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13th out of 239 books
—
31 voters
Ransom
by
Lois Duncan (Goodreads Author)
The lives of five captives hang in the balance while their families gather the ransom.
Two brothers, their family frantic to find their sons. A loner whose uncle doesn’t even know he’s missing. An Army brat whose family will never be able to raise enough money. And a cheerleader who can’t count on her stepdad, but knows her father will come through.
Two brothers, their family frantic to find their sons. A loner whose uncle doesn’t even know he’s missing. An Army brat whose family will never be able to raise enough money. And a cheerleader who can’t count on her stepdad, but knows her father will come through.
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
August 1st 1984
by Laurel Leaf
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A pistol shot rang out across the night, and one of the running figures crumpled and fell” (Lois Duncan pg.100). Ransom by Lois Duncan is a horror/suspense type novel with lots of action. It is about five kids, Glenn and Bruce Kirtland, Jesse French, Marianne Paget, and Dexter Barton who get kidnapped and held for ransom in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The kids start off in a bus on the way to Valley Gardens where they live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then they see there is a substitute. Then one by...more
The kids start off in a bus on the way to Valley Gardens where they live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then they see there is a substitute. Then one by...more
“Ransom” Book Review
Abby Schifman
Have you ever read the book Ransom? Ransom by Lois Duncan is a mystery and adventure. There are five kids that get kidnapped and are held for Ransom: Marianne, Glenn, Jesse, Bruce and Dexter. This story takes place in the winter and in the 1990’s.
The five kids get on the bus and they have a sub bus driver and think nothing of it. The sub had been acting a little weird. But when the bus had to turn the corner to go to their neighborhood, he didn’t turn. The sub...more
Abby Schifman
Have you ever read the book Ransom? Ransom by Lois Duncan is a mystery and adventure. There are five kids that get kidnapped and are held for Ransom: Marianne, Glenn, Jesse, Bruce and Dexter. This story takes place in the winter and in the 1990’s.
The five kids get on the bus and they have a sub bus driver and think nothing of it. The sub had been acting a little weird. But when the bus had to turn the corner to go to their neighborhood, he didn’t turn. The sub...more
Five kids kidnapped, four families torn apart. The book Ransom by Lois Duncan is a book that takes place in the mountains in a cabin. The genre of the book is mystery. The main characters are Marianne Paget, Jesse French, Glenn Kirtland, Bruce Kirtland, and Dexter Barton.
The storyline of the Ransom by Lois Duncan is Marianne Paget, Jesse French, Glenn Kirtland, Bruce Kirtland, and Dexter Barton all get kidnapped by Buck, Rita, and Juan. The kids were on their way home from school when their sub...more
The storyline of the Ransom by Lois Duncan is Marianne Paget, Jesse French, Glenn Kirtland, Bruce Kirtland, and Dexter Barton all get kidnapped by Buck, Rita, and Juan. The kids were on their way home from school when their sub...more
Lizzie Pevler
Humanities 1
12/4/12
Ransom By: Lois Duncun
The category that this book falls into thriller and suspenseful books. I thought the book was very exciting like her other books. The book had very good detail and an interesting plot. I liked the twist when Juan and the girl’s father came upon Glenn walking down the road. I also liked how the author described the action in great detail. It made me feel like I was right there seeing it all happen firsthand. I don’t think that the author coul...more
Humanities 1
12/4/12
Ransom By: Lois Duncun
The category that this book falls into thriller and suspenseful books. I thought the book was very exciting like her other books. The book had very good detail and an interesting plot. I liked the twist when Juan and the girl’s father came upon Glenn walking down the road. I also liked how the author described the action in great detail. It made me feel like I was right there seeing it all happen firsthand. I don’t think that the author coul...more
Ransom by Lois Duncan is about five students that are teenagers that get kidnapped from their school bus and held for ransom by two men who have already killed their bus driver. This book could be considered a young adult book, the genre is Young Adult. To me it is the first book that I read in this category of kidnapping. This is Lois Duncan’s 11th book he has written, he has written about 45 books. Most of his books are picture books but some of his more famous books are, “They Never Came Hom...more
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One fine day the lives of five students takes a turn for the worst. They have been kidnapped by three individuals who hold the students against their will while trying to make the parents pay a ransom to get them back. Several things go wrong that the captors never anticipated. They were trying for eight students but only five of the eight rode the school bus that day. Two of the students were brothers so the ransom would be more difficult to pull together for that family. One family was militar...more
Lois Duncan is well known for her mysterious and suspenseful books. Ransom is not an exception of the great novels written by Lois Duncan. If you have read and enjoyed her other novels, you will like this one as well. This novel is in particular one of my favorites. Duncan allows the reader to read the novel from different views. The novel is written in a way that each character "says" what they see. The five protagonists are interesting and high school students will probably relate to one of th...more
