Unhooked

Author: Lisa Maxwell

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: paperback ARC

Source: publisher review copy

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 Summary:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

 (Goodreads)

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Favourite Quote:

“Being looked at like that — being seen — is something completely new and absolutely intoxicating.

And I don’t trust it one bit.” (ARC p. 140)

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Review:

 *I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect/change my opinions.*

I am officially a Peter Pan fan. I also want to read ALL the piratey things. Lisa, you have converted me; well done!

I really didn’t know much of the original story of Peter Pan going into this which left me a little lost at the beginning. Unhooked is set up well enough, however, that even newbies like me can orient themselves and keep up with the story! There’s mention of the original story throughout the novel as well which only made me more interested in expanding my Pan knowledge. 

In terms of characters, I adored the Captain from the very start; I knew he’d make my book boyfriend list no matter what happened. There are so many layers to his story and his personality and it’s all revealed in such a tantalizingly slow way!

Pan is such a vivid character in my mind. I had a clear and complete mental image of him really early on which only got sharper with each new encounter. Lisa did such a great job with Pan and he fits well into the role he plays in the story. (I wish I could say more but spoilers)

Gwen is a great female lead. She is strong and determined but we still see in her what one would expect from a teenage girl; swooning over boys, rash decision making, sass. What really struck me about Gwen was that she was generally still able to keep her wits about her even while going all ‘heart eyes’ over the two boys.

I loved the pacing throughout pretty much the whole book. The end section was a bit too hurried for my liking but at the same time, the situation in Neverland didn’t exactly allow for slow, tidy tying up of affairs! The story flowed incredibly well and there were a few surprise turns mixed in at just the right times. I’d been in a reading slump but I found myself not wanting to put this book down at all.

Another fun and unique feature I loved was the story running through the book at the top of each new chapter. It was incredibly creative and it was cool to see how it finally tied in to the book as a whole in the end!

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Final Verdict: 

I definitely recommend this book! It not only spurred my interest in all things Peter Pan and pirates (I will  be reading the original very soon!) but it was also an exciting read in and of its own. I was entertained from the first page right until the very last.