Stolen by Lucy Christopher

It happens at the airport. Gemma and her parents are waiting to catch their connection to Vietnam when Gemma steps away for coffee. An intriguing young man pays for her drink—and drugs it. Drugged and unaware, Gemma is whisked off to the Australian outback by her kidnapper Ty. When Gemma finally regains lucidity, she finds herself surrounded by sand in all directions as far as the eye can see and stranded in the middle of nowhere with Ty. Torn between basic survival and the desire for escape, it’s all Gemma can do to just live day to day. Of course Gemma hates her captor. But as time passes and Gemma learns about Ty’s past, something changes. Something must have because Gemma feels different too, in a way she knows she shouldn’t. Ty expects Gemma to love him. Against all odds, will she?

Stolen is a fascinating look at the complexities involved in a kidnapping. The plot on its own is pretty basic; it details the actually kidnapping itself, various relevant events in both the kidnapper’s and the kidnapped’s pasts, and the ensuing drama. What really defines this novel is the psychology behind it. Throughout the entire book, protagonist Gemma struggles with her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she despises Ty for stealing her from her family and everything she knew and for lying to and hurting her. However, on the other, Gemma can understand how Ty’s background led to his obsession with her and why he felt moved to take such a drastic action as kidnapping. Christopher’s depiction of the development and effects of Stockholm syndrome through Gemma’s story is very realistic, almost scarily so. Though not always exciting, Stolen is still a great and meaningful read.

This debut novel from Christopher will be enjoyed by those who liked Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott and Break by Hannah Moskowitz.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Scholastic