I sat down and read this in an afternoon, it had looked like a book I read as a teenager and I wanted to revisit that time. I rated it as an adult reading a teen book, that's why I gave it such a low rating. It was predictable and not entirely engaging, ergo, teen book. I will say that for a teen reading this book it has interesting characters that could give a teen a lot to think on, such as what it means to have personal strength, what it means to be brave and what, interestingly enough, a soc...more
Ransom
One fine day the life of five students takes a turn for the worst. They have been kidnapped by three individuals who hold the students against their will while trying to make the parents pay a ransom to get them back. Several things go wrong that the captors never anticipated. They were trying for eight students but only five of the eight rode the school bus that day. Two of the students were brothers so the ransom would be more difficult to pull together for that family. One family was mi...more
One fine day the life of five students takes a turn for the worst. They have been kidnapped by three individuals who hold the students against their will while trying to make the parents pay a ransom to get them back. Several things go wrong that the captors never anticipated. They were trying for eight students but only five of the eight rode the school bus that day. Two of the students were brothers so the ransom would be more difficult to pull together for that family. One family was mi...more
This high school day finishes just like any other with students anxious to get home. The only difference is the substitute bus driver on their route. It’s not until the bus passes their stop, the last stop, that the 5 remaining students realize that something is wrong. The five acquaintances only had one thing in common before, living in the same subdivision but now they can add one more thing, being kidnapped. This well-crafted novel by prolific author Lois Duncan will appeal to all junior high...more
This is a great book for upper elementary/early middle school students. I believe the author did a great job to grab the reader's attention, create suspense, and develop the characters. The only "problem" is that today's reader will notice the book is dated. The story focuses on the lives of five abducted teens--who do not have cell phones. The upside of the fact that the book is dated is that the language is mature, not written in current slang. It also does not contain a lot of the social high...more
This book was awsome. It was about some kids that went on a trip up to the mountains. Little did they know was that they were put on that bus to be kidnapped. Two men killed if the bus driver and held them captive in a cabin on a hill in the mountains. The men were hoping to get alot of money for the kids hostage. Because the majority of the high school had rich parents and the money was spose to be up in the millions. The men ended up getting killed and the other was arrested when the police ca...more
Another amazing book by Lois Duncan, Ransom, is filled with suspense and a page turner. The plot starts off with 5 high school kids who got kidnapped on a school bus. Soon, a ransom is requested from their families becasue the kidnapped are of high class,so a huge sum of money was requested. Time starts to tick by after being kidnapped. With courage,the 5 teens attempts to escape to save themselves. Finally, at the end they were saved by the police and were returned home safe and sound! I liked...more
Nancy Price – Adventure
Ransom by Lois Duncan
Ransom is about five teenagers, from a wealthy neighborhood, that are kidnapped on their way home from school. They are taken to a remote cabin in the woods and will all be held there until each of their families comes up with the ransom money. The teens join together to plan their escape.
This adventure is told from the perspective of each of the five teenagers as well as their parents. Each character responds differently to the situation. They also he...more
Ransom by Lois Duncan
Ransom is about five teenagers, from a wealthy neighborhood, that are kidnapped on their way home from school. They are taken to a remote cabin in the woods and will all be held there until each of their families comes up with the ransom money. The teens join together to plan their escape.
This adventure is told from the perspective of each of the five teenagers as well as their parents. Each character responds differently to the situation. They also he...more
Very different book. A quick read. It's based on the Greek "Iliad", but you don't have to know to story to read the book. I liked it.
A quote I liked (p.184): "We die. Death is in our nature. Without that fee paid in advance, the world does not come to us. that is the hard bargain life makes with us - with all of us, every one - and the condition we share. And for that reason, if for no other, we should have pity for one another's losses. Fort he sorrows that must come sooner or later to each one...more
A quote I liked (p.184): "We die. Death is in our nature. Without that fee paid in advance, the world does not come to us. that is the hard bargain life makes with us - with all of us, every one - and the condition we share. And for that reason, if for no other, we should have pity for one another's losses. Fort he sorrows that must come sooner or later to each one...more
I had read this book in junior high, but as I was browsing my library's e-books, it said this was copyrighted in 2012. It was actually written in 1966. I suppose it's been updated slightly because there's a passing reference to throwing cell phones down. Being sent to Iraq likely replaced being sent to Vietnam or Korea.
