this title will give any reader a new perspective on Peter Pan.

I just couldn't get into this book
I loved the authors Alice in wonderland twists but this one I struggled with. I didn't care for the characters. While I love the Neverland sort it was a struggle for me to enjoy this take. I might try to read it again as I always feel books deserve another chance

oh my god I loved this book SO MUCH! I really enjoyed the writing and the story and THE ENDING!!!! I went out and picked up Alice as soon as I finished this. Thank you SO much for letting me read it. Everyone should check this out, it is like no other retelling I have EVER read.

DNF @ page 77

I went into this with insanely high hopes because 1. I love a good villain retelling and 2. I loved The Chronicles of Alice but despite this, I don’t think high expectations is what caused me to DNF. I was fine with Peter being a more tarnished version of the Peter we all already know and I was fine with Jamie being a decent human being because that just means we get to see the path he ended up on that resulted in Captain Hook. No, what was disappointing was the writing. This was an extremely violent retelling (not an issue for me) but it’s written like it’s a Young Adult novel. Lost Boy was also marketed somewhat towards the YA crowd, what with the influx of fairy tale popularity, which would possibly explain the difference in writing styles between Alice and Lost Boy. It could also be argued that it was written in such a way because the characters themselves were children, however, these are “children” that have been children for many decades, locked in their children bodies while they remain in Neverland. I feel like they would have still matured in some sense over time. Regardless of why it was written this way, I didn’t care for it, it was slow and plodding and the characters and world were under-developed relying on existing impressions of a widely known tale.

I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was not in the right place to read this book. I began it and could not finish. I may try to come back and read it later, but the pace was too slow in the beginning for me to really fall into.

“All children grow up, or they die, or both. All children, except one.”  

Mostly everyone knows some version of the tale of Peter Pan and his famous adventures with the Darlings along with (some of) the lost boys in Neverland. He lures lost boys from the 'other place' with promises of fun, everlasting youth, freedom and more; so long as they promise to stay on his island and keep him company for the rest of their lives. But those stories only show a glimpse into the life of the boy who can fly and stay young forever, and they're all told from his perspective. Too bad Peter likes to tell lies... 

But who can say they really know the story of Captain 'Jamie' Hook? 

Once upon a time, Peter and Jamie were actually the best of friends. Before Wendy, Tinkerbell, or any of the lost boys - there was Jamie. Peter "rescued" Jamie (his first friend and playmate) and brought him to his island, where they would spend all their time together playing, going on adventures and having fun. Eventually, they would make trips to the other place in search of the 'perfect' boys to befriend and bring home with them. There would always be about 16 boys at a time, and they all loved Peter for keeping them young and filling their days with exciting adventures. However, Peter's ideas of fun were usually cruel, dangerous and even deadly, and if the boys didnt follow his rules there were serious consequences that followed. But, as the saying goes, love can be blind. It was easy to overlook certain things when you knew you could be facing death if you didn't - besides they were all just boys who never really knew any better, and Peter is a master manipulator.

"It was Peter’s island, Peter who’d brought us here, and in the back of every boy’s mind was some form of the same thought— He could send me back, if he wanted.” 

After spending years and years on the island with Peter, something happens that starts a chain of events that eventually opens Jamie's eyes to who his best friend really is. The more secrets that are revealed and the more friends he loses - the more Jamie grows up. And the more he grows up, the farther apart he and Peter become. But no matter how far apart they grow, Peter refuses to let Jamie go - he was his first afterall, and will be his last. It started with the two of them, and that's how it will end.

"Peter wanted me to stay a boy, but it was Peter, finally, who made me a man." 

Lost Boy by Christina Henry is a dark and gruesome retelling of Peter Pan. Well, its really more the villain origin story of Captain Hook. I should warn you, there is a lot of graphic violence and death in this book (no sex), so I wouldn't recommend this to younger teens or anyone with a weak stomach.

This is my first book by Christina Henry, but it will not be my last. I love her writing style - she definitely knows how to write a great villain! There were quite a few plot twists too, that kept the story exciting.

The world building is great. I loved how she included enough information to make it believable but not so much that it ruins the magic of the story. The other creatures of the island, like the mermaids, fairies, the many-eyed, pirates and the sharks and crocodiles, were never really the focus of the story, but they were never put on the back burner and forgotten about either. 

All of the characters were written in depth, had their own voices and showed character growth... Well, mostly. Haha. I loved Jamie, Sal, Fog and Nod, and Charlie - they're my favorites. Some characters didn't last very long, but Christina Henry has a way of making you feel for them in the little time that they had. There were a few deaths (and there were a LOT in this book) that really broke my heart and had me mourning right along with Jamie and the others. 

I don't want to say too much, but I don't think I will ever see Peter Pan or Captain Hook the same as I did before opening this book. The beginning of this story starts off a little slow, but once things pick up it will be hard to put this book down. Lost Boy is full of adventures, magic, danger, violence, betrayal, loss and growing up. I would recommend this book to any adult (or mature) fan of Peter Pan, villains, retellings or dark fantasy stories.  

"Peter will never let me go. If I’m not his playmate and friend, then I am to be his playmate and enemy." 


**** I received an eBook copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.****

"Come away and we'll have adventures and be friends always."

It's safe to assume (if you're anything like me) that a part of your youth was spent devoted to Peter Pan. A time where you were certain that if your thoughts were happy enough and if your window remained unlocked that he might just appear to whisk you off to Neverland.

The Peter who filled our dreams was a fearless leader who taught us how to crow and how to believe in faeries. He reminded us to embrace our childhood imaginations and to make every day an adventure.

But Christina Henry doesn't write about the Peter of our dreams.

There are no Disney singalongs or technicolor food fights accompanied by a Williams' score in her version of the story.

Instead, Lost Boy presents the real portrayal of Peter Pan: a narcissistic, manipulative, and vindictive preteen who lacks compassion and a moral compass.

“Peter didn't care about obstacles, even if they were shaped like people. They were only things to be jumped over, to be knocked down.”

I've always been fascinated with fairy tale retellings -- especially when they're narrated from a "villain's" point of view. I love reinterpreting familiar plot points through the eyes of the "bad guy" and seeing if my loyalties might shift. And with years spent dreaming of a Tink-aided trip to Neverland, I felt confident Peter had my faith and trust. However, Henry's bloody bastardization of Pan definitely affected my allegiance.

Told through the eyes of Jamie -- Peter's first and favorite Lost Boy turned epic enemy -- we're forced to shake the pixie dust from our eyes and see Peter for the pirate he truly is. We're exposed to a story of a bloodthirsty child without a care in the world who simply doesn't understand -- or care about -- the consequences of his actions. Peter wants what he wants when he wants and if you're in the way...well, good luck.

Henry vividly captures Peter's frequent emotional outbursts and tantrums, which make sense given that he's the "boy who will never grow up," but through the weary eyes of Jamie we start to understand why he might tire -- and grow out of -- the same routine season after season.

This dark fantasy is full of fire, bloodshed, terrifyingly graphic scenes of child violence, scary monsters, betrayals, curses, and deaths. BUT, Jamie's moments of clarity, bonds with his fellow Lost Boys, and heartbreaking shift from friend to foe makes this story "an awfully big adventure."

“It would always be Peter and me, like we were in the beginning."

Overall...

Jamie's story is one that deserves to be read. It's a story that lingers and will forever change how you see your shadow-chasing childhood hero. If you're a fan of sinister retellings or Lord of the Flies-esque tales, then you'll be hooked.

I have loved the prior books by Henry - but this one never really grabbed my attention as they did. That's not to say it's a "bad" book by any means - the premise was interesting, and there were some good moments. However, it just failed to capture my attention and compassion with the characters this time.

DNF.  I thought I would really enjoy this book, but it just didn't capture my attention.  It was kind of like Lord of the Flies and I really disliked Peter.

Evil Peter Pan? Yes, please!!

The story is told from Hook's point of view, before he became an adult. (I've always thought there was more to him than meets the eye. Life isn't always black and white.) He is "bff's" with Peter, who is a monster. He is absolutely horrid in this book. As a kid I was kind of afraid of him and all my fears and thoughts about him are manifested in this novel. 

I really, really enjoyed this novel. Immensely!

4.5/5 stars. 

This is easily one of my new favorite stories taking place in Neverland. The origin of Captain Hook is woven seamlessly in this novel, fitting against the original story seamlessly. This story managed to seem both gruesome and shocking, while maintaining a sense of magic. It explored the sadistic and cynical side of Peter Pan that we only glimpse in the original and gives Hook a backstory that makes perfect sense. This was a wild ride from start to finish. 

For the drawbacks, it was slow to start. I felt like the first chapter was impossibly long and took me a long time to get through. I'm not sure exactly when I was hooked (hah, pun not intended), but eventually the events of the book seemed to fly by. This is also NOT your lighthearted fairy tale and if that's what you are looking for, you are better off picking the Disney movie off your shelf. These boys are raw and brutal and savage and not the cuddly little lost boys you might be familiar with if you have only watched the Disney version. 

That said, it's easy to see where Hook's side of the story and the original story meet in the middle. In the original, there are moments that Peter does seem like a cruel little boy and this book only magnifies those moments without making them seem unlikely. 

I definitely recommend to anyone that loves Neverland and villains, but if you don't like gore, maybe leave this one off your TBR.

Disclaimer: An e-arc was provided for me in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my thoughts on this book in any way.

