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The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore: A YA Mystery Thriller About Proving Innocence After Family Betrayal
She spots the masked man in the dark, lonely parking lot ‒ but too late. Grabbed and drugged, Christina is kidnapped and held for ransom. When her family pays, she thinks her ordeal is over. But then she realizes that her family thinks she planned the kidnapping! How will Christina prove her innocence?
305 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
85 people are currently reading
1608 people want to read
About the author
Joan Lowery Nixon
188 books485 followersAuthor of more than one hundred books, Joan Lowery Nixon is the only writer to have won four Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Juvenile Mysteries (and been nominated several other times) from the Mystery Writers of America. Creating contemporary teenage characters who have both a personal problem and a mystery to solve, Nixon captured the attention of legions of teenage readers since the publication of her first YA novel more than twenty years ago. In addition to mystery/suspense novels, she wrote nonfiction and fiction for children and middle graders, as well as several short stories. Nixon was the first person to write novels for teens about the orphan trains of the nineteenth century. She followed those with historical novels about Ellis Island and, more recently for younger readers, Colonial Williamsburg. Joan Lowery Nixon died on June 28, 2003—a great loss for all of us.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
February 7, 2017
*I'm trying to write something for every book I read this year so I'm going back and writing at least a sentence for each book I read**
This was stupid lol. I remember this being a favorite of mine way back in like the 7th grade so I thought I would reread it. Boy....my reading tastes have certainly evolved...
This book was just extremely and just utterly stupid.
This was stupid lol. I remember this being a favorite of mine way back in like the 7th grade so I thought I would reread it. Boy....my reading tastes have certainly evolved...
This book was just extremely and just utterly stupid.
January 6, 2019
Teenager Christina Lattimore has just arrived home when a masked man steps out in front of her. She is then grabbed from behind and drugged. Christina wakes up in a locked basement. She doesn't know who would kidnap her, but when a masked man asks her to sign a ransom note addressed to her grandmother, she does as he demands. Within days, her family has paid the ransom and she is back home. But that isn't the end of her ordeal. The police believe she orchestrated the whole thing. Now Christina has to clear her own name.
This is a young adult book that I picked up at a library sale. The backblurb sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. I had some problems with this book. First, I found the writing was just so-so. The story is told in the first-person POV. Christina's thoughts were all over the place. I don't remember teens having such a hard time concentrating on a problem (ex. did someone break into my house?), and then suddenly start thinking about what color eye shadow they would wear the next day. I also found the story lacked suspense. Maybe that was because I figured out who the kidnappers were BEFORE Christina was even kidnapped. I also thought the heroine had too many TSTL moments. Sure, she's a teenager. But she failed to engage her brain over and over. I did like that Christina used initiative to solve the case, but it came way too late in the book for me. My rating: 2 Stars.
This is a young adult book that I picked up at a library sale. The backblurb sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. I had some problems with this book. First, I found the writing was just so-so. The story is told in the first-person POV. Christina's thoughts were all over the place. I don't remember teens having such a hard time concentrating on a problem (ex. did someone break into my house?), and then suddenly start thinking about what color eye shadow they would wear the next day. I also found the story lacked suspense. Maybe that was because I figured out who the kidnappers were BEFORE Christina was even kidnapped. I also thought the heroine had too many TSTL moments. Sure, she's a teenager. But she failed to engage her brain over and over. I did like that Christina used initiative to solve the case, but it came way too late in the book for me. My rating: 2 Stars.
March 11, 2018
This book was excellent. I can understand why many people disagree. This is a young adult mystery suspense but it was published in 1979. Many people, many young people would not enjoy this because it is young adult from a different era.
Is it irony that this was one of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much? Having been a teenager in the 1990's I did grow up without the modern technologies that we take for granted today. Also having been a teen in the 1990's, I read many young adult novels right on par with this one. It was such a different time and these older novels don't have much in common with young adult novels today. Many young people will probably think its so old fashioned that its boring or that they simply are'nt able to connect with the characters. That may be true enough, but is it fair?
When I'm rating a book I put a lot of checklists in place. For instance, is the book well written for the time and for the intended age group of that time? This book was. I never judge young adult books by the same standards that I judge adult. I never judge children's books like I judge young adult or adult. There may be all kinds of reasons that I could like a particular book More, but it might not fit with the genre or the intended audience age group. I think that you have to make an honest attempt to be objective in that sense. I find quite often that most people rating books are not placing anything but their personal opinions into book ratings.
The truth is, this is an excellent book, it is concise and well written. The writing style is early young adult from around 1979. If you can accept this book knowing and understanding these things you might actually really enjoy it. It was refreshing to me in so many ways specifically Because of the time it was written. There were no mentions of modern technology, teens were respectful to their parents, there wasn't a lot of slang or cursing, there wasn't a bunch of sex or characters longing to have sex and there weren't a bunch of old tropes! As an adult reading this, yes it was simplistic - but in a way that you would expect young adult novels to be back then. It was actually written with a good pace. It is well written for a young adult novel from 1979. It was dramatic without being too dramatic, parts were frightening but not too frightening. What I am getting at is that this novel had an excellent balance. Its a good mystery. I read a lot of mystery and I usually figure them out but this book did keep me guessing until the end.
Is it irony that this was one of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much? Having been a teenager in the 1990's I did grow up without the modern technologies that we take for granted today. Also having been a teen in the 1990's, I read many young adult novels right on par with this one. It was such a different time and these older novels don't have much in common with young adult novels today. Many young people will probably think its so old fashioned that its boring or that they simply are'nt able to connect with the characters. That may be true enough, but is it fair?
When I'm rating a book I put a lot of checklists in place. For instance, is the book well written for the time and for the intended age group of that time? This book was. I never judge young adult books by the same standards that I judge adult. I never judge children's books like I judge young adult or adult. There may be all kinds of reasons that I could like a particular book More, but it might not fit with the genre or the intended audience age group. I think that you have to make an honest attempt to be objective in that sense. I find quite often that most people rating books are not placing anything but their personal opinions into book ratings.
The truth is, this is an excellent book, it is concise and well written. The writing style is early young adult from around 1979. If you can accept this book knowing and understanding these things you might actually really enjoy it. It was refreshing to me in so many ways specifically Because of the time it was written. There were no mentions of modern technology, teens were respectful to their parents, there wasn't a lot of slang or cursing, there wasn't a bunch of sex or characters longing to have sex and there weren't a bunch of old tropes! As an adult reading this, yes it was simplistic - but in a way that you would expect young adult novels to be back then. It was actually written with a good pace. It is well written for a young adult novel from 1979. It was dramatic without being too dramatic, parts were frightening but not too frightening. What I am getting at is that this novel had an excellent balance. Its a good mystery. I read a lot of mystery and I usually figure them out but this book did keep me guessing until the end.
April 21, 2020
A predictable, sugar-coated story with no real substance. It follows Christina Lattimore, a young girl wanting to find her way in the world, but basically not being able to.
