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panicatthebookstore's review against another edition
4.0
The concept of this book was actually really interesting. Under a new government rule, if convicted of a crime, prisoners no longer go to prison. Instead, they now stay in a cell in their victims home, where they will remain for their sentence. Victims now have the choice of pressing charges and living with a criminal or letting them go free.
Hannah's husband, a cop, is murdered in a dark alley, and now she is living with his killer in her basement/kitchen. He insists he is innocent, and after Hannah starts looking into what really happened, she starts to wonder if he's telling the truth.
This one was soooo slow to start with. And for a long time, nothing really happened. It was mostly just following Hannah as she dealt with her husband's death whilst housing his killer. Once she starts believing Jem is innocent and looking into what happened, things start picking up a little. Throughout this book, I was set on giving it 3*. But by the end, I had changed my mind and found that I thoroughly enjoyed how this one played out.
Hannah's husband, a cop, is murdered in a dark alley, and now she is living with his killer in her basement/kitchen. He insists he is innocent, and after Hannah starts looking into what really happened, she starts to wonder if he's telling the truth.
This one was soooo slow to start with. And for a long time, nothing really happened. It was mostly just following Hannah as she dealt with her husband's death whilst housing his killer. Once she starts believing Jem is innocent and looking into what happened, things start picking up a little. Throughout this book, I was set on giving it 3*. But by the end, I had changed my mind and found that I thoroughly enjoyed how this one played out.
kellyvandamme's review against another edition
5.0
The Captive is set in the near future, the main element setting it apart from the world as we know it is its reformed penal system, under which convicts are now doing their time in the homes of their victims, their victims’ families or an unrelated Foster Host.
As such, Jem, the man convicted of the murder on Hannah’s husband, is coming to live with her, in his own little cell in her kitchen. Take a minute to picture this. Can you imagine?! My home is my haven, my safe space, I would NOT want to come home every day and have to look at the person responsible for my grief and misery! And Hannah has it even worse: she’s a baker, her kitchen is where she spends all of her time, there is no escaping the captive. Which is exactly the point of this so-called restorative justice. And just like that, in the span of just a few short chapters, The Captive had my mind whirring and my heart thumping.
Hannah misses her husband something fierce and having Jem there, watching her every move, feels like she’s the one being punished. The odd conversation is unavoidable, and Jem not only tells her that he’s innocent – of course he would say that, wouldn’t he – but also that the hubby was not the man she thought he was, and her marriage less than perfect. Is Jem telling the truth or is he scheming? Hannah doesn’t know and neither does the reader. Even the chapters told from Jem’s POV bring no solace: things only got curiouser and curiouser. I hated it and I loved it.
With every other chapter not only leaving questions unanswered but creating new ones, the real captive was me. The plot thickening with every page I turned, this was an absolute delight to read. The kind of book you’re reluctant to put down and genuinely happy to pick back up. Recovering from a book hangover, I had been struggling with my reading, nothing quite up to the task of keeping me entertained, but The Captive snapped me right out of it, reminding me that reading is supposed to be fun (even if you can’t quite figure out the plot).
After My Husband’s Son and The Dangerous Kind, The Captive is Deborah O’Connor’s third standalone novel, and my favourite one to date. A novel premise, great writing, excellent characterisation, so much mystery and so thought-provoking I ended up having whole discussions about it with the hubby (not a fiction reader himself but happily awaiting the film this book will be turned into if filmmakers know what’s good for them). I have so many thoughts and so many feelings but I can’t tell you about them, because I don’t want to spoil things, ugh! Read it so we can talk!!
The Captive takes a wild and wildly exciting premise and runs with it, flawless execution bringing it home. A superb thriller, highly recommended!
As such, Jem, the man convicted of the murder on Hannah’s husband, is coming to live with her, in his own little cell in her kitchen. Take a minute to picture this. Can you imagine?! My home is my haven, my safe space, I would NOT want to come home every day and have to look at the person responsible for my grief and misery! And Hannah has it even worse: she’s a baker, her kitchen is where she spends all of her time, there is no escaping the captive. Which is exactly the point of this so-called restorative justice. And just like that, in the span of just a few short chapters, The Captive had my mind whirring and my heart thumping.