The story mostly passes muster. Some of the dialogue is stilted; I attribute that to the original publication date. The characters, while not fully developed, are interesting eno...more
The story mostly passes muster. Some of the dialogue is stilted; I attribute that to the original publication date. The characters, while not fully developed, are interesting eno...more
I found this book good, but rather predictable. I mean, there were some surprises like Buck and the car incident, but other than that and the parings of couples, the rest was pretty common. And there was something about Bruce that I could not stand! The entire novel, All Bruce said was, "Glenn, my brother!" and "Everybody likes Glenn!" Glenn, Glenn, Glenn!!! I would like to only hear about Glenn from the narrator when he's talking about Glenn. It made me somewhat dislike Glenn for a little while...more
Ransom by Lois Duncan is the best book I've read this year (Get it? Because I've only read to books? Anyway...)
The thing to remember about Ransom is that it was originally published in 1966 so some of the conversational language does feel a little old fashioned. If it was in a modern book perhaps you might roll your eyes and sigh, but when you remember when it's set there's something nice and comforting about the language. I enjoy reading someone say "Oh gosh," instead of "Oh *&%$!".
I think...more
The thing to remember about Ransom is that it was originally published in 1966 so some of the conversational language does feel a little old fashioned. If it was in a modern book perhaps you might roll your eyes and sigh, but when you remember when it's set there's something nice and comforting about the language. I enjoy reading someone say "Oh gosh," instead of "Oh *&%$!".
I think...more
This book was an awesome adventure that made you keep thinking what's going to happen next. It stats out with a "substitute" bus driver who captures five kids who he assumes are rich because of the area they live in. All through the book it talks about the parents trying to figure out how to collect the ransom money and the kids trying to figure out how to get out of the cabin that is so far away from the nearest town. Great story, and well written I would defiantly suggest this book to read.
I found this book today, after 10 years of it not crossing my mind, and I was instantly transported back to a simpler time when my grandparents would pass off books to me that they weren't interested in. I really loved this book. The minute I looked at the cover, even after all these years, I remembered everything about it. The story had fascinated and scared me at the time, and I feel like I was satisfied by the ending. This makes me want to read it all over again.
1 like · like · see review
This book was about 5 teenagers who got kidnapped on their way home from school. It was on the school bus with a substitute driver and he lets off everyone except for the last 5 people who live in the most richest part of town. Eventually after the man named Buck, kidnaps them, they reach the mountains where there is a hut or a cabin. Ths is where the 5 teens are held captive, and not let go until the Ransom of $15,ooo for each child is paid.
I like this because I'm into the mystery stuff, but it's about these rich kids and they get kiddnapped ect. It's really actually a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes books like this but unfortanly I can't tell you anymore about the book or...I will blow it because the whole book is based on what I said before and if I said anymore than I would give it all away.
Author kept jumping from one character to another. Basically there were 5 students named Dexter, Jesse, Bruce, Glenn, and Marianne who were kidnapped on a bus. The kids thought their bus driver was a substitute, but it actually was their kidnapper. The kids were taken up to the top of a mountain and held ransom. The kids go through hard times in a cabin in the winter. Were they able to escape? Read.
I really really liked this book. I loved the way that the chapters alternated between the characters and I loved the way it was written. The story was very moving and I liked the plot line of the story a lot. My only complaint was that because it was so small, I feel like kind of rushed and I wish that the author would have gone a little more in depth with the story.
"Ransom" is about five kids who get kidnapped by people who want money. They kidnapped them because these five kids come from a rich neighborhood. But what they dont kbnow is that the kids arent going to just sit around and wait to be rescued.
I thought the book was okay. Like it would grab your attention at times but at other times it can be a bit slow.
I thought the book was okay. Like it would grab your attention at times but at other times it can be a bit slow.
The more Lois Duncan I read, the more I really like this author. Her books have a certain wisdom to them. They always start out seeming pretty normal and average, but they always turn out to have a special something that makes them worth reading. The characters are very well done in this book. I like the intricacy of their relationships and the honesty of the book.
I chose this book for two reasons: 1. It's a book that's young adult by my author. 2. It was published in the 60s. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't super great either. I could see it being made into one of those corny Lifetime channel movies. It seemed a bit apparent to me that the kidnappers wouldn't shoot & kill the teens they kidnapped, because they would be much less likely to get the ransom money that way. So, this book was rather predictable for me. It is a short book and an easy re...more
Apr 14, 2009
Melinda
is currently reading it
I am reading this with Sarah. She is reading the book for her Language Arts class. We are reading it together. This way I can help her in her Literature Circle assignments for class. So far so good! It is about 5 high school students who get kidnapped on the school bus and their adventures...
An interesting idea, about kids on a schoolbus getting kidnapped... the group dynamics of the kids was what made the story--it really made me think about the kids on my own bus, and whether or not I'd want to be in a crisis situation with any of them (the answer was NO).
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Like It? | 7 | 16 | 27. Januar, 17:33 Uhr | |
| What's The Name o...: SOLVED-Group of students on the same bus get kidnapped [s] | 8 | 35 | 14. Januar, 22:34 Uhr |
Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but gr...more
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18. Dezember, 23:41 Uhr