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Stolen

by Lucy Christopher (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 17,200 ratings · 2,889 reviews

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere.

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a characte...more

Paperback, 301 pages

Published May 4th 2009 by Chicken House Ltd

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Jul 18, 2010 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: f words

Recommended to Annalisa by: Kat Kennedy

Shelves: young-adult, issue, psychology, contemporary, wishlist

When I was a teenager, I remember watching a movie with my family and the couple onscreen kissed for the first time and of course five seconds later were sleeping together. My dad, trying to keep the morality of four teenage girls intact, complained about movies always doing that, making you root for something you didn't believe in. I remember thinking "it's just a movie; you're supposed to want that," because I had wanted it.

Christopher is a smart woman. She realizes this power, that as an auth...more When I was a teenager, I remember watching a movie with my family and the couple onscreen kissed for the first time and of course five seconds later were sleeping together. My dad, trying to keep the morality of four teenage girls intact, complained about movies always doing that, making you root for something you didn't believe in. I remember thinking "it's just a movie; you're supposed to want that," because I had wanted it.

Christopher is a smart woman. She realizes this power, that as an author, she can direct you in what you're supposed to want, who you're supposed to like, and what ending you're supposed to root for. And she uses it to mess with your head. Ty and Gemma are basically the only characters in the book, so you want them to end up together. Ty is a kidnapper and has a temper, but he's a kind, likable kidnapper. From the beginning, you want Gemma to get over it and like Ty. He had a sad life and has such a vulnerable quality and if only Gemma would love him it would make him all better. You see what Christopher does? She makes you, the reader, experience Stockholm syndrome, so that by the end you're as conflicted as Gemma about the outcome and about your own feelings of Gemma's resistance and Ty's culpability. She makes you consider Stockholm syndrome from the inside. That's brilliant.

ETA: I have several friends who didn't like the book and it's made me think about why this works so well for some and not for others. It comes down to you. If you're the type of girl who'd want to protect a broken spirit then you'll fall right into the trap that is Ty's charm. If you like a man's man and have no patience for weak men, the book won't work for you. The book may have been more powerful had we fallen in love with a man who was a little bit rough, a little bit forceful, a little bit cruel and yet Gemma depended on him for her survival. But maybe not. It would have been more of a risk and may not have had the same longing for romance that this has. Either way, it still requires you the reader to pull off the full affect. It's a risk and sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't.(less)

311 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-5-stars, reviewed-2010, audiobooks, about-kidnapping-abduction, favorites

This book completely reaffirmed my fascination with the beautiful land that is Australia.

But the people who live there seem to want everyone to think it's a lot like this:

Or this:

Or even this:

Gemma, just a regular 16 year old school girl, has been captured by a handsome and alluring young Australian man named Ty. Although Gemma seems to think so, it never feels like she's in any imminent danger, from Ty at least. From the environment - yes.

The stakes and suspense don't seem that high, as I fully...more

227 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2013 Basuhi Ravi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone and Everyone.

Shelves: forever-s, no-words-to-justify, baby-i-m-addicted, beautiful, amazing-sobfest, best-covers, favorites, memorable-reads, tears-and-smiles

5 breathtakingly beautiful and heart wrenching stars.

You saw me before I saw you.

Those six words, merely six simple and enchantingly austere words that fascinate you like nothing has or ever will !!!

The story starts with Gemma sitting at a coffee shop in the Bangkok airport checking out an apparently random but seemingly familiar hot guy. Little did she know that this guy knew her better than any other living person in the world.
They strike up a conversation - flirting back and forth and th...more

50 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Nina ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Nina ♥ by: Maggie Stiefvater

Shelves: favorites

"I made it," you said, gruffly, "for you."
You shoved it onto my finger. It was roughly carved, shaped from a lump of something colourful and cold...a ring made entirely from a gemstone. 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.
"Why?" I asked.
You didn't answer that. Instead you touched the ring gently and looked piercingly at me, unsaid questions in your eyes.

HOLY SHIT! I should not have...more

144 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 fяσzєη rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-ebooks, realistic-fiction, all-time-faves, amazing-authors, believable-romance, books-i-want-to-marry, creatively-original, deserves-the-hype, faves, heroes-i-adore, heroines-i-adore, made-me-smile, my-emotions-i-cannot, masterpiece, wish-i-could-write-like-that

This review is also available over at my blog.

