Captives (The Safe Lands) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
In a dystopian future, eighteen-year-old Levi returns from Denver City with his latest scavenged treasures and finds his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many--including his fiancée, Jem--taken captive. Now alone, Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Lands has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago ... and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar's dreams.Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only the people of his village, but also possibly find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone within the Safe Lands' walls. Will Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Lands' façade before it's too late?
Series: The Safe Lands (Book 1)
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Blink (April 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310724228
ISBN-13: 978-0310724223
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #48 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Religious > Christian > Science Fiction #1792 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Dystopian
Jill Williamson readily admits that she writes "weird books for teens". Well, Captives is definitely weird and definitely a book that will appeal to teen readers. A dystopian look at a future America post-pandemic, the book has a lot going for it -- interesting characters, fascinating setting, and a disturbing plot that feels both improbable and very possible all at once. Fast-paced with vivid imagery, I would recommend Captives to older teens (high school or older). The novel is never graphic, yet reproduction, surrogacy and promiscuity are part of the story and may be too mature for a younger audience.The Safe Lands are anything but safe, but the veneer of the nation covers the evil beneath the surface. Those that live in the shadow of its walls have much to fear -- the thin plague that infects all of Safe Lands' citizens and the more insidious allure of a life of pleasure and the overwhelming control of the governing council. Omar is fascinated by the glitter and is determined to help his clan relocate to Safe Lands and start enjoying an easy life. But the encounter between his village and the enforcers takes a deadly turn and the once free people of Glenrock are now captives in a highly gilded cage. Some of those kidnapped are quick to assimilate into the new surroundings, while others are determined to escape before physical or spiritual infection takes root.Williamson brings to life a dying society built on pleasure -- a society where all is well as long as one complies. Beauty is lauded over all else, yet the slow-dying public must cover up who they are with wigs, paint, makeup and SimTags (a kind of virtual tattoo) in order to disguise the plague that racks their bodies.
What I Loved: Jill Williamson absolutely knows how to write from a male character's POV (point of view), and she does it very well at that! The dialogue from Mason, Levi and Omar (the brothers that the story is primarily centralized around) was great, and completely believable. The prologue was stellar - really plunged you into things at warp speed, and I wasn't complaining one bit. The Safe Lands is a completely unique 2088 world . . . full of Wyndo's, SimTags, Roller Paint, the To Dye For Salon, CompuCharts, GlassTops and a couple of wacky reality television hosts named Finley and Flynn. That said, this was probably one of the more unique "worlds" I've dived into in a long while - everything was true to Safe Lands form and remained that way throughout its entirety, which gave this novel a great sense of realism in its own rite.I was really excited when Levi, Jemma, Mason and Ciddah became a more prominent part of the story in the later chapters, as I found myself growing quite attached to these 4 characters in particular. Speaking of characters . . . I really liked any snippet where I got to hear about Bender. Yes, I love me some rebels! I admit it. I really wanted to know more about him (and Arris and Lonn) and the rest of his rag-tag crew, and about how the Black Army had evaded The Enforcers' rules and watchful eyes for so long without being noticed. Quite frankly I wanted to be a fly on those underground Safe Lands walls!Overall this book did continually bounce back to its faith-filled roots, even when I was afraid it wouldn't. The story, based on the first chapter of Daniel in the Bible, never became fully submerged in the Safe Lands' Pagan Babylonian/Sodom-and-Gomorrah-like atmosphere, thankfully.
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