Book Review - Stolen

*puffs* Nearly There! Only one more review after this and then you're caught up! *keeps plodding*

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Date: 12/1/2011 AM
Source: Bought
Description: Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost. (Description Taken from Amazon)


My Review
When I heard the premise of this book I knew it was going to be one of those books that really blurred the lines of what is right and what is wrong. The topic of abduction is no laughing matter yet it is possible to smile at this book. Kidnappers are portrayed in real life as evil, cruel people yet I could see a very human and vulnerable side to Ty. Boy this is gonna be a tough review.


I really loved the format of this book as a 2nd person letter written by Gemma to Ty, her thoughts and emotions from those months with him come across so vividly and beautifully that you're almost expecting to rub your eyes and find them full of red dust from the Outback. You can't help but be affected by the kaleidoscope of emotions Gemma goes through, from terror, confusion, and fury to resignation, acceptance and even sympathy. Lucy Christopher does an outstanding job of portraying how a kidnap victim would feel in that kind of situation.


Ty is an enticing yet horrifically disturbing character. As you discover the degree of planning that went into his kidnapping of Gemma you become more repulsed by him yet as you relive the time in the Outback along with Gemma you are met with the conflicting images of him taking honest pleasure in the upkeep of the shack and outbuildings to allow them to survive in the wilderness. You can really see how happy he is in that environment although the nagging feeling of how *wrong* the situation is never leaves you.


I spent a good deal of time worrying about how the book would end as with a story like this there can be no happy ending. You feel intensely concerned about both Gemma *and* Ty even though you know that what he did was completely and utterly wrong on so many levels. There is a strange beauty to him that attracts you despite the sensible part of your mind screaming at you in warning and you can really understand the contradictory feelings that Gemma has for him.


Overall this a powerful, heart-wrenching read and I'm awe-struck that this was a debut novel, Lucy Christopher's writing is so gorgeous and the characters are wonderfully complex. I shall be most eager to read her second book Flyaway and whatever else she may write in the future if they're all as excellent as Stolen.


My Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5


Man I'm on a reviewing roll right now! If I can keep this up all year then I will produce a *lot* of reviews - of course whether they're good reviews remains to seen.


Good day to you all *tips hat*
LadyV