___________________________

I'm still crying as I type this.

This review will very likely be brief and will very likely be a hot mess, because . . . I just can't believe how gorgeous this single piece of literature is. I can't believe it took me this long to read it. I'll definitely say it was worth the wait, though.

It's been a while since I've read something that touched me this deeply. How this book is written just gutted me and left me breathless at...more

49 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, kat-s-book-reviews, i-learned-something-new, leaves-awesomeness-behind, 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,...more

88 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sam by: Buddy read with the lovely Leanne!

Shelves: ultimate-favourites, realistic-or-contemporary, other-favourites, 5-star-gems, made-me-cry

“You saw me before I saw you. In the airport, that day in August, you had that look in your eyes, as though you wanted something from me, as though you’d wanted it for a long time.”

Thankfully, I still have the ability to type. Ask for my thoughts in spoken words and you’ll receive incoherent mumbling, gulping sobs, and maybe the occasional wistful sigh. It’s complicated, my relationship with this book. It doesn’t make sense to even me. I am overwhelmed, exhausted even, but completely thrilled t...more “You saw me before I saw you. In the airport, that day in August, you had that look in your eyes, as though you wanted something from me, as though you’d wanted it for a long time.”

Thankfully, I still have the ability to type. Ask for my thoughts in spoken words and you’ll receive incoherent mumbling, gulping sobs, and maybe the occasional wistful sigh. It’s complicated, my relationship with this book. It doesn’t make sense to even me. I am overwhelmed, exhausted even, but completely thrilled to have experienced this incredible piece of work.

Stolen, for those who have yet to read this, is a simple story of kidnapping, of being taken. It’s Gemma’s letter to her captor, Ty, nothing more and nothing less. Never did I expect such a straightforward premise to hold such depth; never did I expect to cry for these characters in the early hours of the morning. Lucy Christopher’s writing is subtly beautiful, it’s writing that manages to be intense and powerful without smothering the reader. She takes her simple idea and does wonders with it, easing under my skin and invading my every thought. This book, everything about this book, will haunt me now for months to come, years even, and I will gladly let it.

The Australian desert serves as a backdrop for this story, gently emphasising the situation. It’s a scarily beautiful place, with its dry, hot sand, its snakes and camels, and its silence for miles and miles. It plays such a spectacular role in this book. It makes Ty who he is. It makes Ty the wild, lonely man who will effortlessly race across the sand to capture Gemma every time she tries to escape. It makes him the nature-conscious boy who will talk to the stars and appreciate the beauty of the rocks. It makes him a contradiction, constantly, but one that is enigmatic and alluring, and quite frightening too. It is easy to be in Gemma’s shoes, to feel what she is feeling and to also agree with it. It is much harder to maintain a healthy distance from this story, to be nothing more than an impartial observer.

Stolen, of course, touches on Stockholm syndrome, a psychological occurrence that has always perplexed me. Having previously been nothing more than distantly aware of cases where this syndrome has taken effect, I wasn’t at all prepared to be lured in myself. A part of me didn’t even believe it could happen. The point at which Ty transformed into the misunderstood, troubled character I wanted to desperately help is not clear to me. There is no easy way to distinguish the before and after, no easy way to determine the good and the bad. All I know is that I was compelled by his vulnerability, his love for the natural land, his artistic pursuits – just as much as Gemma was.

“It’s hard to hate someone once you understand them. It felt so mixed up.”

It’s thought-provoking, in a very quiet way. It makes you wonder how it’s possible to truly judge what’s right and what’s wrong. I wholeheartedly cared for these characters and wanted a happy ending, as illogical as that might have been. I felt for Gemma, I felt for Ty, I even felt for the camel tied up outside. There were a number of destinations this story could have travelled to and all of them would have crushed me in some way, but I’m just glad Christopher did not take the easy approach. The ending, the part that I dreaded the most, it was perfect.

