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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
It's hard to describe this book. It was very powerful, though not always depressing; there instead was an underlying theme of darkness that shone through even the happy moments. I was so excited to pick up this book - I've never read anything in second person, though I've always wanted to. I love the narration - how it's just Gemma and Ty, but Gemma is I and Ty is you. I felt a different relationship than I may have if it was in first person.
I loved it, really. The darkness underneath everything still haunts me a little, and I would recommend that everyone read it. It's kind of beautiful.
I loved it, really. The darkness underneath everything still haunts me a little, and I would recommend that everyone read it. It's kind of beautiful.
I loved this book! Literally could not put it down, such a wild dynamic!
I really liked how unique this book narration was. I felt like we with the main character throughout, and I felt like her reactions to the situations she was placed in were very realistic. I really enjoyed the very ending- not sad, but not completely happy either. I went into this not expecting to sympathize with Ty at all, but honestly felt bad for him in the end. But maybe the author was just so good at her job, she got me to overlook his utter creepiness and feel for him...
Prompt #15 in this challenge
Can be found at the library
Can be found at the library
This book.... The struggle of do I like it or don't like it.
This is why it got four stars.
This book made me angry and annoyed and it made me mad at myself.
I did not think Stockholm Syndrome was real. I know this is just a book but I got it bad.
The beginning was so hard to get into. The story is like reading a letter. It is written by Gemma ( the captive) to her Captor, Ty.
It was frustrating watching this girl be so stupid.. Trusting a complete stranger. I was telling her she got what she deserved for trusting someone ( I know that is awful) That is why this book was so mean! It made me mean. I hated Gemma for trusting and Hated Ty for being so crazy.
Gemma.. She was young, 16.
Of course she didn't think of Stranger Danger. Who would when a hot Australian guy with gorgeous blue eyes comes and talks to you? She trusted him and he used that and kidnapped her away to the middle of No where desert land in Australia. I understood her thoughts on killing her kidnapper. She was confused and alone and missed her family and did not know what was going on. When you learn about Ty
and why he is the way he is.. you begin to Sympathize. ( or that is just me) Is story was so sad and lonely.. I began to understand why he wanted someone.. Someone to be with him in his world. He loved his desert life.. If you ignore the heat, you think about how there isn't rules. If you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs.. No one could yell at you to shut up. You wanted a pet camel.. Well go get one. Wanted to get drunk off your A** for no reason.. Go ahead because no one is there to say no.
And this is when I started falling for the book. After the first part of anger and frustration with Gemma being weak and unable to escape, I began to love the silence. The freedom. The beautiful sky at night. The camel! I loved her. The idea of no one judging you if you didn't wanna be in college, or being looked down upon for what you wore or if you had a pimple on your face. Why? Because no one was there to judge you. I loved it. I loved pretending I was in this story. Yes, Ty at times was scary and awful but he always stopped hurting her when he noticed he was hurting her. I know that's seriously sympathetic but.. GAH!
So angry!!!!
It gets even worse at the end of the book... I can't say anything because of spoilers but.... Ty..
Hate this book.. for the feels it gave me.
This is why it got four stars.
This book made me angry and annoyed and it made me mad at myself.
I did not think Stockholm Syndrome was real. I know this is just a book but I got it bad.
The beginning was so hard to get into. The story is like reading a letter. It is written by Gemma ( the captive) to her Captor, Ty.
It was frustrating watching this girl be so stupid.. Trusting a complete stranger. I was telling her she got what she deserved for trusting someone ( I know that is awful) That is why this book was so mean! It made me mean. I hated Gemma for trusting and Hated Ty for being so crazy.
Gemma.. She was young, 16.
Of course she didn't think of Stranger Danger. Who would when a hot Australian guy with gorgeous blue eyes comes and talks to you? She trusted him and he used that and kidnapped her away to the middle of No where desert land in Australia. I understood her thoughts on killing her kidnapper. She was confused and alone and missed her family and did not know what was going on. When you learn about Ty
and why he is the way he is.. you begin to Sympathize. ( or that is just me) Is story was so sad and lonely.. I began to understand why he wanted someone.. Someone to be with him in his world. He loved his desert life.. If you ignore the heat, you think about how there isn't rules. If you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs.. No one could yell at you to shut up. You wanted a pet camel.. Well go get one. Wanted to get drunk off your A** for no reason.. Go ahead because no one is there to say no.And this is when I started falling for the book. After the first part of anger and frustration with Gemma being weak and unable to escape, I began to love the silence. The freedom. The beautiful sky at night. The camel! I loved her. The idea of no one judging you if you didn't wanna be in college, or being looked down upon for what you wore or if you had a pimple on your face. Why? Because no one was there to judge you. I loved it. I loved pretending I was in this story. Yes, Ty at times was scary and awful but he always stopped hurting her when he noticed he was hurting her. I know that's seriously sympathetic but.. GAH!
So angry!!!! It gets even worse at the end of the book... I can't say anything because of spoilers but.... Ty..
Hate this book.. for the feels it gave me.
"How long will you keep me?" I asked.
You shrugged. "Forever, of course."
I honestly never had any intention of picking this up as I try and stay away from those books with the tough subjects but they always seem to find their way into my reading pile anyways. Plus, it's an Aussie read. I have to give it a shot for that alone. :) And despite the tough subject and despite the fact that it was a hard, emotional read, this book was well worth the read.
I really enjoyed the writing style, the whole thing written in letter form from Gemma to the man who stole her away from her life, Ty. It's natural to dislike Ty and I totally did... at first. Forget sympathizing or caring about the hardships he went through; he kidnapped a 16 year-old girl, drugged her, and had planned it all out to the point that he had a new ID and passport ready to get her on a plane to Australia. This was not a spontaneous decision. No, this was a plan that had been in the making for many, many years. I found it amazing (and shocking) the amount of time and energy he spent into making this whole plan work. He built a house in the middle of the Australian desert and stocked it with enough supplies for them to survive together for a very long time. It was honestly quite scary if you really think about it.
But, as time progressed Gemma slowly began to warm up to him. She saw a different side of him that she couldn't help but like. And dammit, I began to like him too despite the other half of my brain trying to remain rational and recognize the situation for what it was. Kidnapping aside, (yes, I know, that's a pretty big thing to brush off) I think the sole reason I gained a soft spot for him was I truly believed he cared for Gemma. Even before he kidnapped her from the airport he was watching over her (yes, I know, that's stalking) and actually saved her from a pretty grave situation that she wasn't even fully aware of. As Gemma states, 'What you did to me wasn't this brilliant thing, like you think it was.' And it wasn't, despite his best intentions and even though he truly thought that he was saving her, it was still wrong. Despite loving the letter style of writing I think it would have been even more brilliant as a dual-narrative; I would have loved to get a glimpse of everything that was happening from Ty's point of view.
Definitely one of those books that sneak up on you emotionally. You have no idea how invested you are in what happens for these characters until it's all over and you realize how much you had been hoping for that happily-ever-after type ending. The ending, while I wouldn't call it perfect, was definitely fitting and managed to make the whole story even more plausible.
Emotional and powerful, Stolen is a thought-provoking story that will have you questioning right and wrong and the grey areas in between.
'And, let's face it, you did steal me. But you saved my life, too. And somewhere in the middle, you showed me a place so different and beautiful, I can never get it out of my mind. And I can't get you out of there, either. You're stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels.'
You shrugged. "Forever, of course."
I honestly never had any intention of picking this up as I try and stay away from those books with the tough subjects but they always seem to find their way into my reading pile anyways. Plus, it's an Aussie read. I have to give it a shot for that alone. :) And despite the tough subject and despite the fact that it was a hard, emotional read, this book was well worth the read.
I really enjoyed the writing style, the whole thing written in letter form from Gemma to the man who stole her away from her life, Ty. It's natural to dislike Ty and I totally did... at first. Forget sympathizing or caring about the hardships he went through; he kidnapped a 16 year-old girl, drugged her, and had planned it all out to the point that he had a new ID and passport ready to get her on a plane to Australia. This was not a spontaneous decision. No, this was a plan that had been in the making for many, many years. I found it amazing (and shocking) the amount of time and energy he spent into making this whole plan work. He built a house in the middle of the Australian desert and stocked it with enough supplies for them to survive together for a very long time. It was honestly quite scary if you really think about it.
But, as time progressed Gemma slowly began to warm up to him. She saw a different side of him that she couldn't help but like. And dammit, I began to like him too despite the other half of my brain trying to remain rational and recognize the situation for what it was. Kidnapping aside, (yes, I know, that's a pretty big thing to brush off) I think the sole reason I gained a soft spot for him was I truly believed he cared for Gemma. Even before he kidnapped her from the airport he was watching over her (yes, I know, that's stalking) and actually saved her from a pretty grave situation that she wasn't even fully aware of. As Gemma states, 'What you did to me wasn't this brilliant thing, like you think it was.' And it wasn't, despite his best intentions and even though he truly thought that he was saving her, it was still wrong. Despite loving the letter style of writing I think it would have been even more brilliant as a dual-narrative; I would have loved to get a glimpse of everything that was happening from Ty's point of view.
Definitely one of those books that sneak up on you emotionally. You have no idea how invested you are in what happens for these characters until it's all over and you realize how much you had been hoping for that happily-ever-after type ending. The ending, while I wouldn't call it perfect, was definitely fitting and managed to make the whole story even more plausible.
Emotional and powerful, Stolen is a thought-provoking story that will have you questioning right and wrong and the grey areas in between.
'And, let's face it, you did steal me. But you saved my life, too. And somewhere in the middle, you showed me a place so different and beautiful, I can never get it out of my mind. And I can't get you out of there, either. You're stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels.'
This was a captivating read, more so than I thought it might be. Christopher’s book, written as part of her doctoral program, keeps you on your toes. One of the few books I’ve read in the second person and done so brilliantly. There were some unfinished threads that I wanted tied but ultimately a heartbreaking story told from the perspective of a victim of kidnapping.
I felt like this took foooooreverrrr.
Eta: I was /really/ unsatisfied by the ending.
Eta: I was /really/ unsatisfied by the ending.
"You know, maybe if we'd met as ordinary people, one day, maybe...maybe things might have been different. Maybe I could have loved you."
Still as hauntingly beautiful as the first time I read it! I still hope for a sequel 😭
Still as hauntingly beautiful as the first time I read it! I still hope for a sequel 😭
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes