Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz
Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams of becoming every bit as daring as her infamous father, Captain James Hook. Her grandfather, on the other hand, intends to see her starched and pressed into a fine society lady. When she’s sent to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb’s Finishing School for Young Ladies, Jocelyn’s hopes of following in her father’s fearsome footsteps are lost in a heap of dance lessons, white gloves, and way too much pink.
So when Jocelyn receives a letter from her father challenging her to avenge his untimely demise at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, she doesn’t hesitate-here at last is the adventure she has been waiting for. But Jocelyn finds that being a pirate is a bit more difficult than she’d bargained for. As if attempting to defeat the Neverland’s most fearsome beast isn’t enough to deal with, she’s tasked with captaining a crew of woefully untrained pirates, outwitting cannibals wild for English cuisine, and rescuing her best friend from a certain pack of lost children, not to mention that pesky Peter Pan who keeps barging in uninvited.
The crocodile’s clock is always ticking in Heidi Schulz’s debut novel, a story told by an irascible narrator who is both dazzlingly witty and sharp as a sword. Will Jocelyn find the courage to beat the incessant monster before time runs out?
Review:
Jocelyn Hook despises convention and glamorizes her father’s pirating life. She wants nothing more than a life of adventure and to please her absent father. And she jumps at the chance to avenge her father and kill the infamous Croc. But at heart, she’s still a young girl with fears and insecurities.
Hook’s Revenge is a fun, middle-grade adventure that continues the story of Neverland with a new twist – from the point of view of Captain Hook’s daughter. Jocelyn is a great character – strong and likeable. Full of humor, quirky characters, drama, and magic – this is one of my favorite books this year. I enjoyed every bit of this inspired fantasy.