Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
Published by Macmillan on July 8th 2014
Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical
Goodreads
"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.
Today we are honored to share this epic guest post that Lisa Jensen wrote up about her characters in ALIAS HOOK! I’m such a big fan of retellings so I can’t wait to dive into this one! Thanks Lisa!
The Villain As Hero
Lisa Jensen
I always thought Captain Hook was a lot more fun than Peter Pan, who just seemed like a cocky little boy with an attitude. But when I went back and re-encountered Peter Pan as an adult, I started to realize how horrible it must be for Hook, a grown man, to be stuck forever in this world of perpetual childhood, run by 11-year-old boys. That would be my vision of Hell! So I began to ponder the plight of Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in pointless war games that never end.
What, I wondered, had his life been like before the Neverland—as a child, a young blood about town, a gentleman privateer, a pirate? What on earth had he ever done to deserve this fate, designated nightmare to generations of storybook-reading children?
Long before I ever had a particular story in mind, I was writing dozens of scenes about the Neverland from Hook’s perspective—which, as you can imagine, is very different from Peter Pan’s. Turns out Hook had very strong, caustic opinions about the Neverland and its inhabitants: the Indian tribes, the diabolical fairies, the sinister mermaids. And, of course, The Boy.
The original Peter Pan story ends with Hook falling overboard and getting eaten by the crocodile, while all the children cheer. I thought this was a terrible ending for a character with so much potential. Suppose he didn’t die? Suppose he was cursed to live forever, fighting bloody battles against the boys over and over again?
And then I started to wonder: what if he had one last chance to get out?
I realized I would need a new plot, not the same old story about the Darling children and Tinkerbell. I wanted my story to be James Hook’s journey out of the fear and rage that have ruled his life for so long in the Neverland. For that to happen, I needed a catalyst, a new character J. M. Barrie never thought of.
The best way to shake things up would be to introduce into the little boys’ club of the Neverland that most feared, mistrusted, and unexpected of creatures—a grown-up woman. Someone wise and forgiving enough to see the good in Hook as no one else ever had, but also open-hearted enough to appreciate the wondrous magical forces at work in the Neverland, forces that Hook has always thought were his enemies. Someone who could be a bridge between the two.
So my plot revolves around the new character I invented, Stella Parrish, a grown woman who dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of the boy’s rules against “ladies.” In James Hook, she sees someone far more complex and sympathetic than the usual storybook villain. With her help, he dares to cooperate with his “enemies,” and risk everything for love, and for the chance to finally earn his release. To finally become the hero of his own story.
About Lisa Jensen
I might have been a pirate in a previous life, or else I watched too many old Errol Flynn movies on TV in my formative years.
My historical/fantasy "Alias Hook," presents the flip side of the Neverland from the caustic perspective of its prisoner, Captain Hook. It will be published by Thomas Dunne Books in July, 2014. Read more about "Alias Hook" on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alias-...
My historical pirate novel, "The Witch From the Sea," published in 2001, is the first book in a planned trilogy.
In real life, I'm a film critic for an alternative weekly in Santa Cruz, CA, a position I've held since dinosaurs roamed the earth. I also reviewed books for the San Francisco Chronicle for 13 years, where my specialty was (surprise!) historical fiction, and women's fiction.
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What did you think about this guest post?
Ohhh! This book seems interesting, I can’t wait to read it especially since it involves pirates and mermaids!
Gorgeous post Crystal. <3 Thank you for sharing about this one 😀 I also think this book sounds all kinds of amazing. I hope you'll love it when you read it sweetie. <3
I love books that turn the villain into a hero. Who doesn’t love a pirate? 🙂
I LOVE Alias Hook! I listened to an audio I got from the library in January and just fell head of heels for it.
Sounds amazing! Thank you for the opportunity!
Wooo! A re-telling of one of my all time favorite fairy tales Peter Pan and with a twist! Can’t wait to read it 😀
This book sounds so good. I love new takes on familiar stories.
Looks exciting! Can’t wait to start it!
I love the sounds of this book. I hope I win the copy!
Looks like an awesome book. Can’t wait to get it and read it.
This book sounds amazing! I love fairy tales!
Thank you for the giveaway! I loved the book and the retelling!
I love these kind of books where it is either based off a fairytale before or are a retelling. I love Hook a lot – especially after watching Once Upon a Time