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15th out of 15 books
—
8 voters
Stolen
The same day that the villagers of Thornstowe finally hunt down a witch with a reputation for stealing children, a 12-year-old appears in the woods with no memory of her past. Is there a connection between Isabelle, the girl who doesn t know who she is, and the girl the witch stole six years earlier? One of the few things Isabelle remembers is a chant that keeps running th...more
Hardcover, 158 pages
Published
October 1st 2008
by Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
(first published September 1st 2008)
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On the same day a witch is chased to her home and it is set on fire, a girl walks out of the forest. Isabelle seems to be a girl who was stolen from the local village six years ago. But Isabella can't remember anything at all. Her family takes her in and as Isabella learns more about them, her own past is slowly revealed to her. Is she Isabella? Or is she someone else? And what role does the evil witch play in all of this?
For such a brief book, this novel has intrigue, mystery and twists galore....more
For such a brief book, this novel has intrigue, mystery and twists galore....more
Great concept, poor execution. However, it was going okay until a very, very lame moment near the end that just burst the entire plot like a popped balloon. Oh, the book isn't creepy. Just the cover is creepy.
SPOILER.
Okay, I'm pretty much going to give away everything here, so if you don't want to know, don't read. The book starts with angry townspeople ready to burn down a witch's cottage, with the witch still inside. She has stolen another child from the villagers. Next we encounter a twelve...more
SPOILER.
Okay, I'm pretty much going to give away everything here, so if you don't want to know, don't read. The book starts with angry townspeople ready to burn down a witch's cottage, with the witch still inside. She has stolen another child from the villagers. Next we encounter a twelve...more
I'll be honest, I love Vivian Vande Velde. I love every book she's written. But this book was definitely on the mediocre side, and I can't help but be disappointed. First, the book was missing something you find in almost every story by Vande Velde: a love aspect. This element was sorely missed. Vande Velde has the wonderful ability to weave romance into a story which often has no business being a love story, and you can't help being caught off guard and falling half in love yourself.
Secondly,...more
Secondly,...more
There are so many twists and turns in Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde that you are simply amazed by the end of the book. Mady and Frayne and their oldest daughter Honey believe the old witch outside their village of Thornstowe has stolen two of their daughters. Isabelle disappeared nearly six years ago and the newborn unnamed infant of two days is gone. The towsnpeople in anger burn the old witch's house down...and suddenly, Isabelle 'reappears' to be with her long lost family. Since the baby is no...more
A twelve-year old girl, the very same day the witch's house is burned to the ground that once held a girl who would be just about twelve years old, wanders around a forest with no idea who she is. When she's attacked by dogs and hurt, the dog owners take her in an nurse her back to health. She is soon claimed by a family who say she is their stolen daughter, Isabelle. They also had a newborn baby stolen recently by the very same witch that Isabelle was stolen by. She is nowhere to be found. Isab...more
This book was a quick fun read. The plot line involves a girl who is found wandering in the woods after the witch's house is burned down. She is actually found by dogs who drive her to climb a tree for safety. The owner of the dogs, Brawley, calls the dogs off and takes the girl to his home. He and his wife Avis believe her to be Isabelle, a girl stolen by the witch 6 years earlier. The girl is now twelve, but she can remember nothing of her past. Mady, the mother of Isabelle comes to rescue her...more
The storyline of this book is really interesting. The main characters finds herself running through the woods--but she can't remember why. Or who she is. Or anything about her life. It's just the right amount of spooky and mysterious (at least for the target audience of 10-12 year olds). I think it was very poorly written-I'd expect this type of writing from my middle school students. HOWEVER, that probably makes it more accessible to the readers since that's the level of language they're operat...more
Is she really Isabelle? She can't remember anything before the moment she woke up in the woods and then the dogs chasing and biting her. She is rescued by a kind farmer and family. She goes home with the woman who claims to be her mother and tells her the story of her being stolen 6 years before - the whole town believes she was stolen by the wicked witch. Her sister, "Honey" is not real happy to have her back in the family. This story has the classic elements of a fairytale - wicked witch and a...more
A 12-year-old finds herself running through the woods, and she can't remember who she is or how she came to be there. When she is found by a family in a village, they tell her that she might be a child who was known to have been stolen by a witch 12 years ago named Isabelle. Another baby has been stolen just that same day, and Isabelle sets out to figure out who she is and where the other baby has gone, as the villagers around her grow suspicious of who she might really be-- the witch in disguis...more
This is a fast yet hardhitting read. It's hard to review without giving away a couple twists at the end, so I'll just say that this story of a 12-year-old girl with amnesia trying to find out where she fits into the tiny village she finds herself in is mesmerizing. Is she really the girl who was stolen away by the local witch 6 years ago? If so, what happened to her baby sister who was just stolen recently? And why is her older sister so horrible to her? There are very few characters in this tau...more
A 12 year old girl is found running in the forest who has no memory of herself prior to being found. Is it possible she is the child of villagers whose 6 year old daughter was believed to have been stolen by a witch 6 years ago? I thought this book was just ok. I felt it was more a fairytale than a horror story and was longer at 158 pages than it needed to be. Without giving the ending away I was, however, satisfied with it. I have booktalked "Heir Apparent" by the same author many times but I w...more
I thought this book was good! I was expecting something different the book to be with more paranormal qualities. The cover was a bit deceiving in that aspect. However! I think the book is still worth the read!