Its a cried wolf story. She lies and lies. Eventually know one believes her when she is legitimately kidnapped and her family is manipulated into thinking she was behind it, because she threw a temper tantrum in the dining room about not attending... a camp (? at least that's what's I think I can't remember). Speaking of remembering the story, its so freaking forgettable, frustrating with hoards of dislikable characters that it was a chore to get through.
100 page or so CHORE.
The story pushes you to the brink of getting interesting and exciting then Nixon rips it away leaving you wanting to pull your hair out. It's as if she realized, as the story heats up, that she's writing for middle grade readers. This story...is so frustrating for me. It's sensitive subject matter and to really dive into the fear and uncertainty you need to dig in deeper to convey those emotions. It's not really a story that needs limitations and it has so so many.
I just...I think I can go on and on about this book, but I wont because I'm tired..this story was tiring.
Its a cried wolf story. She lies and lies. Eventually know one believes her when she is legitimately kidnapped and her family is manipulated into thinking she was behind it, because she threw a temper tantrum in the dining room about not attending... a camp (? at least that's what's I think I can't remember). Speaking of remembering the story, its so freaking forgettable, frustrating with hoards of dislikable characters that it was a chore to get through.
100 page or so CHORE.
The story pushes you to the brink of getting interesting and exciting then Nixon rips it away leaving you wanting to pull your hair out. It's as if she realized, as the story heats up, that she's writing for middle grade readers. This story...is so frustrating for me. It's sensitive subject matter and to really dive into the fear and uncertainty you need to dig in deeper to convey those emotions. It's not really a story that needs limitations and it has so so many.
I just...I think I can go on and on about this book, but I wont because I'm tired..this story was tiring.
February 2, 2023
So... I'm guessing you've never heard of Joan Lowery Nixon? She was a YA writer most prominently in the 70s and 80s -- and one of the few mystery writers for YA back when I was picking these books up in the early-to-mid 90s. I remember when these thriller-ish books were the rage, and I found these books more interesting than the really terrible RL Stine Fear Street books or the full of questionable content that were authors like Lois Duncan.
I recently dusted off my collection and thought it might be interesting to read through then since I haven't picked one of these things up in probably over twenty years. Look - it only took me an hour and a half to read, so it wasn't like it was a taxing venture.
Was this Edgar Allan Poe Award Winning book any good? No, not really.
For context, I should state that it was written in 1979 -- and the world was a different place over forty years ago. I do think that the people in this world are particularly dumb all the way around, but I think it has more credibility in the late 1970s.
The story focuses around Christina Lattimore -- a 16yo rich girl living in Houston. On the one hand - she lives in this intolerant uber-Christina household where she can't go on a trip to France because they're studying the influence of Catholicism and where the mother is almost like some sort of weird, Stepford Wife. On the other - Christina's characterization is all over the place -- one minute she's freaking out, the other minute she's fine. She's definitely got that whiny teenager mentality going on -- but there's zero nuance to her, and it all feels a bit unjointed.
Christina is kidnapped -- and this is the part I remember as kid. There's something frightening about being captured and not being able to escape. Now - I think this whole book has an interesting premise in general, but I think with better writing, this could have been an even more unsettling thriller. There's something about it that reminds me of all those stories we've all heard about this time period and young women getting locked up for whatever ungodly reason. The book doesn't dive too deeply into the kidnapping portion, which feels like a missed opportunity now.
The second half of the book deals with Christina being blamed for the kidnapping, and her trying to prove she's innocent. Now. Okay. This is where I really just can't. Nearly all of the adults in this book are dumb. Just. So dumb. No one believes Christina -- why? Uh... cause there's no evidence? It couldn't be because her kidnappers forced her to say and do things to make it appear that way. Also - the ransom money was split in half. I mean -- it blows my mind that no one would take this child's side -- with the exception of a college student (who randomly shows up half way through the book) who more or less is exploiting the situation. The fact that Christina's family doubts her story is just kind of crazy to me.
The mystery of who the third person involved and set it all up gets played out - but I don't think it's that much of a reveal. And the book seems to preoccupied with Christina dealing with her feelings than really solving the mystery.
Also - I should note that the book is both overwritten and underwritten. There's almost too much detail at times making the book feel sluggish at times. At the same time - the book kind of rushes through all of its plot points -- as there's just not a lot of plot to do much with.
Overall - it's about what you'd expect from an average YA book from the late-70s. I can't really recommend it -- unless you're wanting to know what books were like during this time period. And - it doesn't have enough outlandishly bad content making it worth reading for entertainment's sake. I remembered enough that it really wasn't one of my favorites back when I was 12-ish and reading these. And now I remember why.
Rating : 2.5 Stars
I recently dusted off my collection and thought it might be interesting to read through then since I haven't picked one of these things up in probably over twenty years. Look - it only took me an hour and a half to read, so it wasn't like it was a taxing venture.
Was this Edgar Allan Poe Award Winning book any good? No, not really.
For context, I should state that it was written in 1979 -- and the world was a different place over forty years ago. I do think that the people in this world are particularly dumb all the way around, but I think it has more credibility in the late 1970s.
The story focuses around Christina Lattimore -- a 16yo rich girl living in Houston. On the one hand - she lives in this intolerant uber-Christina household where she can't go on a trip to France because they're studying the influence of Catholicism and where the mother is almost like some sort of weird, Stepford Wife. On the other - Christina's characterization is all over the place -- one minute she's freaking out, the other minute she's fine. She's definitely got that whiny teenager mentality going on -- but there's zero nuance to her, and it all feels a bit unjointed.
Christina is kidnapped -- and this is the part I remember as kid. There's something frightening about being captured and not being able to escape. Now - I think this whole book has an interesting premise in general, but I think with better writing, this could have been an even more unsettling thriller. There's something about it that reminds me of all those stories we've all heard about this time period and young women getting locked up for whatever ungodly reason. The book doesn't dive too deeply into the kidnapping portion, which feels like a missed opportunity now.
The second half of the book deals with Christina being blamed for the kidnapping, and her trying to prove she's innocent. Now. Okay. This is where I really just can't. Nearly all of the adults in this book are dumb. Just. So dumb. No one believes Christina -- why? Uh... cause there's no evidence? It couldn't be because her kidnappers forced her to say and do things to make it appear that way. Also - the ransom money was split in half. I mean -- it blows my mind that no one would take this child's side -- with the exception of a college student (who randomly shows up half way through the book) who more or less is exploiting the situation. The fact that Christina's family doubts her story is just kind of crazy to me.
The mystery of who the third person involved and set it all up gets played out - but I don't think it's that much of a reveal. And the book seems to preoccupied with Christina dealing with her feelings than really solving the mystery.
Also - I should note that the book is both overwritten and underwritten. There's almost too much detail at times making the book feel sluggish at times. At the same time - the book kind of rushes through all of its plot points -- as there's just not a lot of plot to do much with.
Overall - it's about what you'd expect from an average YA book from the late-70s. I can't really recommend it -- unless you're wanting to know what books were like during this time period. And - it doesn't have enough outlandishly bad content making it worth reading for entertainment's sake. I remembered enough that it really wasn't one of my favorites back when I was 12-ish and reading these. And now I remember why.
