Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F CHR
Genres
Collection
Publication
Chicken House (2013)
Description
Sixteen-year-old Gemma, a British city-dweller, is abducted while on vacation with her parents and taken to the Australian outback, where she soon realizes that escape attempts are futile, and in time she learns that her captor is not as despicable as she first believed.
Original publication date
2009-05-18
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User reviews
LibraryThing member stephxsu
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
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. Of course I don’t have any personal experience to back my claim up, but 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 “perfect” 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 “unreal” 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 “you” 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 “life” 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.
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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. Of course I don’t have any personal experience to back my claim up, but 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 “perfect” 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 “unreal” 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 “you” 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 “life” 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.
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LibraryThing member jenniferthomp75
16 year old Gemma is kidnapped from the Bangkok airport by a man named Ty and brought to the Australian outback.
As with any Stockholm Syndrome sufferer, she begins to develop feelings for her captor and also rationalize why he has kidnapped her from her former life.
I felt like the author was
I also hated how the author focused so much on Ty's physicality. His muscles, his tan body and his stunning blue eyes. The focus was on his physical features even before Gemma started suffering from Stockholm. It felt as though the author tried to force an attraction between the reader and Ty's character.
Why did this book win a Printz honor? I'm not sure. I definitely didn't find it very literary and I thought the obvious symbolism (the Outback as Eden; watch out for a snake!) didn't help. Why "Butterfly" by Sonya Harnett wasn't considered is beyond me.
As with any Stockholm Syndrome sufferer, she begins to develop feelings for her captor and also rationalize why he has kidnapped her from her former life.
I felt like the author was
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setting up a "big reveal" at the end because Ty constantly hints at a connection between himself and Gemma. When he does explain how they know each other, it doesn't make any sense. His character was not developed very well and it left lots of underlying questions.I also hated how the author focused so much on Ty's physicality. His muscles, his tan body and his stunning blue eyes. The focus was on his physical features even before Gemma started suffering from Stockholm. It felt as though the author tried to force an attraction between the reader and Ty's character.
Why did this book win a Printz honor? I'm not sure. I definitely didn't find it very literary and I thought the obvious symbolism (the Outback as Eden; watch out for a snake!) didn't help. Why "Butterfly" by Sonya Harnett wasn't considered is beyond me.
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LibraryThing member Chris-86
I was really looking forward to reading this book but unfortunately I found it totally unconvincing on many levels. First, Ty has supposedly been stalking Gemma for six years, since she was ten years old, and can quote intimate details of her life and conversations overheard between her parents,
In the 6 years since first encountering Gemma, Ty has supposedly worked and earnt enough money to set up 'home' in a very remote part of Australia, complete with a couple of buildings and supplies, while at the same time has flown between Australia and England in order to keep his eye on Gemma.
And then there's Ty himself... can you really imagine that someone who plans in intricate detail to drug and abduct a 16 year old girl, would be such a stable personality, someone who is calm, gentle and patient, who ultimately sacrifices himself for her... Really???
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and yet no-one seems to be at all aware of him. Gemma herself does not even recognise him as someone she has seen before. In the 6 years since first encountering Gemma, Ty has supposedly worked and earnt enough money to set up 'home' in a very remote part of Australia, complete with a couple of buildings and supplies, while at the same time has flown between Australia and England in order to keep his eye on Gemma.
And then there's Ty himself... can you really imagine that someone who plans in intricate detail to drug and abduct a 16 year old girl, would be such a stable personality, someone who is calm, gentle and patient, who ultimately sacrifices himself for her... Really???
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LibraryThing member smitha_1988
"I don't have to turn you in, you know. You could just let me go,then you could disappear back into the desert. I could say I don't remember, that I have got heatstroke or amnesia or something. I won't even remember your name."
Your eyes flicked to mine, but they were filled up with sadness , ready
I Stole myself away from this world to live with Ty and Gemma in that amazing place called Australia ......Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking ... My eyes threatened to spill over as i turned the pages. I never justify what Ty did but my heart does'nt listen. I know i am babbling and this is not a review . Sorry for that . The narrative , the characters , the imagery , everything is just lush and gorgeous . I know one thing for sure that this book is going to stay with me for a long long time ...
Your eyes flicked to mine, but they were filled up with sadness , ready
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to leak. I Stole myself away from this world to live with Ty and Gemma in that amazing place called Australia ......Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking ... My eyes threatened to spill over as i turned the pages. I never justify what Ty did but my heart does'nt listen. I know i am babbling and this is not a review . Sorry for that . The narrative , the characters , the imagery , everything is just lush and gorgeous . I know one thing for sure that this book is going to stay with me for a long long time ...
