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"The Rebel Force series continues with Hostage, a story that deals with the difficult issue of the survivors of the destruction of Alderaan, as well as X-7's continuing pursuit of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.
"The main focus of the book, the survivors of Alderaan, is a fascinating and deeply emotional subject and is most definitely not what one would expect to find in a young readers' book. Some of the realities are toned down slightly due to the audience, but there's a lot of grisly detail here nonetheless: orphans, squalid refugee slums, raw emotional wounds. It makes for entertaining reading, but I wonder how much more justice would be done to the material if it wasn't taking place in a children's series.
"That's not to say that the book is not worth reading, because it definitely is. The plight of the refugees is well constructed, the characters are still well written (although some of the clashes between Han and Leia seem a little over the top) and the inclusion of "Fess Ilee" is rather exciting. Glimpses into Leia's childhood are intriguing, and yet again Wheeler begins with a great prologue in which Yoda and Obi-Wan discuss Luke and his future at this early stage of his Jedi development.
"Something that grated slightly was X-7's quest. It seemed tacked on the end unnecessarily. It was relatively unmentioned all the way through the book and then suddenly at the end, something happens. It seemed out of place.
"An enjoyable continuation of the series."