Review: Captive by Aimee Carter

Captive by Aimee Carter

Book Two of the Blackcoat Rebellion series

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication Date: November 25, 2014

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

What I Liked:

This book was... interesting. As far as sequels go, it was okay, and definitely functioned well as a sequel. It extended the plot of the series, and raised the stakes, and ended kind of crazily. I don't think it was as good as the first book, but I enjoyed the ride, can't wait to read the final novel.

Kitty wants to do more for the Rebellion, but Knox has been holding her back. When she is caught in a precarious position by Daxton, she is taken to Elsewhere, which is basically like modern-day jail with insane practices. There is a cage where two people who have broken rules fight to the death. The place is dangerous, and so are the people in charge (like wardens). Kitty has been given special privileges to live with the Mercers (wardens), but she refuses. No where is safe and no one can be trusted - so how will Kitty help the Rebellion?

Things in this book didn't really start to get crazy until Kitty was taken to Elsewhere. Then, I was really hooked. It takes a while to get to this point, which is one of the reasons why I gave this one three stars. But once Kitty gets into Elsewhere, I wanted to know how she would escape (obviously, she has to escape), where Benjy was, how Knox fit into everything, what secrets Kitty's past held... so much to be discovered!

Carter definitely raised the stakes in this novel. We find out that Kitty's Masking into Lila was no random act. Kitty's past is significant, and she was not chosen randomly. We find out who really sides with who, who betrays who, who can be trusted. Even in the ending, I was still skeptical of certain people and their alliances.

I like Kitty a lot in this book. She is put into awful situations, especially in Elsewhere, and yet, she holds it together and finds a way to get what she wants, to stay sane, to fight. I liked what Carter did with the romance - in book one, I was worried about a love triangle, but I don't REALLY see one happening... not really.

Overall, this was a good sequel novel! Some things bothered me, so keep reading!

What I Did Not Like:

It took a while for me to warm up to this one. Kitty was sent to Elsewhere - that's when I sat up and took notice. But it took some time to get there, so I was a bit bored in the beginning. I seriously wanted to put the book down and take a nap.

Towards the end, I wasn't entirely sure why Kitty froze up like she did, and didn't shoot, um, certain people. It's not like an execution, where she has the duty to shoot someone. No, she's hiding somewhere, and watching a man hurt someone she cares about... why not just shoot him? Why stare at the scene in the shadows, when it's him, the person, and Kitty? You have a pretty good chance to hitting him, and rescuing the person. Why didn't she think to do so?!

The new setting (Elsewhere) was cool, but it really shut out what was happening in the outside world. This is where dual perspectives could have come in handy... alas.

Finally, I didn't like this one as much as I liked book one, and I gave book one four stars, so this one is getting three stars. If that makes sense.

Would I Recommend It:

If you enjoyed book one, then you'll enjoy this one for sure! It's a good sequel, and I have no regrets - it was definitely worth the time. I want to read on! Too bad the next book won't be out for another year.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. Not bad! Hopefully the conclusion to this trilogy is seriously epic. I can't wait!!

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