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LibraryThing member Yona
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
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
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good things in this relationship - don't. That was one of the points of the book and just shows how well it was written. Show Less
LibraryThing member sch_94
My Summary: Gemma is a normal teen from London on vacation with her parents. During a stop-over in a Bangkok airport, Gemma meets a charming stranger. Fueled by her anger at her parents, Gemma sits down and has coffee with the man; they chat, trading stories and pleasantries. But Gemma begins to
Suddenly she's being dragged off by the stranger, her limbs numb and useless. She can't fight back, can't react... she's being stolen.
She awakens a few days later, in a terrain so alien it might as well be another planet. She realizes two things: she has been kidnapped, and the only other person for thousands of miles is her kidnapper - the charming man from the airport - the one who stole her away and made her his own.
My Thoughts: Since the moment I read the preface of this novel almost 2 years ago, I knew I was going to read it. I didn't think I'd like it though - after reading through a few dozen reviews and summaries, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, "how the heck can people think this was a good story? This guy is a mentally deranged kidnapper in love with a teenaged girl!" But I knew I had to read it too, because people were recommending it to me left and right, so I added it to my to-read list, thinking I would put it off as much as I possibly could.
Summer rolled around and I realized I had no new books to read on vacation, so I got myself to the bookstore and strolled around the YA section. And even though it wasn't even close to the top of my to-read list, I grabbed Stolen off the shelf, telling myself that, even if I wasn't able to get past the first chapter, I'd have the pool to keep me occupied.
I swear, I never expected to fall in love with this book. It just sort of happened, you know? Lucy Christopher's writing is like poetry, and her ability to take words and form a landscape in my mind is downright amazing. For those of you who've read it already, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't: please, please read this book.
It's been almost 2 years now, and Stolen is still probably my absolute favourite stand-alone YA novel. It does what all my favourite books do: breaks your heart into tiny little pieces. Gemma and Ty's story is one of the few that gets to me every time - I bawl my eyes out every time I re-read it.
Final Thoughts: If I could give this book 10 out of 5 stars, I definitely would. It's one of those ones you can't ever forget, no matter how many more books you may read afterwards. I whole-heartedly recommend this one to readers 15 and over.
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feel strangely...Suddenly she's being dragged off by the stranger, her limbs numb and useless. She can't fight back, can't react... she's being stolen.
She awakens a few days later, in a terrain so alien it might as well be another planet. She realizes two things: she has been kidnapped, and the only other person for thousands of miles is her kidnapper - the charming man from the airport - the one who stole her away and made her his own.
My Thoughts: Since the moment I read the preface of this novel almost 2 years ago, I knew I was going to read it. I didn't think I'd like it though - after reading through a few dozen reviews and summaries, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, "how the heck can people think this was a good story? This guy is a mentally deranged kidnapper in love with a teenaged girl!" But I knew I had to read it too, because people were recommending it to me left and right, so I added it to my to-read list, thinking I would put it off as much as I possibly could.
Summer rolled around and I realized I had no new books to read on vacation, so I got myself to the bookstore and strolled around the YA section. And even though it wasn't even close to the top of my to-read list, I grabbed Stolen off the shelf, telling myself that, even if I wasn't able to get past the first chapter, I'd have the pool to keep me occupied.
I swear, I never expected to fall in love with this book. It just sort of happened, you know? Lucy Christopher's writing is like poetry, and her ability to take words and form a landscape in my mind is downright amazing. For those of you who've read it already, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't: please, please read this book.
It's been almost 2 years now, and Stolen is still probably my absolute favourite stand-alone YA novel. It does what all my favourite books do: breaks your heart into tiny little pieces. Gemma and Ty's story is one of the few that gets to me every time - I bawl my eyes out every time I re-read it.
Final Thoughts: If I could give this book 10 out of 5 stars, I definitely would. It's one of those ones you can't ever forget, no matter how many more books you may read afterwards. I whole-heartedly recommend this one to readers 15 and over.
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LibraryThing member jinkay
this book was amazing yet terribly disturbing. the story was about 16-year old gemma who was abducted in a bangkok airport and brought to the australian outback by ty, a guy who had apparently been watching/stalking her since they met in london 6 years ago. the book is told in the form of a letter
the writing was honest and gritty. i loved the fact that gemma's reactions to ty were real and the abduction was for the most part, unromanticized. rather than giving up, gemma spent more than half of the book fighting ty and looking for ways to escape. ty's character was frightening yet vulnerable and he alternated between insane and inlove that by the time the author introduced the concept of "stockholm syndrome", while gemma was trying to sort out if this condition explained what she felt for ty, i was left wondering along with her. after reading the last paragraphs, i thought that it wasn't the perfect ending but it was the best ending and it couldn't have gone any other way.