Though, having said that, I cried myself to sleep afterwards. I still have a few tears left to shed, too.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

72 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Rosalinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Rosalinda by: Basuhi Ravi

Shelves: favorites, i-need-more-stars, intelligent-heroine, best-book-ever, perfect-hero-and-heroine, made-me-cry, brits-i-love-you, loved-loved-loved-it, need-more-like-now

***FULL REVIEW NOW UP***

FIVE BEAUTIFUL & HEARTBREAKING AUSTRALIAN STARS

Could I have loved this book anymore? NO

Would I change anything about their story? Hell NO

Do I need a sequel even if I know I won't probably get it? Yes, please with sugar on top!

I bought this book AGES ago but I didn't want to read it because I knew how it ended. And I didn't mind (view spoiler), I just lost the interest because I know what would happen. Anyway, Basuhi read it l...more

53 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2013 kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, favorites

You saw me before I saw you.

This book was just WOW!I fell in love with the characters but mostly with the writing style.To be more specific , this book is written like a letter,a letter to her captor, which means that she is refering to him.This is very beautiful because the reader takes part in the story and the book is alive.

Gemma never thought that a friendly stranger could harm her.The story begins when she is in a coffee shop at the airport.There she spots a familiar face but she cant reme...more

41 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2013 Keertana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, beautiful-prose, books-that-linger, teary-eyed-reads, 2013-favorites

I literally just put down Stolen and my brain...it can't think. I just need to let this book sit and saturate into me, every part of me because it can and it will and I will let it.

I do want to say, however, that Stolen was not what I expected. When I went into it, I was almost expecting an eventual romance, but there is none and I'm glad there isn't. Stolen is a novel of abduction, but it is also a novel of hope and faith and beauty. I only really fell in love with Stolen seven pages from the...more

30 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Arlene by: Gift from Flannery - Thank you!

Shelves: read-2011, young-adult, aussie-books, gifted-to-me, shock-n-awe

Wow!! What an emotional, gripping and addictive book! I was hooked to this story from the beginning and despite how I knew nothing good would come of it, I drove head on collision with the conclusion and was left with a wreckage of angst and sadness.

But before I tell you how I really felt, excuse me a moment, while I self-reflect...

Felt an emotional pull toward the captor? Check.
Believed that he deserved some semblance of happiness because of his past? Check.
Recognized moments where the captor s...more Wow!! What an emotional, gripping and addictive book! I was hooked to this story from the beginning and despite how I knew nothing good would come of it, I drove head on collision with the conclusion and was left with a wreckage of angst and sadness.

But before I tell you how I really felt, excuse me a moment, while I self-reflect...

Felt an emotional pull toward the captor? Check.
Believed that he deserved some semblance of happiness because of his past? Check.
Recognized moments where the captor showed love and deep emotion toward the victim? Check.
Justified the captor’s actions because he provided a safe haven for the victim and wanted him to have a HEA? Check.

Well sweet painful HALE I think I’m a prime candidate for Stockholm Syndrome. Gah!

Stolen brought to the surface justifications I never thought I’d consider and deep feelings for Ty despite his heinous act toward Gemma. What a crafty author to be able to tamper with my moral compass without my awareness and create a story and situation where I wanted the captor to get an ending he really didn’t deserve.

In Stolen Gemma is kidnapped from her family in Bangkok Airport and taken to the Australian Outback by Ty, an emotionally disturbed young man. She fights despite futile efforts to get away, but after a series of close calls, she finds herself in a situation where she starts to see Ty through a different lens, one that includes sympathy, resolve, hidden beauty and love.

For me, I think my defenses toward Ty fell apart when he rescued Gemma from one of her escapes where she almost died in the desert. I started to wonder if there was some way these two could come to build a life together. Part of me carried some hope and the other part cringed. So much happened in this book and I think I internalized a ton of the emotion because I feel like I’ve been walking around in a daze since I started this story.

After all was said and done, I think the author ended the story appropriately (yes, there I go again with that word, but I think it fits here) because as much as I wanted Gemma to help free Ty and give him a second chance, I realized that sometimes you must pay the price for your crime before you get your reprieve.

This was definitely an angsty book that created conflicting emotions for me. Intense!!

Lastly… I hope someone went back to the shack and fed the chickens. I also worried about the camel. I hope she was able to find her herd. I know… I know.. I focus on the irrelevant details, but that’s just me.(less)

40 likes · like · see review

May 26, 2010 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, heavy, sniff, loved-it

Wow this was a different sort of book. Not really what I expected. I liked it. But it really left me feeling very conflicted, much like the main character Gemma.

