So, awhile ago I shared a post about “Straight on Til Morning,” the newest edition to Liz Braswell’s “Twisted Tales” collection for Disney. It finally came out a week or two ago, and because I was able to preorder it on Amazon, I got it delivered the same day it debuted. I was super excited going into the story because Braswell clearly did her homework on the original work by J.M. Barrie. There are lots of nods to it even in just the first few chapters... But then, the further I got into the story, the more I realized some of the characters were...off, particularly Hook and Smee. It was like she knew the facts but not the CHARACTERS. Still, I gave it a chance and kept reading. ...I somewhat regret that now because, as a Hook fan, the ending just...broke my heart. (Spoilers ahead. If you don’t want to know how it ends, stop reading now.) So...throughout the book, people kept commenting on how Hook was “insane,” which okay, yeah, he’s a bit obsessive, but there’s no need to be rude, ya know? Well... Turns out, he actually HAD been going slowly insane. The crocodile, although real at one point, had gone away long ago...and Mr. Smee was only ever in his head. Wendy defeats Hook by essentially pointing out his madness. He ends up in a heap on the deck, crying out for Smee (who, of course, doesn’t come because he isn’t real). Once the fighting stops and the pirates leave, they end up dropping Hook off on a nice island in the Caribbean to live out the rest of his days with a caretaker, the crew seemingly filled with more pity than loathing for the captain who kept them going after Peter for so long. Just...I was expecting him to die, maybe, but this...this was excruciatingly painful to watch. It was too real...like watching a grandparent with dementia living fifty years in the past in their mind. I think I’d prefer the crocodile getting him, honestly, which is saying something. So yeah, just a heads up for any Hook fans interested in reading the book—you have been warned.
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