Stolen begins when year-old Brit Gemma Toombs scurries off to purchase a coffee after an argument with her parents at the Bangkok airport. Ty asks how she takes her drink:. Were you smiling as you did it?
I must have looked away for a moment, to watch the planes taking off behind the glass. Over the next few pages, Gemma falls into a hazy miasma of too-bright lights, blurry faces, smells, and sights. The male lead character Ty, our captor, is really hot. Come on, Gemma.
The scene with the paint where he leans in and asks referring to the paint of course "Do you want some? I imagine if any other girl in the world had been there, she'd be jumping up and down with her hand raised saying "I do, I do. He is multiple layered character, who although seems unsocial and outdoorsy, is good with words and can completely make you swoon.
Though most of this is a result of brilliant writing, a lot it also comes from the talented narrator of the audio book. I know the book alone is amazing, but this one is really worth listening to on audio. The voice of Ty isn't even noticeable as being read by a women.
The narrator and the author are both on the exact same wavelength and both nail the complex nature of our male lead as well as the strong willed Gemma. I do wish things had gone a little differently in the end. I'm not sure that what Gemma did is fully representative of what a normal 16 year old would do, but I guess that what happened is what HAD to happen for the story. The romantic in me just wanted things to be different.
I also think I'm suffering from Stockholm Syndrome even more so than Gemma was. I know that a lot of people won't sympathize with Ty at all. But I'm a sucker for a man with a hot bod and an Australian accent.
Definitely, this is another of my favorite books I've read lately. And my favorite audiobook so far! View all comments. Shelves: favorites. It was roughly carved, shaped from a lump of something colourful and cold It was beautiful. It glinted emerald greens and blood reds over my skin, and had tiny flecks of gold catching the light. I couldn't stop staring at it. You didn't answer that. Instead you touched the ring gently and looked piercingly at me, unsaid questions in your eyes.
I should not have "I made it," you said, gruffly, "for you. I should not have read this book! Even though it's definitely going to be on top of my 'favorites' list.
I don't think I've ever cried so much while reading a book! But I loved it! It was perfect. I wanted to read this book for so long, but couldn't get my hands on it. I was just very fascinated by the summary of the book, and who am I to deny that beautiful cover?
Well, the story begins with "You saw me before I saw you. Well, it's like that from start to end of the book.
So, Ty, kidnaps Gemma from an airport--putting drugs in her coffee so she wouldn't struggle--and takes her to a desert in Australia, where no one could find them. He has a whole life planned out for them both, thinking that Gemma would fall in love with him eventually. Throughout the book, Gemma tries in vain to escape, and the unusual thing is that Ty lets her. But soon, Gemma finds out she can't get out of there unless Ty will come with her, since he knows the desert better.
As the story progresses, Gemma struggles with her feelings for Ty, especially when she found out that he was as desperate as she was, when she learns of his background.
Ty was a very complex character. I never imagined to sympathize with a villain--if he could even be called a villain--much less one who kidnaps people, but Ty was such a sad, tragic character. There were times when I hated him for taking Gemma against her will, but when Gemma found out that she loved him, it was like I was falling for him right along with her. Seriously, it was like I was getting Stockholm Syndrome too! Lucy Christopher knows just how to mess with your mind.
It was all like this to me I love Ty, he's amazing Oh my gawd he's so effin' hot! It's like having the devil and angel on your shoulder! So, yes, he kidnapped her. But he also loved her passionately. He knew he was going to go to prison, but he chose to stay by her side and save her.
That's what I loved about him the most. The fact that he ran miles to save her life. Ugh, I'm getting conflicted again. Again, I can't really express my feelings about this book, but it was definitely the most intense book I've ever read. I couldn't put it down. I want Lucy Christopher to write a sequel. She can't leave it like this! But, at the same time I don't really want her to.
It's actually the ending--that tear-jerking, heart-wrenching ending--that made the book so unique and unforgettable. I don't want that to be ruined. I'm doing it again, aren't I? Dammit, I have to stop contracting myself. Makes me sound like a weirdo who has no idea what she's talking about.
