Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Summary: A stunning debut novel with an intriguing literary hook: written in part as a letter from a victim to her abductor. Sensitive, sharp, captivating!

Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty--rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar--pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. STOLEN is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare--or die trying to fight it.

My Thoughts:
Stolen is the most intense, twisted, and mind-blowing book I've ever read. From the minute I read the first sentence to the final page, I could not get this book out of my head. I rushed through dinner and dishes just to get back to the book and when I finished, my mind was reeling.

Stolen is Gemma's letter to her captor. It's not told in traditional letter format but the narrator often uses "you". While it is a little weird at first, in the end it makes the story much more emotional, especially at the end.

Lucy Christopher is one talented writer. She tugs the reader right into the world of her characters, tears their heart apart, and makes them question everything they thought they knew. I, for one, never thought I could feel anything but hatred for someone that kidnaps a girl and I'm sure everyone else feels the same. But STOLEN will at least make you think, if not make you understand people a little more. Both Gemma and Ty are such complex characters that it's impossible to not feel attached by the end of the novel.

Another thing that made this novel stand out so much was the setting. The outback of Australia just fit the plot so perfectly and it adds an extra sense of desperation to the novel. If this had been set in an American suburbia or the countryside, it would not have had the same effect. Poisonous snakes, desert, and camels just make everything better.

Overall, Stolen in an absolute must-read. It's a powerful book that you're guaranteed to never forget. I definitely recommend picking up a copy today!