The twist of Peter being a villain is what caught me. I’m really satisfied with that aspect. Also James, Captain Hook, the character, it’s so well done. I love how this gives us a view of the loneliness that passes after your “golden moment”.

However I didn’t enjoy how this book went in the direction of going back to Neverland. The twist seemed just like an excuse to make this group of characters make it up for what we’re making them ache. I didn’t enjoy the multiple flashbacks nor Wendy’s or Jane POV’s. The character (apart from Hook) felt really dull and un charismatic.

My favorite thing was the exploration of grief that happens in the end. For me, it would have been the perfect opportunity to explore this feeling of emptiness after reaching your peak. Thank you so much NetGalley and Titan books for sending me this advanced copy.
pd: the cover it’s gorgeous

A good read, turned out to not be my sorta thing as I didn't realise Hook was do much older. However the writing was nice and it covered some important themes and issues.

Queer Captain Hook? Sign me THE HELL UP 🌈

I seriously enjoyed this retelling. Personally I breezed through it in about 3 days, and it’s a seriously cozy, action packed read with a depth I wasn’t expecting.

I grew up in the seaside village where the original Peter Pan author lived, so the books here are very much a huge part of the town history. It’s also a fairly conservative village and I’m one of hardly any gay folk residing here (village life, am I right?) Anyhow, I cannot explain how much it means to not only have a feminist retelling, but a retelling with queer rep.

I think you occasionally find books that heal a little of your inner child and this is one of them for myself as a member of the queer community.

I also fell in love with the character of Jane, it’s awesome to see women in that time achieving and with backbone and sass. So often historically, women are written as incredibly demure and I think often people forget many were incredibly ‘rebellious’ and forthright, as well as contributing to workforces. It’s awesome to see women in this time period taking absolutely NO SHIT. Jane will 100% kick each and every ass.

Rep wise Hook (James) is MLM, and we do have an MLM central relationship in this novel, though the focus is shared between Hook, Jane and Wendy primarily.


The story follows on from the first novel, and whilst this novel still makes sense without reading the first, you’ll be getting some MAJOR spoilers for the first so definitely read them in order.


I loved that this was so hauntingly bleak, there was creepiness and fear laying around every page and I really loved having a more villainous take on Peter Pan.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc E-copy, I will probs be buying both myself and a family member a copy of this one (totally awesome read)


TWS (that I noticed) listed below (skip if you don’t want any spoilers)




Tw// Drowning, Gore, Gore involving eyes, mentions of drugs and alcohol, death, dead body described, misogyny, sex hinted at (FTB) , mentions of slurs, Canabalism (non descriptive), strangulation.

I absolutely loved this story! I’ve always had a soft spot for Captain Hook, perhaps because childhood me found Peter Pan to be really creepy
This wasn’t a villain origin story but sort of a redemption story for Hook/James. I thoroughly enjoyed having more body added to characters that I already knew.
This book covered love, loss, grief, survivor’s guilt and I think it was just excellent
I believe that this is a standalone novel but I would still like to read Wendy Darling as there were some references to things that happened in that book that I’d like to know more about.

I was keen to read this book as it's a sequel to Wendy which I've already read by this author.
The writing style remains similar and it's an easy to read story.
It focuses more on captain hook (james hook) this time, obviously the title indicates this and it opens a door that I hadn't really read about before.
The writing is very well done and I really enjoyed reading this. My only quam is that I felt that the ending was a tiny bit rushed but it didn't make it terrible.

Loved the premise of this and the twist of seeing Peter Pan as a villain compared to other stories featuring this character. I only learnt later that this is a sequel, but didn't find the story too hard to follow without having read the first book. The characterisation of James/Hook was interesting as was his relationship with Samuel and also the difficulties Wendy and Jane face in their mother/daughter relationship felt very real. I was glad that Jane had her moment to say her goodbye to Timothy even though she must still grieve, but at least there is some form of closure.

The only downside of this book was that the pacing and voice of this novel was hard to get into for me and I found it too easy to put down and/or skim over to get to the point. This may just be my issue though and another reader will likely love the pacing and voice.

Have not posted review to Goodreads or IG until July per Publisher request!


The storytelling is done really well, I love the beautiful writing style and the way the emotions literally seep through the pages right into my very being.

The most complex character in this novel is of course Hook. The author has written him with great detail and always keeps his faults, struggles, and good things at the forefront, making him a perfect morally grey character who has done some terrible things but you can't do anything but root for him.

I've no idea if Peter Pan is seen as a villain or a hero in the original story (I just read the summary okay, don't sue me) but I loved the chillingly haunting take on him throughout the book. Neverland is written in a way that has a haunting quality to it, it seems beautiful but at the same time, you know that it is anything but.