The plot has all the makings of a great fairy tale and there is a good amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you guessing. There is a neat little twist in the end of the book which I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed the ending.
The characters are all right and Honey happens to be a downright...more
The plot has all the makings of a great fairy tale and there is a good amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you guessing. There is a neat little twist in the end of the book which I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed the ending.
The characters are all right and Honey happens to be a downright...more
Let me start off by saying that this book is never as spooky as the cover would suggest. There may be an old witch, and there is certainly rampant speculation about said witch and what she might do out there all alone in the forest, but this book isn't about her. It's about Isabelle. Also, there is someone a lot more scary than a witch, but that person is scary in a much different way than what the cover advertises. This person inspires a slow build of scary rather than a jump out and grab you s...more
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
A girl runs through the forest. As she runs, she realizes she has no memories prior to running. She remembers running, although not why she is running or from whom or where she is trying to go. Nor does she know her name.
As she starts to question her identity, dogs come after her. She dashes up a tree and stays there until she's rescued by their owners, who take her in and care for her. Her lost memories become fuel for gossip as they attempt to he...more
A girl runs through the forest. As she runs, she realizes she has no memories prior to running. She remembers running, although not why she is running or from whom or where she is trying to go. Nor does she know her name.
As she starts to question her identity, dogs come after her. She dashes up a tree and stays there until she's rescued by their owners, who take her in and care for her. Her lost memories become fuel for gossip as they attempt to he...more
In the reviews someone complained that there was no love story involved, but that is exactly why Im reading it. A spooky fast paced no love triangle book is exactly what I am in the mood for.
I really enjoyed this book. It is pretty short and an easy read which is what I was in the mood for, probably why I enjoyed this book so much. I liked that the ending wasn't so predictable, I only guessed half of the ending. The cover of the book is intriguing and made me excited to read the book but in all...more
I really enjoyed this book. It is pretty short and an easy read which is what I was in the mood for, probably why I enjoyed this book so much. I liked that the ending wasn't so predictable, I only guessed half of the ending. The cover of the book is intriguing and made me excited to read the book but in all...more
Feb 27, 2009
Karen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes scary stories or mysteries!
Shelves:
horror
Can you imagine what it would be like to find yourself running through the woods with no idea who you are or what you are running from? That's what happens to Isabelle in this spooky story which involves witches, magic and stolen children. As Isabelle tries to regain her memory, the mystery of what actually happened to her gets more and more confusing. The story has a twist ending, which took me by surprise! If you have read and liked other Vivian Vande Velde books, you won't be disappointed by...more
This book got me to thinking i loved this book how well it told the story n how it was in the end was great the hole time i was like whats gone happen next i really loved this story line in the book cause she was not a bad person just wanted them to have a better life n they did have one with one the parents who loved n cared n the 2nd time she need to have someone with her that was fair to ask n the mother didn't need kids they way she treated them making them take care of each other is wrong!