Gemma was kidnapped or "stolen" by her stalker of 6 years, which she never even knew she had. He took her out to the middle of the desert in Australia where he had built a house for them to live in.

The thing that left me so conflicted is even though Ty took her against her will, and at times he seemed crazy, I ended up feeling for him....more Wow this was a different sort of book. Not really what I expected. I liked it. But it really left me feeling very conflicted, much like the main character Gemma.

Gemma was kidnapped or "stolen" by her stalker of 6 years, which she never even knew she had. He took her out to the middle of the desert in Australia where he had built a house for them to live in.

The thing that left me so conflicted is even though Ty took her against her will, and at times he seemed crazy, I ended up feeling for him. I liked him and in a weird way I wanted them to end up together. Ty really thought what he did was for Gemma's benefit and he thought she would be happy with him. It was so obvious that he loved her. I love that he never tried to force her to do anything, well except that one part where he drugged her and stole her. See thats where the conflicting feelings get me every time. He was SO wrong, but there were so many things about him that made you forget what he did. (view spoiler)I guess I was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome by the end of this book. Back to my original point though, he was very respectful of her once they were out in the desert. He showed genuine concern and just wanted her to be happy. One part that really made me feel bad for him was when they were having a picnic right before they caught the camel.

I ate the roll, and forced down some more sparkling wine. When your eyes closed against the sun again, and I had nothing else to look at I glanced quickly at your chest, curious, really. I'd only seen chests like that in magazines. I wondered if that's how you'd got all your money . . . modeling. I looked down at my stomach. I grabbed at it, seeing how much fat I could lift up in a roll.

"Don't worry," you said, one eye open again like a crocodile, watching me. "You're beautiful." You tipped your head back again "Beautiful," you murmured. "Perfect."

"You wouldn't know. You're built like some sort of supermodel." I bit my lip, wishing I hadn't complimented you like that. "Or a stripper," I added. "Prostitute."

"I wouldn't want you to think I'm repulsive," you said, half smiling.

"Too late."

You opened your other eye to squint at me. "Will you ever give me a break?"

That part really got to me for some reason. She was constantly saying stuff like that throughout the book, but that interaction particularly sparked my feelings for him.

(view spoiler)(less)

22 likes · like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, own, 2010-reads, aussie

Gemma is a 16-year-old from London. She and her parents are at the airport in Bangkok, preparing to catch a flight to Vietnam, when she meets a man, Ty, who steals her away and changes her life forever. Stolen is a letter written by the victim to the captor. Gemma's letter reveals what happens between her and Ty during her captivity in the Australian outback.

Throughout the book, I had conflicting feelings towards Ty. Which were kind of similar to the way Gemma felt about him. Ty was patient with...more

25 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Buggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Buggy by: Zosia

Shelves: virtual-vacation, survival, shelf-12, ya, not-so-hea, fiction

Opening Line: "You saw me before I saw you."

Creepy, beautiful and heartbreaking would be how I’d describe STOLEN. A very different sort of read that would make a good book club choice because of all the symbolism and emotions the reader is left with in the end, not all of which are comfortable. I found myself suffering from Stockholm syndrome here because I felt for the bad guy. I really wanted a different ending for him.

The beauty of Australia is another reason I enjoyed this so much; the land...more Opening Line: "You saw me before I saw you."

Creepy, beautiful and heartbreaking would be how I’d describe STOLEN. A very different sort of read that would make a good book club choice because of all the symbolism and emotions the reader is left with in the end, not all of which are comfortable. I found myself suffering from Stockholm syndrome here because I felt for the bad guy. I really wanted a different ending for him.

The beauty of Australia is another reason I enjoyed this so much; the land just comes alive here; the dry burnt earth, the smell of eucalyptus, the endless sand and dust, the stars, the voice of the desert and how we’re like a grain of sand, insignificant in the great scheme of things. See I told you this was a deep read. The Outback setting is very much a main character within this story; brutal and giving, dangerous and loving. Yes, the symbolism.

I should also mention that Gemma’s story has been written in the first person as a letter to her abductor and it feels a little strange and clunky at first because of the way she always refers to him “-you grinned almost proudly, I screamed and bit you, you were standing in the kitchen” etc.