AND ALSO GAY PIRATES!!!! This book gave me what I expected from Our Flag Means Death and I'll forever be grateful for that. I really liked Samuel and Hook's relationship, even though it was clearly a bit toxic at times but hey, I appreciate that James tried his best. My heart broke a million times for Samuel and Hook throughout the story. There is just so much pain, love, and grief woven into their story, especially when it is in the present and Hook is reliving some of it.

The daughter-mother dynamic between Wendy and Jane was also written very well and I loved every word of it. The author very clearly showed the conflicts between them and how they were both trying but wouldn't take any of their past actions back even if they could. Such great female MCs, I loved them both <3

And then there was Michael Darling and Samuel. Two side characters but written with so much depth and care, I really felt for them both and hoped for the best for them. I think I didn't get much closure where Michael is concerned but Samuel's story gave me full closure and he is definitely my favorite character in the book.

The themes of the book include belonging, war, dealing with grief, pride, trying to find who you are, and doing the best you can.

Thank you so much to Titan Books and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of Hooked.

I enjoyed this book but I didn't realise that this is a sequel. Although you can definitely get through this without reading the first book, I wish I had that backstory to really love it.

The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed learning more about these already famous names including Wendy, Jane and Captain Hook. This was such a fresh retelling and I was intrigued throughout.

I did find the pacing was a tad off in places but I always wanted to pick it up and find out what was happening next.

This is a super quick read which will help you out of a slump!

Wow!Wow!Wow!

I bl**dy loved this book- I was then super disappointed that I didn't realise that this was the second book in the series and I could have already been deeply immersed in this world- I love a good retelling and this is not a good retelling it's a fantastic retelling.

This is in my top 5 of 2022 so far!

Off to buy book one Wendy, Darling immediately and then read Hooked all over again.

Thank you Netgalley and Titan books for approving my request!

Hooked follows Captain Hook who is the immoral pirate of Neverland. He has died thousands of times by the bands of Peter Pan. Now 22 years later Hook is intent on revenge. 

If you have not read the book Wendy, Darling then this book will not really make sense to you. It had a lot of call backs to that book which I loved. I do think that Wendy, Darling was better. I did enjoy the overall plot of this one. I am a huge Disney girl so I loved this one purely for that fact. I will say this book was hard to follow at times. But I do think this is a good follow up to Wendy, Darling. If you are a fan of Peter Pan or Disney you will like this one.

Wow..I didn’t think I would like this so much. I’m not a huge Peter Pan fan but thought it was intriguing because it was about Hook. I was so glad I read it because it was dark, moody and everything I love in a book.
I was disappointed that I didn’t realize it was the second book in a series but now I have a reason to go read the first one!

Did I pick this one up not realizing it was the second book in a series? Yes.
Did I still really enjoy it? Hell yes!

I'm the first to admit I don't normally enjoy remakes or retellings of books. but this one was done so well! It was so dark, which is probably why I loved it.

JAMES.HOOK! I loved him. This was so surprising and I'm honestly shocked I loved this. I even requested this one by accident, so I gave it a chance with an open mind.

I normally don't enjoy character-driven stories, but this was done SO WELL. Such amazing writing, storytelling, and descriptive scenes.

A timeless classic that I'll be recommending to friends!

If somebody had told me one of my favourite reads of the year thus far would be the sequel to a Peter Pan retelling, the first book of which I haven’t actually read, I’d have probably laughed in their face.

But this was absolutely incredible. The sequel to the hit book ‘Wendy, Darling’ (with a bit of inference you can read this as a stand alone as I did), we meet Wendy and Hook years after their first adventures in Neverland. This retelling is one is one of a much darker tone, tackling much more adult themes - one where Pan is not the hero of this story. You get a raw and authentic exploration of PTSD and its many faces, familial sacrifice, grief feminism and so much more. I particularly liked the portrayal of the contrast between the characters former selves, those they had left behind in Neverland, and the current, broken individuals struggling to put themselves back together and establish a self identity. This is particularly prominent in the characterisation of James - or, as we know him, Captain Hook, who was, by far, the most interesting character of the book.

I often find retellings to be utterly pointless - it feels they either regurgitate the original story in different words or stray so far from the source material that I’m confused as to how it even links. But this one absolutely hit the nail on the end, I enjoyed it hugely and it passed the time on a seven hour coach journey.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review xo

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hooked by AC Wise. I love a good retelling, and this was no exception. It is very well written and I highly recommend it

*****5 Stars!

“Pan made him a villain, the most fearsome pirate that ever was. Not powerful enough to best Pan himself, of course, but terrible enough to destroy everything and anything else.”

First I would like to thank Titan Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review!

