Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: V.E. Shwab

Series: Shades of Magic #1

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Adult for Young Adult

Pages: 398

Format: Hardback

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Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Parallel universes, magic, London, London, and more London. How…intriguing.

Scene One: Red London. So saturated with magic, the inability to control the elements is considered odd. Scene Two: Grey London. Our London, aka the considerably less cool of all the Londons. Scene Three: White London. Oppressed by the cold, cruel, colorless Danes twins, this London is doomed to meet the unspeakable fate of Black London.

First of all, character building? Flawless. Lila, the bossest of characters I’ve read in 2016, was a hands down favorite (except, of course, the Danes twins, but we’ll get to that later…). Kell and Lila made the most fantastic team. The dynamic between the two was indispensable in creating the suspenseful nature withheld throughout the entirety of the novel. Let me explain:

Kell: Dreamy (emphasis on the dreammmyy). The pet of the Red London royal family. A good boy, except when he’s not. A curator of relics of other Londons and an unapologetically proficient black-market dealer, which happens to be a bit illegal. An Antari and one of the few remaining Travelers.

Lila: An all-round-good-for-everything badass. Dreams of adventure and escape, preferably of the pirate variety. A competent thief and incurably stubborn. Sarcastic, insensitive. A blast to read.

They fit together like two perfect pieces of a puzzle.

As they fight two villains who could possibly be two of my favorite villains of all time, they work in perfect harmony. I appreciate how Schwab doesn’t make their victory too easy. Those Danes twins were the most well-developed antagonists. With well-placed rumors of floors inlaid with the bones of their enemies, their wonderfully creepy appearances, and their insane, despicable dispositions, the Danes twins were entirely unlikeable (in the most likeable way).

Parallel universe settings are so easy to get wrong. Luckily, Schwab knows what she’s doing and does it right in every way. She cuts down on the potential confusion by focusing on one particular place throughout the entire novel with certain checkpoints to hold the three worlds together. She doesn’t go overboard with fifty worlds, nor does she lamely half-ass her attempt with only two worlds. She sticks with the nice, comfortable, simple number of 3 (or, technically, 4). She briefly mentions the differing surroundings of each world, but doesn’t go into too much depth.

Also, can we just take a second and look at this beautiful cover? Is it not stunning?

A Darker Shade of Magic was a job well-done. Every part of this book deserved the favorable reception it was given. I’ll be reading the sequel very soon.

“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”

A Gathering of Shadows

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke Review

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

Title: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman

Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #2

Publisher: Blazer + Bray

Publication Date: April 21, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Romance; Adventure; Mystery; Young Adult

Pages: 406

Format: ARC

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The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

*Sigh*Historical fiction is so great.

Gretchen Whitestone was once Adolf Hitler’s pet. She was the perfect niece, and she admired Hitler to the point of fault. After meeting Daniel Cohen, her world shattered, and she ended up in England, free from Hitler’s tight reign over her and Germany. She’s happy, and she sees the life she always wanted stretched out before her. However, when Daniel is captured in Germany, Gretchen must face her horrible past, and triumph over the once inescapable grasp of her Uncle Adolf.

Even though we all know how it ends (Hitler gains control of Germany and starts a war around the world), Anne Blankman still manages to keep me guessing. She writes like there’s a chance of Hitler’s defeat, even if there’s not. When I’m reading her work, I’m in Germany while the Nazis are rising. I’m watching the Nazi parade and seeing Hitler’s stupid little mustache. Her melding of history and fiction together is astounding and thoroughly entertaining. Her painstaking attention to detail is enough to send her novels over the moon.

I love how this book shines a totally new light on who Adolf Hitler was, and how his comrades in his quest for domination acted and thought. I love the historical value of Anne Blankman’s writing, and it totally makes this whole reading historical fiction thing worth it ten times over. Reading and learning are two of my favorite things, and both come in this 406 page package.

I maintain that the Prisoner of Night and Fog series is one of the best World War II novels written, among Code Name Verity and The Book Thief. If there is ever another book in this series, I would read in a heartbeat. 

The Murder Complex Review

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Title: The Murder Complex

Author: Lindsay Cummings

Series: The Murder Complex #1

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: June 10, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Dystopia; Science Fiction; Thriller; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 398

Format: Hardcover

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An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

A boy trained to kill. A girl taught to survive. What could possibly go wrong?

Zephyr and Meadow live in a state packed with too much people and too much crime. Their lives and their deaths are controlled by the MC, the Murder Complex (*cough* Title *cough*). The MC tracks the delicate balance of the population in their community. After Meadow’s mother died in the streets during the night, her father is bent on protecting her and the rest of her family. Being put through grueling training has heightened Meadow’s instincts and ensured her ability to survive. When a chance encounter forced Zephyr, a meaningless Ward, into her life, her world is flipped, and truths start to turn into lies.  