I gave LOST BOY an honest shot--I didn't DNF until I was more than forty percent into it--but as dark as ALICE and RED QUEEN were, this was equally dark . . . and sloooooow. I just couldn't do it.

LOST BOY by Christina Henry was a though provoking read that was incredibly dark and twisted. that kept me horrifyingly hooked from page on. Did I mention dark and twisted? If it's not obvious, despite being a riveting story that kept me engaged from page one, I'm incredibly conflicted about LOST BOY. It was almost too dark. The violence just seemed so much more real and harsh since it involved children. The constant death and injury were brutal enough, but the way they are just ignored by certain characters as status quo, just left a sick feeling in my stomach. Which of course I'm sure was the point, and yet it just felt a little too much for this mother's heart to bear witness to.

Onto the characters. Oh my goodness did the author do a fantastic job with them. Jamie of course was the star of the show in my eyes, with Peter being delegated to a spoiled rotten brat. But even that was just the surface, with much more to Peter than met the initial eye. I won't spoil things, but suffice it to say with each new chapter it was almost as if layers of a veil were lifted from Jamie's eyes, and more of Peter's true colors were revealed. The rest of the cast, be they cannon fodder or well developed side characters, all lent well to this horrifying tale.

All in all, the story is amazingly well written and felt like a real prequel retelling in the truest sense. There's always two sides to a story and this one? THIS is the one I believe. So bravo to Ms. Henry for masterfully changing my perceptions of this well known lore!

WARNING: THIS BOOK VINALLIZES PETER. AND IT’S GREAT. Peter Pan is my number 1 book boyfriend and he will always be. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy a fictional story where he is a villain. It makes it interesting and it’s just an interpretation. And come on, it’s a little creepy that a 1000-year-old boy who just LOOKS young goes around taking children from their beds because he wants adventures. But anyway, this book is clearly a Peter Pan retelling. It clearly villanizes Peter Pan. So if you are going to read it and be mad that they are “ruining the classics” or you think that the “author needs to write her own content”, just don’t read it lol.

What I loved:

-The writing. I think we should all appreciate the writing in this book. Even if this was not your kind of book, the writing is fantastic and captivating. It’s magical. It keeps you interested. I’ve read a lot of books with interesting plots but the writing was so bad it reminded me of my high school short stories and it didn’t let me enjoy the book fully.
-Villain redeemed. I heard someone spoke about this topic in a review, the “villain-redeemed genre”. I like that Christina Henry is making us love a character that we’ve learned to despise, that he is making him the hero. I enjoyed so much seeing Hook as a kid. I love that he is the mature one, that he is like a father figure for the boys and that he always thinks of everything. And besides, I like to picture him like a mini Killian Jones from Once Upon a Time (hot af).
-The book answers some questions that Disney or the original book didn’t answer. How a bunch of grown up pirates ended up on an island where they can’t grow?  Why is Tinkerbell the only fairy in the story? Why Captain Hook hates Peter so much?
-Lord of Flies? I read LoF in high school and it was meh. I understand the social value of this book and I thought it was a good story. But, did I love it? No. I saw that a lot of people were comparing Lost Boy with LoF, and I can’t help but agree because that’s what I was thinking half of the book. If you don’t know what the LoF is about, it’s basically about some children that get trapped on an island so much time that they start dehumanizing and start behaving like savages. So yeah, this is just a random thought that I thought I should include somewhere in this review 🙂
-It’s creepy and dark and bloody. This is probably the reason why this book is not for everyone. There’s a lot of children violence and death. But that’s part of the story, they are trying to show you why Neverland is not as great as it seems. And it’s trying to show you a new side of Peter. And it really makes sense. As much as I love Peter, he is creepy.
-Remember that being young forever doesn’t mean you’re immortal.

What I didn’t like:

Maybe more world building? I would like to know more about Neverland, why it’s so connected with Peter. What are those “Many-eyed” I want to know what he used to do when he was alone? I want to know how the fuck those pirates found the island. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I think there should be a sequel. Or maybe just a spin-off series. Or a novella. Something! I’m so curious. I just want some closure and justice for Jamie *sigh*

First off Lost Boy by Christina Henry. Overall it is the story of Captain Hook. How he went from one of Peter's Lost Boys to his enemy.  Personally I have always believed Peter Pan to be a villain in his own right. I have never like the character but thanks to the TV show Once Upon a Time I have developed a love for Captain Hook.  This book takes it's own spin on Hook and I truly enjoyed it. It was a carnage to read but it also truly made you think.  Its a wonderful take on the tale in which I finally saw Peter as the villain I always knew him to be. Overall fantastic retelling, bloody, vicious, amazing characters and a roller coaster of emotions.  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.  I also must say Im a huge fan of Christina's Black Wings series as well.