Customer Reviews

Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Very intriguing and well written. Not recommended for younger readers. The book develops Capt Hook's character much more fully than "Peter Pan," explaining and humanizing the antagonist exponentially.

James Matthew is a very strange boy, with his long and curly black hair, yellow blood, ability to speak with spiders, and exaggerated sense of revenge. But, when he is dropped into Eton College, the cruelty and repression he finds there hones him into a weapon. This is the story of James Matthew, who becomes notorious as a youth, and notorious as a sea captain - Captain James Hook.

Overall, I found this to be a wonderfully interesting book. It is set in 1860s England, mostly in Eton, and succeeds in bringing that world to life. Indeed, if anything, the author does go a little too far, using Etonian slang words that are bound to leave most readers far behind.

But, that said, even the most casual of readers should not be put off of this book. The story is quite interesting, with James being presented as a complex character who is quite difficult to describe. He's not cruel to anyone who isn't cruel to him, and is capable of a good deal of love and devotion.

No, this is a complex book with a complex story about a complex main character. Definitely not a feel-good book, but one that will keep you glued to your chair, waiting to see what happens next.

Challenging! You may need an Etonian English dictionary to understand some of the terms though. Such a great book, I hope this is a start of a series to come.

I have always loved the villains the best in stories: Long John Silver in Treasure Island; Professor Snape in Harry Potter; Captain Hook in Peter Pan; and the list goes on. Now, after all these years, someone has the clever idea to write a book explaining the who and why and how of Captain Hook! I think it's marvelous! An extraordinary concept that I wish I'd thought of - and been talented enough to have been able to have written such a book! It doesn't take any of the magic away from the original Peter Pan story for me at all (as another reviewer claimed it did for him)! Not one bit. In fact, it simply adds to the Peter Pan fantasy's rich and long-lasting mystique!

Capt. Hook is a cool book with action, adventure, and surprise on every page! If I could I would read it over and over again! James.V. Hart is a spectacular and unique writer. This was his first novel and probably one of best!I love to read, and if I could I would give this book one-thousand stars! My heart was skipping a beat every sentence and word I read. The book was so good I wished there could be ten more books. It was a great, great,ect. book!

I loved the book Captain Hook! I couldn't set it down. The book has a wonderful plot and is written perfectly. This book is unique because it takes you to Captain Hook's life at his collage Eton, where he lead his classmates to victory in the wall game, and dueled with the head of his house. James Matthew is a trouble maker but he is loved by the students of Eton and hated by the prefects and masters of the houses. I have recommended it to friends and relatives. The author came to my school and talked about the book so now a lot of my classmates are reading this book and everyone of them has enjoyed it.
Written by Seamus Appel

Young James Matthew was not destined to have an easy life, much less a happy one. The illegitimate son of a prominent English lord and a mother he never knew, James is raised by his Aunt Emily and is given the sort of schooling that any young boy of an aristocratic background would be expected to learn --- including swordfighting --- which James naturally succeeds at.

When he is accepted into the famous Eton, it quickly becomes apparent from his shadowy past and unusual appearance that James is quite different from his high-collared peers. He becomes fierce rivals with a Colleger named Arthur L. Darling and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow Oppidan named Roger Peter Davies, aka Jolly Roger. Through his undeniable brilliance, "mutant" traits and spine-tingling bond with pet spiders, James --- or King Jas --- lives up to being a notorious Eton Blue.

As a reward for his achievements, Jas finally receives acknowledgment that he secretly craved from his absent father, Lord B. Unfortunately, James realizes that old habits are hard to break and that his father's attention is not kind. When James causes an international scandal by falling in love with a spirited Sultana named Ananova, his beliefs are confirmed that he must forge a path for himself by any means necessary. While Jas dreams of becoming the king of his own magical island called Neverland, he soon spirals into a nightmare that could mean the end of the future Capt. Hook.

CAPT. HOOK is not the children's story it may first appear to be. It is a creative tale of the infamous villain of PETER PAN that is geared toward a slightly older audience. While readers may empathize with the charming anti-hero and enjoy the cast of familiar characters, they will be shocked to discover how violent James's world is --- from the hallowed halls of Eton to the high seas. With scenes of swordfights, poisonous spiders, and references to the French Revolution, younger readers may find this worthy prequel a little too scary for their taste.

Nonetheless, this is a riveting adventure. CAPT. HOOK is J. V. Hart's first novel, and like his screenplay for Hook, it is sure to be another memorable retelling of J. M. Barrie's classic story.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the world-famous Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity in London.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle ([...])

Finally, someone has gotten around to telling the story of the real hero of Neverland (as far as there are any heroes, in a place into which you escape in order to avoid dealing with everyday life).

Young James Matthew, a victim of societal hypocrisy, is sent to a sadistic school and systematically abused. He remains brave, clever and possessed of a sense of fair play his enemies utterly lack. The fact that he is also something of a psychopath is unfortunate, but undeniably helpful in dealing with the British public school system.

The concerned parent need not be alarmed at the reviews citing instances of torture in this book; they amount to a description of a public school caning and an especially violent football game. Kids raised on the Lemony Snicket series will shrug them off easily (and the publisher is clearly aiming at older Unfortunate Events readers, to judge from the packaging and choice of Snicket's illustrator-- Brett Helquist).

Marvelously subversive, the book's only real problem is that Mr. Hart is a better scriptwriter than a prose writer, and it shows. Flaws in his command of language are outweighed by his enthusiasm and obvious love of his subject, however. His story passes the acid test-- does the book seem to end too soon? Do you want to know what happened to the characters afterward? It did. I did. And you will.

Five Stars! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 'Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth' is English language at its finest! A recommended read for all teens and adults seeking fun, dramatic literature to drive their imagination wild. Inspired visuals accompany Hart's attention-grabbing text; Brett Helquist of Lemony Snicket fame illustrates. A must-have addition to every literature-lover's library. Trust me on this one...

I have loved Captain Hook since the time I was two years old and I saw the Disney movie. I have read, seen, or collected anything that is about him. WHen I first saw this book I knew that I had to get it. I love how the author, piece by piece fills in the missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle. The little inside jokes that only true fans will pick up were a delight to read and so much fun. The character development in this book is ammazing, from James Matthew, to Jolly R, to Ananova. I recommend this book to everyone because it is so well written and I truly believed it was great.