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from gemma to ty recounting what had happened from the time she was abducted until the end of her ordeal. the writing was honest and gritty. i loved the fact that gemma's reactions to ty were real and the abduction was for the most part, unromanticized. rather than giving up, gemma spent more than half of the book fighting ty and looking for ways to escape. ty's character was frightening yet vulnerable and he alternated between insane and inlove that by the time the author introduced the concept of "stockholm syndrome", while gemma was trying to sort out if this condition explained what she felt for ty, i was left wondering along with her. after reading the last paragraphs, i thought that it wasn't the perfect ending but it was the best ending and it couldn't have gone any other way.
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LibraryThing member BookSpot
Gemma is taken during a moment alone in the Bangkok airport while on a trip with her parents. They were on their way to Vietnam from their home in England when she stepped away for just a moment to get a cup of coffee and suddenly a young man was there across from her. A weirdly familiar, too old
Ty offers to pay for her drink. Ty drugs her drink and soon has taken Gemma far away to a remote, harsh part of the world where it is just the two of them.
Stolen is Gem's letter to her captor. Her "letter from nowhere."
Because Stolen is Gemma's letter to her kidnapper, it tells the story of her kidnapping and imprisonment from her perspective, but also uses an interesting pronoun. As it's to him and not about him it uses 'you' and not 'he' or his name making the reading very, very interesting. At times it's like the reader is the 'you' in the book, the kidnapper that Gemma is talking to--definitely making for an intriguing go of things. Other times it's as if you're the 'I,' Gem who's been taken and telling her tale.
A slightly paraphrased quote from page 262 in the British version explains it, "I was you...But I was me....too. I was us both."
Pairing that with the story of these two characters and the unique situation they find themselves in and it's one of the most innovative stories I've read.
The interaction between Ty (or usually 'you') and Gem rings so true because the reasoning is there--illogical or crazy as it may be--the same way that it is when you hear about someone being abducted in real life. The back story was well built for both of the characters, the relationship between them made sense (given the story), and the setting really fit--and it all came together to make a fantastic novel.
9/10
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to be a fried, man who knew her name. A young man named Ty who had this all planned.Ty offers to pay for her drink. Ty drugs her drink and soon has taken Gemma far away to a remote, harsh part of the world where it is just the two of them.
Stolen is Gem's letter to her captor. Her "letter from nowhere."
Because Stolen is Gemma's letter to her kidnapper, it tells the story of her kidnapping and imprisonment from her perspective, but also uses an interesting pronoun. As it's to him and not about him it uses 'you' and not 'he' or his name making the reading very, very interesting. At times it's like the reader is the 'you' in the book, the kidnapper that Gemma is talking to--definitely making for an intriguing go of things. Other times it's as if you're the 'I,' Gem who's been taken and telling her tale.
A slightly paraphrased quote from page 262 in the British version explains it, "I was you...But I was me....too. I was us both."
Pairing that with the story of these two characters and the unique situation they find themselves in and it's one of the most innovative stories I've read.
The interaction between Ty (or usually 'you') and Gem rings so true because the reasoning is there--illogical or crazy as it may be--the same way that it is when you hear about someone being abducted in real life. The back story was well built for both of the characters, the relationship between them made sense (given the story), and the setting really fit--and it all came together to make a fantastic novel.
9/10
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LibraryThing member dr8688
I bought this book at the spur of the moment, which I never do, and I'm glad I did. It was a really good book. I don't think I would have bought it if I would have the my usual research that I do on my books, it just isn't the type of book I usually read. A teenage girl is at the airport with her
The writing is very straightforward and easy to understand. It is written so every teenage girl might just think twice about who she talks to and where, how she will perceive a stranger, is a stranger really an ugly monster or can it be the charming smooth talking good-looking guy that you want to flirt with? It's something mothers are always trying to tell their daughters to watch out for and they think it will never happen to them.
It's a very believalble book, with a very touching and surprising ending.
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parents and goes to buy coffee when she realizes an older guy is looking at her and he is a really good looking guy. He comes up behind her and buys a coffee too and strikes up a conversation and suggests they sit at a table to just talk while she waits on her plane. Needless to say, she is flattered by the attention. She is later abducted and taken to the Australian outback to a very isolated area, where she tries endlessly to get away. She then learns a few things about her abductor and realizes she doesn't really know how to feel about him. She does hate him for what he has done to her and wants to go home, but is she starting to feel differently? The writing is very straightforward and easy to understand. It is written so every teenage girl might just think twice about who she talks to and where, how she will perceive a stranger, is a stranger really an ugly monster or can it be the charming smooth talking good-looking guy that you want to flirt with? It's something mothers are always trying to tell their daughters to watch out for and they think it will never happen to them.