The plot line was basic. Normal. Nothing new. Another Class A case of forbidden romance. Woo-hoo. It’s not like we don’t know how it’ll end. But the setting, that’s where it actually gets interesting.

The world Lindsay built was grotesque and horrifying, and ironically, intriguing. I’m not one for horror, but this book wasn’t a horror; it was a thriller. Big difference. Instead of being scary, it was more…thrilling. Edge of you seat, tips of your toes kind of thrilling. It’s the difference between captivatingly heart-stopping and just plain disturbing. While there’s plenty of death, guts, and blood, it’s all about suspense and mystery – not a showcase of the macabre.

The romance was vanilla. It gave me everything I expected, which honestly I didn’t really want. I wanted to be surprised. I wanted this book to give me the old razzle-dazzle. What I really needed were two things:

1.     Less of that gross mushy stuff. There’s no time for declarations of ever-lasting love! Hello?! You’re in a world ruled by murder – start acting like it please!

2.    More danger and frenzy and fear. See above points.

Be warned, there's no ending, just a real kick ass cliffhanger at the end. 

The Murder Complex was a good read for those still caught on the tail end of the dystopia fad or those you wanted to be thrilled with guts and glory. Honestly, it’s not a bad waste of time, and I wouldn't mind wasting more on it's sequel.

The Death Code

May 26, 2015

An Ember In The Ashes Review

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Romance; Adventure; Young Adult

Pages: 446                     

Format: Hardcover

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Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

I was put off by this book for some odd reason. I think it was the word “ashes.” Apparently, I’m naturally repulsed by the word “ashes,” especially in book titles. I can only guess it’s because of past traumatic experiences.  Thank the Powers That Be that I had a momentary lapse in judgement and decided to read this book.

Laia and Elias live different lives. Their paths were never meant to cross. They should have nothing in common. But they do, and there’s nothing they can do to stop the attraction between them, no matter how much they know they should. One is a soldier, and one is a slave. One rules over the other. Mutual hatred is expected. Elias is a soldier, top of his class, son of the terrifying Commander. Everything about him should scream “Martial Empire!”, and yet, it doesn’t. He resents his family, his past. He is a slave to his own duty, and he only wants freedom. When a search for the new Emperor pulls Elias even deeper the realm of the Martials, he can no longer run. He must fight. Laia is a princess of the rebellion, expected to continue her family’s line of duty in fighting against the oppressive Martial Empire, but she is unexpectedly reluctant to fight for what her parents died for. When her brother is captured, Laia is willing to do anything to retrieve the only family she has left, including joining the Rebellion singlehandedly built by her parents. She is tasked with spying in the heart of the Martial Empire. She may get everything she’s ever wanted including her brother and her freedom, or she may die a torturous death at the hands of the Commander.

When you look at the cover, what are your first thoughts? Mine were simple: 1. Cool. 2. Post-Apocalyptic. 3. Too many words. 4. Fire. 5. Stereotypical Armageddon, maybe with a pinch of not-so-well-written romance. Five thoughts in all, and none of them were correct. Yet another example of that cliché about book covers and judging and whatnot. But seriously, I was so wrong, it wasn’t even funny. First of all, this book was more than cool. It was fantastic. It was more like a fiery pit of awesome than just “cool”. Secondly, it wasn’t even post-apocalyptic. It was futuristic yet kind of medieval and magic-y and different and intriguing. Thirdly, the book didn’t have too many words. It didn’t have enough. Fourth, fire really wasn’t a big deal. And lastly, it was not stereotypical, or Armageddon-like, and the romance was definitely not badly written and did not exist in a quantity that can be described as a “pinch.” So, in conclusion, all my preconceptions about this book were absolutely wrong.

The characters were so great. Mysterious yet understandable, complex yet simple. The romance was die-hard intoxicating and mind-controlling. You know the kind: the one where you walk around all day thinking about nothing but the complicated romance and the characters, and you constantly have to remind yourself it’s a book and you obsessing over it won’t change anything. Except, this one was a little different. Picture this: you’re at a basketball game and you’re cheering for a team, then suddenly, out of nowhere, the team you were rooting for changes into a completely different team, and even though you have no idea who they are, you continue rooting for them until you’re full heartedlly cheering them on. Then, BAM, you’re back to the original, and you’re still cheering like an idiot because you have no idea what else to do. Then there’s a giant puff of smoke and you’re in an entirely different game with entirely different teams, and now you’re really an idiot because you have no idea what’s going on, and you’re still cheering. It’s like that. But worse. It’s so great. Eventually, you familiarize yourselves with the teams and pick a favorite. I’m Team Elias all the way, baby. I can understand the other side, though. Actually, I take that back. I don’t get anyone who’s not on Team Elias because Elias ROCKS.