Rating : 2.5 Stars
November 22, 2021
I love rereading books I enjoyed during high school in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Sometime I can recapture the excitement of reading for the first times, others I wonder why I ever liked the book.
I chuckled when Christina’s watch stopped because she forgot to wind it. Yes, that was a thing and it happened all the time. I remember when digital watches were invented and and battery operated watches that didn’t need to be wound. Christina driving a Cutlass also made me laugh.
THE KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTINA LATTIMORE lacks tension. I knew who the kidnappers were before she was even taken. The blurb tells readers she makes it out alive.
Christina is a spoiled rich kid without much depth. The adults in her life are tropes. Honestly, THE KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTINA LATTIMORE isn’t a very good book, but I had such fun listening experience on audible I hate not to give it a good rating. I’d have a hard time recommending this book as good literature, though.
I chuckled when Christina’s watch stopped because she forgot to wind it. Yes, that was a thing and it happened all the time. I remember when digital watches were invented and and battery operated watches that didn’t need to be wound. Christina driving a Cutlass also made me laugh.
THE KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTINA LATTIMORE lacks tension. I knew who the kidnappers were before she was even taken. The blurb tells readers she makes it out alive.
Christina is a spoiled rich kid without much depth. The adults in her life are tropes. Honestly, THE KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTINA LATTIMORE isn’t a very good book, but I had such fun listening experience on audible I hate not to give it a good rating. I’d have a hard time recommending this book as good literature, though.
June 4, 2012
This is one of those books that completely surprised me negatively. -_-
November 16, 2010
Wilson Mather-Glass
Ms. Romaniuk
Reading/L.A. Book Review 5
16 November 2010
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore:
When Proving your Innocence Isn’t as Easy as it Looks
It’s quite hard to admit that someone you know could be a criminal. Christina Lattimore, a teenage girl living in Houston, is put in this situation when she realizes that more than one person she’s known for her whole life could’ve been involved in an act that could put them a way for a good amount of time. This act involved kidnapping Christina Lattimore and stealing from Christina’s millionaire grandmother. After a couple days, Christina is found, but is then accused of being involved in this elaborate scheme. While this sounds crazy, proving her innocence is not as easy as it seems. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a mystery/thriller written in the suspenseful words of Joan Lowery Nixon. I would give this book four stars. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question, there is always an unsolved clue, and you gradually gain knowledge from each character.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question. Many of the last sentences in the chapters leave you confused. In chapter six, Christina talks to Detective York about the kidnapping, and it seems like he believes her enough to make sure she isn’t tried as a criminal. However, the chapter ends with Detective York saying, “They aren’t coming... I advised them not to.”, referring to whether or not Christina’s parents are coming to meet her at the police station. I didn’t understand why she was being treated as a criminal, if she had proved her innocence. York’s reason is later explained, though.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book, because there is always an unsolved clue. Christina often has a clue in the back of her mind, and knows it’s important, but she can’t seem to figure out what it is. She says, “Something in the back of my head nags me. I’ve had this feeling before. Something isn’t quite right, but I don’t know what it is.” At this point, she is thinking about something that her maid Della had said, but it doesn’t come out for some time, while the suspense builds up.
Another way The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book is because you gradually gain knowledge of each character. Sometimes the character themselves directly gives out information, and sometimes it is found out through Christina. When Della confronts Christina on the kidnapping, she gives away information that she did not mean to give out, but is something that would help prove Christina’s innocence a lot more easily. First of all, she asked Christina if she had gotten her typewriter back from the kidnapper’s house. Christina realizes that there is no way, she could’ve known about that unless she was somehow involved. Also, Della really tries to persuade Christina to not work on the case. This helped Christina come to the conclusion that she must’ve had to have a valid reason for trying to persuade her.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question, there is always an unsolved clue, and you gradually gain knowledge from each character. I realized after writing this review, how much I actually enjoyed reading this book. I did not think it would even be half as good as it was. The main character, Christina, reminds me very much of the main character in the book, Frozen Fire.
Ms. Romaniuk
Reading/L.A. Book Review 5
16 November 2010
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore:
When Proving your Innocence Isn’t as Easy as it Looks
It’s quite hard to admit that someone you know could be a criminal. Christina Lattimore, a teenage girl living in Houston, is put in this situation when she realizes that more than one person she’s known for her whole life could’ve been involved in an act that could put them a way for a good amount of time. This act involved kidnapping Christina Lattimore and stealing from Christina’s millionaire grandmother. After a couple days, Christina is found, but is then accused of being involved in this elaborate scheme. While this sounds crazy, proving her innocence is not as easy as it seems. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a mystery/thriller written in the suspenseful words of Joan Lowery Nixon. I would give this book four stars. The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question, there is always an unsolved clue, and you gradually gain knowledge from each character.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question. Many of the last sentences in the chapters leave you confused. In chapter six, Christina talks to Detective York about the kidnapping, and it seems like he believes her enough to make sure she isn’t tried as a criminal. However, the chapter ends with Detective York saying, “They aren’t coming... I advised them not to.”, referring to whether or not Christina’s parents are coming to meet her at the police station. I didn’t understand why she was being treated as a criminal, if she had proved her innocence. York’s reason is later explained, though.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book, because there is always an unsolved clue. Christina often has a clue in the back of her mind, and knows it’s important, but she can’t seem to figure out what it is. She says, “Something in the back of my head nags me. I’ve had this feeling before. Something isn’t quite right, but I don’t know what it is.” At this point, she is thinking about something that her maid Della had said, but it doesn’t come out for some time, while the suspense builds up.
Another way The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book is because you gradually gain knowledge of each character. Sometimes the character themselves directly gives out information, and sometimes it is found out through Christina. When Della confronts Christina on the kidnapping, she gives away information that she did not mean to give out, but is something that would help prove Christina’s innocence a lot more easily. First of all, she asked Christina if she had gotten her typewriter back from the kidnapper’s house. Christina realizes that there is no way, she could’ve known about that unless she was somehow involved. Also, Della really tries to persuade Christina to not work on the case. This helped Christina come to the conclusion that she must’ve had to have a valid reason for trying to persuade her.
The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a suspenseful book because each chapter leaves you with a question, there is always an unsolved clue, and you gradually gain knowledge from each character. I realized after writing this review, how much I actually enjoyed reading this book. I did not think it would even be half as good as it was. The main character, Christina, reminds me very much of the main character in the book, Frozen Fire.
November 26, 2019
I read this when I was 14 and have been rereading it ever since!
This is a creepy, compelling, and suspenseful little novel, one that, in my opinion, might have given Nancy Drew a run for her money had it been spun out into a long-running series.
I'd even swallow the requisite romance between Kelly (I love that Christina figures him out and calls him on his crap in the end) and Christina if it meant getting to watch Christina investigate cases.
Of course, she’d do this over her family's and detective Yorke's objections.
Admonitions of "Stay out of this investigation, Christina" from detective York, and the finger-shaking commands to”think of the family, Christina” from a disapproving Cristobel would be met with Christina's unique brand of defiance.
