Review: "Unhooked" by Lisa Maxwell

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

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?
 


BUY ON AMAZON


REVIEW

Anything that has to do with a certain boy who never grows up and a certain captain with a hook for a hand, is a must read for me! Ever since I was little and my parents had bought me the videotape of Disney's "Peter Pan" (go figure my age) I was enchanted by the world of Neverland.



BUT!

If you think that this Neverland and this Peter Pan are either like the one from Disney,




or even the other sexy boy





 then you are misleaded.

Same goes for Hook too.












"Unhooked" is the story of Gwen and Olivia, two friends who move to England; Gwen with her mother and Olivia as their helper. Through a series of spotted clues, and I assure you they can lead you well, Gwen and Olivia find themselves in a diffrent world much darker than the stories they have known.

As Gwen tries to save her friend with the help of the Captain, she will discover that the dark Neverland is not the world of fairies or Indians or even cute mermaids. This world is dangerous, dark and really creepy.

I liked Gwen; though she didn't believe at first where she was (I mean not even I would believe it), she is determined to save Olivia, even when Liv is lost to her. Pan is a sneaky, manipulative, power hungry boy and if anyone claims there is a love triangle here, I'll strangle them (with love of course).
Also, the surprise came from the Captain. His story was a tragic one, paired with sadness and endless battle. He honestly needed a hug.



The book was a nice surprise; it wasn't a mellow read, neither did it have many good moments. It's a race against time with the fear of lost memories, dangerous enemies and slow burning passion. I hope it will satisfy you if your tastes are darker and I would really root for another retelling of a different fairytale by the same author.







About the author:


Lisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest, Gathering Deep, and Unhooked (Simon Pulse, 2016). When she's not writing books, she teaches English at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys.

No comments