October 23, 2017

On My Bookshelf: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

In Girl, Stolen by April Henry, Cheyenne's kidnapping is really an accident, but becomes a crime of greater opportunity when her kidnapper's father finds out who her father is, and more importantly, who he works for. Despite being sick with pneumonia and almost entirely blind, Cheyenne is quick thinking and never stops trying to outsmart her captors. The novel becomes more and more intense as Cheyenne's situation grows increasingly more dangerous and her likelihood of survival decreases. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others.

But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes―now there's a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn't know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Prepare yourself for a fast-paced and hard-edged thriller full of nail-biting suspense.

Why I liked it: Girl, Stolen was the second book in a row I read about kidnapping (the first one was Taken by Edward Bloor). I found this one much more realistic and as a result, much more interesting. Cheyenne's kidnapping is really an accident, but becomes a crime of greater opportunity when her kidnapper's father finds out who her father is, and more importantly, who he works for. Despite being sick with pneumonia and almost entirely blind, Cheyenne is quick thinking and never stops trying to outsmart her captors. The novel becomes more and more intense as Cheyenne's situation grows increasingly more dangerous and her likelihood of survival decreases. 
In Girl, Stolen by April Henry, Cheyenne's kidnapping is really an accident, but becomes a crime of greater opportunity when her kidnapper's father finds out who her father is, and more importantly, who he works for. Despite being sick with pneumonia and almost entirely blind, Cheyenne is quick thinking and never stops trying to outsmart her captors. The novel becomes more and more intense as Cheyenne's situation grows increasingly more dangerous and her likelihood of survival decreases. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

The novel is told in third person limited point of view with chapters alternating their focus between Cheyenne and Griffin, the young man who accidentally kidnaps her. Griffin is a good kid in a bad situation with a terrible father. Griffin realizes the mess that he has brought Cheyenne into and struggles to come up with a plan to free her without putting them both in even greater danger.


Classroom application: Like Taken, the novel would be appropriate for upper middle school and high school students. There are instances of violence, as to be expected in a novel about kidnapping, and some almost instances of sexual violence. The novel would appeal to male and female readers alike because of the constant action and the alternating focus on Cheyenne and Griffin from chapter to chapter.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Girl, Stolen for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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