Meanwhile, Kelly, who wouldn't be a manipulative user, would draw on what connections he has as a budding journalist to dig up what he could on suspects.
I'd have also like to have gotten a fuller picture of Christina's life, though Nickson does a pretty decent job with this, even in a shorter novel like TKOCL.
Still, I was left wondering just how Christina made out after deciding to get out from under her controlling grandmother's thumb. Did she find a way to get to Europe on her own dime? Is she working her way through college?
Does Cristobel ever loosen her death grip on the family and allow things to work themselves out? Do her parents grow spines anytime soon?
Do she and Lorna ever get back to what they were before the kidnapping?
To be clear, Lorna's treatment of Christina in the wake of what happened really, really grated. I don't know how she made the leap from "my friend is really pissed at her dad's religious objections to the class trip and at her controlling ice queen of a grandmother for backing him" to "this chick totally faked a kidnapping so that she could get the money for said trip."
For that matter, maybe it's the one failing in an otherwise fantastic book, but I'm struggling, even after all this time, to understand how Christina was supposed to have explained away the sudden windfall that would have enabled her to take the trip. Was no one supposed to make the connection after the fact?
Besides, say she somehow got the money (maybe a generous parent of a classmate decided to sponcer her), could she have simply gone out of the country without her parents' approval? Would the school, not to mention the law, have gone for that? Money hadn't been the only problem; her father had deep objections to her taking the trip that had nothing to do with money.
Maybe it's me, but this aspect of the case never quite made sense.
All in all, this is a great introduction to the mystery genre for younger readers who want to move out of the relatively safe (this isn't counting the darker and more adult versions) of the Nancy Drew mysteries and into something with a bit more of an edge.
This is a creepy, compelling, and suspenseful little novel, one that, in my opinion, might have given Nancy Drew a run for her money had it been spun out into a long-running series.
I'd even swallow the requisite romance between Kelly (I love that Christina figures him out and calls him on his crap in the end) and Christina if it meant getting to watch Christina investigate cases.
Of course, she’d do this over her family's and detective Yorke's objections.
Admonitions of "Stay out of this investigation, Christina" from detective York, and the finger-shaking commands to”think of the family, Christina” from a disapproving Cristobel would be met with Christina's unique brand of defiance.
Meanwhile, Kelly, who wouldn't be a manipulative user, would draw on what connections he has as a budding journalist to dig up what he could on suspects.
I'd have also like to have gotten a fuller picture of Christina's life, though Nickson does a pretty decent job with this, even in a shorter novel like TKOCL.
Still, I was left wondering just how Christina made out after deciding to get out from under her controlling grandmother's thumb. Did she find a way to get to Europe on her own dime? Is she working her way through college?
Does Cristobel ever loosen her death grip on the family and allow things to work themselves out? Do her parents grow spines anytime soon?
Do she and Lorna ever get back to what they were before the kidnapping?
To be clear, Lorna's treatment of Christina in the wake of what happened really, really grated. I don't know how she made the leap from "my friend is really pissed at her dad's religious objections to the class trip and at her controlling ice queen of a grandmother for backing him" to "this chick totally faked a kidnapping so that she could get the money for said trip."
For that matter, maybe it's the one failing in an otherwise fantastic book, but I'm struggling, even after all this time, to understand how Christina was supposed to have explained away the sudden windfall that would have enabled her to take the trip. Was no one supposed to make the connection after the fact?
Besides, say she somehow got the money (maybe a generous parent of a classmate decided to sponcer her), could she have simply gone out of the country without her parents' approval? Would the school, not to mention the law, have gone for that? Money hadn't been the only problem; her father had deep objections to her taking the trip that had nothing to do with money.
Maybe it's me, but this aspect of the case never quite made sense.
All in all, this is a great introduction to the mystery genre for younger readers who want to move out of the relatively safe (this isn't counting the darker and more adult versions) of the Nancy Drew mysteries and into something with a bit more of an edge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2009
Looking for the perfect mystery book? You don’t need to do any detective work to find out “The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore”by Joan Lowery Nixon is for you. First off, this book has a really good plot. Next, this book keeps you on your toes with all the suspense. The last reason this is the perfect mystery book is that it all connects.
To begin with, this book has a perfect plot. The plot makes sense and you can follow it easily, even when the story gets complicated. In this story, a girl is kidnapped and her wealthy family has to pay a ransom money. You think everything is cool, until she arrives home. Her family thinks she thought up the kidnapping to get money This story gives a whole other meaning to the term “the plot thickens”.
Secondly, this book contains an amazing amount of suspense. It keeps you on your toes during the entire book. While reading it, the reader constantly wonders what would happen next. You simply have to find out what happens next! For example, while reading I thought the kidnapper was going to kill her.
“The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore “ is the perfect mystery book because it all connects. Reading this book, one feels like a detective. The reader can connect all the clues together at the end of the book. A clue I got was the hamburger her kidnappers gave her, but I’m not going to divulge anymore.
“The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore” is the perfect mystery book. The plot is juicy and makes you want even more. The suspense draws you in even further. Finally, it all connects in the end. You should read this book, case solved.
To begin with, this book has a perfect plot. The plot makes sense and you can follow it easily, even when the story gets complicated. In this story, a girl is kidnapped and her wealthy family has to pay a ransom money. You think everything is cool, until she arrives home. Her family thinks she thought up the kidnapping to get money This story gives a whole other meaning to the term “the plot thickens”.
Secondly, this book contains an amazing amount of suspense. It keeps you on your toes during the entire book. While reading it, the reader constantly wonders what would happen next. You simply have to find out what happens next! For example, while reading I thought the kidnapper was going to kill her.
“The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore “ is the perfect mystery book because it all connects. Reading this book, one feels like a detective. The reader can connect all the clues together at the end of the book. A clue I got was the hamburger her kidnappers gave her, but I’m not going to divulge anymore.
“The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore” is the perfect mystery book. The plot is juicy and makes you want even more. The suspense draws you in even further. Finally, it all connects in the end. You should read this book, case solved.
March 10, 2014
I actually own this pathetic book all because I judged it by it's cover and picked it up from a book store without even reading a single page inside. My mother forced me to buy a book to read over the summer, but I ended up dealing with things more important than reading, so I finally decided to read it this weekend when I found it in my room. Big mistake. I never should have bought this or read this. The story is exactly what the title sounds like. "The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore." Christina Lattimore gets abducted out of a parking lot and is held hostage for ransom. Her grandmother pays and gets her free, but when Christina gets back to her life, her family doesn't believe that she was kidnapped- they think she planned out a whole act in order to retrieve money the needed for a trip to France. Christina solves her whole own mystery with the help of her friend Kelly and ends up proving herself to her family. No sentence was particularly significant to me in this book, but my favorite would probably be, "I've seen people look at a dead cat in the street with more interest than he shows when he looks at me now." Christina says this when describing the way Detective York, the detective for her case, talks to her. I admire this quote, because in contrast to the whole rest of the story, it's a REALISTIC comparison. The whole book was unrealistic and I had to force myself to power through it. I think I will never be confident enough to pick up another mystery/thriller...