Isabelle wanders out of the woods, unable to remember who she is or where she belongs. Is she Honey's sister who was stolen six years ago by the witch? She allows herself to be taken in by the family who claims her as their own while she tries to regain her memory. Meanwhile, the hunt goes on for a witch who has escaped with a baby the very morning Isabelle appeared. Filled with twist plots and surprises, Vande Velde has crafted a tale full of witches, magic and stolen children.
This could be an introduction to fantasy for some of the lower readers. The mystery surrounding Isabelle was well done. I was surprised by the twists and turns. The really intriguing part was that complete resolution didn't come until the very end. That has huge appeal to me.
Isabelle is 12 through most of the story so I'm not sure seniors would enjoy it. If a teacher is doing anthing with fairy tales and twisting plots I think this would inspire creativity.
Isabelle is 12 through most of the story so I'm not sure seniors would enjoy it. If a teacher is doing anthing with fairy tales and twisting plots I think this would inspire creativity.
great little book about a girl who appears out of the woods and has no memory of who she is or where she came from. The first part of the story follows her through her ordeal such that the reader really likes her and connects with her. Toward the end of the book, things start moving quickly as the mystery of her identity is uncovered. I read it in one sitting, and by the last third of the book, there was no way I was putting it down! An easy read.
A quick historical/supernatural mystery about a girl who finds herself running through the woods with no idea who she is. She is taken in by a kindly older couple, but a family from the village soon claims her as their long-lost daughter, kidnapped by the witch 6 years ago. But is that who she really is, and why does Honey, the older sister, seem to hate her so much?
One would think this is a scary book just looking at the cover. I was hoping it would be since I have lots of teen readers at the library seeking out all things creepy and scary. It's not, though a good read anyway. I'll recommend it to those looking for a quick book with an intriguing premise. I'll probably book talk it at the junior highs in Murray in the spring.
This is a quick, satisfying little book that I read in an hour or so. The cover makes it look scary, but it's more of a fairy tale told as an extended short story. It was refreshingly lacking in "clutter" - there are just the right number of characters, plot elements and reveals. I'd recommend it for the tween crowd, but also enjoyed it myself.
I enjoyed reading this book, but IMO it wasn't as good as some of the author's other works. The premise of the story is nothing new (amnesia) and I was able to figure out who the main character really was very early on in the book. I really think the story could have been fleshed out more, especially the ending which seemed wrapped up too quickly.
4.5 stars
This was a delightful read. Even though I knew what was coming, it did not lessen my enjoyment. I was surprised by one of the characters after all which only deepened my liking of this story. This was a quick read and yet Vande Velde managed to create characters that you care about and some that you hate.
This was a delightful read. Even though I knew what was coming, it did not lessen my enjoyment. I was surprised by one of the characters after all which only deepened my liking of this story. This was a quick read and yet Vande Velde managed to create characters that you care about and some that you hate.
The writing in this isn't super sophisticated or anything, but I really enjoyed the way Vande Velde used the wicked witch trope and created a compelling mystery in which things aren't always how they appear. The story is fast paced and easy to read, and even though it isn't, it sort of feels like a fairy tale retelling.
This isn't as scary at the cover makes it seem. The story begins with a child running through the woods, being chased by dogs. The problem is the child can't remember WHY she's running, who she is or anything else. She is taken in by a kind village family and then the adventure really begins. Great mystery with a shocking end.
I actually liked this book, even though the plot is really simple & there aren't many characters. I thought it was a really interesting story. It was a quick read & almost felt like a short story. By the way, it's not nearly as creepy as you'd expect from the cover--I'm glad I read it, even though I didn't like the cover.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a fast read. It was fairly predictable, but in an "A-HA I figured it out," way, not an "oh this is so boring." This is the first book I've read by Ms Velde, and I will definitely be reading more from her. I also like that I can recommend it to my 10 year old without any worries.
This is a quick read for tweens, with similar elements to typical fairytale witches. The witch is vindicated and is able to tell her side of the story, proving she's not as supposedly evil as the villagers make her seem. The plight of Isabelle is intriguing, but the story is wrapped up quickly, leaving some loose ends.
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Vivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for...more
More about Vivian Vande Velde...
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for...more
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Nov 24, 2012 05:34pm