It's a very believalble book, with a very touching and surprising ending.
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LibraryThing member Irisheyz77
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere
I bought this book after listening to a fragment on Bookalio.us the short snippet that Pam read had me intrigued and so I immediately rushed out and picked up a copy for myself. I started to read it the day after it arrived on a trip my friend and I
Stolen by Lucy Christopher is like no other book that I've read its a book that trumps everything that I've read so far this year. And as I've read some pretty amazing reads that is saying a lot. This book is unique in so many ways. First there are no real chapters to speak of....just short breaks here and there in the narrative. The narrative itself is also fairly unique in that it is a letter....a very long letter written by Gemma - who is the victim of Ty. Ty....words are so hard to describe him. He is the abductor, the villian, the tortured soul who thinks he is saving Gemma from the evils of the world. He is a person that you think you should hate and despise but find that you can't. Ty defies all that it means to be a villian because while he has done something bad he isn't a bad person. Then there is the setting - the outback of Australia - which because more then just a setting and turns into a character all on its own.
This is a novel that I had no expectations of before walking into it and now that I have finished it I don't have the words to say just how truly amazing it was. Gemma's voice is unique and real and touches the very soul inside you. As a reader you turn the pages wondering just where it will all end and what choice Gemma will make. You are torn between wanting her to escape and return to the life she lead before and wanting her to stay and make a life with Ty. These conflicting emotions become a struggle - both with the reader and with Gemma - and there are no easy answers. There is only this book that is filled with such prose and detail that you can almost touch the desert sands. (Of course it probably doesn't hurt that I read the bulk of this sitting on my balcony on a very hot summer day.) This is a book that I will become a champion for and Lucy Christopher is an author that I will be eagerly waiting to see what she comes up with next. Although I think that Stolen will be incredibly hard to surpass.
And seriously folks, if you only pick up one book this year, then it should be this one. Its just that good.
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere
I bought this book after listening to a fragment on Bookalio.us the short snippet that Pam read had me intrigued and so I immediately rushed out and picked up a copy for myself. I started to read it the day after it arrived on a trip my friend and I
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took to the beach - which just added to the ambiance of the read. Unfortunately I had to put it down soon after to read some review books but thoughts of this story stayed with me. When I was finally able to pick it up again I was kept up late reading. I was so engrossed....no that's not the right word....I was addicted to the story.Stolen by Lucy Christopher is like no other book that I've read its a book that trumps everything that I've read so far this year. And as I've read some pretty amazing reads that is saying a lot. This book is unique in so many ways. First there are no real chapters to speak of....just short breaks here and there in the narrative. The narrative itself is also fairly unique in that it is a letter....a very long letter written by Gemma - who is the victim of Ty. Ty....words are so hard to describe him. He is the abductor, the villian, the tortured soul who thinks he is saving Gemma from the evils of the world. He is a person that you think you should hate and despise but find that you can't. Ty defies all that it means to be a villian because while he has done something bad he isn't a bad person. Then there is the setting - the outback of Australia - which because more then just a setting and turns into a character all on its own.
This is a novel that I had no expectations of before walking into it and now that I have finished it I don't have the words to say just how truly amazing it was. Gemma's voice is unique and real and touches the very soul inside you. As a reader you turn the pages wondering just where it will all end and what choice Gemma will make. You are torn between wanting her to escape and return to the life she lead before and wanting her to stay and make a life with Ty. These conflicting emotions become a struggle - both with the reader and with Gemma - and there are no easy answers. There is only this book that is filled with such prose and detail that you can almost touch the desert sands. (Of course it probably doesn't hurt that I read the bulk of this sitting on my balcony on a very hot summer day.) This is a book that I will become a champion for and Lucy Christopher is an author that I will be eagerly waiting to see what she comes up with next. Although I think that Stolen will be incredibly hard to surpass.
And seriously folks, if you only pick up one book this year, then it should be this one. Its just that good.
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere
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LibraryThing member StevePalmer
Gemma is at Bangkok airport on her way to Vietnam with her parents when she is abducted, stolen, and taken to the Australian Outback by Ty. Ty is a 26 year old who has been following Gemma for 10 years and who has built a house where no one will find them. Can Gemma escape - where to?