February 28, 2015
The genre for the Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore is a Fiction/Mystery. The setting of the story is Houston, Texas. The characters who are in the story are Loretta, Zack, Cristabel, T.J. Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Lattimore, Della, and Rosella. The conflict is that Christina Lattimore gets kidnapped by zack and Loretta then they try to frame her for making it seem like a kidnapping so now she has to prove her innocence. I didn't really have any complications with the book, it was pretty clear about everything.
I liked a lot of things about the book. The main thing that I liked was that it is in first person. This helped me understand what was going on in Christina's mind while all this is happening and see things from her view. There's not much to dislike about the book, it was well written and dramatic. This book made me become a fan of Mystery books because of the wonder of always wanting to see what's going to happen next.
Overall the book is great and I would recommend it to anyone. The main age group that it would appeal to is teenagers that are about 15-17. I would say that because the age of the main career so it would relate back to a lot of the readers that are around this age range. I will make sure that one of my friends read this because it's a good book and keeps you interested the whole time. If I could, I would read this book again.
I liked a lot of things about the book. The main thing that I liked was that it is in first person. This helped me understand what was going on in Christina's mind while all this is happening and see things from her view. There's not much to dislike about the book, it was well written and dramatic. This book made me become a fan of Mystery books because of the wonder of always wanting to see what's going to happen next.
Overall the book is great and I would recommend it to anyone. The main age group that it would appeal to is teenagers that are about 15-17. I would say that because the age of the main career so it would relate back to a lot of the readers that are around this age range. I will make sure that one of my friends read this because it's a good book and keeps you interested the whole time. If I could, I would read this book again.
October 28, 2017
It's a YA book so I'm not going to be too critical of it. The premise of the book seemed interesting enough and it sounded suspenseful...and it was to a lesser extent than I had thought. I could figure it out long before it happened. The ending was a little disappointing and Christina more or less shrugged the entire event off. It's not a bad book at all. This author has written 130 YA books and is the only 4 time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. I believe the main problem was I'm not 15 years old.
September 15, 2008
If you like suspensful stories;then I would recommend the book The Kidnapping of Cristina Lattimore. The author Loan Lowery Nixon uses vary good word choises that makes the book more interesting. This book is about a teenager named Cristabel Lattimore, but goes by the name Cristina.Cristina is headed to college in Europe,but before she leaves she gets kidnapped.Will she ever see her parents again?
June 5, 2017
In my opinion I did not enjoy this book because it was very slow and it took a long time to get into the action. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who likes action, but if you are patient and like mystery than this would be a good book for you.
April 30, 2019
Right off the bat, I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of mysteries. They confuse me and I don't find them fun to read.
With that in mind, I didn't like this book. To me, the story was kinda whiny, which I guess makes sense when it's from the perspective of a girl who is in a family that definitely has a lot of money. I mean, she goes to a private school. That's obviously evidence enough that she's ridiculous.
More seriously, the fact that people believed that she orchestrated the whole incident is completely stupid, but I wouldn't put it above some people.
Christina herself seems to be really childish at times, like when she was released from the house she was kept in, and news reporters were all up in her face, she threatened to sock one in the face, which attracted the attention of Skinny Legend™ Kelly, who seemed to be the only person who actually believes that she didn't kidnap herself. So that's nice.
Speaking of the resident Skinny Legend™, interactions between him and Christina only seemed to emphasize her childishness, to the point where even Skinny Legend™ was getting annoyed at her (which is significant because like I said, he was actually on her side).
But the fact that she never seems to extend her thoughts to anything behind herself (like not wanting to go back to school for fear of the rumors that would stay on her until she died) was really annoying to read. It was realistic, but annoying. And the idea that her friend (Lorna or something) was posh, and *adjusts monocle* and all that, but Christina was probably more like an average girl, and my god it seemed at some points in the book Christina was just pitting herself against her friend, which in my very minimal experience is not what someone does with their friend.
One other thing I loved, was the fact that she would keep going to the police station to search up records or whatever, and every time she left, the officer escorting her would tell her "Stop investigating. We got this, and if you keep looking you might end up getting hurt.", and for a few minutes, she would contemplate ditching the whole thing, but something else would occur to her, and she would think "Hell no I'm not dropping this! I have to be doing something during the day that isn't avoiding school!"
So that was nice. At least I'm done with it, and can move on to other books. Hooray....
With that in mind, I didn't like this book. To me, the story was kinda whiny, which I guess makes sense when it's from the perspective of a girl who is in a family that definitely has a lot of money. I mean, she goes to a private school. That's obviously evidence enough that she's ridiculous.
More seriously, the fact that people believed that she orchestrated the whole incident is completely stupid, but I wouldn't put it above some people.
Christina herself seems to be really childish at times, like when she was released from the house she was kept in, and news reporters were all up in her face, she threatened to sock one in the face, which attracted the attention of Skinny Legend™ Kelly, who seemed to be the only person who actually believes that she didn't kidnap herself. So that's nice.
Speaking of the resident Skinny Legend™, interactions between him and Christina only seemed to emphasize her childishness, to the point where even Skinny Legend™ was getting annoyed at her (which is significant because like I said, he was actually on her side).
But the fact that she never seems to extend her thoughts to anything behind herself (like not wanting to go back to school for fear of the rumors that would stay on her until she died) was really annoying to read. It was realistic, but annoying. And the idea that her friend (Lorna or something) was posh, and *adjusts monocle* and all that, but Christina was probably more like an average girl, and my god it seemed at some points in the book Christina was just pitting herself against her friend, which in my very minimal experience is not what someone does with their friend.
One other thing I loved, was the fact that she would keep going to the police station to search up records or whatever, and every time she left, the officer escorting her would tell her "Stop investigating. We got this, and if you keep looking you might end up getting hurt.", and for a few minutes, she would contemplate ditching the whole thing, but something else would occur to her, and she would think "Hell no I'm not dropping this! I have to be doing something during the day that isn't avoiding school!"
So that was nice. At least I'm done with it, and can move on to other books. Hooray....
June 16, 2022
Once the reader is able to transport to a different era, the story becomes quite intriguing.
First published in 1979, I read The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore for the first time in 2009 - the year I joined Goodreads. My introduction to reading Joan Lowery Nixon was as a teenager when I borrowed A Deadly Game of Magic from the bookmobile. In my opinion, the best book written by Joan Lowery Nixon is The Séance.
Favorite Passages:
I'm furious with my grandmother! I'm furious with my stupid father. I'm furious with the whole stupid world I live in.
______
What happened last night?
The figure under the trees comes to mind again. I look into those dark eye sockets and begin to tremble. Sitting on the cot and realizing that I have been kidnapped, I am so terrified that I can't cry or scream or shout, held by a fear that is so penetrating it shakes me, the way a cat worries a field mouse before killing it.
______
Fear has a taste and fear has a smell - bitter and gagging. It surprises me.
______
I look into the slits of the ski mask. Pale eyes look back at me. I'm not as frightened now as I was when this person was an unknown. In a way he looks comical, like an overgrown kid on Halloween. Dumb.
