Stolen Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B003ZTXA64 | Format: EPUB
Stolen Description
This stunning debut novel from Australian author Lucy Christopher generated considerable buzz for its nonstop suspense and breathtaking imagery. Sixteen-year-old Gemma is on a layover at Bangkok Airport, headed to Vietnam with her parents. Then the vaguely familiar Ty drugs Gemma's drink and steals her away. Her head swirling in confusion, Gemma soon finds herself fighting to survive in the unforgiving Outback.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 8 hours and 38 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Audible.com Release Date: August 16, 2010
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B003ZTXA64
"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.
I'm split on how to rate this book. I love the idea - it's interesting and unique, an important story. The format (writing this in the form of a letter to Ty) is a great idea, too. I thought it would be hard to read, considering Gemma is addressing Ty, but that wasn't a problem - I got used to the format quickly. For some reason, though, I just couldn't get into Stolen.
The beginning of Stolen, in my opinion, is too slow. Not the very beginning, when Ty kidnaps Gemma - that part is still interesting. But then, in the next 100 pages or so, nothing happens. Of course I understand the development couldn't have started right away - obviously Gemma couldn't develop feelings for Ty right after he captures her. I don't know how you could solve that problem, but that part bored me to no end. So many things happen every day and are described every day, and I think that could have been shortened a bit. The extensive descriptions of the desert are a bit too detailed in my opinion, too.
Later on, the plot picks up, but I still had problems with the characters and the writing. I didn't get the style. I can't explain what it is, but I just didn't like the writing. Maybe becuase this isn't really a novel, it's a letter, but I still thnk it should be written like fiction.There's nothing special, beautiful, or insightful about it, which I think really would have helped the story.
For me, the characters are hard to understand. At first Gemma is easy to relate to. She reacts how anyone in her situation would react - she's scared and angry. But I just didn't get her feelings for Ty, probably because I didn't like Ty. I know he was supposed to grow on me, and I was supposed to feel for him.
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