Stolen

Christopher, L., Wells, S., & Stengel, C. (2010). Stolen. New York, NY: Chicken House/Scholastic. Traveling with her parents from England to Australia, Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok Airport. Waking up in the Australian Outback, she comes face to face with her kidnapper, Ty. After realizing that escaping is impossible, Gemma begins to adapt to Ty, learns he had watched her for years all the way back home in England, and begins to care for him due to his kindness eventually thinks she is in love with him, like he had hoped. After a life threatening injury, Ty has to return to civilization in order for Gemma to survive. It is then they both realize this was the end. Gemma chronicles her story through journal like entries depicting her event.

The reader cannot help but become involved with Gemma’s emotions with her tragic event. As realistic fiction, Christopher tells a story that is not impossible in today’s society, being stolen from a life that was once ideal, but yours. This book is appropriate for 15 and up as it does deal with a 16 year-old protagonist. Gemma experiences survival in the Outback and returns home is a deathly state, but overcomes her kidnapping. Gemma does endure mental abuse as she struggles with her escape, being told it was best for her, and begins to care for and even begin to love her captor.

Stolen was one of the 2011 Honor Books for the Printz Award.