Stolen (edition 2010)

"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.'

( )

This is excellent. Very well written, very well paced and very emotional. I might be adding this to my best-great shelf. I think I'll be rereading this at some point.

I hope to come back to this later but for right now, for anyone who had bad feelings about themselves for liking Ty or hoping for good things in this relationship - don't. That was one of the points of the book and just shows how well it was written. ( )

It was one of the most beautiful, sweetest, saddest books I have ever read. I just did not want it to be over. Writing the story in the form of a letter is not really easy but Lucy Christopher has done it so well that I could almost feel Gemma's conflicting emotions within me. I wanted to kick Ty in the nuts as well as hug him and tell him everything will be all right at the same time.

All the characters were developed so wonderfully. Gemma was shown to develop from a desperate captive to a girl resigned to her situation to how she started falling for Ty in the process.. it did not feel weird or forced. And Ty was a world onto himself. As a stalker he should have been plain creepy, and he was plenty that too but his vulnerable side too was shown so beautifully I could not help but feel sad for him. He wanted love and he never thought it would be wrong to steal Gemma to get it. The camel, Dick, the hens, even the snakes- the way the animals were used to show Gemma's frame of mind was amazing. Some part of me even wanted Ty and Gemma to end up together, no matter how sick that would be.

The book made me cry, it made me smile. It made me hug it and try to think of Ty, of Gemma, of her parents... of how in the end the camel was still left unnamed. I wanted Ty and Gemma to live happily ever after; I wanted Ty to be punished severely for the fucked up ways of his mind. But in the end I knew there would be no better ending for the book than what Christopher has written and that is what makes it even more beautiful.

A book everyone should read at least once. ( )

Let me start by saying that I didn't expect the book to turn out this way. I was caught off-guard because I was expecting another dark and humilating tale but Stolen was different.

The story of Gemma's kidnapping was masterfully written, the writing style hooked me already on the first page. Gemma's voice is honest and confused, yet strong and stubborn. By seeing everything through her eyes, you are in her head and experience 'first hand' how sudden the lines between captor and captive can blur.

Ty provoked many emotions and I would've loved a glimpse into his head. There are many sides to him - at times he's angry and hostile, then he's gentle and sweet but then there are also the times when he made me think of a little lost boy that doesn't understand how the world around him works. Furthermore he always respects Gemma's physical boundaries and in the end, he even develops enough to go through with the most selfless act he could've come up with in this situation.

If you are looking for a story filled with suspense and darkness, you won't find it here and that's why this story is something else, maybe something more.

I thoroughly enjoyed the little stories about the Australian outback and the almost calm manner in which this story was told. The end surprised the hell out of me and there were even a few tears there.

This book won't be for everyone, some might be bored with it but it certainly found its way on my favourite shelf. ( )

Wow. One of the most powerful, complex YA books I have ever read. A chilling and gripping account of a teen girl's kidnapping and the progression of her feelings towards her captor. I will be thinking about this book for years to come. Also a beautiful rendering of the Australian outback, setting as character, making me dream of sand, sun and sky. ( )