Read the book. You won’t regret it. I’ll even bet ten bucks that this is the next big thing. It’s that good. 

TBA

April 26, 2016

Perilous Sea Review

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Perilous Sea

Author: Sherry Thomas

Series: The Elemental Trilogy #2

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Fantasy; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 414                     

Format: Hardcover

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After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.

Yep. Sherry Thomas still got it.

Iolanthe (how do you say that? EYE-OH-LANthhh? EEE-uh-LAWNT? I wish I knew. It would make the book so much better if I wasn’t always thinking “DAMMIT WHAT IS THAT NAME?”) and Titus come back together after spending a summer apart after the crazy events of The Burning Sky. Iolanthe is still acting under the pseudonym of Archer Fairfax. She and Titus continue to work together, reading spell books, practicing magic, and a little something extra, if you catch my drift (*wink wink*). Things are going good until Titus decides to have a realization that will ruin all their plans and their relationship. Way to go, Titus. You put the im- in impossible romance. Iolanthe aka Archer can no longer serve the purpose she was originally promised. Can she recover from being tossed aside after everything that’s happened?

I had doubts. It had been a while since I read The Burning Sky, and I wasn’t entirely convinced that I would remember all that I was expected to remember. Like when you go back to school after summer break. Unrealistic expectations of you retained from last year’s chemistry class is inevitable. Lucky for me, this book was very different from a chemistry class (thank God). The story was surprisingly easy to catch up on with skillfully placed reminders.

The sequel was just as fantastic as the first book. The key to a successful series is to write the separate installments as separate stories with their own personalized story lines. Otherwise, readers are stuck with a boring continuation of a story to which they already said goodbye. Readers want new, exciting, suspense. They can’t have that if they are caught into reading a prolonged conclusion to a washed-up plot line. Sherry Thomas knew this and played it up. Her Perilous Sea story was exciting and filled with its own set of problems. I was just as entertained with the dazzling magic in this book as the previous.

The characters were built and written fully. They were well rounded and complex. Their romance was held back just enough to keep my intrigue and left me wanting just the right amount of more. Respectfully clever and hard to put down, this novel an overall success. With the bar set to sky-scraping heights, I can’t help wonder if Sherry Thomas can keep up with the standards she’s set for the final book.

The Immortal Heights

October 13, 2015

Mosquitoland Review

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Title: Mosquitoland

Author: David Arnold

Series: None

Publisher: Viking Children’s

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Genre: Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Adventure; Contemporary; Disability; Coming-of-Age; Young Adult

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

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After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.
So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.
Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, "Mosquitoland" is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.

“I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neutrons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.”

This book was a Book of Woah. As in, I couldn’t stop saying “woah” every five pages.

Mary Iris Malone is weird and unique and running away from home. She’s going to save her mom, who was abandoned and is now sick. Mary has to save her mother if it’s the last thing she’ll do, and she’s putting every resource she has into finding a way to Cleveland. She’ll stumble across different characters, each a little bit weirder than the last, until she finds a way back home.

This book gave me shivers. Chills. Goosebumbs. You name it, I got it. I devoured every little word, every perfectly written phrase like a feast. A literary feast of bottomless wisdom and refillable intelligence. I couldn’t stop rereading the really excellent quotes, scared that I would forget them or the fact that they even existed. I want to own this book just so I can read it over and over again, and commit the really good things to memory.

The character were by far some of the best that I have read ever. Mary Iris Malone, just by herself, was a unique character expertly crafted into something I’ve never seen before. With her messed up uvula, her one blind eye, and her war paint, she was fantastic to read and watch throughout the story. She was unapologetically weird, and is relatable by everyone, I think, because inside of everyone, there’s a little bit of an anomaly.

“Because even today, inasmuch as an anomaly is a thing that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. I can think of no more appropriate word to describe myself.”

The book is written like a journal some parts, and in normal novel format in others. You witness her journey from two sides, and you can barely wait to see how it will end. In the story, Mary travels with interesting characters that deviate from every strand of normal you could think of. From an old woman with a box she won’t let go of, to a boy with Down Syndrome and a contagious smile, Mary is accepting of everyone’s oddities, probably because she is a bit odd herself. She makes life-long, priceless friendships with unexpected allies and teaches the reader how important it is to just be.

I don’t know what I expected from this book. All I know is that I got everything I bargained for plus a little more. I can’t wait until this book gets the attention it deserves, because it deserves all the attention in the world. I loved this book, its messages, and its characters. In my mind, it’s one of the classics, and I cannot wait until other people experience it for all its magnificence.

“And as simple as it sounds, I think understanding who you are—and who you are not—is the most important thing of all Important Things.”