Gemma is sixteen years old, travelling with her parents from London to Vietnam via Bangkok when she meets a man in the airport. He buys her a coffee and seems strangely familiar. He’s in his twenties, good looking in a rugged sort of way and she’s flattered by the attention. Gemma never finishes her coffee. Drugged and kidnapped her next cohesive memory is waking up in a ramshackle house surrounded by sky and sand. She is nowhere. There is nothing for as far as she can see except rolling red dunes and her captor. She doesn’t even know what country she’s in. Of course Gemma tries to escape; she almost dies trying more than once.

“I knew as soon as I set off it was hopeless. Where would I run to? Everything looked the same. I could see why you hadn’t tied me to the bed. There was nothing and no one out here. Only us.”

25 year old Ty as the kidnapper is an intriguing character and he’s been written in such a way that you can’t help but feel for him as his troubled past is slowly revealed. Make no mistake he’s messed up but you understand why he did what he did, what motivated him. I think what creeped me out the most about his past is that as it turns out he’s been watching Gemma for years, literally stalking her since she was a child (that’s why he seems familiar to her) In his mind kidnapping her will save her from the world which has done nothing but hurt and disappoint him.

Their relationship is never sexual, never even hinted at on Ty’s part but he does love her and plans to keep her forever. He’s spent years formulating his plan and this becomes obvious when Gemma discovers the outbuilding full of food and supplies. They won’t need for anything; he won’t have to leave here for years. As Gemma begins to depend on him and understand that he’s not going to hurt her she also starts to see the beauty in him and the desert land.

Not a book I will easily forget and I want to give a shout out for the camel that made me cry (sob actually) and the snake that changed everything. Cheers
321jb4.5(less)

16 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2013 Hersheys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, favorites, beautiful, fantabulous, 2013-reads

What would you do if you're abducted to the middle of nowhere?

I hate deserts. I winced when Christopher described about the heat and the rawness of the desert. Why are we even talking about deserts?
Why?
Because in reality it's actually beautiful. It shows the vastness of the world, the rawness, the emptiness and the loneliness.
I read this short story called the Tears of the Desert by Paulo Coelho. It's a story about this man who listens everyday to the sobbing of the desert and a missionary...more

15 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction-romance, young-adult, favorites, owned, five-stars, cover-lust, contains-boyfriend, girl-crushes

My all-time favorite book, ever. Ever.

The writing is truly gorgeous, and the plot made the book. Gemma is a strong-willed, relatable girl, and Ty...

Ty is so conflicted, thoughtful, disturbed and confused. I won't forgive him for kidnapping Emma, but he needs a hug, and I loved him. I regret nothing.

I was sobbing when I read the ending. I want (view spoiler)...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Nessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Oh, Stolen: A Letter to my Captor... Let me recount the ways in which I loved thee.

My personal history with this book comes from Oceana, a friend of mine on GoodReads who said this was her favourite novel ever. I currently attend the same university that the author, Lucy Christopher graduated from, with Stolen being the novel she wrote to gain her PhD. In a few months' time, I will be going to a plenary lecture in which she talks about her success and her writing career. So I knew I had to get a...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, teen, fiction, lendle-spot-booked-copies-available

Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com

STOLEN is the story of 16-year-old Gemma, who is kidnapped from a Bangkok airport by Ty. What follows is basically a journal of everything that happens to Gemma, written in the form of a letter to Ty.

You don't know at first where Ty has taken her; you only know that she is in the middle of a desert with him. They live in a home that he has built and stocked so he can care for Gemma.

This was, for me, a novel that I will never forget. The t...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: emotional, favorites, forbidden-love, made-me-cry, messed-up-reads, sweet-guys, unforgettable-reads

photo 3cd3931a-0e56-4078-83bb-2a12991c4aff_zpsfa8f7ac0.jpg

Okay... I just finished this book and I need to take some deep breaths and calm down a little- alright, here it goes!

Sixteen year old Gemma is at an airport coffee shop in Bangkok when she sees him. Ty is in his mid twenties. He looks familiar to her, something about his beautiful blue eyes, but she can’t place him. He buys her a coffee, they chat, then she starts to feel funny. She has been drugged. She is being kidnapped.

