It’s time for another Peter Pan retelling! Read on for my Becoming Hook by Mary Mecham book review.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting my blog!
If you love reimagined villains with heart, slow-burn romance, and clean fantasy adventure, Becoming Hook by Mary Mecham might just be your next favorite read. This no-spice retelling flips the classic Peter Pan narrative on its head, giving us a deeply emotional and redemptive journey from villainy to vulnerability. I recently read this one for my July Instagram book pick, and couldn’t wait to share my thoughts!
Be sure and follow me on Instagram to vote on the next book for me to read and review! You can also find me on Goodreads.
Becoming Hook Review
📔 Book: Becoming Hook
✍️ Author: Mary Mecham
⚙️ Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling
🏠Indie Published
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my goodness, the puns in this really had me going! So this is the story of how Hook came to be, right? Obviously, he’s losing his hand at some point, and I think the author did a great job of telling the gruesome tale, but still keeping it light. I really appreciated that in this book.
Now this is book is YA, so I try to keep that in mind when reading, but I just couldn’t stand how the characters acted or the decisions they made. It’s believable because we all do stupid stuff, no matter what age we are (sorry if you are just now realizing the sad fact that no one is perfect 😉 but in books, I’d like to see a little character growth. It makes those stupid decisions worth it, right? They’re learning, they’re growing. Well, I struggled to see the worth in some of the decisions made by all the characters in this one. This isn’t a major deal, I just wasn’t able to fully empathize and connect with the characters which effected the reading experience for me.
Overall though, this was a cute, adventuresome read. Ya’ll know how much I love Peter Pan, and I’ve read quite a few retellings. Becoming Hook brought me back to that classic tale, but kept it fresh with a unique twist that fit and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Some Things You Might Enjoy:
Pirates 🏴☠️
Pixies 🧚♀️
Adventure 🗺️
Slow burn romance 🔥
Young adult readers who enjoy the classic tale of Peter Pan but want a redemptive villain arc, emotional depth, and no-spice slow burn romance will enjoy this sweet, clean read.
For a detailed look at how I rate and review the books I read, check out my rating system.
Summary From Amazon:
James Hook never meant to become a pirate, and never dreamed that he would turn against best friend, Peter Pan. Every adventure and eternal youth awaited them… until a pixie exposes a shocking revelation. Tinkerbell’s information forces James into acknowledging that, far from being the benevolent hero he painted himself to be, Peter Pan was kidnapping innocent children.
After accepting the traumatic loss of his hand and of the family he can barely remember, James deserts Pan. In the fight to rescue the Lost Boys, Hook will risk everything, even if that means becoming the most notorious villain in Neverland… or losing the fiery pixie who is stealing his heart.
Can the original Lost Boy vanquish Neverland’s greatest threat? Find out today!
Have you read Becoming Hook or any other clean fantasy romance retellings lately? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! And if you’re always on the hunt for more swoony fairy tale retellings without the spice, check out my Amazon list of clean fairy tales!
Pin It
Leave a Reply