View all 36 comments. Chantal I too would've liked a sequel! Surprisingly I too would've liked a sequel! Apr 02, Inge rated it did not like it Shelves: contemporary , young-adult. Can you even call that a letter? As if someone would be able to remember every conversation that had happened on every day for a month. It reminds me of a certain Friends episode where Rachel and Ross are fighting and Rachel wrote him a letter. Front and back! He had expected her to love his little place in the middle of nowhere.
That sure is convenient. But hey, we are supposed to like Ty, right? He loves Gemma, in his own twisted way. He means well; all he wants is company, never mind the fact that his company is there against her will. Nothing happens. They just live alongside each other and have awkward conversations. While you guys are swooning over Ty, can you still remember that he actually kidnapped a girl and once fenced her in like cattle?
But a weird little fucker at that — he paints his penis. Do I need to say more? Then comes the ending and because of a snake bite Gemma ends up being rescued. Once again, thank fuck for Gemma being abducted by such a gentleman. She even kisses him on the cheek in the end and thanks him for showing her some beautiful landscape. Are you fucking kidding me with this?
Because I am angry. I am sorely disappointed and, well, fuck this book. Snape is not amused. View all 82 comments. Oct 01, jessica rated it it was amazing Shelves: favourites. View all 4 comments.
Jul 11, Maggie Stiefvater rated it it was amazing Shelves: recommended , young-adult. The novel features 1 crazy guy 2 camels 3 strong heroine 4 poisonous snakes!
I loved how all of the motivations were thoroughly grounded in past history; we get a profile of the kidnapper as a human, not just as a stick figure. As a teen, I would have adored this book even more.
My only complaint? Highly recommended! View all 21 comments. May 12, Kat Kennedy rated it it was amazing Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews , i-learned-something-new , leaves-awesomeness-behind , contemporary-fiction , favorites.
Stolen is such a singular reading experience that its difficult to decide how I feel about it. Gemma is a sixteen year old English girl kidnapped by Ty and taken into the Western Australian outback where she is held prisoner. I had to give this book five stars for several reasons. One of the reasons is because it was so fantastically well written.
Beautiful, touching, heart breaking and real. Christopher doesn't spare on the details both good and bad. Never before have I felt a book to be so real, Stolen is such a singular reading experience that its difficult to decide how I feel about it.
Never before have I felt a book to be so real, so gritty and tangible. This book is a journey into the world of Stockholm Syndrome and the craft of Christopher's skill left even me, feeling the effects of this baffling psychological problem.
The characters of Ty and Gemma are fantastic. At first I was frustrated with Gemma. I was so used to reading kick-ass female protagonists who could do anything that it was aggravating to be stuck with a sixteen year old who was incapable and terror stricken. Yet she gets to you. Her pain, her struggles. She's a real sixteen year old. This isn't some fantasy character that can do everything. Yet she has a sense of will and spirit.
Perhaps her defining characteristic is the truth that she is willing to tell herself - completely and honestly. Ty is also amazing as a character. He is equal parts scary, confused, angry, hostile, delusional. He is also beautiful, gentle, capable, intense and loving. He is such a mixed bag of all these things. If you're looking for action and suspense in this book - you won't find it. Yet I personally found the strength of the characters and the outback itself was strong enough to carry this story without needing a great deal of edge-of-your-seat intensity.
The mental intensity was enough for me. Others may find this story boring but I found it touching and amazing. I highly recommend it. Shelves: perfect-hero-and-heroine , intelligent-heroine , brits-i-love-you , favorites , made-me-cry , need-more-like-now , i-need-more-stars , loved-loved-loved-it , best-book-ever. Sorry for updating an old review but this was soooooo good for me that I had to do it!
NO Would I change anything about their story? Yes, please with sugar on top! And I didn't mind view spoiler [ this didn't have a HEA hide spoiler ] , I just lost the interest because I know what would happen.
