Unhooked

Gr 7 Up—In this dark retelling of Peter Pan we meet Gwendolyn Allister, who is moving again, this time to London. Her best friend, Olivia, is coming with them for the summer to help with Gwen's slightly crazy mother, who is trying to keep them away from the monsters. Gwen has never lived anywhere long enough to have a home, and when they settle in their first night in London, they are captured by dark shadowy creatures and taken to Neverland. When Gwen awakens, she finds herself in the presence of Captain Hook on his ship of boy pirates, sea hags, and a Neverland island filled with magic and Fey creatures who are anything but fairylike. Gwen quickly finds a distaste for Hook and is "rescued" by Pan and taken to the magical island that Gwen feels she can connect with. After finding Olivia, Gwen comes to realize that things are not what they seem with Pan and his fortress filled with Lost Boys. Through a series of perilous adventures and battles where countless lives are sacrificed, the teen realizes that she is being used by both sides. She discovers her own magical heritage and Pan and Hook's sinister plot. Readers will be surprised and satisfied with the outcome. Even though the pacing is awkward at times and Gwen tends to get lost in interior monologue throughout, this gruesome retelling will be a hit with teens.