Stolen

I have read so much YA lately that follows a certain formula, and I was starting to worry that the quality of YA in general is starting to go down hill. With Twilight and all of the Twilight-ish stuff out there, it is sometimes hard to wade through it all to find the really good stuff. This time, I succeeded.

Christopher's debut (that, according to the back jacket, she wrote as part of her doctoral program) is fascinating and haunting. Her ability to infect the reader with Stockholm Syndrome just as she does the heroine is something that is hard to get out of your mind.

There are certain books that just stay with you for a few days after you finish them. This is one of them. I feel emotionally spent after reading Gemma's letter. I even show more sat back and tried to picture Ty's reaction to it, and Gemma's future after Ty. Would there be a future after Ty? Or would she wait for him? This was one of those- a book that makes you think and feel at the end of it.

Great YA is definitely out there. show less

“You saw me before I saw you” is the first line in this chilling, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-raising story written in the form of a letter from the abducted to her abductor. Through the eyes of 16 year-old Gemma the reader is taken on an emotional journey in response to being kidnapped and taken to an isolated desert. The author is exceptionally descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the desert and Gemma’s surroundings, so that readers feel as if they are actually with her, experiencing her abduction and trying to make sense of her torn feelings about Ty. Christopher creates realistic characters with several dimensions. There is more to Ty than just being a kidnapper, and Gemma is not simply a victim. Although there are only show more two characters throughout most of the novel, each character has so much depth that there is not a dull moment. There are no chapters in the book. Passing of time is indicated by white space between passages, making the book sound more like a stream of consciousness or recounting of events rather than a novel. Christopher offers two questions: Did Ty steal Gemma, or did he save her? And who really cares for her and has her best interest at heart? show less

I remember hearing an actor once explain his choice of a somewhat villainous role by saying that someone reminded him that in the villian’s mind, he is the hero. Since hearing that, I have been somewhat obsessed with this idea and seeing it played out well. In Stolen, Lucy Christopher allows readers to see inside Ty’s mind and, if not agree with his actions, perhaps understand the reasons behind them.
Once Ty has Gemma with him in the desert, the story becomes what one may expect: Gemma tries to find a way out. But it doesn’t come across as a tired plot from a made-for-TV movie. Ty is not a menacing beast, dragging her across the floor, but a rumbling storm. He is patient, he is careful, he is deliberate. As Gemma unravels the show more story behind why she is there, she sees so much more to him than a crazy kidnapper.
From the beginning, the descriptive language drew me in. Short phrases like, “the smell of coffee smudging into the smell of eucalyptus” did more to evoke the mood than a string of sentences noting every minute detail of the surrounding. Christopher manages to paint the epic landscape of the book in very simple ways with thoughtful word choices. She shows instead of tells in every way that matters. Ty isn’t the most talented of verbal communicators, but his emotions are evident in every scene. Gemma’s subtle change in mindset is much more evident by how she responds to Ty physically than by how she thinks through that change.
This is a bold piece of writing for sure, walking a fine line between things I wanted to see and things I’d rather die than see. Even though I despised Ty for stealing Gemma away from her life, in a way I wanted to see him walk away with everything he ever wanted. Like Gemma, I could see all the good that mingled with all the bad inside of him. By the time I got to the end, I had a hard time closing the book on that character. Even now I want to re-read the book and get wrapped up in the beauty of this story once more from the beginning. show less

"It's hard to hate someone once you understand them.”

This is a gripping tale of survival and resilience. Gemma, a teenage girl, is abducted from the Bangkok international airport and held captive in the unforgiving Australian outback. The novel explores themes of isolation, fear, and the human spirit.

I seriously struggled with the developing romantic dynamic between Gemma and her captor, Ty. The author's choice to romanticize their relationship rather than addressing it as a complex and harmful psychological response to trauma was very unsettling. This portrayal can be misleading, particularly for younger readers leading to the glamorization of "trauma bonding."

That said, I was relieved that Christopher did not have Gemma become show more entirely submissive. Her unwavering determination to escape kept me engaged and hopeful.

While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy and a bit contentious, it's refreshing to see authors of young adult fiction exploring complex issues with depth.

This is a provocative and thought-provoking read. While the romanticization of the captor-victim relationship is a significant flaw in my opinion, the novel's exploration of survival, resilience, and the human psyche is commendable. show less

Stolen There are so many 5 star ratings for Stolen that I'm almost hesitant to write my less than enthusiastic response. The writing was lovely, the characters were dimensional, but I did not connect with them emotionally like this book seemed to require in order to fully enjoy this. The one thing that definitely comes across in Stolen is the emptiness and the hopelessness that Gemma was feeling. It was easy to understand how confused she must have been, yearning for human contact yet not being able to fully trust that he wouldn't cut her into pieces and feed her to his camel. The camel, by the way, was my favorite character in Stolen. I did like that the kidnapper was not shown as some tyrannical monster but that the reader was able to show more somehow sympathize with his motivations even while knowing his actions were unforgivable.Mostly I just thought that it would be horrible to be kidnapped to such a barren landscape with no books, internet, or anything to distract from the kidnapper who keeps weeping at me. The kidnapper's emotional vulnerability was a bit much and annoyed me almost as much as the slow pace of the story. I was partly offended on Gemma's behalf and partly amused when she would try to escape and Ty (weepy kidnapper) would sigh in boredom and act like "Really Gemma? Again? Can you leave a good trail this time for when I have to rescue you....again." And he would just let her go without much protest knowing she wasn't getting anywhere. I will say that Gemma was not completely docile, nor did she quietly come to terms with her fate. The Stockholm Syndrome aspect of Stolen was definitely well done and quite believable. I can see why so many people loved this story and I wish I could have liked it more. Ultimately, it was like the barren landscape it described, it's beauty was only visible to those who were meant to be there. As I said though, I really did like that camel!! show less

Stolen There are so many 5 star ratings for Stolen that I'm almost hesitant to write my less than enthusiastic response. The writing was lovely, the characters were dimensional, but I did not connect with them emotionally like this book seemed to require in order to fully enjoy this. The one thing that definitely comes across in Stolen is the emptiness and the hopelessness that Gemma was feeling. It was easy to understand how confused she must have been, yearning for human contact yet not being able to fully trust that he wouldn't cut her into pieces and feed her to his camel. The camel, by the way, was my favorite character in Stolen. I did like that the kidnapper was not shown as some tyrannical monster but that the reader was able to show more somehow sympathize with his motivations even while knowing his actions were unforgivable.Mostly I just thought that it would be horrible to be kidnapped to such a barren landscape with no books, internet, or anything to distract from the kidnapper who keeps weeping at me. The kidnapper's emotional vulnerability was a bit much and annoyed me almost as much as the slow pace of the story. I was partly offended on Gemma's behalf and partly amused when she would try to escape and Ty (weepy kidnapper) would sigh in boredom and act like "Really Gemma? Again? Can you leave a good trail this time for when I have to rescue you....again." And he would just let her go without much protest knowing she wasn't getting anywhere. I will say that Gemma was not completely docile, nor did she quietly come to terms with her fate. The Stockholm Syndrome aspect of Stolen was definitely well done and quite believable. I can see why so many people loved this story and I wish I could have liked it more. Ultimately, it was like the barren landscape it described, it's beauty was only visible to those who were meant to be there. As I said though, I really did like that camel!! show less

Beautiful. Evil, but beautiful. Evil because I now have Stockholm Syndrome. Beautiful because I didn't realise it was happening, the writing was so subtle yet engrossing and real. Gritty.

I fell in love with Ty, the kidnapper. He was so kind, considerate and almost harmless really (Hello, Stockholm!). He'd saved Gemma's life so many times and eventually sacrificed his freedom for her. How can anyone not love him a little for that?

I understood his motivations. He was lonely and had been badly treated all his life. At first I had all kinds of ideas of what he was: paedophile, rapist, killer etc. He was none of those things. He just wanted to escape civilisation and when he spotted Gemma, who he believed was being neglected by her parents show more just as he was, he wanted to rescue her.

I can't understand why people compare this to [b:Living Dead Girl|2954411|Living Dead Girl|Elizabeth Scott|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255648770s/2954411.jpg|2983897]. Ray, the kidnapper is all of the things I mentioned above. He was not kind, he raped, he's a paedophile and he murdered. I did not fall in love with him. It's not a fair comparison. They're completely different.

Although at times Ty seemed scary, he was vulnerable and fragile too. He cried. He suffered from nightmares. In some ways he's like a child himself, with his love of the land, his painting and his folk stories. His sense of fun can be a little strange but there are some funny moments. It's not all fear and confusion. Catching the camel was hilarious. She (the camel) had my heart from then on.

As you can tell I loved Ty but I also cared about Gemma. At first I just wanted her to accept her situation, to stop looking for trouble. The number of times she said "You're lying!" or "I don't believe you!" got on my nerves because she said it in relation to the simplest of plausible statements but when she calmed down she was so starkly honest with herself even when she wanted to go into denial. She was strong. Both characters were to have survived their traumas.

You may think I'm as loopy as Ty but I wished for a happy ending. Gemma and Ty together. Maybe not out in the desert forever but living on the edge of a small town. Happily ever after. I can dream, right?

Stolen. Everything in this book is stolen, including Ty. Nothing belongs to anyone. Not even themselves. There's only the land and the sky. And survival. Beautiful. show less