Fantastic,
Keeps you going to the last page. If Gemma can escape how will she be able to return to her old life, what will her relationship with her parents be, what will she feel about her abduction and kidnapper?
Fantastic,
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fripping thriller. Why has Ty done this, how can Gemma escape, what are her parents doing, what is the reaction in the rest of the world?Keeps you going to the last page. If Gemma can escape how will she be able to return to her old life, what will her relationship with her parents be, what will she feel about her abduction and kidnapper?
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LibraryThing member ericajsc
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member danizinha
Well, maybe it's more like 4 and a half stars, because it was going a bit slow and then toward the end it became a bit too rushed, but it delivered a pretty good ending. It would have been better if it were a bit more evenly paced but overall it was a very good book. It's very well written and
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presenting it all in the form of a letter is definitely an original way to structure the story. It reminded me of when I saw the movie "Dead Man Walking", it is done with such depth and skill that even though you know someone is to be the villain in the story, you actually end up sympathizing with them in a way. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolee888
This is going be short. At first this book was so gripping for me but then I just could not take the grittiness of it, literally, dirt in their food, dirt in their water. Now I realize that I would not make a good camper. I had to stop at page 55. It may have gotten better later but I couldn't take
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any more. Show Less
LibraryThing member heidigilia
Grades 9-12
This thrilling story is about a girl named Gemma who is kidnapped and struggling to understand what is happening to her emotionally and physically during her captivity. Gemma is sitting with a strange manin the airport, next thing, Gemma is waking up in a strange little house, in the
I was unable to put the book down, I had to keep reading to find out what will happen to Gemma. When I thought something was going to happen the opposite did, great non-predicable book. The ending was perfect and did not leave you with the normal type of ending I would have expected.
This thrilling story is about a girl named Gemma who is kidnapped and struggling to understand what is happening to her emotionally and physically during her captivity. Gemma is sitting with a strange manin the airport, next thing, Gemma is waking up in a strange little house, in the
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middle of Australia, and not wearing her original clothes. Gemma has no idea what will happen to her and how long she will be alive. Gemma also starts to learn that the airport was not the first time that she has meet Ty and he has been watching over her for a long time. I was unable to put the book down, I had to keep reading to find out what will happen to Gemma. When I thought something was going to happen the opposite did, great non-predicable book. The ending was perfect and did not leave you with the normal type of ending I would have expected.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
I found this one intriguing, if a bit flat. The descriptions of the desert in Australia where Gemma is kept were expansive, and her abduction and bewilderment through out and after was terrifying.
A tense book with a somewhat pat ending, it nevertheless has tons of teen appeal.
A tense book with a somewhat pat ending, it nevertheless has tons of teen appeal.
LibraryThing member edspicer
If you like books that are frightening, but sad, and kind of confusing in a way, read this.
5Q, 4P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for highschoolers and adults.
It was selected due to the eye-catching cover art and title, and also a recommendation.
Grade: 10th
KN-AHS-NC
5Q, 4P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for highschoolers and adults.
It was selected due to the eye-catching cover art and title, and also a recommendation.
Grade: 10th
KN-AHS-NC
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Gemma is at the airport at Bangkok with her parents when she meets a young man in the coffee shop. When she comes to, she finds herself alone with him deep in the Australian desert - stolen.
LibraryThing member allisonmclean
This book was such a whirlwind of emotion. I have to say Lucy Christopher is a very, very talented author. The writing was beautiful and very powerful, even manipulative. Stolen tells the story of Gemma, a 16 year old girl who is kidnapped from an airport by a man who has been stalking her for
I went into the book knowing that the book tries to trick or manipulate the reader's emotions into experiencing Stockholm Syndrome along with Gemma. So I was prepared to keep that in mind and not let that happen to me. But then it so totally did! It snuck up on me so that I didn't even notice it. It's like, all the while I knew what he did was evil but at the same time I still didn't want Gemma and Ty (her captor) to be separated.
The other great thing about the book is the way the landscape just comes alive for the reader. I have never been a big fan of desert landscapes. I even grew up in one. But give me trees, rain, green please! So I was also surprised when I started to fall in love with the Australian Outback through Christopher's beautiful writing and Gemma's intimate experiences with it.
I did think the author used a plot devise at the end of the book that was just a little bit too convenient, but she had also been building up to it through the whole book so I guess it's okay. Also, I just need to say, I love, love, loved the camel! I think she was my favorite part of the book, and I thought it was really clever and interesting the way the camel's capture and experiences so well paralleled Gemma's. A beautiful, twisted, emotional, haunting, roller-coaster read that in the end was completely worth it.