Anyway, Basuhi read it last week and she loved it so I thought it was time to give it a try, even if YA is not a genre I read a lot lately. Gemma is a 16 years old girl from London who is traveling with her parents. She is in Bangkok airport waiting for her flight and she meets Ty, a 25 years old guy who has coffee with her. When I read the blurb of this book I always thought about KISS ME by Ed Sheeran but now that I have finished the book I can say this song is just for them: I've fallen for your eyes But they don't know me yet And the feeling I forget I'm in love now Kiss me like you wanna be loved Wanna be loved Wanna be loved The thing is Gemma is having coffee with this beautiful guy one minute and the next one someone has drugged her.
She just doesn't know where she is and she doesn't know what happened but she wakes up in the middle of nowhere I would say the middle of paradise, but I understand she doesn't see it that way.
I was scared this was going to be boring, I mean, I almost knew view spoiler [ they didn't even kiss hide spoiler ] but boy, I was waaaaaaaaay wrong, I didn't even need it.
He did it the wrong way which is a shame. But I also agreed with him sometimes, even if the way he did things was NOT correct. And that is what I also loved. If I imagine myself in a situation like that I cannot believe I could be able to have feelings for my kidnapper the next day I have been kidnapped, that is NOT real.
I am not saying I think he did the right thing but I can understand why he was so fucked up. Ok, he kidnapped her but he also saved her view spoiler [ from Josh, years before hide spoiler ]. Every single part of the landscape and every single animal was a character of this book. The story with the Camel was maybe the kind of story that Ty was expecting to have with Gemma. Baby steps" But you know what? She just wants to escape, at all costs and he only wants her there, even for a few months because he is convinced that she will end up loving that place as much as he does.
And that takes time. So true! I loved the way Ty showed her his love for that land, for his paints. The way he respected the oldfellas. Ty is seriously like a perfect guy. I know he had issues but he was PURE, he was a good person. And finally Gemma started enjoying his company, she stopped running away from him, ignoring him.
You smiled, your eyes crinkling at the corners. Right at that moment it was as if we were the only two people left in the whole world. Just another moment, or the rest of our lives? But you know what? I wanted your arms around me, your face close to mine.
I wanted your smell. The uncertainty of you. Or thought I did hide spoiler ]. None of it made sense. But you saved my life too. And somewhere in the middle, you showed me a place so different and beautiful, I can never get it out of my mind. You told me once of the plants that lie dormant through the drought; that wait, half dead, deep in the earth. The plants that wait for the rain. But as soon as those first drops of water fall, those plants begin to stretch and spread their roots.
They travel up through the soil and sand to reach the surface. I want to believe this was a love story… Apr 10, Sophie rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites.
Five stars. I really don't know how to feel right now. I feel so sad, but that isn't the right word to explain how I feel about this book. It's so complicated. I hated some of the moments in this book- could not even begin to imagine myself feeling even the slightest bit of empathy for certain characters.
Yet, something about this book pulls you in and flips you over. Before you know it, you're viewing this book in an entirely different light than when you started it. Suddenly, your eyes have op Five stars. Suddenly, your eyes have opened to the true heart of this book, and you understand.
You understand the message it carries, and the weight of it all. It's confusing how this book makes you feel so much compassion for something so terribly wrong. That's the entire point though. The problem is, by the time you've grasped it all, it's too late. The story ends, and like Gemma, you find your heart aching for everything you finally understand. Yes, this book is complicated. And confusing. And a storm of emotions. It's also beautiful. And captivating.
And so, so breathtakingly real. This is the kind of story that will stick with you. View all 6 comments. Shelves: aus-nz , printz , , ya. It is with sadness I am giving Stolen an "it was ok" 2-star rating.
I expected to love this book. What's not to love? The premise was right up my alley - a psychological thriller, an exploration of Stockholm Syndrome, a story about a kidnapped person who finds herself emotionally attached to her captor.
