REVIEW: Girl Stolen

[Rebeka Mirza]

The book I read was Girl, Stolen by April Henry. It’s about a fourteen year old girl named Cheyenne who is kidnapped while she is sleeping in the car. Her stepmother, Danielle is picking up her medication for pneumonia. A young man in the hopes of stealing the Escalade to impress his father, Roy, drives away with it. Little does he know that everyone is sleeping in the backseat. Moreover, he finds out that she is blind. He is not interested in kidnapping, but has to drive away with Cheyenne because he doesn’t want to get caught. Cheyenne is taken to Griffin’s home where Roy, Jimbo, TJ, and Griffin hold her captive and tie her up so she won’t get away. The “home” environment is a little creepy because it’s the four men that reside there. The house also has an outside area which consists of stolen car parts because they sell them for less. While Cheyenne is here, Griffin sympathizes with her. They both get to know each other. He feels bad for what he has done and seems to be the only one to save her. They find out that Cheyenne is the daughter of the President of Nike, and they want a ransom. After they are offered a ransom, they don’t seem to want to give Cheyenne up. Even though she is blind, they understand that she is smart. They believe that she will be able to describe who they were to the cops. Griffin does what he can to help her get away. While she is escaping, Roy tries to fool her by telling her he is a cop. Cheyenne calls 911 and cops come to rescue her. At the end of the story, Griffin calls Cheyenne’s home. The last line of the book reads, “’Can I call you again?’” Griffin said quickly. Cheyenne took a deep breath and thought about her answer.”

This book is written in the viewpoint of the sixteen year old girl, Cheyenne. It is also written in the viewpoint of a sixteen to eighteen year old boy, Griffin. Each chapter switches narrators so we get the viewpoint of both characters. One is from a blind girl, the other from a so-called “criminal.” This book also gets rid of her Cheyenne’s parents. She is literally removed from them. Because she was kidnapped, her parents were not very much involved in the story. The only parts they appeared at were when they were on t.v. and talked on the phone to about the ransom. Cheyenne was on her own to accomplish the task of escaping from a disturbing situation. This book was a fast read. The plot takes the course of less than three days. For Cheyenne, it seems like a long time. The book didn’t seem to have different cultures or ethnicities. Cheyenne said she was part Native American. The ethnicities of the criminals were not given, but they are assumed to be white. There are different social statuses in the book. Cheyenne was the daughter of the president of Nike. On the other hand, the criminals were at the low end of the spectrum , they lived by stealing. This book was definitely optimistic with worthy accomplishments. This book presented that anything is possible. Cheyenne is depicted as vulnerable with her disability. She does not let this prevent her from escaping. She remained positive and hopeful throughout the book and let her other senses help her out. This book deals with emotions that are important to young adults. Cheyenne is removed from her parents, which can be a difficult situation for teenagers that are young. She has no one to depend on, but herself. Also, she is scared because she has been kidnapped. This is what teenagers need to be aware of: their surroundings. Also, Cheyenne remained positive and hopeful throughout the book. She wanted to escape so bad, that she did. It’s a message to readers that anything is possible.

Here is a link to April Henry’s website: http://www.aprilhenrymysteries.com/teen_books/girlstolen.php You could read the first chapter of this book. She seems to write mystery novels, you could take a look at the books she has written for both teens and adults.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think it could be utilized in the classroom depending on what is being taught. I think middle school students would enjoy reading it. If they learn about disabilities or crimes and self-defense, this book would work well with the lesson. I think students can come out learning a few important things from this book. I think it would make them view others with disabilities the same way. Also, it would also help them be aware of their surroundings. They would also realize that it is important to never lose hope. Anything is possible once you put your mind to it.