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A review by egbella
Held Captive by Grace A. Johnson
5.0
Caveat first: this is in the process of being completely re-written (something I’m excited to read!), but all of my thoughts are about the original version, read in 2023.
Obviously, I’ve been in a pirate stories phase recently, and this was one I’d wanted to read for a long time! Written by the sweet author when she was young, I was super impressed with how much depth it had! From the plot to the characters to the strong Christian themes, I enjoyed it. I can definitely see how there are more - long - books in the series because there is just so much more that I want to see and learn more about in this story world.
I had a lot of fun reading about the protagonist, who started out so rough, and admirably grew a major amount over the course of the story. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting the protagonist to be quite such a die-hard pirate. But boy, she certainly was. Her fiery spirits, clever insults, wild mannerisms, and her dry humor kept making me smile, and her character was convincingly written. She wasn't likable per se, not in the typical sense, but I greatly enjoyed following her.
The characters in general were relatable and well-developed, and there were very few that I didn't love and wish that I could meet in real life. All of the family members in particular made my heart full, as they were so kind and well-written. They did a very good job portraying Christ as well, which I believe was the point.
As far as the romance went, that was really the only part that gave me pause. I did enjoy most of the romance elements, and am extremely glad at how everything worked out in the end. And if the protagonists had been married for the events of the plot, I don't think I'd have any qualms. Although the romance was clean, there were quite a few compromising situations that made me a little uncomfortable to read, mainly because the male protagonist should have thought better of them, being a staunch Christian. I can forgive Rina, as she hadn't really been taught better, but it would have made me admire and respect Xavier a lot more if he had handled things with a little bit more...care, I guess? Still, nothing inappropriate ever happened, and they are very sweet together.
The plot moved along well, and kept me interested, even though a large portion of the book was slower and more introspective. I kept wanting to get into the action of her father's killer, but I'm guessing that comes in with the later books, and I'm looking forward to reading them!
And wow those themes. The author did a wonderful job at portraying Christian struggles with heart and truth. The allegorical nature of Rina's finding her family and Christ at about the same time, and the fact that they influenced each other, was so heartfelt and beautiful. The struggles that Rina had, with forgiveness and believing God's love felt very authentic. I think a lot of people can relate.
All in all, I enjoyed it even more than I thought that I would, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series (and the re-write)! I’d recommend it to teens and above that enjoy strong characters, pirate stories, sweet romances, and prominent Christian messages.
CW: Drinking/drunkenness, violence, typical pirate brutality, strong but clean romance.
Obviously, I’ve been in a pirate stories phase recently, and this was one I’d wanted to read for a long time! Written by the sweet author when she was young, I was super impressed with how much depth it had! From the plot to the characters to the strong Christian themes, I enjoyed it. I can definitely see how there are more - long - books in the series because there is just so much more that I want to see and learn more about in this story world.
I had a lot of fun reading about the protagonist, who started out so rough, and admirably grew a major amount over the course of the story. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting the protagonist to be quite such a die-hard pirate. But boy, she certainly was. Her fiery spirits, clever insults, wild mannerisms, and her dry humor kept making me smile, and her character was convincingly written. She wasn't likable per se, not in the typical sense, but I greatly enjoyed following her.
The characters in general were relatable and well-developed, and there were very few that I didn't love and wish that I could meet in real life. All of the family members in particular made my heart full, as they were so kind and well-written. They did a very good job portraying Christ as well, which I believe was the point.
As far as the romance went, that was really the only part that gave me pause. I did enjoy most of the romance elements, and am extremely glad at how everything worked out in the end. And if the protagonists had been married for the events of the plot, I don't think I'd have any qualms. Although the romance was clean, there were quite a few compromising situations that made me a little uncomfortable to read, mainly because the male protagonist should have thought better of them, being a staunch Christian. I can forgive Rina, as she hadn't really been taught better, but it would have made me admire and respect Xavier a lot more if he had handled things with a little bit more...care, I guess? Still, nothing inappropriate ever happened, and they are very sweet together.
The plot moved along well, and kept me interested, even though a large portion of the book was slower and more introspective. I kept wanting to get into the action of her father's killer, but I'm guessing that comes in with the later books, and I'm looking forward to reading them!
And wow those themes. The author did a wonderful job at portraying Christian struggles with heart and truth. The allegorical nature of Rina's finding her family and Christ at about the same time, and the fact that they influenced each other, was so heartfelt and beautiful. The struggles that Rina had, with forgiveness and believing God's love felt very authentic. I think a lot of people can relate.
All in all, I enjoyed it even more than I thought that I would, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series (and the re-write)! I’d recommend it to teens and above that enjoy strong characters, pirate stories, sweet romances, and prominent Christian messages.
CW: Drinking/drunkenness, violence, typical pirate brutality, strong but clean romance.