Stolen - Review by Halea Coulter

Stolen
By Lucy Christopher

* * * * Stars

Ty has always been there. Ever since Gemma was 10, and he was 18, Ty has been watching over her, listening to her tales of fairies, beating up boys that got to close, protecting her, and learning about her. She has been his life for six years, and now it's time that Gemma is made aware of his presence. So, Ty walks up to Gemma at an airport, offers to buy her drink, and while she's not looking, doses it with drugs. When Gemma wakes up all she knows is that it's hot. She is in a very tiny house, it the middle of nowhere, the desert, obviously, she is no longer in England. As she comes to find out, she is in Australia. At first Gemma hates Ty, but slowly, she learns that she has to accept being around him. Gemma tries every way to escape but nothing ever works, and as time goes on shes ok, she even seems to enjoy Ty's company. As the story progresses, Ty seems to know more about Gemma than she does herself, and its frightening to her because most of it is true. Even near the end of the book, Gemma doesn't believe that she'll ever be free, so that's the question . . . can she escape?

I really liked this book. It was very interesting, and it wasn't just the story line, it was the relationship that developed between the two characters and how intricately Ty and Gemma's characters were woven together through stories recounted through the book. I didn't care much for Gemma, but she wasn't that bad as a character. But Ty was a fascinating character, just through his childhood and all the stories he tells, and how he treats Gemma, and what he does for her, he is one of my favorite male characters I've ever read. The book was also interesting in the way it showed Gemma's development of Stockholm Syndrome, which is when the person kidnapped begins to like and enjoy their captor. I know that Gemma developed Stockholm Syndrome, but it was something I didn't want to believe. The relationship between the two characters was so fascinating, and they both came to a point where they respected each other, and it just upset me because I know it was Stockholm Syndrome, but the book makes the reader want their relationship to be pure, actual emotion. I would classify the book as suspense, or really as an adventure, because that's what it was, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it.