Hannah misses her husband something fierce and having Jem there, watching her every move, feels like she’s the one being punished. The odd conversation is unavoidable, and Jem not only tells her that he’s innocent – of course he would say that, wouldn’t he – but also that the hubby was not the man she thought he was, and her marriage less than perfect. Is Jem telling the truth or is he scheming? Hannah doesn’t know and neither does the reader. Even the chapters told from Jem’s POV bring no solace: things only got curiouser and curiouser. I hated it and I loved it.
With every other chapter not only leaving questions unanswered but creating new ones, the real captive was me. The plot thickening with every page I turned, this was an absolute delight to read. The kind of book you’re reluctant to put down and genuinely happy to pick back up. Recovering from a book hangover, I had been struggling with my reading, nothing quite up to the task of keeping me entertained, but The Captive snapped me right out of it, reminding me that reading is supposed to be fun (even if you can’t quite figure out the plot).
After My Husband’s Son and The Dangerous Kind, The Captive is Deborah O’Connor’s third standalone novel, and my favourite one to date. A novel premise, great writing, excellent characterisation, so much mystery and so thought-provoking I ended up having whole discussions about it with the hubby (not a fiction reader himself but happily awaiting the film this book will be turned into if filmmakers know what’s good for them). I have so many thoughts and so many feelings but I can’t tell you about them, because I don’t want to spoil things, ugh! Read it so we can talk!!
The Captive takes a wild and wildly exciting premise and runs with it, flawless execution bringing it home. A superb thriller, highly recommended!
nixmouse's review against another edition
4.0
The Captive is Deborah O'connor's third novel but is the first one I've read and I really enjoyed it. The story is set in a not too distant future where new restorative justice laws mean that convicted criminals don't go to a traditional prison, they serve their sentences in small cells built in the homes of their victims. The main protagonist is Hannah, a freelance baker, whose policeman husband was stabbed and killed outside a bar and the book begins as the perpetrator, a young man called Jem, is brought to her home. It's a fascinating premise and as the narrative switches between Hannah and Jem we learn more about them and the events leading up to the crime that has brought them together. Although there were a couple of predictable plot points the characters were engaging and there were more than enough twists and turns to keep me guessing right to the end.
vipsobsessions's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mpr2000's review against another edition
4.0
When you read the title of this book you don’t know who does it refer to; is it the man in cuffs who has to stay in a prison for 20 years or the woman who will host him after he has killed her husband?
I really liked this ambiguity, in Catalan the names are feminine or masculine but in English they are neutral, making it interesting to discern who is referring to by this adjective. Because, let’s be honest, you have to be very brave to have in your own home the man who has killed your husband, taking care of him and giving him food. This is the world Hannah will have to live in for the next 20 years, he loved her husband but Jem killed him in a failed robbery, why? She can’t stay to ask questions till she discovers the real truth, a dark truth that will mark her forever.
This is a book to make you think about society and convicts, I really didn’t like the option that this book presented, that when someone commits a crime the person that was affected has to live and take care of the convict. It seems a way to keep the prisons free and everyone able to do whatever they want without the punishment they deserve. But this book touches other interesting themes that will keep any reader thinking; affairs, pregnancy, love… A slow paced story with a closed ending but with so many important points in it that it will be impossible to stop thinking about it.
So, expect a deep and intricate story, impossible to put down, believe me!
I really liked this ambiguity, in Catalan the names are feminine or masculine but in English they are neutral, making it interesting to discern who is referring to by this adjective. Because, let’s be honest, you have to be very brave to have in your own home the man who has killed your husband, taking care of him and giving him food. This is the world Hannah will have to live in for the next 20 years, he loved her husband but Jem killed him in a failed robbery, why? She can’t stay to ask questions till she discovers the real truth, a dark truth that will mark her forever.
This is a book to make you think about society and convicts, I really didn’t like the option that this book presented, that when someone commits a crime the person that was affected has to live and take care of the convict. It seems a way to keep the prisons free and everyone able to do whatever they want without the punishment they deserve. But this book touches other interesting themes that will keep any reader thinking; affairs, pregnancy, love… A slow paced story with a closed ending but with so many important points in it that it will be impossible to stop thinking about it.