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years. He takes her to live with him in the middle of the Australian desert, completely removed from civilization. I went into the book knowing that the book tries to trick or manipulate the reader's emotions into experiencing Stockholm Syndrome along with Gemma. So I was prepared to keep that in mind and not let that happen to me. But then it so totally did! It snuck up on me so that I didn't even notice it. It's like, all the while I knew what he did was evil but at the same time I still didn't want Gemma and Ty (her captor) to be separated.
The other great thing about the book is the way the landscape just comes alive for the reader. I have never been a big fan of desert landscapes. I even grew up in one. But give me trees, rain, green please! So I was also surprised when I started to fall in love with the Australian Outback through Christopher's beautiful writing and Gemma's intimate experiences with it.
I did think the author used a plot devise at the end of the book that was just a little bit too convenient, but she had also been building up to it through the whole book so I guess it's okay. Also, I just need to say, I love, love, loved the camel! I think she was my favorite part of the book, and I thought it was really clever and interesting the way the camel's capture and experiences so well paralleled Gemma's. A beautiful, twisted, emotional, haunting, roller-coaster read that in the end was completely worth it.
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LibraryThing member AverysBookNook
When I first started reading this book I realized that it was written in a form that was unfamiliar to me- the entire story had already taken place and the narrator, Gemma, was recounting the story in the form of a letter. Sure, I have read books that contain letters, but not in all their entirety,
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think that the story was really unique and the characters were quite interesting, but the slow pace really dragged me down and I found that the action that did take place was very predictable- about one third of the way through the book I was I was pretty sure that I knew how the book was going to end.
Ty was unlike any character I have ever read before. Typically I hate the "bad guy" with every fibre of my being, but I just couldn't make myself hate him, but then again, I couldn't entirely make myself like him- if anything, I felt extreme sympathy for him. He just had such a horrible upbringing... I do think it was somewhat sweet that a ten year old Gemma could completely change his life for the better, but his methods of stalking her afterwards? Not so sweet. I think that had he introduced himself to her at a later time (not when she was 16 and he was 25 like he did in the book) but maybe when she was in her twenties, like a normal person, they could have perhaps had something... But instead, he chose to kidnap her. He did try to justify his actions by saying that her parents were holding her back and whatnot, but it's obvious that he was also doing it selfish reasons. But after kidnapping her, I thought that he was a fairly sweet guy (granted there were a couple of times where he intentionally tried to scare her in the beginning) but he was always there to look after and care for her and he didn't force her into anything. And at the end of the novel? Well he knew exactly how that would end (and not in his favour), yet he still went through with it, when he could have easily run back into the Outback and for that her really redeemed himself in my eyes.
As for Gemma? It seemed like in her previous life she was somewhat superficial, always worried about what boy liked what girl, partying and getting drunk with her friends and whatnot, and typically that really bugs me in a character, but I think that superficiality completely disappeared, exposing her strength and courage, making me like her quite a bit. I think that had I been in her situation I would have curled up in a ball and just withered away.
All in all, it is not the worst book I have ever read, nor is it the best book. I did find it to be somewhat slow, but the unique characters, specifically Ty, really help move the story along.
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so it did take me a while to adjust to the rhythm of the writing, but once I did I really came to enjoy how the story was written- it was really unique (notice the copy that I read was not called "Stolen: A Letter to My Captor", had it been called that I don't think I would have run into any problems knowing from the start that it was written in this manner). And all I can say is that thankfully I am not one of those people who cannot put a book down until they finish whatever chapter they are currently on- since there was no chapters in the book!I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think that the story was really unique and the characters were quite interesting, but the slow pace really dragged me down and I found that the action that did take place was very predictable- about one third of the way through the book I was I was pretty sure that I knew how the book was going to end.
Ty was unlike any character I have ever read before. Typically I hate the "bad guy" with every fibre of my being, but I just couldn't make myself hate him, but then again, I couldn't entirely make myself like him- if anything, I felt extreme sympathy for him. He just had such a horrible upbringing... I do think it was somewhat sweet that a ten year old Gemma could completely change his life for the better, but his methods of stalking her afterwards? Not so sweet. I think that had he introduced himself to her at a later time (not when she was 16 and he was 25 like he did in the book) but maybe when she was in her twenties, like a normal person, they could have perhaps had something... But instead, he chose to kidnap her. He did try to justify his actions by saying that her parents were holding her back and whatnot, but it's obvious that he was also doing it selfish reasons. But after kidnapping her, I thought that he was a fairly sweet guy (granted there were a couple of times where he intentionally tried to scare her in the beginning) but he was always there to look after and care for her and he didn't force her into anything. And at the end of the novel? Well he knew exactly how that would end (and not in his favour), yet he still went through with it, when he could have easily run back into the Outback and for that her really redeemed himself in my eyes.
