Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty--rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar--pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. STOLEN is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare--or die trying to fight it.

The best way I can think to describe this book is this: powerful, well-written, vivid, riveting, gritty, and heart-wrenching. It’s an amazing, in-depth exploration of Stockholm Syndrome that will leave you feeling just as confused, scared, and frustrated as Gemma does.

On the surface, the story looks like this: boy loves girl, boy steals girl, girl grows to love boy. If it had gone this way, I would have hated it. Fortunately, it didn’t. It’s a more realistic view of a disturbed young man and a terror-stricken teenager.

Gemma doesn’t start out as completely likeable, but her confusion and fear are palpable. I connected with her through those emotions, and cheered her on each time she tried to escape. Her will and determination are refreshingly strong, and she doesn’t give up even when her attempts fail.

Ty is also a vivid, multifaceted character. He is clearly disturbed and delusional, but he’s also beautiful, gentle, and loving. He goes out of his way to keep Gemma from harm, even though he won’t let her go home. These traits show how he isn’t evil. He’s just a person with major problems who is trying to deal with them the best way he knows how. I found myself understanding him, even if I couldn’t agree with him...

The ending is the best part of the whole story. And that’s all I’m going to say about that, because I wouldn’t ruin it for anything. :)

This isn’t an action-packed adventure, even with the dangers in Australia’s Outback. Instead, it’s an intense, psychologically twisting story that kept me reading until two in the morning. Definitely recommended.