Emily McIntire: Hooked

Emily McIntire has taken the retelling of a beloved Fairy Tale, Peter Pan, to the dark side:

What if the Fairy Tale had it wrong, that the evil person in the story was actually the good guy. Hook has sought nothing but revenge from Peter, who had ruined his life when he was a young child. The actions that Peter took, caused Hook to turn into the man that he is, dark and depraved. Hook has always sought revenge and when Peter's daughter, Wendy, is spotted in his club he knows he has the perfect way to exact that revenge. But just as his plan is working, Hook's empire begins to crumble he has a trader in his mix, or is it Peter again, realizing that his daughter may be in danger and Wendy isn't sure who she is in a relationship with, a man or a monster names Hook.

I'm all for fairy tale retelling (even though I have only read a few) and this one takes it dark with a retelling of Peter Pan, I totally thought this book would be more of a fantasy read and less of a thriller/dark romance read, but I am okay with that. I liked the little nods that McIntire made to the original story, like pixie dust being the latest drug on the street and the Yacht that Hook lives on was named the Tiger Lily as well as the ticking of the clock plays a major part.

I was pretty hooked (pun intended) on the first half of this book, but somewhere along the way it lost its sparkle. I think that this was due to the fact that I had figured out what was going to happen and there was nothing was set out in the book to question what had figured out. From that point on I found the book predictable and not as entertaining, I mean the beginning of the book start out dark, graphic and murder occurs but these aspect seem less in the second half of the book and Hook is less Hook like.

I enjoyed that McIntire had dual POV, of Wendy and Hook. They are two very different characters with very different POV, yet they complement each other how McIntire has it laid out. 

Wendy was pretty good character and she has some character growth and changes throughout the book but at the same time she chooses to stay blind and refuses to see the red flags that are surrounding her.

Hook is the star of this book. He is a fascinating character and I liked certain aspects that McIntire brough over from the story, like the ticking of the clock sound, that too Hook back to a horrific place. I kind of wish that hook actually had a hook, or no hand with interchangeable appendages to keep it a bit more similar to the story instead of just a hooked knife. Hook is 100% a product from the upbringing that he received and as much as he is dark, gritty, morally gray character you cannot help but feel for him.

This books started out amazing but just seemed lacking in the second half. I really enjoyed Hook as a character and he was my favourite part of the book This book is not for the faint of heart and would be for readers who like their books on the darker side. I know that McIntire has a full series of these dark fairy tale retellings so i may have to try another one and how that it can keep the darkness and pace from beginning to end. So I guess to sum it up I think this book was good but could have been great.

Enjoy!!!

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