______
I try to think of a prayer, but nothing forms in my mind except the word "please." That is not much of a prayer, but my mind is blank. I can't even remember the baby prayers I used to say at bedtime while my father listened. All that comes back to me is the line, "If I should die before I wake . . ." Forget it! That's not a thought I want to dwell on right now!
______
My stomach is rumbling like a Honda.
______
______
Fight down the panic. Switch to a new thought. Think positive. Where's that book?
______
Existence in a black hole has no time.
______
I know why people die of hopelessness. It comes on like a thick blanket, smothering your thoughts, your confidence, creeping into your mind and filling the corners.
______
They are all staring at me, and I feel as though I were out of my body, standing aside and looking at a play someone wrote, something I know can't be real.
______
I think I might faint. What happens when everything begins to come and go, and voices drone into the buzzing of bees, and dark plays with light? I feel something cold and hard touching my lips. I try to turn my head away, but a large hand has a grip on the back of my neck.
______
"When does my nightmare end?"
______
"If you weren't so skinny," Kelly says, wiping pickle juice off his shirt, "you'd really be good-looking."
I think about that a moment. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"No," Kelly says.
"Then what?"
_______
As the sun seeps through the curtains, so do memories seep into my conscious mind. It's my own bed . . . it's the basement . . . my bed. I sit up, trying to orient myself, pushing away the tangled hair that falls in front of my eyes. I have always thought it was the pits in old-fashioned books to have some character say, "Where am I?" But now I know where they're coming from. It takes me a few minutes to get myself into perspective. Same old room, same frilly curtains, same canopied bed. But not the same me. I'm a different person now. I'll never be the same again.
_______
"Someday I'll tell you what it was like, being kidnapped. I just realized that no one in the family has asked me what it was like, or how I felt, or what happened to me."
_______
"I can't just change the way I am."
"Sure you can. People ought to be able to change when they have to. People can keep changing all their lives."
"But . . ."
"You're changing right now. Pay attention to yourself. You aren't the same person now that you were last week at this time, are you?"
"I - I guess not."
"And you won't be the same person by the time we're through with our investigation."
I have to think about this a moment. I can't understand the person I used to be. How can I make peace with whatever I'm changing into? I'm getting a headache.
_______
_______
This danger has invisible fingers that creep around my throat and squeeze my breath away and make my heart bang against my ribs and make my legs weak when I try to walk.
I want to scream to that unknown someone, "I am afraid of you! I am terrified of you! But I won't give up! Get out of my way, because I won't give up!"
_______
They come in the door, frozen in motion like startled squirrels . . .
_______
I used to laugh at the little light bulbs that appeared over people's heads in comic strips when they got brilliant ideas. I don't laugh now. An idea strikes me, and it's very much like a light turning on. I know the next step. I know what to do! I'm delighted with myself for getting it together.
_______
I watch the elevator doors open and shut, swallowing assorted flavors of humanity and spitting out others.
_______
But the Christina I feel inside me now reminds me of those potted spring bulbs with tiny shoots strong enough to break through the pebbles packed over them, strong enough to reach up to the light and grow and grow and bloom and fulfill themselves. I am the shoot . . . not up very far . . . and I know I've got a long way to grow. But it's good knowing I've come this far. I've got a direction now. It will take a lot more thought, a lot more discovery, but I know where I'm going. That's what counts.
First published in 1979, I read The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore for the first time in 2009 - the year I joined Goodreads. My introduction to reading Joan Lowery Nixon was as a teenager when I borrowed A Deadly Game of Magic from the bookmobile. In my opinion, the best book written by Joan Lowery Nixon is The Séance.
Favorite Passages:
I'm furious with my grandmother! I'm furious with my stupid father. I'm furious with the whole stupid world I live in.
______
What happened last night?
The figure under the trees comes to mind again. I look into those dark eye sockets and begin to tremble. Sitting on the cot and realizing that I have been kidnapped, I am so terrified that I can't cry or scream or shout, held by a fear that is so penetrating it shakes me, the way a cat worries a field mouse before killing it.
______
Fear has a taste and fear has a smell - bitter and gagging. It surprises me.
______
I look into the slits of the ski mask. Pale eyes look back at me. I'm not as frightened now as I was when this person was an unknown. In a way he looks comical, like an overgrown kid on Halloween. Dumb.
______
I try to think of a prayer, but nothing forms in my mind except the word "please." That is not much of a prayer, but my mind is blank. I can't even remember the baby prayers I used to say at bedtime while my father listened. All that comes back to me is the line, "If I should die before I wake . . ." Forget it! That's not a thought I want to dwell on right now!
______
My stomach is rumbling like a Honda.
______
______
Fight down the panic. Switch to a new thought. Think positive. Where's that book?
______
Existence in a black hole has no time.
______
I know why people die of hopelessness. It comes on like a thick blanket, smothering your thoughts, your confidence, creeping into your mind and filling the corners.
______
They are all staring at me, and I feel as though I were out of my body, standing aside and looking at a play someone wrote, something I know can't be real.
______
I think I might faint. What happens when everything begins to come and go, and voices drone into the buzzing of bees, and dark plays with light? I feel something cold and hard touching my lips. I try to turn my head away, but a large hand has a grip on the back of my neck.
______
"When does my nightmare end?"
______
"If you weren't so skinny," Kelly says, wiping pickle juice off his shirt, "you'd really be good-looking."
I think about that a moment. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"No," Kelly says.
"Then what?"
_______
As the sun seeps through the curtains, so do memories seep into my conscious mind. It's my own bed . . . it's the basement . . . my bed. I sit up, trying to orient myself, pushing away the tangled hair that falls in front of my eyes. I have always thought it was the pits in old-fashioned books to have some character say, "Where am I?" But now I know where they're coming from. It takes me a few minutes to get myself into perspective. Same old room, same frilly curtains, same canopied bed. But not the same me. I'm a different person now. I'll never be the same again.
_______
"Someday I'll tell you what it was like, being kidnapped. I just realized that no one in the family has asked me what it was like, or how I felt, or what happened to me."
_______
"I can't just change the way I am."
"Sure you can. People ought to be able to change when they have to. People can keep changing all their lives."
"But . . ."
"You're changing right now. Pay attention to yourself. You aren't the same person now that you were last week at this time, are you?"
"I - I guess not."
"And you won't be the same person by the time we're through with our investigation."
I have to think about this a moment. I can't understand the person I used to be. How can I make peace with whatever I'm changing into? I'm getting a headache.
_______
_______
This danger has invisible fingers that creep around my throat and squeeze my breath away and make my heart bang against my ribs and make my legs weak when I try to walk.
I want to scream to that unknown someone, "I am afraid of you! I am terrified of you! But I won't give up! Get out of my way, because I won't give up!"
_______
They come in the door, frozen in motion like startled squirrels . . .
_______
I used to laugh at the little light bulbs that appeared over people's heads in comic strips when they got brilliant ideas. I don't laugh now. An idea strikes me, and it's very much like a light turning on. I know the next step. I know what to do! I'm delighted with myself for getting it together.
