Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth Elizabeth Bush Hart, J. V. Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth; illus. by Brett Helquist. Geringer/HarperCollins, 2005337p Library ed. ISBN 0-06-000221-2$16.89 Trade ed. ISBN 0-06-000220-4$15.99 R* Gr. 6-10 James Matthew's status as the bastard son of English Lord B is the defining factor in the three life-altering relationships he forms at Eton. Arthur Darling, a powerful but banal Colleger, scorns and bullies him; "Jolly Roger" Davies, a fellow Oppidan, claims him as friend; Sultana Ananova, a royal visitor to the school under the guardianship of Her Majesty, recognizes him as soulmate and trusts he will someday whisk her away to a faraway island where they will reign together. But while the self-styled King Jas. Bastard lays his ambitious plans for the future, surviving Eton is an immediate concern, and he sets out to rally the Oppidans to put the upperclassmen in their place through a multi-pronged strategy that involves besting them at a brutal college sporting event, enduring their beatings without a whimper (it helps that King Jas. bleeds yellow, making Collegers think twice before flogging him), romancing the Sultana (who clearly favors forbidden fruit over English beef and pudding), and, in one remarkable night's work, entrapping Darling in a guillotine (and making Darling literally hold onto the pull cord for dear life) and expunging his own class record in a devilishly conceived blaze. Needless to say, Lord B must withdraw his son from Eton, and he sends him off for a taste of discipline aboard a family trading vessel. Daddy, it seems, is actually involved in slave trading, and soon King Jas. and Jolly Roger have led a mutiny and take command of the Sea Witch, the ship that will sail them into their Peter Pan future. Hart has fashioned in King Jas. a nigh-perfect antihero, devious enough to satisfy readers who cheer the villains, yet touched with enough fidelity and righteousness to keep on the right side of humane. The book takes time to relish each vengeful incident, and Helquist interjects the occasional black-and-white action scene just for fun. Though touches intersect cunningly with the Peter Pan story, no previous familiarity with flying boys in green tights is required; King Jas. stands sturdily on his own merits. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois