Stolen

So oddly enough I really got into this book. I say it's odd because I actually began to like the kidnapper. The author did really well and making me basically feel like the main character, in the way that she herself is even conflicted a bit at the end. She knows what he did was horrible but yet she grew feelings for him. Would be nice of there was a sequel.

An interesting story that really makes you feel what the main character is feeling, and I loved the strong sense of place, but overall a middling read for me. 3 camels out of 5.

stockholm-szindrómám lett ettől a könyvtől.

plusz csodálatosan életteli a táj, úgyhogy már megint ausztráliába akarok költözni.

3.5/5 stars

This book was... Wow. This book was not what I expected. It all felt so real. My heart ached for Gemma, and it only got worse near the end. This is a book I will never forget.

It really, really bothers me that there are readers who find this kidnapping scenario romantic.

EDIT: 4th time reading my all time favourite book! SO IN LOVE


Third time reading my all time favourite book and I still cry. Its been my favourite for 6 years and I don't see it being taken of my number one spot for years. Will pay anyone to read this book, I want this book tattooed on my forehead

Wow. Just wow.

This book sucked me in right from the beginning when I read about it on my library's recommendation page. It reminded me a bit of Chevy Stevens's Still Missing (a book that I HIGHLY recommend) only because it's the recounting of a kidnapping and the events following.

Of course, it wasn't like Still Missing at all. Quite different, but engrossing nonetheless. I spent the time reading feeling claustrophobic for Gemma. Feeling helpless because she was. I was creeped out by Ty and constantly felt like bugs were crawling on me.

I must admit that I just couldn't stand the idea of being stuck in this sandy, dusty desert. I wanted to take a shower everytime I picked up the book!

But it was fascinating. Gemma's struggle to escape, to not care about Ty and to reconcile her feelings with what the right thing to do was. Gemma was strong, but compassionate. I wish that the story followed through a bit longer. I feel like there was so much more story to tell. I read a FAQ of Lucy Christopher's in which she's asked if there will be a sequel and now having finished the book I can see why people asked. There's definitely more.

“You saw me before I saw you.”

This book is going to be hard to write any kind of review on. It takes you through so many different emotions. Is it possible for a reader to have Stockholm syndrome? I'll admit it. I actually like Ty, the kidnapper. There's no violence, no threats, nothing that could be called truly ugly, as such. Except for the fact that he kidnapped Gemma. Took her away from her family, away from her country, away from everything she knew and loved. He carried her off to the Australian outback. Yet there is something loveable in Ty. I guess because he seems to truly love Gemma. He genuinely believes he's doing the best thing for her. And in the end, when it's all said and done...He does do the best thing for her. And in doing so, proves he did love her. This book almost made me cry. They say you know you've read a good book when you finish it and are left feeling a little like you've lost a good friend. That's how I felt when I finished this. I want everything to end up being ok. I want both Ty and Gemma to find happiness and fulfillment, somewhere, somehow. Nothing says they will, though. Especially Ty.

So is it Stockholm syndrome? Or is it something much deeper, much more complicated than even that? Is it simply the twisted psychology of a kidnapper and his, “victim”? Or is it more like the heart's reaction to the harsh yet beautiful reality of the wilderness, and the hurting in another's soul.

*4.5 STARS.(Review originally posted at Fictionally Inclined.)I did not know what to expect with this book. The only “kidnapping” books I've read are [b:Perfect 129617 Perfect (Second Opportunities #2) Judith McNaught http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171988350s/129617.jpg 1391556] by Judith McNaught and [b:Precious and Fragile Things 8487352 Precious and Fragile Things Megan Hart http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280528992s/8487352.jpg 13352674] by Megan Hart, which are vastly different from one another. Neither are young adult, although both are fantastic. Stolen was tagged with “romance” on Goodreads, but that does not necessarily guarantee a love story. Despite all this, I was still super excited to read it.I was so addicted to this book! For the first half, I kept only catching little 5-20 minute segments to read. It was maddening because the book was super intense and made you completely lose yourself in it. But I just couldn't quite get there because I kept getting interrupted. Finally, I'd had enough. I was planning on snagging another 20 minutes one night before I went to bed. Instead, I stayed up until 2 AM finishing it, despite the fact that I had to be up early the next morning. It was so good! Articulating how I feel about this book is going to be a challenge. Basically: I loved it. But describing why is a bit of a challenge. For one, when they're fictional, I love twisted, messed up relationships. A lot. The promise of this is a lot of what drew me to it in the first place. Stolen is rather controversial, due to the touchy subject matter. I've heard it's one of those books where you either love it or you hate it. I can definitely see how that would be the case. Ty kidnaps Gemma. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is more to the story, more that makes it possibly even more creepy. It is not an easy book to read. Regardless, I absolutely loved it. I never wanted to leave this world, whether it was due to interruptions or the end of the book.Christoper's prose is top notch. It is real and harsh, but beautiful and unique at the same time. The format of the first person voice written to the second person really worked. It was perfect for the story. It truly added a whole other quality that any other approach would not have included. I never would have thought of it, and I applaud Christopher's originality. Oh, and her descriptions of the land were wonderful. I have never been to the desert of Australia, so I cannot speak for the how realistic it was. But it did give a very convincing sense of authenticity. I honestly just loved the writing itself. A few samples:❝The deep blue of your eyes had secrets. I wanted them.❞❝I remember that feeling of skin. It's strange to remember touch more than thought. But my fingers still tingle with it.❞❝Instead, you smiled. Or tried to. It was like your eyes and your smile were fighting each other.❞This book messed with my head and heart so much. My emotions were in upheaval the entire time. I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't know what I was supposed to want! This is actually a testament to how well written the book was, I think. There were mixed signals galore. You would think this would be horrible, but it wasn't. I was not sure how anything was going to work out. I was on the edge of my seat, clenching my blanket, biting my lip the entire time. And I loved every second.This is no fun, lighthearted book. It will mess with you. If you are prepared, though, I would highly recommend it.

In the voice of a London-local named Gemma, Stolen is a letter that she writes directly addressing her kidnapper. She never expected that her vacation trip to Vietnam with her parents would take a detour to Aussie. Unknown territory. When she wakes up, she doesn't know where she is, what he's done to her, or how in the world could he have stolen her away at an airport. All of these questions she asks herself, he–name apparently Ty–knows the answers to. Only when they get to their destination does she realize that he is no ordinary kidnapper. You know the question all victims of kidnappers want to ask when their kidnappers, and even if they don't, you know they're thinking it at least: Why? Well, Ty's reason is tied to his back-story and most surprisingly, to hers as well.

Stolen was unbelievably different from what you'd ever expect it to be, that which makes this “victim's” story compelling and addictive to know. Even the most dull of parts adds to the moments that Gemma's experiencing being in her captor's “desert.” Christopher radiated something quite imaginary when she wrote in detail this “letter” from Gemma to her captor. Always referring to him as “You” throughout the entirety of this letter. It had me on edge constantly to the point where in the crucial final moments of the ending, I really didn't think I'd be able to read it. Some many emotions this book induced, I felt like a blubbering baby, and inevitably found myself liking the kidnapper more and more. Stolen opened my eyes to the meaning of becoming something when your not in your usual surroundings, and analyzing what you were when you had safety.

Highly recommended. Read about one person's seemingly hopelessness turn into something far more complicated and unpredictable.

Grade: A