It's a treasure for a reader like me, fascinated by crazy and sick. But somehow Stolen didn't move me in any significant way. While I found the premise to be extremely interesting and pretty much It is with sadness I am giving Stolen an "it was ok" 2-star rating.
While I found the premise to be extremely interesting and pretty much a genius idea on Lucy Christopher 's part, I thought the execution of this idea was lacking. A book which centers on intricacies of human psychology ought to have realistic characters. Neither Gemma nor Ty ever came alive for me and therefore the entire journey of Gemma's to form an attachment to her kidnapper never worked IMO.
Neither did I have any feelings for Ty and his sad-sad life stories. I saw how the author tried to make him somewhat attractive and worthy of compassion, but for me Ty remained a creep from the beginning till the very end. I also found that the letter format which I love of the novel didn't quite work. Normally letters tend to give me an upclose understanding of the characters who write them, but in this case Gemma stayed anonymous and distant throughout the story.
Endless "I"s and "you"s drove me nuts too. I still think Stolen is a great discussion book. Penny brought up a particularly interesting topic in her review about a disturbing trend in YA literature to portray unhealthy relationships as romantic.
For me personally the book was spoiled by poor characterization, overwhelming telling instead of showing, and boring pacing. It will sound harsh, but I don't think Lucy Christopher is a good writer and I don't think she knows human nature enough to undertake such topic. My opinion is in a minority however, so maybe you should pick up the book and judge it for yourself.
View all 44 comments. I'm still crying as I type this. Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review! Stolen by Lucy Christopher - review. Topics Children's books Children and teenagers Teen books children's user reviews. Reuse this content. Every time he opened his mouth, something else creepy came out. I never really understood anything he did the overlying thing I did , but the painting, the camel it was all sort of random and didn't give off a soft side like I think it was supposed to.
Overall, it was an okay book. Nothing special ever stood out to me, except for one or two of Ty's quotes. I'd recommend this as a boredom read. If you're looking for a break from a lot of the new books, this is a nice breather. But I wouldn't rush out to get it. Good Points. Erica Top Reviewer 12 reviews. Review: Stolen by Lucy Christopher. April 11, Talk about a land mine. Whisked from an airport in London to the empty and deserted Australian Outback, Gemma is completely without resources.
She's too far from the nearest town to summon help, too deep in the Outback to hope for accidental discovery, and too closely watched to hope to deceive Ty successfully. I say successfully, because she does try a few times, but it always ends in either disaster or them staring soulfully into each other's eyes.
Oh, didn't you know? I spoil nothing when I say that it's fairly obvious that Gemma will grow to "love" Ty by the end. Love, heavy case of Stockholm Syndrome, whatever. I mean, he has "blue, blue eyes. And did I mention Gemma is a very-underage sixteen while Ty is closer to thirty? Also, the entire book is written as a letter to Ty himself. It's all "you did this" and "you did that.
Boring to read at times, as well. Some reviewers accuse the author of indulging in purple prose that's stuff that's overly flowery and poetic , and I agree.
I like pretty writing as much as the next person, but at times it really dragged down the story. The Australian Outback is aliiiiive and magical, yeah yeah yeah. Cue "The Circle of Life", do a little dance, and get on with it already. However, that isn't to say that all of the flowery descriptions were unnecessary.
Even as Gemma struggles to understand Ty, she grows to love Australia and the wild beauty of the desert. The setting becomes a character in its own right at times, so some appreciation is warranted. As for the characters, there's nothing much to say. Their motivations, at least, make a sort of superficial sense. I think some of Ty's motivations are pretty stretched, but I let such concerns slid if the story amuses me enough. Gemma is feisty, and I do love feisty. I cheered every time she put up a struggle in any form.
I was never sold on Ty's supposed irresistibility, though. Instead of imagining some tanned god, I just kept picturing Vincent Grey, the freaked-out man-child from The Sixth Sense.
I think what saved the book for me was the ending.
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