Christopher, L. (2010). Stolen. New York, NY: Chicken House.
Plot Summary:
Gemma Toombs thought she was going on another "family vacation," but her life changed forever when she was abducted by Ty. While waiting at the Bangkok Airport, Ty approached Gemma and won her over with a cup of coffee laced with drugs. Hours later, Gemma is unable to control herself and is whisked away by Ty headed for an unknown location. When she wakes up, she is scared and confused as to how and why someone would kidnap her. However, just when things could not get any worse, she learns that there is no where to escape to--she is smack dab in the middle of the wildest and hottest Australian deserts. Fearing that Ty will murder her, and no one will find her, Gemma attempts to escape with little success; every time she tries to escape, he would always be able to find her.
The more time Gemma spends with Ty, the more she gets to know him against her will. She learns that Ty is not a a stranger at all; in fact, she actually met him while playing in the park when she was ten-years-old. Shocked, and just weirded out, she learns that he has been following her around for almost six years of her life and he was the one that saved that night when a guy tries to have his way with her. Ty knows too much about Gemma, especially when it comes to her relationship with her parents. As time goes by, at least a few months, Gemma no longer flinches every time Ty comes near her and when she escapes, yet again, he is always there to nurse her back to health. Not knowing what to expect, Gemma learns a lot not only about herself, but she learns things about her kidnapper that almost forces her to develop sympathy for him. The most shocking thing about this whole situation is revealed towards the end of the book that leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable.
Critical Evaluation:
I can now honestly say that this book is one of three works that has managed to give me nightmares. Lucy Christopher is a brilliant writer who not only brings this scary reality to life, but her character, even the kidnapper, are very real where the reader develops certain mixed feelings towards both of them. Gemma, in many aspects, is a troubled teenager whose parents are more involved in their own lives than in the life of their daughter. Gemma is actually not a bad kid, just mixed up and waiting for her parents to notice her. As for Ty, well, he is a complex character. As we get through the story, we not only hate him for what he did, but we also feel bad for him at the same time. Ty never had a happy childhood and, it's apparent, that his obsession with Gemma is a direct result of the fact that he never had a mother who loved him. The first time the both of them met, Gemma was ten years old talking to the fairies that lived in the flowers. As Ty began following/stalking her, he observed everything from her fights with her parents, her outings with friends, and her sleeping at night. When he saw how unhappy she was, he took it upon himself to "save" her by kidnapping her.
Clearly, Ty has issues, but what we, as readers, see that despite his delusions, he is actually an okay guy. The whole time they spent together, he never made an sexual advances towards Gemma, nor did he ever want any romantic. He said he loved her, but not in way that is creepy or unsettling. However, teens will learn the term "Stockholm Syndrome," which is a condition where victims develop an emotional attachment to their kidnappers, which is something that will have a profound effect on our reactions about the end of the book. Although most readers will not be able to relate, they will in fact learn that this situation is very real and, sadly, could happen to anyone. I definitely enjoyed reading this book and was amazed who the story forced me to grapple with my own feelings.
Reader's Annotation:
While waiting at the Bangkok Airport, Gemma is approached by a man named Ty who drugs and kidnaps her. As she wakes up, she learns that she has been taken to an Australian desert to live with this man that claims to love her and she need to be rescued from her family.
Information about the Author:
Lucy Christopher is a fairly new author. According to her website, Lucy Christopher has lived quite an exciting life. Not only has she lived in three different countries, she actually grew up in Australia, which is the location of her debut novel Stolen. According to Christopher:
My first published book, Stolen, was also influenced by my life and the things I did. Thankfully, I’ve never been kidnapped, but when I was nine years old and moving from Wales to Australia, it felt like a bit of a kidnapping. Suddenly I was in a new country I didn’t understand; a place that was simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. I’ve always been fascinated by wild Australian land and, when younger, my favourite memories are of camping in the bush and exploring the overgrown creek at the back of our first Melbourne house. But this landscape scared me too, and I didn’t feel like I fitted in. I used these feelings of being simultaneously entranced and repulsed by something in order to write Gemma’s feelings for both Ty and the landscape he takes her to (para. 3)
Lucy Christopher lives in Wales where she earned her MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and is is also working on her PhD. When she is not writing, Lucy Christopher is traveling to her favorite country, South Africa, or she is riding her her horse. She is also working on her second novel (due out this year) and her first book, Flyaway, is in the process of being published in the US.
Genre:
Suspense
Curriculum Tie-In's:
Social Issues/Psychology
Booktalking Ideas:
A booktrailer would work beautifully with this story. Not only can we, as librarians, use technology to reach out to teens, we can create a preview that will send chills up the spines of our audiences. In fact, all we really have to do is narrate the trailer with a few phrases, use pictures, and a soundtrack that will convey the message of the story.
Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 10 & up
Books Similar to Stolen:
- Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
- Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Why did I choose this book?
I chose this novel because it literally got under my skin. Not that it is a bad thing, this book, despite it's really heavy story, is brilliant. Not only could I NOT put the book down, it managed to give me nightmares, which is really cool since books don't usually have that kind of effect on me. Another reason why I chose this novel is because readers will find themselves empathizing with a man who had no right to kidnap a girl, but, on the other hand, he actually managed to teach her the important things in life, which are: family, security, and being grateful for what we have in this world.
References:
About | Lucy Christopher. (n.d.). Lucy Christopher | "A vivid new voice for teens"… Melvin Burgess. Retrieved February 02, 2011, from http://www.lucychristopher.com/about
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