As for Gemma? It seemed like in her previous life she was somewhat superficial, always worried about what boy liked what girl, partying and getting drunk with her friends and whatnot, and typically that really bugs me in a character, but I think that superficiality completely disappeared, exposing her strength and courage, making me like her quite a bit. I think that had I been in her situation I would have curled up in a ball and just withered away.
All in all, it is not the worst book I have ever read, nor is it the best book. I did find it to be somewhat slow, but the unique characters, specifically Ty, really help move the story along.
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LibraryThing member chlokie
Doesn't this book look good? Intriguing, mysterious, gracious... Well, that's what I thought when I picked it up at the bookstore. I had lusted over this book for months until I finally bought it. Not long after my friend read it, and said she loved it. I was really excited for this book. The
I was disappointed - I thought this was going to be so much better. I'll admit it wasn't AWFUL, but I definitely did not enjoy it like I have some other books.
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beginning has possibility, I will give it that. I just think that Lucy Christopher could have done so much more with the story. All it seemed to do was bore you. The fact that Gemma's life was virtually the same every day is bad enough, but then the reader has to live through hearing her constant complaints instead of her actually doing anything! I understand that she is stuck in the middle of the Australian no where, but she could have tried! It seemed like she was giving up, just waiting for someone to come save her. I was disappointed - I thought this was going to be so much better. I'll admit it wasn't AWFUL, but I definitely did not enjoy it like I have some other books.
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LibraryThing member amandacb
Stolen is a disturbing and enthralling novel that follows the abduction of Gemma, a British girl traveling with her parents, by an older man named Ty, an Australian stranger. While at the airport, Gemma and Ty supposedly meet for the first time over coffee; he slips a drug into her coffee and then
When Gemma awakes in Australia, her first thought, naturally, is of escape. But she is greeted with a barren landscape of vast horizon and rusty sand—there is nobody around for hundreds of miles, and she has no way to escape. Through a strange series of events that show the humanity in even the most inhumane, Gemma alternatively comes to hate and love her abductor, a situation known as Stockholm syndrome.
Christopher writes with such passion and poetry; the descriptions of the landscape heighten the mysteriousness of Ty and the desolateness of Gemma’s emotional mindset. Certain episodes, like Ty’s capture of the camel and Gemma and Ty sleeping underneath the stars, are so well-written I felt as if the scenes were playing on a screen in front of me.
The ending is both exhausting, heartbreaking, and heartwarming—quite a feat for a young adult novel, especially a seminal effort by Christopher.
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abducts her to Australia, feeding her drugs the entire time so she would not struggle. When Gemma awakes in Australia, her first thought, naturally, is of escape. But she is greeted with a barren landscape of vast horizon and rusty sand—there is nobody around for hundreds of miles, and she has no way to escape. Through a strange series of events that show the humanity in even the most inhumane, Gemma alternatively comes to hate and love her abductor, a situation known as Stockholm syndrome.
Christopher writes with such passion and poetry; the descriptions of the landscape heighten the mysteriousness of Ty and the desolateness of Gemma’s emotional mindset. Certain episodes, like Ty’s capture of the camel and Gemma and Ty sleeping underneath the stars, are so well-written I felt as if the scenes were playing on a screen in front of me.
The ending is both exhausting, heartbreaking, and heartwarming—quite a feat for a young adult novel, especially a seminal effort by Christopher.
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LibraryThing member Char739
This is an amazing book about a girl who gets kidnapped and taken away to Australia, by a boy who has been watching her since she was three or four. When she gets kidnapped, she starts to see another side of him, and is trying to decifer between right and wrong. Will she do what people expect her
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to, or will she follow her heart? Show Less
LibraryThing member ReginaR
There may be some spoilers in this review. I had a different reaction than many reviewers. I never sympathized with Ty. He took Gemma's free will and her choices away. Everything he did was focused on his own goals and his own desires and while he pretended that he cared about Gemma's goals or
I thought it was unrealistic that Ty did not attempt to physically force sex on Gemma. But I believe the author uses this facet of Ty's personality as a way to pull readers in and help the process of readers losing themselves into the romantic image that Ty tried to create of himself.