Hooked is a story about Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate of Neverland, a man who has died a thousand times. Drowned, stabbed by Peter Pan’s sword, eaten alive by the beast swimming below the depths. Yet James was resurrected every time by one boy’s dark imagination. Until he found a door in the sky, an escape and he decided to take the chance no matter the cost.

Now in London twenty-two years later, Peter Pan’s monster has found Captain Hook again, intent on revenge. But a chance encounter leads James to another survivor of Neverland. Wendy Darling, now a grown woman, is the only one who knows how dark a shadow Neverland casts, no matter how far you run. To vanquish Pan’s monster once and for all, Hook must play the villain one last time.

This was by far one of the most interesting Peter Pan retellings I have ever come across, it was so dark and unique! The author painted such an interesting view of Neverland, a place full of dark twists and turns. I thought it was really fascinating to see a place where no one grows old through a corrupted lens. It was clear that Neverland was not all fun and games for many of the inhabitants there, Captain Hook especially. The amount of detail and world building that was put into this story was very well done and super enjoyable!

One thing I really liked about this book was the internal struggle inside of Captain Hook. I can imagine how hard it would be to separate the man he was from the villain he was forced to become. I think the author had written out that internal struggle beautifully. Then there was the relationship between him and Samuel, it was so beautifully written and so achingly tragic! I really loved how Samuel was the light to Hook’s darkness and how Hook tried his best to become a person who could be worthy of him despite all the obstacles in his way. Then there was the fact that Samuel loved him despite his demons and yet he still encouraged him to become better. It was so beautiful and I absolutely adored reading about them!

The development between Jane and Wendy was also very interesting! I liked the tension between the two due to the two different versions of Neverland they both faced years ago. I enjoyed the fact that the two of them had to band together with Hook in order to put an end to the darkness Neverland was leaking into their world. They made a very interesting team!

I absolutely adore the story of Peter Pan and all the creative retellings, but this one was very unique and one that I would highly recommend to those who’d like a darker twist to the story!

I enjoyed this a lot, a retelling of a familiar tale from a completely different point of view. I thought the pacing was spot on and would read more from this author!

Thanks you to the author and publisher for access to this book.
Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t enjoy the pacing, and round the wiring to be a bit meandering and I just couldn’t get into the story.
The concept is great and I was hoping that I would have enjoyed this one more.

I am super appreciative that I was able to get my hands on this book early, so thank you Titan Books!

I hate to do this, but I did have to DNF the book. I made it about 30% of the way and had a hard time following along with what was happening. The concept of the story is incredible, I just feel like it wasn't executed well. The writing was repetitive and confusing at times.

I was also not aware that this was a sequel to another book. Maybe if I had read that one first I would be more intrigued with the characters.

The story follows the events of the previous book, Wendy, Darling, (which I hadn’t read before reading this one as I didn’t realise it was a sequel) but focuses on Captain Hook, known in London simply as James. The book opens with a fairly intense scene of James using opium to try and feel less and hide from the pain and suffering he has endured throughout countless lives, while also knowing just how futile it is. This book also focuses heavily on Jane and the aftermath she experiences after the happenings of her time in Neverland with Peter. Jane is Wendys daughter, who Wendy rescued from Neverland after she killed Peter, making it possible for anyone in Neverland to now die. The book really starts to gain speed when Jane, Wendy and James run into each other after they all start investigating a mysterious monster that is killing people in London, including janes roommate. They discover that when they escaped Neverland after the death of Peter that a monster followed them into the ‘real world’ and the only way to defeat it is to go back to Neverland, but will they cope with going back to the place that for the three of them is the stuff of nightmares? It’s an interesting story with perspectives I’ve never read before with any kind of Peter Pan retelling. Showing what a monster Peter Pan was, how he found joy in torture and the pain of others is one rarely portrayed so it was a unique angle to play. I felt a lot of sympathy and empathy for James and Jane, but especially for Wendy because of her feelings about her daughter and just how far she has gone to protect & cherish her while also letting her daughter be her own person, despite her own terror of once again losing her daughter. I feel like I definitely would have gotten more out of this story had I read Wendy, Darling first but I still enjoyed it. It’s definitely a darker take on a Peter Pan retelling, not for younger audiences, but I enjoyed it. If you enjoy retellings of classic stories with a darker twist then you’ll enjoy this one and I’ll definitely be going back and reading Wendy, Darling.
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Please take my star rating with a grain of salt.

I hate to do this, but I DNF this book. I was reading it and felt like I was missing something...and I was. This is the second book. The first book is called "Wendy, Darling". Some people are saying that you can read it as a stand-alone, but I feel like you need to read the first to really appreciate the characters and the world. I will revisit this series when I can read the first one.

The cover is beautiful though!