Alias Hook

Gr 9 Up—An inventive spin on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Hook is reincarnated and fitted with a new crew each time he is defeated by Pan. He has been trapped in Neverland for 200 years and wishes for nothing more than a true death. But something else is afoot. He knows that his crews are made up of old Lost Boys, wandering back to Neverland as adults, but never has a "Wendy" returned until Stella makes her appearance. After some initial bafflement and bluster, Hook and Stella fall in love, and together they attempt to unravel the mystery of the curse that has kept Hook prey to Pan for so many years. Jensen's attempts at mythology here, especially the specifics of the curse, are a bit convoluted, but it doesn't much matter—the heart of this highly affecting novel is the intertwined stories of the redemption of a seemingly irredeemable man, and the powerful love story of Hook and Stella. Jensen's take on the importance of childhood and Neverland is surprisingly consonant with Barrie's. Teen fans of the original play and novel, the Disney film, or any other variant since should highly enjoy this unique offering.—Mark Flowers, John F. Kennedy Library, Vallejo, CA