Never Never

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, this was the second Peter Pan retelling I've read that focuses on Captain Hook, and it was exactly the kind I've always wanted, one that is based on the book rather than the Disney movie and that doesn't ignore the dark, terrifying aspects of Peter. On the other hand, I just wasn't able to feel invested in this story. It never, well, hooked me. (Pun absolutely intended.)I liked all the nods to Peter's darkness from the original (murder, starving his boys, not understanding the difference between real and make-believe, etc.), the idea of the pirates being there because they were James's childhood dreams, and the explanations for things (how James got there, why he hated Peter).I also liked that the author showed us not just the origin/backstory of how James/Hook came to be a pirate in Neverland, but also what his life was like after he joined the pirate crew. That was where the story had some overlap with the original novel, and seeing the author's take on those events, seeing James's side of things, was cool.I felt awful for James and how all he really wanted the whole time was to go home. There's a part where he meets another captain that I wasn't expecting, and it was very touching and bittersweet. So the author did make his character one I empathized with and did manage to infuse some emotion into the story.But, as I said, I never really got into it, and I'm not entirely sure why. I don't know if it was my mood, the audio narration, the slow pace, or just the story itself that was the problem. I didn't dislike it, but I kinda just wanted to be finished with it.I also didn't like the audio narration by Simon Vance. The narration itself was ok, but he has this particular kind of voice I don't like, and I didn't feel his voices for James and Tiger Lily suited them. This is obviously a very subjective thing though.There's also a relationship between James and Tiger Lily in this book, but that's neither a like nor dislike. I don't think I felt much about it either way.Overall, this was a good Captain Hook retelling, one that creates an interesting backstory for him and follows the original story pretty closely, with a few differences. I somewhat enjoyed it, but it just didn't leave a big impression on me.Rating: 3.5 StarsOriginal Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)

My exposure to Peter Pan stories is limited i.e. I’ve only watched the Disney movies, so I don’t have much to compare this book to. But I thought Brianna did an amazing job showing us the other side of the story, showing us how Captain Hook became the man we know him as. I ended up giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for approving my request for this eARC.So I’ll spill and tell you all that the major reason that I requested this eARC (other than it being a retelling) was because Brianna was one of the mentors in Pitch Wars and I ended up submitting my manuscript to her. She’s an awesome person, and I really couldn’t wait to read her book. And she did not disappoint!We start out in London where James Hook is originally from. He is still a “children” as Peter Pan puts it. We see a little bit of his home life before we’re thrust into Neverland, where we see a twisted, devilish side to Peter Pan that is completely different from the Pan we’re used to. This story is definitely not for the faint of heart, or younger audiences if they don’t like a bit of gore and sadism. After reading this book, I find myself liking Captain Hook and kind of despising Peter Pan.I think Brianna did a great job with the scenery and showing the interactions between the children, especially the dynamic between Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. I felt terrible for James throughout the story. Peter was pretty evil throughout the entire book. I found myself grimacing and feeling a bit of fear at how sadistic he seemed to be.Along with James Hook, Tiger Lily was one of my favorite characters. She’s fierce and beautiful. She’s the proud daughter of a chief. I totally ship the pairing that showed up in the books. I only wish it would have worked out a little better. And speaking of better, the ending wasn’t my favorite, but I understand why Brianna ended it how she did.The way Brianna had the book divided into sections helped us glimpse various stages of Captain James Hook’s life. Each section gave us some insight into the rivalry between Hook and Pan. We got to see James Hook when he first got to Neverland, when he was growing up at an alarming rate, when he first became a pirate, and when he was the toughest pirate in the seas of Neverland.I was so engrossed in reading the eARC that I didn’t make note of very many lines, except two, that I liked: “Yes, sir, I’m afraid I got myself rather murdered, following an obviously deranged fellow wearing the guts of a tree into the dark in the middle of the night.” and “Are you mad? Why ever would anyone want to grow up?”Final note: It’s a really good book, and I recently purchased a paperback copy to add to my personal library. I can’t wait to read Brianna’s next book! Give it a try; I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

When your new friendship becomes an act of survival and becomes the victim of the other, does he truly become the villain? This was my first Peter Pan adaptation, and it didn't disappoint! I've always had a fondness for Hook and Tick Tock and when I discovered this was from Hook's perspective, I had to read it. Will Hook find his happily ever after or be trapped in Neverland forever?

I don’t know what my expectations were for this read, but I just really wasn’t feeling this book. I want to start off with the things I liked. First thing being, the emotions this book made me feel. The characters and the way things play out for them just made me feel so bad for them. No matter what James did, it always came back on him. I also like how it’s a story of betrayal, love, and revenge. Now for things I wasn’t a fan of. Tiger Lily and James. This part of the book just felt like it didn’t need to happen. I honestly wasn’t invested with them with all that’s going on around the island. I did know there may be a romance in this book, but I just wasn’t expecting all that happened in between them to affect the story as much as it did. Also considering this book is for ages 12+ the circumstances are definitely not, and I would say maybe 15+ instead. Another thing I didn’t like was how James handled trying to kill Peter Pan. Multiple times he was shown that no harm could come to him. In the moment he can be injured, but after a bit you would have never known any harm came to him. So his resolution for the final battle just didn’t seem right. Overall it’s a story of a boy who grew to hate and despise Peter Pan. And if you like really dark tales, this is the story for you. But honestly I would say it’s a miss for me, and should skip this read.

In this sometimes dark, sometimes sad and occasionally wickedly funny Peter Pan retelling, Brianna Shrum takes us along the same old story from a unique perspective...the one of Captain James Hook.It shows the young boy James Hook ends up in Neverland, becomes a pirate and goes on his quest to kill the boy who took everything from him.The characters are masterfully crafted, you will never see Peter Pan (or James Hook) as you've seen them before.I sweated, rejoiced and fell in love along the twisted story of Captain Hook. Maybe I even sobbed a little.The voice of the story is beautiful, the gorgeous language fits the tale and it all makes so much sense that you'll think this is how the story should have been told originally.

Il libro è bello, però mi è arrivato con la copertina tagliata !! Ed era anche un regalo !! Furibondo! Sicuramente non è stata colpa del trasporto perché il pacco della spedizione era in uno stato perfetto!

Never Never is the story of Captain James Hook and how he came to be the pirate he is known as. It was fantastically done and was a quick read. I absolutely loved it