_______
I watch the elevator doors open and shut, swallowing assorted flavors of humanity and spitting out others.
_______
But the Christina I feel inside me now reminds me of those potted spring bulbs with tiny shoots strong enough to break through the pebbles packed over them, strong enough to reach up to the light and grow and grow and bloom and fulfill themselves. I am the shoot . . . not up very far . . . and I know I've got a long way to grow. But it's good knowing I've come this far. I've got a direction now. It will take a lot more thought, a lot more discovery, but I know where I'm going. That's what counts.
March 16, 2018
I picked up this book some time ago and chose it for a quick read, (since it was a YA Mystery), but I was not all that thrilled with this story at all. I did think the storyline sounded very interesting. A girl gets kidnapped, then she is saved, but everyone thinks she had a hand it. To start off, I found it to be predictable and unrealistic. True, it did have a good pacing so it was a pretty quick read, but it was just all so improbable. I wont give those spoilers away to prove my point though.
The characters were ok, but not really very relatable for me. I did not feel like they had much depth, or really a story behind their characters, kind of one dimensional. Even the bad guys were not really bad guys I did not think. They were just kind of there. I am guessing maybe it was tamed a bit because it was a YA Mystery?
I also really wanted a little more excitement to the story. I mean the girl was kidnapped, that would call for some scary parts or some adrenalin pumping action of some kind right? It was more like she was a guest in someone's home. It was really all kind of sub par for me and I really just wanted so much more to the story.
The characters were ok, but not really very relatable for me. I did not feel like they had much depth, or really a story behind their characters, kind of one dimensional. Even the bad guys were not really bad guys I did not think. They were just kind of there. I am guessing maybe it was tamed a bit because it was a YA Mystery?
I also really wanted a little more excitement to the story. I mean the girl was kidnapped, that would call for some scary parts or some adrenalin pumping action of some kind right? It was more like she was a guest in someone's home. It was really all kind of sub par for me and I really just wanted so much more to the story.
April 16, 2018
I wish there was a star that is called "I despise this book". Now I know that's a little harsh but the acting (the characters conversations) is so horrible it's like one of those low budget cut films. Now I know some budget cut films can be funny and blah but this book wasn't even close to being funny it was just bad. There wasn't even one character that stayed in throughout the whole book. It would be like (Zach) comes in the beginning then leaves and never comes back. (Kelly) shows up in the middle then leaves at the end of book. (Della) the maid was a little in the beginning and some at the end. (Lorna) her best friend had some parts in the beginning and then a little in the middle. Christina's parents didn't have a lot of parts. (Cristabel) was one of the characters that kind of stayed throughout the whole book but didn't show her face a lot. There was only one part in the entire story that I liked the best and it was pg. 205. When Christina's father was always asking her friends when they have been saved and one of them (Mary Kay) answer the question of how some lifeguard saved her.
I'm done with this book so all I have to say to you is "Read at your own risk." (By that I mean NEVER read this book,it's terrible)
I'm done with this book so all I have to say to you is "Read at your own risk." (By that I mean NEVER read this book,it's terrible)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2022
I’ll round to a 2.5… maybe… i don’t know. This book was okay, i’m trying to be fair considering it’s YA and written in the 70s. The protagonist was really whiny and annoying and worried about the dumbest things while being kidnapped in a basement. The story actually picked up after the kidnapping when she has to try to prove that she wasn’t in on the whole plan. I really felt her sense of helplessness and despair when no one believed her, but so much of this story was unrealistic.
May 20, 2017
3.5 stars.
February 26, 2021
The Kidnapping of Christine Lattimore was a thrilling book to read. It isn’t like any other typical mystery story I have read before. I liked how the author kept the reader guessing but some parts got to be slow to read. Overall I rate this book a 9 out 10 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading mystery books
December 1, 2015
*** spoiler alert***
"He puts the tray on the table there's a thin wedding band on his left hand ,and a large bandage on his middle finger.So his was the hand I bit. Good! I hope it went through to the bone! Do you want to know why you're here?he asked me"
The genre of my book is Fiction."Why me?". Is a question that Christina always asked herself. Once more Christina asking herself The same question when she wakes up in a cold, dark basement.
The setting is a counterman in a hamburger place. The important characters in the story is Christina,Zack. The conflict of the story is that Christina has been kidnapped. I believe that the type of conflict is person vs person because Jack is one of the suspects that made of kidnapped Christina. I also believe that the theme is courageous.
A major change the character was when her family the ransom. No harm was made too her until she gets home and her family believes she planned her own kidnapped!. In the text it also states that All the evidence points shows that she had done it her self.
I liked the way the author made Christina know that she must prove her innocence.So with the help of her new friend [Kelly] she decides to act as her own detective and clean her name!since no one else will.
This book made me turn pages. EVERY chapter was suspense and it was fun trying to solve the mystery.The ending was lame because all the intensity was lost in the last chapter.I believe you should read it but I would of wanted the conclusion to be more intense.This books or people who live mysterious detective stories.
"He puts the tray on the table there's a thin wedding band on his left hand ,and a large bandage on his middle finger.So his was the hand I bit. Good! I hope it went through to the bone! Do you want to know why you're here?he asked me"
The genre of my book is Fiction."Why me?". Is a question that Christina always asked herself. Once more Christina asking herself The same question when she wakes up in a cold, dark basement.
The setting is a counterman in a hamburger place. The important characters in the story is Christina,Zack. The conflict of the story is that Christina has been kidnapped. I believe that the type of conflict is person vs person because Jack is one of the suspects that made of kidnapped Christina. I also believe that the theme is courageous.
A major change the character was when her family the ransom. No harm was made too her until she gets home and her family believes she planned her own kidnapped!. In the text it also states that All the evidence points shows that she had done it her self.
I liked the way the author made Christina know that she must prove her innocence.So with the help of her new friend [Kelly] she decides to act as her own detective and clean her name!since no one else will.
This book made me turn pages. EVERY chapter was suspense and it was fun trying to solve the mystery.The ending was lame because all the intensity was lost in the last chapter.I believe you should read it but I would of wanted the conclusion to be more intense.This books or people who live mysterious detective stories.
March 8, 2011
It beggaining of the book I have to say it was slow but like in page 5 you can feel the tension between the the main character Christina(chris)and Zack. Zach is a guy who works at buger place. He marred and no kids. If you get the chance to read the frist hunder pages youll be glad that he dosent. Chris is a junor in high school and is best firends with lorna. One day after coming home to find tape on the door holding back the lock.Shes scared and calls and family memder whos up stairs. Latter to find out nothing is there and no broke in and thats where eveything flips UPSIDE DOWN. Chris gets in her car and heads to Lorns house to find that someone is following her. She forgets it and has a party with her best friend. as shes on her way home the car is following her agin.She gets out of her car and head to the door and its pich black. She trys to open the door come her house to find that a guy is getting out of the car and to her. She drops her keys and the man.......I wont say the rest but what really got me kind of well like those moments that make you say "wow" is that Chris had a fight with her family because the didn't let her go to a trip to france ( for school) with her class). I love this book and I hope what I wrote want to make you read the book. It a good mystery and kinda scary. READ THIS BOOK!! :)
August 15, 2014
My overall impression of the book was that it was interesting but still unrealistic. The writing was a good balance between action and description that made it enjoyable to read. The plot was predictable at times, but was still entertaining and had an interesting spin on classic kidnapping stories.