Now, meet Ty and Gemma:

photo d44026e7-e26e-4a7d-8ebd-aefd31ce0ab0_zpsf48da3d7.jpg

photo 2b169280-44bc-4828-8493-478c6726a779_zps6c3dbf48.jpg

When Gemma comes to, she is surprised. She is...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, kcls, young-adult-teen, aussie-ya-is-the-cats-meow, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011, wishlist-for-books-to-keep

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Listening to this book was an experience. Firstly, narrator Emily Gray is simply amazing. She seamlessly switched back and forth between British Gemma and Australian Ty. And I truly feel, though I've voiced it before, that I give books much more of a chance when they are in audiobook format. Problems with execution or style are easily overlooked when I'm completely enthralled with the story.

I can easily see how some people might not enjoy this book. Author Lucy Christopher writes an epistolary n...more

14 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2011 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya, bookers-challenge, realistic-fiction, read-in-2011, tear-jerker

Favourite Quote: "Lets face it, you did steal me. 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. And I can't get you out of there either. You're stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels."

Stolen is one huge emotional rollercoaster ride. It had my stomach all tied up in knots and made my heart ache but it was AMAZING. Truly, a stunning and thought provoking read.

Lucy Christopher is a brilliant writer....more

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Jun 20, 2011 Erica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, ya, advanced-reading-copy

On a layover at the Bangkok Airport, Gemma meets someone she thinks she's seen before while she's getting coffee. Soon Gemma is drugged and convinced to leave with this man, Ty. Ty takes her to the Australia desert where Gemma wakes up and realizes what has happened. She's been stolen from her parents on their trip to Vietnam. With no one around for miles, Gemma has to learn to deal with her captor and the harsh surroundings where they live. The book is written as a letter to Ty from Gemma.

I re...more

13 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2011 Wicked Incognito Now rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kat's review convinced me that I would find this an interesting read.

How right she was! Utterly fascinating. Utterly heart-rending.

This is an example of how stories that are imbued with all the shades and textures of moral ambiguity and life's shakeable ideas of what exactly IS right or wrong are the most interesting stories of all.

Gemma was stolen by a man that is very possibly mentally unstable. But is he evil? Never once does the reader doubt that Ty shouldn't have kidnapped Gemma, but we are...more

10 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-books, contemporary-fiction-read, my-library, favorites

My Summary: Gemma is a normal teen from London on vacation with her parents. During a stop-over in a Bangkok airport, Gemma meets a charming stranger. Fueled by her anger at her parents, Gemma sits down and has coffee with the man; they chat, trading stories and pleasantries. But Gemma begins to feel strangely...

Suddenly she's being dragged off by the stranger, her limbs numb and useless. She can't fight back, can't react... she's being stolen.

She awakens a few days later, in a terrain so alien...more My Summary: Gemma is a normal teen from London on vacation with her parents. During a stop-over in a Bangkok airport, Gemma meets a charming stranger. Fueled by her anger at her parents, Gemma sits down and has coffee with the man; they chat, trading stories and pleasantries. But Gemma begins to feel strangely...

Suddenly she's being dragged off by the stranger, her limbs numb and useless. She can't fight back, can't react... she's being stolen.

She awakens a few days later, in a terrain so alien it might as well be another planet. She realizes two things: she has been kidnapped, and the only other person for thousands of miles is her kidnapper - the charming man from the airport - the one who stole her away and made her his own.

My Thoughts: Since the moment I read the preface of this novel almost 2 years ago, I knew I was going to read it. I didn't think I'd like it though - after reading through a few dozen reviews and summaries, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, "how the heck can people think this was a good story? This guy is a mentally deranged kidnapper in love with a teenaged girl!" But I knew I had to read it too, because people were recommending it to me left and right, so I added it to my to-read list, thinking I would put it off as much as I possibly could.

Summer rolled around and I realized I had no new books to read on vacation, so I got myself to the bookstore and strolled around the YA section. And even though it wasn't even close to the top of my to-read list, I grabbed Stolen off the shelf, telling myself that, even if I wasn't able to get past the first chapter, I'd have the pool to keep me occupied.

I swear, I never expected to fall in love with this book. It just sort of happened, you know? Lucy Christopher's writing is like poetry, and her ability to take words and form a landscape in my mind is downright amazing. For those of you who've read it already, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't: please, please read this book.

