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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
This book was so twisted, dark, and weird. But at the same time, it was very good. The writing was beautiful, even lyrical at times. I loved how the land seemed to be a main character in this book- it just integrated itself into a prominent role of the story.
Gemma got on my nerves sometimes. I understand her need to escape, but I feel like she should've thought it through first... I disliked how weak she was sometimes, but it's understandable in her scenario. Ty was a twisted man. I fail to see how he can work up so much emotion for Gemma just by stalking her, yet the writing made the story believable. Also, it feels slightly pedophilic because this guy is almost ten years older than her, and while he never pushes her to do anything that she doesn't want to, he loves her undoubtedly.
I feel like the ending is abrupt. It left me searching for so much more (what happens with Gemma, and what happens to Ty, namely). I understand that that's not what the book is about, but even a short epilogue would leave me feeling more satisfied.
This book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
Gemma got on my nerves sometimes. I understand her need to escape, but I feel like she should've thought it through first... I disliked how weak she was sometimes, but it's understandable in her scenario. Ty was a twisted man. I fail to see how he can work up so much emotion for Gemma just by stalking her, yet the writing made the story believable. Also, it feels slightly pedophilic because this guy is almost ten years older than her, and while he never pushes her to do anything that she doesn't want to, he loves her undoubtedly.
I feel like the ending is abrupt. It left me searching for so much more (what happens with Gemma, and what happens to Ty, namely). I understand that that's not what the book is about, but even a short epilogue would leave me feeling more satisfied.
This book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fuck it, five stars. So. The dude was the coolest man alive except he was a kidnapper. The lady was way too young for this shit. But you know what. I don’t care. This book was amazing. It was perfectly done. I was so scared it was gonna be like : oh pretty boy stole me away now we are in love, but it wasn’t like that. Everything was really well nuanced, especially at the end. Gemma is such a fighter omg. I cried a lot at the end. Yeah. That was a ride. This book hasn’t changed my opinion on Australia. It is amazing and I wanna go there some day, and it is the place with the most fucked up but funny and very smart men.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
★★★★★ (4.75)
Genre - Young Adult Contemporary
Summary - Written as a letter from a victim to her captor, this is Gemma’s desperate story of survival. (Inside Book Jacket)
Initial Thoughts - This haunting book is based on Stockholm Syndrome. It's an incredible story that I'm going to be recommending for a long time.
Plot - ★★★★☆ I thought that the plot was a bit slow in a few places. However, I was always anxious to start reading as soon as I had stopped.
Characters - ★★★★★ The characters of Ty and Gemma, the captor, was complex and believable,
Storyworld - ★★★★★ Gemma is kidnapped and taken to a desolate desert in Australia. The terrifying emptiness enhances the story so much.
Style - ★★★★★ Lucy Christopher captivated me with her writing style from the first sentence.
Closing Thoughts - Stolen is a must read. It will suck you in from the first page and won’t release you until the very last.
Find this review (and many others!) here.
Genre - Young Adult Contemporary
Summary - Written as a letter from a victim to her captor, this is Gemma’s desperate story of survival. (Inside Book Jacket)
Initial Thoughts - This haunting book is based on Stockholm Syndrome. It's an incredible story that I'm going to be recommending for a long time.
Plot - ★★★★☆ I thought that the plot was a bit slow in a few places. However, I was always anxious to start reading as soon as I had stopped.
Characters - ★★★★★ The characters of Ty and Gemma, the captor, was complex and believable,
Storyworld - ★★★★★ Gemma is kidnapped and taken to a desolate desert in Australia. The terrifying emptiness enhances the story so much.
Style - ★★★★★ Lucy Christopher captivated me with her writing style from the first sentence.
Closing Thoughts - Stolen is a must read. It will suck you in from the first page and won’t release you until the very last.
Find this review (and many others!) here.
I don’t know how I wanted this book to end but the whole thing just made me sad.
Maybe I have Stockholm syndrome because idk the kidnapper was just a lonely guy. He did everything for her and still let her go.
3.5
Maybe I have Stockholm syndrome because idk the kidnapper was just a lonely guy. He did everything for her and still let her go.