I think the story was well written and I read it in a few hours. I enjoyed the retrospective perspective. No, the characters were not hugely fleshed out but I think that was the point. Ty never knew Gemma. He saw what he wanted and took it and Gemma only knew Ty as her captor, the thief of her freedom, her life. So for me, the story represented this very small and skewed perspective and I was okay with the lack of deep character development. From the beginning I understood where the story was heading as in the first few pages Gemma stated she used to love chocolate but now it makes her sick. When I read that part, I allowed myself to relax into the story. I knew then it wouldn't end in a way I would find disturbing.
Yes, Ty has a very sad life. He was horribly neglected and abandonned. He was all alone and it is hearbreaking. But that alone does not make a man worthy of being a partner, right?
I think it is interesting to compare the "realities" of kidnapping in this story (from the beginning to the end) to many themes that are present in so many YA books and PNR books right now, for example what happens in this book (if it were happening in the PNR and YA books) would be a path toward true love or demonstration of passion and love. The theme of overprotectiveness beyond what the heroine wants seems to be a constant in many PNR and YA books, but hey, the hero knows best right? Doesnt he? The theme of restraint and removal of the heroine from what she wants because the hero knows he can give her better -- isn't that sweet? Or maybe, the hero is doing what is best for his people and the heroine just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And let's not forget the tortured hero theme, I love that theme and it is all over YA and PNR books. But again, a bad past isn't a reason to be loved. It has to be the actions of the person. I like what the author does in this book, she leads the reader down a path with truly reprehensible behavior and confuses it with physical beauty both of the captor and the surroundings, she also adds in the confusion of the bonding between the captor and the victim and both of their emotions. I think what she did is brilliant. I don't see any glamorization of the kidnapper or of the victim. I see it as a snapshot of the psychological process and maybe, I am overreading it, but a comment on other current popular literature (of which I enjoy reading!). Thankfully, in the end, Gemma is able to see herself free.
A quick and easy read, I recommend it.
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desires, he didn't. If a person truly cares, then they take the risk that they will be rejected or that the other person will say "no" or will disagree. Ty did not allow Gemma this freedom. Ty's choice in the end seems huge and self sacrificing. But it was something he forced himself to do. He was morally obligated to get her medical attention. Ultimately, he (or people like him) need to be either restrained to prevent hurting other people and/or robbing their freedom. I thought it was unrealistic that Ty did not attempt to physically force sex on Gemma. But I believe the author uses this facet of Ty's personality as a way to pull readers in and help the process of readers losing themselves into the romantic image that Ty tried to create of himself.
I think the story was well written and I read it in a few hours. I enjoyed the retrospective perspective. No, the characters were not hugely fleshed out but I think that was the point. Ty never knew Gemma. He saw what he wanted and took it and Gemma only knew Ty as her captor, the thief of her freedom, her life. So for me, the story represented this very small and skewed perspective and I was okay with the lack of deep character development. From the beginning I understood where the story was heading as in the first few pages Gemma stated she used to love chocolate but now it makes her sick. When I read that part, I allowed myself to relax into the story. I knew then it wouldn't end in a way I would find disturbing.
Yes, Ty has a very sad life. He was horribly neglected and abandonned. He was all alone and it is hearbreaking. But that alone does not make a man worthy of being a partner, right?
I think it is interesting to compare the "realities" of kidnapping in this story (from the beginning to the end) to many themes that are present in so many YA books and PNR books right now, for example what happens in this book (if it were happening in the PNR and YA books) would be a path toward true love or demonstration of passion and love. The theme of overprotectiveness beyond what the heroine wants seems to be a constant in many PNR and YA books, but hey, the hero knows best right? Doesnt he? The theme of restraint and removal of the heroine from what she wants because the hero knows he can give her better -- isn't that sweet? Or maybe, the hero is doing what is best for his people and the heroine just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And let's not forget the tortured hero theme, I love that theme and it is all over YA and PNR books. But again, a bad past isn't a reason to be loved. It has to be the actions of the person. I like what the author does in this book, she leads the reader down a path with truly reprehensible behavior and confuses it with physical beauty both of the captor and the surroundings, she also adds in the confusion of the bonding between the captor and the victim and both of their emotions. I think what she did is brilliant. I don't see any glamorization of the kidnapper or of the victim. I see it as a snapshot of the psychological process and maybe, I am overreading it, but a comment on other current popular literature (of which I enjoy reading!). Thankfully, in the end, Gemma is able to see herself free.
A quick and easy read, I recommend it.
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LibraryThing member smg-yvschooneveldt
Stolen is a really interesting and enjoyable book to read. It has an incredibly captivating and enticing begging, however it becomes uneventful and boring in the middle. I would recommend this book to anyone the age of 15 who enjoys reading about drama.
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