Hannah Gunner, once a carefree child, is faced with secrets, lies, and betrayal. A life-changing event during her adolescent years forces her to confront a past that she no longer recognizes. Now questioning everything she thought she knew, Hannah struggles with the person that she is supposed to be! With the help of her boyfriend, Grayson Parks, nicknamed Cash, and her closest friend, Lindsey, … Lindsey, they figure out several clues that hold the missing links to her life. A tattered box filled with worn-out letters hold some of the answers that she needs, but not all of them! With an assist from her aunt and a visitor from her past, Hannah manages to track down the only person in the world that can answer her questions, the Captain! Why did those closest to her lie in the first place? Will Hannah ever find the answers that she needs to bring her peace? Suspenseful, engaging, and with twists and turns that make it impossible to put down, this is a book filled with surprises!
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Captain Fin is an impressive literary fiction that works its magic of drawing you completely into the story right from the first page. Five-year-old Hannah Gunner loves when her father becomes Captain Fin at bedtime and takes her, his First Matey, on a pirate journey to search for buried treasure, transforming her bedroom into a swashbuckling land of adventure every evening, if only in their imagination. Unfortunately, little Hannah’s world is turned upside down when her father, Hank Gunner, aka Captain Fin, goes away and doesn’t come back. She carries the effects of that loss deep in her heart, even if she is too young to comprehend why things are now so different.
The reader knows what happens to Hank, but eleven years go by before 16-year-old Hannah begins to unravel the clues to what really happened to her father. The story unfolds at a moderate pace, but the action never lags. Hannah as a teenager is quiet and reserved because her mother, Gloria, has moved them around several times over the years to increase her salary as a nurse. Hannah is used to not making friends and keeping her feelings tucked away deep inside, but when Gloria decides to move back home, the story shifts dramatically. Hannah finds a best friend, Lindsey, and a boyfriend, Cash, as she settles into the life of a typical teen who finally feels grounded enough to open her heart and life to friends.
The overall story is well crafted and well written, providing the reader with a multi-layered fiction that slowly reveals how past events and a single decision can change so many lives and cause so much confusion, anger, and sorrow.
Fabulous characterization makes Captain Fin a gripping tale because the emotions are diverse and incredibly tangible, especially when the plot escalates into the realm of both loss and discovery at the same time. Hannah’s characterization as a teenager is spot on and believable, although her boyfriend and her best friend seem almost too good to be true. But that’s okay, because they are solidly in her life when she needs their support the most. The reader wants Hannah to be able to reach out and find those loving arms and gentle hugs as her life spirals into sadness. That level of support is an overarching theme in Captain Fin. Gloria’s decision to shoulder everything alone after Hank is gone has devastating and harmful effects on the entire family. In contrast, Hannah’s choice to fall back on her newly acquired foundation of friendship, family, and love helps her weather the ugly storm of crushing sadness. We all need that loving support of friends and family to see us through the hard times and to encourage us to enjoy the good moments as well.
Another overarching theme is secrets and lies. Is keeping a secret/telling a lie ever the right choice, even if it’s to keep from overwhelming a little girl with grown-up problems? Gloria makes a detrimental choice for all the right reasons, but that doesn’t ease the sting of betrayal and missed opportunities for her, her friends, her sister, her daughter, and her husband.
Discover for yourself the world of Captain Fin and his First Matey, filled with laughter, heartbreak, wonder, sadness, adventure, friendship, and love. And remember, choices affect more than one person. They ripple through other people’s lives, either causing joy or wreaking havoc but always bringing change.
Don’t let the idea that this is an adaptation of a screenplay create negative connotations. This is every much a work on its own and a beautifully rendered story for young adults that details the tragic side of unintended consequences. Every choice has ripples, and the author skillfully showcases this in a touching and thought-provoking manner.
Beginning at Hannah’s early childhood, we are introduced to a loving and extremely attentive family that quickly finds themselves surrounded by terrible misfortune. While adversity seems to follow the Gunner family, they also serve as shining beacons of hope. As Hannah grows into young adulthood, she holds on to her precious memories of Captain Fin, which ultimately stand in for all the moments she missed as a result of her father’s absence. Frequent moves with her mother that force her to frequently start over make it difficult for Hannah to build a connection with others in the way that she experienced with Captain Fin. With time, he becomes the only father she can recall. A final return move to her hometown leads to unexpected blessings in friendship and love. When she is confronted with the unthinkable truth, Hannah has now amassed a wealth of strength that she can now draw from and use to carry her through additional hardship.
Written with teenagers in mind, the author captures Hannah’s teenage voice and character with absolute astuteness that makes her both relatable and realistic; however, this story will not be lost on an adult audience. In fact, it would serve to remind older readers what it was like to be a teen again, and in some cases, potentially opening up the path to communication with a youth that may have become obstructed somewhere along the way. None of us is ever to old to learn from someone else, and sometimes the best teachers are the youngest ones among us. This is a slow-burning saga filled with intensity, drama, and angst, but every word matters, and paints the ultimate portrait of merriment even in the face of heartache.
The story also welcomes a handful of perspectives from characters surrounding Hannah’s life that adds layers to the storytelling, while also contributing to our sense of understanding. However, as is the case most often in life, not all questions are answered, and sometimes, that’s just the way it’s going to be. In this regard, the author deftly approaches the concept of finality in such a way that both older and younger readers can emotionally understand. An additional aspect of the writing that I enjoyed and felt works amazingly well for teen readers was the use of short poems at the opening of each chapter, which functioned as a novel in verse within a novel! What an extraordinary treat that not only set the tone, but put us inside the mind of that character, fleshing out their development even further.
Overall, a stirring, yet whimsical story that is truly compelling!
Many thanks to the author and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me with a free book in exchange for my honest and thoughtful opinion. This review and more special features can be found on That’s What She’s Reading blog at thatswhatshesreading.com.