Helpful Score: 2
What would you do if you were stolen in an airport, at age 16, and drugged, taken with some man you thought you just met to some desert, where no one else was around? Exactly, you have no idea what you would do because you hope that you're not faced with that decision. Gemma, unfortunately, was faced with this and trust me, you are clenching the book the whole time, wondering what could possibly happen next. You begin to get furiously mad at the kidnapper, Ty, but as the novel goes on, your feelings begin to change. Well, mine did, so yours might not, but mine definitely did. It was a brilliantly written novel & you should for sure read it!
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com
STOLEN is the story of 16-year-old Gemma, who is kidnapped from a Bangkok airport by Ty. What follows is basically a journal of everything that happens to Gemma, written in the form of a letter to Ty.
You don't know at first where Ty has taken her; you only know that she is in the middle of a desert with him. They live in a home that he has built and stocked so he can care for Gemma.
This was, for me, a novel that I will never forget. The title was very fitting, as you will see after reading the book. After finishing this story, I find it hard to say that I liked it. I did like it, but am not sure if you should like a story about a kidnapping.
I can honestly say that it was a very intriguing story. It was very well-written, and although there were some slow parts for me, it flowed well. I put this story in the same category as LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott.
This book definitely has a place in my collection, and it's a story that I would read again as well as recommend to others.
STOLEN is the story of 16-year-old Gemma, who is kidnapped from a Bangkok airport by Ty. What follows is basically a journal of everything that happens to Gemma, written in the form of a letter to Ty.
You don't know at first where Ty has taken her; you only know that she is in the middle of a desert with him. They live in a home that he has built and stocked so he can care for Gemma.
This was, for me, a novel that I will never forget. The title was very fitting, as you will see after reading the book. After finishing this story, I find it hard to say that I liked it. I did like it, but am not sure if you should like a story about a kidnapping.
I can honestly say that it was a very intriguing story. It was very well-written, and although there were some slow parts for me, it flowed well. I put this story in the same category as LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott.
This book definitely has a place in my collection, and it's a story that I would read again as well as recommend to others.
Helpful Score: 1
Gemma is sixteen when she is taken from a Bangkok airport and brought to no-man's land in the wild and dusty Australian desert. Her kidnapper, Ty, says he stole her from the life she knew back in London in order to save her from the soulless lifestyle of zombie-like commercial conventionality and acquiescence. But Gemma wants nothing to do with Ty and his independent existence: she just wants to get back to her old life.
As time passes with just the two of them, however, Gemma learns of Ty's past, his reasoning, and even begins to see the desert in a new light.
Written in letter format addressed to Ty, STOLEN is a startlingly unique and utterly haunting UK debut that is sure to take the world by storm. It is a detailed exploration of the human psyche under extreme conditions, a vivid portrayal of Australian wilderness, and a rare literary accomplishment.
Gemma's emotions, thoughts, and behavior perfectly befit those of who have been taken, and are now being held, against their will. I found myself nodding along to her thoughts and actions, knowing that, if I were ever in her situation, I would react the same way. Gemma is not universally likable: she is at many times petty, reckless, and frightened to senselessness. However, that makes her more appropriately human for this book than the âperfectâ protagonist: she is the worst side of ourselves that would come out in similar conditions.
I found Ty sympathetic, and understood his logic much more quickly than Gemma did, even though his methods of carrying out his dreams were downright dangerous and psychotic. Lucy Christopher gradually reveals his troubled past to readers, and the beauty of it is that at the end we are not sure where we should stand. Should we agree with Gemma's desire to return to her old life, even with knowing how stale, monotonous, and âunrealâ it would be? Or does Ty's version of removing oneself from the corrupt society in order to find a more fulfilling lifestyle among nature make more sense?
There is something remarkably intimate about the way in which STOLEN is written. Because it is written in first-person letter format to Ty, we connect, remarkably, with Gemma (first-person narration) AND Ty, the âyouâ whom the letter is addressing, since we are placed in a position of essentially being both Gemma and Ty at the same time. STOLEN makes it clear that there are no easy answers to this scenario, and readers can feel free to make of it what they will.
STOLEN is not without its flaws. We are not given enough information about Gemma's old life to decide whether or not Ty was justified in taking Gemma away or to reach a decision about which âlifeâ Gemma should choose. The desert experiences can become a bit tedious as they blend into one another, and despite the excellent characterization, some of the scenes were a tad too dramatic for me to despite. However, it all comes down to the fact that STOLEN is a remarkable achievement and an alluring, nearly unputdownable read. Pick this book up and see if you don't get sucked into Gemma and Ty's story yourself.
As time passes with just the two of them, however, Gemma learns of Ty's past, his reasoning, and even begins to see the desert in a new light.
Written in letter format addressed to Ty, STOLEN is a startlingly unique and utterly haunting UK debut that is sure to take the world by storm. It is a detailed exploration of the human psyche under extreme conditions, a vivid portrayal of Australian wilderness, and a rare literary accomplishment.
Gemma's emotions, thoughts, and behavior perfectly befit those of who have been taken, and are now being held, against their will. I found myself nodding along to her thoughts and actions, knowing that, if I were ever in her situation, I would react the same way. Gemma is not universally likable: she is at many times petty, reckless, and frightened to senselessness. However, that makes her more appropriately human for this book than the âperfectâ protagonist: she is the worst side of ourselves that would come out in similar conditions.
I found Ty sympathetic, and understood his logic much more quickly than Gemma did, even though his methods of carrying out his dreams were downright dangerous and psychotic. Lucy Christopher gradually reveals his troubled past to readers, and the beauty of it is that at the end we are not sure where we should stand. Should we agree with Gemma's desire to return to her old life, even with knowing how stale, monotonous, and âunrealâ it would be? Or does Ty's version of removing oneself from the corrupt society in order to find a more fulfilling lifestyle among nature make more sense?
There is something remarkably intimate about the way in which STOLEN is written. Because it is written in first-person letter format to Ty, we connect, remarkably, with Gemma (first-person narration) AND Ty, the âyouâ whom the letter is addressing, since we are placed in a position of essentially being both Gemma and Ty at the same time. STOLEN makes it clear that there are no easy answers to this scenario, and readers can feel free to make of it what they will.
STOLEN is not without its flaws. We are not given enough information about Gemma's old life to decide whether or not Ty was justified in taking Gemma away or to reach a decision about which âlifeâ Gemma should choose. The desert experiences can become a bit tedious as they blend into one another, and despite the excellent characterization, some of the scenes were a tad too dramatic for me to despite. However, it all comes down to the fact that STOLEN is a remarkable achievement and an alluring, nearly unputdownable read. Pick this book up and see if you don't get sucked into Gemma and Ty's story yourself.