Stitching Snow Review

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Title: Stitching Snow

Author: R.C. Lewis

Series: None

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Science Fiction; Futuristic; Retelling; Adventure; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 328

Format: Hardcover

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Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

First Impressions: Stitching Snow looks like any other fairy tale retelling. A breeding ground for the infamous insta-love (*gag*). Little to no complexity in the plot. Shallow characters, (i.e. the wanna-be-hero male lead and pathetically-hopeless female lead). Extremely low expectations.

                                                                                                                                         

After Reading: Stitching Snow was nothing like how I thought it would be.

Essie chooses to live in the coldest, most desolate of planets. She keeps her distance and expects everyone else to do the same. When someone named Dane crashes near her home, she can no longer keep her distance. Something about him and his circumstances draws her in and forces her to confront the past she’s been desperately trying to forget. When it becomes clear she can no longer run from her role in the fate of the universe, she must choose a side.

Following a trend set by the well-loved Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Essie is a mechanic on a distant planet fighting to end an oppressive regime. It's no wonder that people have noticed the disturbing similarities between the two books, and while there is a undeniable like-hood between the two, I gave Stitching Snow a chance to prove it was different. It really wasn't that different, but there were qualities about this book that set it apart from its competition that made it worth reading.  

The characters, setting, plot line, world-building were all on point. Essie was a textbook case in terms of retold fairy tales. Independent, smart, defiant, cautious but not so much as to miss out on adventure. The exact opposite of the character they were based off. There will be no sniveling damsels-in-distress here.

With a name like Stitching Snow, I expected one of those nothing novels. The ones you read then instantly forget because it was so superfluous and unremarkable. I was extremely surprised to find heavy subjects distributed throughout this seemingly light and fluffy story line. Abandonment, death, abuse. They were all in there. Who would’ve thought? The confrontation of these topics caught me so off guard, I couldn’t help contemplate it long after I’d actually finished the book.

To sum up, this book defied all my pre-conceived notions on exactly how it would turn out.  I’d recommend it for a quick read, especially for the lovers of Cinder caught in the limbo of waiting for the next book of the Lunar Chronicles. For those still doubtful, pick it up any way. You may be surprised. 

Alias Hook Review

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Title: Alias Hook

Author: Lisa Jensen

Series: None

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Fantasy; Retelling; Romance; Adventure; Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

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"Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile who drags him down to a watery grave. But it was not yet my time to die. It's my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy, with that infernal, eternal boy."

Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan's rules. From the glamour of the Fairy Revels, to the secret ceremonies of the First Tribes, to the mysterious underwater temple beneath the Mermaid Lagoon, the magical forces of the Neverland open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in the pirate captain himself, she begins to see someone far more complex than the storybook villain.

With Stella's knowledge of folk and fairy tales, she might be Hook's last chance for redemption and release if they can break his curse before Pan and his warrior boys hunt her down and drag Hook back to their neverending game. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale.

When someone said “Peter Pan,” I used to conjure up feelings of warmth and love. Now, whenever someone brings up Peter Pan, the only words that come to mind are: “Dammit, that annoying little twit.” 

A twisted retelling of Peter Pan for adults, this story shines a light on the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan never seen before. James Hook is an adult in the rotten, cursed world of Neverland, and he is doomed to be haunted by that horrible Peter Pan over and over again. He can’t die, but his men can, and he must live with the burden of watching them fight to the death in an endless cycle. Only he can survive, even when what he wants more than anything is to die. He’s a living, breathing pawn of Peter Pan’s game, and there is no way out. Until, Stella Parish decides to make a surprise (and forbidden) appearance. Unsure of how she got to the world of Neverland, Hook is sure she was sent there for a reason. And that reason may just be his escape.

I never realized it until after reading this book that Peter Pan is a spoiled, ungrateful little brat who is too bloodthirsty for his own good. I love kids, but Peter Pan is not a kid. He is a monster who exists only to torture Captain Hook. Think about it: in the story, Peter Pan cuts off Hook’s hand and then feeds it to a crocodile. It’s kind of sick, actually.

Despite all the times I was this close to chucking this book across the room whenever Pan ruined things, I understood on some level the importance of his character and Hook’s characters. While they seem like foils in the original story, in this retelling, you see that they are the same. Pan is Hook, and Hook is, on some level, Pan. They are afraid of the same things and have different types of crippling innocence and guilt. They are both scared of growing up and moving on, but in the end, at least one of them learns how to do just that.

Everything was so unexpected and even when it seemed wrong, it worked out to be so right. There was the dark underbelly of Peter Pan, and then there was the soft side of the scary Captain Hook. You could finally understand his defeat, his loss of life when he was stolen and taken into the cruel world of Neverland. It was impressive, the emotion I felt alongside the characters of the story.

I was astounded by the artful remastering of J.M. Barrie’s classic, the phenomenal attention to detail in its remaking, and the addictive story line that hardly allowed me a moment’s break. This is still a tale of growing up, but it is also a story of defying your destiny.