Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

Ever since her dad invented a super-effective bronzing treatment, Charity's been living the life of the coddled rich, in a guarded estate of a select 120 homes, with servants to see to all of her family's needs. But being rich has its downsides, too -- she can rarely go beyond the walls of the estate, her father and ex-stepmother are too busy with their own lives to concern themselves with hers, and being a rich kid makes her the target of the growing kidnapping industry.

When Charity finds herself taken by mysterious men in an ambulance, she decides to follow the rules to the letter to ensure that she'll be delivered safely home as soon as the ransom is paid. But the longer she spends with the kidnappers, the more clear it becomes that their plans are more complicated than she could have imagined.

TAKEN puts readers right inside Charity's head, making every moment of the kidnapping as vivid as if they were experiencing it themselves. Charity's reactions are believable and poignant. With every frightening development and shocking twist, readers will find themselves right there with her, quickly turning the pages to learn what will happen next. Charity herself is a strong heroine, practical, scared, yet not afraid to put up a fight when she has to.

Readers may have a hard time relating to the world the novel portrays and the isolation in which Charity now lives with her family's newfound wealth. The society seems very strongly divided between the rich and poor, with little room in between. Nonetheless, it provides a pointed commentary on many of the advantages the privileged in today's world take for granted, and the struggles of those who do not have those advantages. TAKEN is sure to provoke thoughtful discussion among its readers.

For both its tense and unpredictable story and its social commentary, TAKEN is a great read. Be forewarned -- with so many twists, at least one is guaranteed to take you completely (and pleasantly) by surprise! ( )

An interesting tale in a mildly distopian future (it is for kids so it can't be that dark) where kidnapping rich children has become a growth industry. Interesting ideas about personal security versus personal freedom. The only problems I have are the moral ambiguity of some of the actions in the ending. Lying and fruad are seen as justified if they lead to a good, but the way the main character forgives those that have harmed her seems unrealistic. It had a great premise and a good start that was weakened by the ending. ( )

Merideth says: Charity, the daughter of a wealthy doctor and a loathsome TV personality, lives a sheltered existence behind armored walls. In Charity's near future, the gap between the rich and the poor has grown to extremes, and the kidnapping of wealthy children has become a growth industry. So much so that a euphemism -- 'taken' -- describes the process. So when Charity wakes up strapped to a gurney, she follows the rules that all wealthy children are taught -- cooperate, stay calm and follow the plan. But Charity's kidnapping doesn't follow the plan, with some surprising results.

I really like Bloor, and I liked this book, but I felt it was a little heavy handed. The message here, about the divisions caused by class and ethnicity are worthwhile, however, Bloor overstates his case, leaving his message trampled underneath. The surprising 'twist' at the end wasn't really all that surprising; a more astute reader will have no trouble ferreting it out.

Where the book really shines is in detailing the empty mundaneness of Charity's everyday life, where her money only serves to separate her from other human beings. While Charity's calm during her kidnapping strains credulity, she is a very likable character, a lonely princess with a kind heart. Supporting characters are much flatter, with Charity's classmates and step-mother being little more than caricatures. Overall, worthwhile, but not Bloor's best work. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) ( )

Charity Meyers knows what she should do if she's taken.It's 2035, and kidnapping is a career choice for many money minded individuals in the United States. Charity has gone through trainings on kidnapping procedure and lives in a gated and secured neighborhood, escorted to school every day by armed guards. So when Charity wakes up one morning strapped to a stretcher, she knows what to do. Wait. Cooperate. Don't try anything that would compromise the smoothness of the operation. That's how it would work if this was a normal kidnapping, but Charity soon realizes that this isn't normal at all. Will the kidnappers actually give Charity a choice about how to live her life? ( )

I read this book for my YA book club. We tried to choose books that would be appealing to both boys and girls, since we have one boy in our group of 10 girls. The boy dropped out - but we stuck with our book selections.Taken is set in the future, 2035. In the future, kidnapping is such a lucrative business that the rich have currency vaults, their children have trackers inserted somewhere on their persons, the help consists of people who will be willing to die for you, and they live in gated communities - and rarely leave!Charity Meyers goes to school via satellite, buys her clothes online, and only has one friend. Taken refers to what happens when someone is kidnapped. Such as Charity. The rule is the families have 24 hours to follow the kidnappers demands and the book opens with only about 12 hours left. It's a very interesting concept. I didn't think the Mickie Meyers character, Charity's ex-stepmother, was believable. Everyone did what she said but it was noted that she wasn't very bright. She disrupted the satschool classes and the Meyer's everyday life - and they let her. Other than that - it was a pretty good middle grade mystery. Lots of twists and turns. There were some scenes that might make it a little YA though - such as how Charity and her friend Patience make fun of the background of their names. But, I would recommend it to people looking for a quick read. ( )