It's been almost 2 years now, and Stolen is still probably my absolute favourite stand-alone YA novel. It does what all my favourite books do: breaks your heart into tiny little pieces. Gemma and Ty's story is one of the few that gets to me every time - I bawl my eyes out every time I re-read it.

Final Thoughts: If I could give this book 10 out of 5 stars, I definitely would. It's one of those ones you can't ever forget, no matter how many more books you may read afterwards. I whole-heartedly recommend this one to readers 15 and over.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Gemma Toombs rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who has a soul!!

this book is amazing. without a doubt one of the best books i've ever read. when i finished it i kind of wished i didn't read it, because it was SO DEPRESSING. i wanted Gemma to love Ty, the way he loves her. sure i can see why she didn't (until near the end of the book), what with him "stalking" her since she was 10, and the whole fact that he KIDNAPPED HER AND DRUGGED HER. but i could never really see the bad side of Ty. he was so sweet and kind to Gemma, and i hated how Gemma really didn't ev...more this book is amazing. without a doubt one of the best books i've ever read. when i finished it i kind of wished i didn't read it, because it was SO DEPRESSING. i wanted Gemma to love Ty, the way he loves her. sure i can see why she didn't (until near the end of the book), what with him "stalking" her since she was 10, and the whole fact that he KIDNAPPED HER AND DRUGGED HER. but i could never really see the bad side of Ty. he was so sweet and kind to Gemma, and i hated how Gemma really didn't even try to return his love towards her. Even though it's completely understandable that Gemma was so, well, i guess mean to Ty... some of the things she said were probably really hurtful to Ty, and i guess i kind of hated Gemma for that.
Example:

"Eventually you leant your elbows on the railing and let out a low sigh. You talked with a voice so quiet.
'Is it really that bad?' you said. 'Living with me?'
I opened my lips and breathed out. I waited at least one minute. 'Of course,' I whispered."
page 82-83

Yeah, that's about the last thing Ty needed to hear, when all his life he hasn't been accepted for who he is. And to hear the girl he loves say that she hates living with him? OUCH. :(

I also hated how Gemma kind of betrayed Ty at the end. Ty saved her life, knowing that it meant turning himself in. Grrr that made me hate Gemma even more. I think it's just me, but i never really felt much sympathy for Gemma. I guess i got the Stockholm Syndrome with Ty, too. Seriously, at the end of the book i really, REALLY felt something for Ty. what, like a crush on a non-existent book character? Yeah, i know that that's extremely pathetic. :/

“You said you knew the perfect place to run to. A place that was empty of people, and buildings, and far, far away. A place covered in blood-red earth and sleeping life. A place longing to come alive again. It's a place for disappearing, you'd said, a place for getting lost... and for getting found.
I'll take you there, you'd said.
And I could say that I agreed.”

OMG I cried soooo much at that bit, i don't even know why but just reading that even now, after about the BILLIONTH time, my eyes are tearing up all over again. *sobs*

Lucy Christopher is a spectacular author, i really look up to her. I actually couldn't sleep last night, thinking about how it ended so sadly for Ty. Something with the way she wrote, i couldn't seem to remind myself that it's just a story, really. This book cuts you deep and leaves a scar.

(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 16, 2012 Yona rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-books, favorites, heart-breaking-and-beautifully-writ

The moment i started reading it, i knew Stolen is from these books, which you don't want to read, because of their end, because they make you sad and you just want to cry, but in the same time they are so beautifully written, so wonderful and touching that you can't help yourself.

The book is written like a letter from Gemma to Ty.
Ty is watching Gemma since she was 10 years old. So many years ago they meet in a park and he can't stop thinking about her, he is around when he can, watching her and...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2011 Amy or "Ames" rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, controversial-taboo, contemporary, read-in-2010, favourites, m-tbr

Beautiful. Evil, but beautiful. Evil because I now have Stockholm Syndrome. Beautiful because I didn't realise it was happening, the writing was so subtle yet engrossing and real. Gritty.

I fell in love with Ty, the kidnapper. He was so kind, considerate and almost harmless really (Hello, Stockholm!). He'd saved Gemma's life so many times and eventually sacrificed his freedom for her. How can anyone not love him a little for that?