3.5
QUICK REVIEW
Stolen is a mesmerizing masterpiece that completely envelops the reader. Rarely have I read a book that affected me as much as Stolen has. It still haunts my dreams.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Stolen is a young adult novel written in the second person perspective as an intended letter to the protagonist’s captor. Thriller novels that involve kidnapping are my favorite guilty pleasure reads, and I snapped up Stolen as soon as I heard of its unique structure and storyline. My only regret is that I didn’t hear about this beautiful novel sooner. I honestly am not sure how I had not heard of this novel until 2018 since it was published in 2009, but that’s beside the point. Moving onward…
Usually, when I read thrillers that involve kidnapping, the kidnapper is described as a monster, and the kidnapee spends most of the novel despising their kidnapper and trying to escape. However, Stolen is different due to the fact that the kidnapee – Gemma – begins the novel despising her kidnapper, but ends up having a connection to him that can almost be described as love. Since Stolen is written in letter form, Gemma’s mixed emotions surface throughout the novel, and I found myself absorbing her feelings towards her captor, and it became hard for me to separate fiction from reality.
As an avid reader and reviewer, I often find myself becoming desensitized to thriller/kidnapping novels the more that I read them. It takes a lot for me to feel personally affected by a story, but Stolen wove itself under my skin. Upon finishing the novel I felt an overwhelming wave of sadness that consumed me for days afterward. I wanted to hate Gemma’s kidnapper, but at the same time, I loved him like she did. Lucy Christopher’s writing was bizarrely realistic in the way that she completely transported me to the Australian outback that Gemma was “trapped” in. I could feel the heat, sand, and danger of the desert as I read, and it almost felt like I was suffocating. I have never felt more conflicted about my feelings concerning the characters in a novel, but at the same time, I am thankful for the experience that Lucy Christopher granted me as a reader. I felt exhausted after reading her novel but in the best way.
No matter your age, Stolen will impact your soul. If you are pining for a life-changing read, please go and pick up Stolen at your earliest convenience. (Or, you know, RIGHT NOW.) And then come back and tell me your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!
Stolen is a mesmerizing masterpiece that completely envelops the reader. Rarely have I read a book that affected me as much as Stolen has. It still haunts my dreams.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Stolen is a young adult novel written in the second person perspective as an intended letter to the protagonist’s captor. Thriller novels that involve kidnapping are my favorite guilty pleasure reads, and I snapped up Stolen as soon as I heard of its unique structure and storyline. My only regret is that I didn’t hear about this beautiful novel sooner. I honestly am not sure how I had not heard of this novel until 2018 since it was published in 2009, but that’s beside the point. Moving onward…
Usually, when I read thrillers that involve kidnapping, the kidnapper is described as a monster, and the kidnapee spends most of the novel despising their kidnapper and trying to escape. However, Stolen is different due to the fact that the kidnapee – Gemma – begins the novel despising her kidnapper, but ends up having a connection to him that can almost be described as love. Since Stolen is written in letter form, Gemma’s mixed emotions surface throughout the novel, and I found myself absorbing her feelings towards her captor, and it became hard for me to separate fiction from reality.
As an avid reader and reviewer, I often find myself becoming desensitized to thriller/kidnapping novels the more that I read them. It takes a lot for me to feel personally affected by a story, but Stolen wove itself under my skin. Upon finishing the novel I felt an overwhelming wave of sadness that consumed me for days afterward. I wanted to hate Gemma’s kidnapper, but at the same time, I loved him like she did. Lucy Christopher’s writing was bizarrely realistic in the way that she completely transported me to the Australian outback that Gemma was “trapped” in. I could feel the heat, sand, and danger of the desert as I read, and it almost felt like I was suffocating. I have never felt more conflicted about my feelings concerning the characters in a novel, but at the same time, I am thankful for the experience that Lucy Christopher granted me as a reader. I felt exhausted after reading her novel but in the best way.
No matter your age, Stolen will impact your soul. If you are pining for a life-changing read, please go and pick up Stolen at your earliest convenience. (Or, you know, RIGHT NOW.) And then come back and tell me your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!
What a terrible book. Written as a letter from a victim to her abductor, this book takes entirely too long to end. The plot, while enough to grab my attention, is not enough to give this book a higher rating.