I am always up for a good thriller, the only problem is I have been lured into these kind of books before. It starts out at the speed of light and then slows toward the middle of the book and eventually loses me before the inevitable twist at the end. Girl, Stolen by April Henry was a wild ride from the start and continued throughout the entire book. It's a pretty thin novel, too which was perfect for me to read while my son took his naps.Sixteen–year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what’s happening, their car is being stolen. Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, but once his dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare? Because she’s not only sick with pneumonia—she’s also blind.
Strengths of this novel: The characters- I am really impressed with Cheyenne and her resilience through the entire ordeal. She's blind, yet the imagery the author gives through Cheyenne's viewpoint creates of a sense that she's stronger than her captor. She also draws on Griffin's (her captor) emotions and elicits sympathy from him which she then uses to her advantage. I love how smart and resourceful she is. It makes me wonder how I would react in the same situation.
Another strength is the length of the book. It's small which keeps the story moving. I wish more authors would take a cue from Henry in that regard. As I mentioned, too often I've been drawn into a daze of wordiness that lulls me to sleep (and I've read Tolstoy and Tolkien). Her real strength is not how many words she uses, but how she uses them.
The only weakness is why Griffin chooses to keep her. Her father "very powerful"...Nothing new there. Other than that it's hard to find many things wrong with Girl, Stolen.
4 out of 5 Stars
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