I understood his motivations. He was lonely and had been badly tre...more Beautiful. Evil, but beautiful. Evil because I now have Stockholm Syndrome. Beautiful because I didn't realise it was happening, the writing was so subtle yet engrossing and real. Gritty.

I fell in love with Ty, the kidnapper. He was so kind, considerate and almost harmless really (Hello, Stockholm!). He'd saved Gemma's life so many times and eventually sacrificed his freedom for her. How can anyone not love him a little for that?

I understood his motivations. He was lonely and had been badly treated all his life. At first I had all kinds of ideas of what he was: paedophile, rapist, killer etc. He was none of those things. He just wanted to escape civilisation and when he spotted Gemma, who he believed was being neglected by her parents just as he was, he wanted to rescue her.

I can't understand why people compare this to Living Dead Girl. Ray, the kidnapper is all of the things I mentioned above. He was not kind, he raped, he's a paedophile and he murdered. I did not fall in love with him. It's not a fair comparison. They're completely different.

Although at times Ty seemed scary, he was vulnerable and fragile too. He cried. He suffered from nightmares. In some ways he's like a child himself, with his love of the land, his painting and his folk stories. His sense of fun can be a little strange but there are some funny moments. It's not all fear and confusion. Catching the camel was hilarious. She (the camel) had my heart from then on.

As you can tell I loved Ty but I also cared about Gemma. At first I just wanted her to accept her situation, to stop looking for trouble. The number of times she said "You're lying!" or "I don't believe you!" got on my nerves because she said it in relation to the simplest of plausible statements but when she calmed down she was so starkly honest with herself even when she wanted to go into denial. She was strong. Both characters were to have survived their traumas.

You may think I'm as loopy as Ty but I wished for a happy ending. Gemma and Ty together. Maybe not out in the desert forever but living on the edge of a small town. Happily ever after. I can dream, right?

Stolen. Everything in this book is stolen, including Ty. Nothing belongs to anyone. Not even themselves. There's only the land and the sky. And survival. Beautiful.(less)

31 likes · like · see review

Jun 24, 2011 Elle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, made-me-cry, wait-what, made-me-think, elles-reviews, own-read

The proud Aussie chick inside me was majorly pissed off with this book.

An English friend of mine (who thinks he's fecking hilarious BTW) recently developed his own slogan for Australian tourism:

"Snakes. Spiders. Jellyfish. Weather.
Australia - countless ways to get assfucked by nature"
- D. Crowley

So you see, we're having a hard enough time AS IT IS to entice the world to visit us without Lucy Christopher raining on our awesome parade.

Further thoughts on the actual story to follow shortly...

28 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Anushka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Anushka by: Aelina

Shelves: wishlist, ebook, contemporary, make-you-cry, me-likey, surprisingly-good, reviewed, put-me-to-sleep, could-have-been-better

3.5 Stars

Wow. I absolutely loved the concept! Stockholm Syndrome is one of my favorite topics and I had been searching so long for a book which dealt with this issue.

"You saw me before I saw you. "
Another one of those chilling opening lines.
Unfortunately the book could not carry the same tone throughout. Its language was very fluctuating. At one moment, the prose was beautiful, building up that ominous feeling but suddenly there was a line which would turn out to be a mood-killer. Can't...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Chelesbells rated it 5 of 5 stars

"'How long will you keep me?' I asked.
You shrugged. 'Forever, of course.'"

What words would you use to describe a man who abducts someone? A bad guy? Monster? Freak? How about the crime he committed? It should be an easy call to make. Black and white; wrong and right... except it’s not. Not even close. Stolen is a letter written by Gemma to Ty, the man who abducted her from an airport in Bangkok. But the things we learn about Ty and being able to experience Gemma’s captivity through her eyes ma...more

4 likes · like · see review

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Possible Sequel	111	588	May 15, 2013 04:53pm
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About Lucy Christopher

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen ...more

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Quotes from Stolen

“Lets face it, you did steal me. 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. And I can't get you out of there either. You're stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels.” — 340 people liked it

“I can't save you like that Ty.
What you did to me wasn't this brilliant thing, like you think it was. You took me away from everything - my parents, my friends, my life. You took me to the sand and the heat, the dirt and isolation. And you expected me to love you. And that's the hardest bit. Because I did, or at least, I loved something out there.
But I hated you too. I can't forget that.” — 179 people liked it

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