Captive begins soon after Pawn ended, which is nice for a second in a series.  Kitty is still masked as Lila, and trying to find a way to play the part she gave her life up for.  Luckily Benjy is still in her life, so she has a "reason" to keep trying.  

The story moves at a steady, almost slow pace through some crazy events within the royal family. We find out some more on Kitty's personal history and why she was masked in the first place - so much more than we were led to believe in the first book.  And even with the steady pace of the first part of the book things really pick up when Kitty is sent to Elsewhere - yes, she finds herself in her worst nightmare.

The remainder of the story brings new characters and difficulties for Kitty as she tries to find her way out of Elsewhere.  In a part of civilization where her new masked identity does her no good, she struggles to find her footing.  In fact it seems as though she is doomed by the two-thirds point in the book.  

I was very excited to finally get the real story behind Elsewhere.  Cater did a marvelous job creating this hunting ground and final point of civilization, especially considering the genre and how many "worlds" are being created now.  She did a great job of filling in a ton of background on Kitty, Lila and Knox, which really allowed for a more in depth read. 

Also, I'm currently a sucker for this genre!  There is something about reading a book that dipicts a world that is completely crumbling and then creating characters that find ways to rise above and overcome unbelievable odds and challenges.  Granted, Kitty isn't exactly my go-to heroine... but that's a different point.

The pace of this book was also wonderful. While some complained that it started too slow, I think that slower pace allowed for some filler on characters and setting, which allowed for a great second half focused on action (and I mean a ton of action).

Overall, my biggest issues with this book followed the issues I had with Pawn - there was simply too much violence. Yes, this is a dystopian novel which seems to translate as violent. However, there has too be a way to allow the reader's imagination to fill in the details of the violence instead of painting such a vivid picture so often. There were a couple of characters I think were introduced simply so they could be killed with a bigger impact... and not really in a good way ever.

I go back and forth on my feelings for Kitty. Sometimes I wish she would be more mature, it seems that her life should have matured her a little more. Then other times, I just feel bad for her as she has been handed a horrible set of circumstances. More often than not she simply doesn't fill the expectation I have for a strong female lead in a teen novel.  I wish she would be a little more mature, or wise, or even street smart.

Also, I had major issue with the intimacy between Kitty and Benjy.  There is no need for teen characters in books to sleep with each other, even if they are madly in love and sure that death is around the corner... 

Overall, this book is worth reading if you read the first one.  In fact if you are thinking of reading the first one, don't let this keep you from it.  They are both quick reads and there are some great issues brought up that are worth considering.

The ideas of the value of life, and how much each person should risk to protect that value of life are central to this story.  For that point alone this is a worthwhile series. And since this is supposed to be the second book in a series that isn't finished yet, it could be a good stepping stone and the complaints I list are mostly just going to be null with the third book. 

This is billed as YA dystopian fiction, and it slides right into that popular category.  Personally I'd say this one is for the older teenager, maybe 16 and up, mostly because the topics are heavy and the violence is a little much.  Also there is quite a bit in the physical romance side that pushes this into an older teen category.

Then again, if you're an adult that is into the dystopian fiction, this series does fit that perfectly. And it's a quick read.

Do you pick up sequels to books if you enjoyed the first one?  What about waiting for the rest of the series even if one of the series didn't live up to your expectations? 

I'd love to hear from you, please leave me a little note!

***If you're interested in writing a book review on Reading List, please message me on the Facebook page! If you're curious about a book, ask me...  I love to hear from you!






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