By James V. Hart

Here is a left turn off the well-trod path when it comes to Peter Pan; this is another book that I have very little memory of when I got it. But this book does have the title for being the only book that my mum specifically read to me. It is also the reason why she never did so again.

“Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth” tells the story of James Matthew, a peculiar boy who, despite his unusual traits, rises to infamy at Eton College and beyond. He becomes known as “King Jas.” and engages in daring exploits, including sword fights, a romance with a Sultana, and challenging the Queen. His adventures eventually lead him to a ship with a mysterious mission, where his dream of discovering a magical island turns into a perilous journey. The novel explores how this young man, initially an eccentric outcast, evolves into the infamous Captain Hook.”

My spoiler-free review is. This book is a lot of fun, depicting the child before he became one of many children’s first look at villainy. This is a book that I wish would get a movie adaptation. Before you go on, there is one point I would like to make for any parent who plans to read this out loud. The boy who will once be known as Captain Hook is a bastard in the legal sense; he gets called this throughout the book. The one thing about this book that my mum remembers is saying that word while reading to me in an airport.

I have three things I would like to talk about.

Firstly, in reading this book, I just realized this is the second book I have read this year where we look through the eyes of someone who will one day be a villain, the first being The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but unlike Coriolanus Snow, I never hated James Mathew. I think this is because in this book, there is none of the cold, calculated manipulation. Jas never hides his emotions. He says Jolly Roger is his friend, and we know it to be true. With Coriolanus Snow, it does not seem inevitable that he will go down this road. Sure, he has a love of boats, but that doesn’t mean he is destined to be a pirate.

Secondly, the Peter Pan call backs. This comes down in four different ways. Firstly, the fact that Jas can see Neverland. For anyone who hasn’t read the book, it says that if you are lucky, when you squeeze your eyes closed, you will see Neverland for a split second. The fact that Jas is fascinated by this place is so cool; it’s a connection that makes sense. Secondary, Arthur Darling, his school time villain. I have wondered if this name was chosen as a callback to the tradition of double-casting the role of Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. After all, in the play, they are two different villains in their own right. Thirdly, Smee. I find it so fun that this one member of the captain’s crew was with him from the beginning and was teaching him. Fourthly, James’ blood, there is a line in the book that says that there is one thing that Captain Hook fears, the sight of his own blood, which was a strange color. It seems that Mr. Hart decided that the color was bright yellow. I don’t know what to think about that.

Thirdly, I would like to talk about the bastard in the room. One moment that drives the plot is Jas’s love for a Greek princess. The queen forbids their interactions because of James’s birth. It makes you wonder how things might have been different.

Thank you for listening to me, and until next time.

Happy reading to all, and to all a good night.