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<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated 2084 in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Set in an a future that in many ways is all too plausible, David Churchill is about to take the test that determines his future life like everyone else his age. Everybody's present and future is controlled by the all powerful Ministries to the betterment of all mankind. Or so everyone is told.
Following his selection for work in one of the Ministries David very soon finds out the truth. The wider populace are controlled by fear, propaganda and lies. The workers in the Ministry are controlled by greed, power and lust. He soon learns that the whole system is corrupt, rotten to the core, despite the all-powerful and dispassionate AIs that are supposed to only benefit mankind. But as one man there is little he can do, and certainly nobody he can trust. But there are plenty who want to use him as a weapon is their political infighting and power battles.
Clearly a more technological update on 1984, Hogan tackles this grim subject matter from the human perspectives of David and his childhood friend Juli, who is also pulled into the dark world of the power and corruption. Like peeling a rotten onion, layer after layer is removed, finally revealing the rotten heart. Along the way there are some huge plot twists, shocking events and reveals that completely change how the reader understands this future vision. The ending, which it comes, is certainly cataclysmic.
As with the best science fiction, this casts a light on the world we live in with certain current events clearly used as a basis for how Hogan constructed his dystopia. Sometimes the subtext isn't as subtle as it could be, but there is no denying the chilling warning it delivers.
Note: This book contains multiple scenes and themes of a sexual nature
Following his selection for work in one of the Ministries David very soon finds out the truth. The wider populace are controlled by fear, propaganda and lies. The workers in the Ministry are controlled by greed, power and lust. He soon learns that the whole system is corrupt, rotten to the core, despite the all-powerful and dispassionate AIs that are supposed to only benefit mankind. But as one man there is little he can do, and certainly nobody he can trust. But there are plenty who want to use him as a weapon is their political infighting and power battles.
Clearly a more technological update on 1984, Hogan tackles this grim subject matter from the human perspectives of David and his childhood friend Juli, who is also pulled into the dark world of the power and corruption. Like peeling a rotten onion, layer after layer is removed, finally revealing the rotten heart. Along the way there are some huge plot twists, shocking events and reveals that completely change how the reader understands this future vision. The ending, which it comes, is certainly cataclysmic.
As with the best science fiction, this casts a light on the world we live in with certain current events clearly used as a basis for how Hogan constructed his dystopia. Sometimes the subtext isn't as subtle as it could be, but there is no denying the chilling warning it delivers.
Note: This book contains multiple scenes and themes of a sexual nature
JT (287 KP) rated Chloe (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
As sexual thrillers go this is hardly up there with the best of them, in fact it boarder lines on B-movie soft porn. Director Atom Egoyan is no stranger to this type of erotic genre having previously helmed such films as Exotica and Where The Truth Lies. But this latest turn lacked something in the plot and it just seemed to fall at the last hurdle.
With three exceptional acting talents, more so from Seyfried whose role in this as the sexy femme fatal is a far cry from Mamma Mia. For Moore it was a role that may have caused much whispering in Hollywood if anything for the lesbian clinch mid way through.
From the outset it looks as if we are going to be in for a great little thriller. Moore’s Catherine is desperate to find out if her husband (Neeson) is as honest as he says he is. But she is apparently drawn into Chloe’s sexual tales and meets up with her on countless occasions to have the events graphically recited back to her like some x-rated book club.
This is where the film seems to lack the tension that we might have been hoping for, with the exception of maybe a little flurry at the end. It never really digs its nails underneath the skin and claws at us, we hope that it will arrive at some point but alas it never does. The ending is disappointing.
However, Seyfried’s sheer beauty is not for question, she is curvaceous and captivating and her scenes with Moore are extremely sensuous, one in particular will make you sit bolt up right in your seat.
At the end of it all you’ll walk away flustered, but it certainly won’t be from the gripping suspense.
With three exceptional acting talents, more so from Seyfried whose role in this as the sexy femme fatal is a far cry from Mamma Mia. For Moore it was a role that may have caused much whispering in Hollywood if anything for the lesbian clinch mid way through.
From the outset it looks as if we are going to be in for a great little thriller. Moore’s Catherine is desperate to find out if her husband (Neeson) is as honest as he says he is. But she is apparently drawn into Chloe’s sexual tales and meets up with her on countless occasions to have the events graphically recited back to her like some x-rated book club.
This is where the film seems to lack the tension that we might have been hoping for, with the exception of maybe a little flurry at the end. It never really digs its nails underneath the skin and claws at us, we hope that it will arrive at some point but alas it never does. The ending is disappointing.
However, Seyfried’s sheer beauty is not for question, she is curvaceous and captivating and her scenes with Moore are extremely sensuous, one in particular will make you sit bolt up right in your seat.
At the end of it all you’ll walk away flustered, but it certainly won’t be from the gripping suspense.
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