So, expect a deep and intricate story, impossible to put down, believe me!
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Abandonment, Death, Addiction, Infertility, Stalking, Murder, Medical content, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Cancer, Confinement, Dementia, Gun violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Terminal illness
sooky's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, what a story! With a touch of dystopia and a good amount of suspense, this one was quite the page turner.
Having figured it's cheaper, the government now stashes the prisoners in the victim's house. Sounds like a good idea, said noone ever. Great concept for a book though!
Having figured it's cheaper, the government now stashes the prisoners in the victim's house. Sounds like a good idea, said noone ever. Great concept for a book though!
redheadbookgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I was so intrigued by this completely unique premise + it didn’t disappoint! So original and cleverly plotted, this generated SO many questions in my head and was such a thought provoking idea.
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩’𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘺.” WHAT a first sentence + way to capture attention 🙌🏽 (not a spoiler, it’s literally the first sentence of the book!) Set in the near future, where both prison + prisoners are a thing of the past, and criminals are now housed with their victims, our MC Hannah finds herself living with her husbands murderer— and it’s as complex, confusing and tense as it sounds.
O’Connor is a new author to me, but one I’ll definitely be reading more of. With a captivating, multi-layered and fast-paced plot, a couple of strong, well thought-out twists and solid characters, this was a PAGE TURNER 👏🏽
The only thing I couldn’t get on board with was the romance aspect, which I saw coming a mile off, but found unrealistic and slightly odd. Otherwise, I highly recommend this! I love books that force you to really think about the situations the characters are in, and the fact that this isn’t wholly unrealistic/implausible for the future makes it all the more eerie and claustrophobic.
𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @ 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🥀
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩’𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘺.” WHAT a first sentence + way to capture attention 🙌🏽 (not a spoiler, it’s literally the first sentence of the book!) Set in the near future, where both prison + prisoners are a thing of the past, and criminals are now housed with their victims, our MC Hannah finds herself living with her husbands murderer— and it’s as complex, confusing and tense as it sounds.
O’Connor is a new author to me, but one I’ll definitely be reading more of. With a captivating, multi-layered and fast-paced plot, a couple of strong, well thought-out twists and solid characters, this was a PAGE TURNER 👏🏽
The only thing I couldn’t get on board with was the romance aspect, which I saw coming a mile off, but found unrealistic and slightly odd. Otherwise, I highly recommend this! I love books that force you to really think about the situations the characters are in, and the fact that this isn’t wholly unrealistic/implausible for the future makes it all the more eerie and claustrophobic.
𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @ 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🥀
nickikendall's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
This book had an interesting premise that grabbed me, the government has cynically closed down the expensive prison system that failed to curb crime in favour of the more effective option towards restorative justice, that has the criminal living in a cage in the home of the victim for the duration of their sentence, now responsible for their welfare, overseen by visits from a Domestic Liaison Officer (DLO). The idea is that the perpetrator will learn the error of their ways by seeing up close the impact of their crime. Cake maker and widow Hannah Cavey's police officer husband, John, was murdered by 28 year old Jem Dahlin, sentenced to 2o years. The still grieving Hannah cannot bear the torments of having Jem in her home, but all her objections come to nothing, as a cage is installed for Jem in her home. Slowly but surely, Jem begins to get under Hannah's skin when he tells her he is innocent and relays information to her about John that has a ring of truth. Hannah, against all advice and warnings, begins to delve into the life of her beloved John, only for her to become aware she barely knew him, what was his interest in the death of undercover police officer, Roddy Blessop? In a narrative that takes in betrayal, corruption, money laundering and more murders, Hannah finds she is beginning to fall for Jem, but a relationship with him is taboo, and, more to the point, can she trust him? This is a memorable, thought provoking, dark and intense crime read, it left me wondering if this form or restorative justice would ever possibly be a solution. An well written, well paced, thriller that will have you wanting to read just one more chapter. #thecaptive #deborahoconnor #goodreads #getlitsy #tea_sippng_bookworm #thestorygraph #kindle #greatreads #thriller #bookqueen #bookstagram