The biggest issue I had was with the characters. The protagonist, Christina, was whiny, one dimensional, and very concerned with her reputation. Christina was immature and unrealistic and I think she ruined what could have been a much better plotline.
The other characters were very shallow as well. Christina's best friend was a bit of a Mary Sue, and a few characters added nothing to the story. I was also annoyed that there wasn't more emphasis on the antagonists reasons for doing the things they did (ex. why did her kidnappers kidnap her?) since it could have become much more of a psychological thriller. There were only two characters I really liked in the entire story.
I would suggest this book to a reader who likes interesting plots and doesn't mind shallow characters. If you read a lot of mystery I would probably suggest something else since the mystery aspect of the story isn't emphasized/thought out as much.
The biggest issue I had was with the characters. The protagonist, Christina, was whiny, one dimensional, and very concerned with her reputation. Christina was immature and unrealistic and I think she ruined what could have been a much better plotline.
The other characters were very shallow as well. Christina's best friend was a bit of a Mary Sue, and a few characters added nothing to the story. I was also annoyed that there wasn't more emphasis on the antagonists reasons for doing the things they did (ex. why did her kidnappers kidnap her?) since it could have become much more of a psychological thriller. There were only two characters I really liked in the entire story.
I would suggest this book to a reader who likes interesting plots and doesn't mind shallow characters. If you read a lot of mystery I would probably suggest something else since the mystery aspect of the story isn't emphasized/thought out as much.
June 5, 2010
Christina is the daughter of a wealthy pastor and the granddaughter of a CEO of an oil and gas company in Texas. She is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her kidnappers have a plan if things go wrong. Them make it look like Christina is involved and planned her own kidnapping. When she gets home from her ordeal no one believes that she was really kidnapped. So she decides to prove her own innocence.
I thought this book was ok. This was one of my author presentation books, and I had chosen this book because it had won a few awards. Unfortunately, I was a disappointed by the lack of depth of the book. It was basically what you see is what you get kind of books. There was a plot twist at the end, but it was fairly predictable. I think this book is for teens between 13-18, but it is more of a fun read book than something you will take something out of.
I thought this book was ok. This was one of my author presentation books, and I had chosen this book because it had won a few awards. Unfortunately, I was a disappointed by the lack of depth of the book. It was basically what you see is what you get kind of books. There was a plot twist at the end, but it was fairly predictable. I think this book is for teens between 13-18, but it is more of a fun read book than something you will take something out of.
March 23, 2023
I do not remember reading any Joan Lowery Nixon in my youth. Not in elementary school, middle school or even high school. I'm sure the libraries had copies be it in the school building or a public one.
Book fairs might have had these but probably not with these covers because they certainly would have grabbed my attention with the pulpy attraction and facial detail like the Fear Streets and Point Horrors I gravitated towards.
Being my first time reading Nixon, I did like it. Again, first person narration takes me some time to fall into a groove where I don't think the protagonist sounds so braggy or snobby or annoying and stuck-up as well as a bunch of other adjectives where they get on my nerves.
As the title implies, Christina Lattimore gets kidnapped.
She goes to an all-girl school because her family is big in the oil business because hey this is Texas.
Christina is named after her oil baroness grandmother, Cristabel, but never calls her that g-word except maybe in slip ups of emotion. Her mother is one of those charity socialites with luncheons and whatnot who goes along with whatever her husband says.
Her husband in turn does what his mother tells him and he is the vice president of the company but knows almost nothing about the business. Christina's father would rather be a lay preacher than a businessman but the oodles of money probably doesn't hurt.
The money is nice but Christina likes going to a burger dive than some fancy tea room restaurant like her bestie Lorna...cheeseburgers drippy with mustard and some worn jeans when the school day is done. The place they have been coming to is owned by a man named Zack and Christina doesn't like how he has been looking at her lately...
His wife Loretta sits at the table where Christina is waiting for Lorna and the woman doesn't say anything before Zack comes to drag her away after a few words between them.
It creeps Christina out but she doesn't mention that to Lorna when she finally gets there because there are more important things on the mind of a teenage girl about to start her senior year of school soon.
Her junior class is going to France to study art and museums all over the country and Christina can't go because of her father's religious beliefs. Her mother won't go against her father and "Cristabel"won't let her touch any of the money in her trust to go on the trip.
She even has it planned out of the types of colleges or universities Christina will go to when done with her all-girl education. It's also hinted at that Christina go out with the brothers of her female schoolmates because only the most influential and prominent families send their daughters to that academy.
All of that goes out the window when Christina is kidnapped. It isn't hard to figure out who took her but it is clear that someone else is also in on this plan to get their hands on the Lattimore family's money underneath the matriarchal thumb of her grandmother.
A note sent with Christina's signature (purposely misspelled on her part) asking for a ransom and she won't be hurt. Soon, they receive the money and her kidnappers let Christina get cleaned up to head home. Seems cut and dry but the plan has been worked where it seems Christina was the other person in on the scheme to extort money from her own grandmother when the police arrive!
It seems that no one believes Christina in her own family or the school she attends or even in the people who work for her family, hired help or lawyers or secretaries closely tied. The only people on her side are one of the detectives, while his partner thinks Christina is guilty, and the college-aged cameraman she sees outside the police station when Christina is released.
Two strangers who believe her over her own flesh and blood? Christina can't fathom it but that's not the only hard pill to swallow. When it seems that someone she knows was behind the plan to frame her along with her dim-witted kidnappers is when Christina truly learns to stand up for herself...
The beginning of the book was sort of slow but once we get to more of the kidnapping it picks up my interest and the story moves along at a pretty steady pace. Christina is a pretty strong character and out of all the people in her family, the only one you kind of actually care about.
The mother is the lesser of two evils or in this case three. The father and the grandmother, I just can't get over how self-absorbed they are. It might be some tough love but to think she is that much of a spoiled rich kid they think she would steal money from her family to go on a trip to France?
I'd just run away because once we get toward the end of the book, Christina is more than capable of standing up for herself. Getting far away from the family money and making your own way? Don't some people actually do that than rely on being trust fund babies?
Characters can be complex and Nixon writes it so that character we think we should hate are actually good ones and making others appear to be the ones we should trust but in the end are just out for their own wants and needs.
The reveal as to who is the third person involved in the kidnapping is actually quite a twist and it was not anyone I suspected the way things were written. Trying to throw you off the scent so to speak and a complete aversion as to how I thought the book would end.
I would say I am impressed and eager to read some more of Nixon's work to see if it is just as good as this one. Written in 1979, there is a slight bit of non-political and maybe even some religious correctness of today but not to slap you in the face.
If you haven't read any Joan Lowery Nixon before, just like myself, I would recommend The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore. It's a start on my journey it could be the start of your own as well...
Book fairs might have had these but probably not with these covers because they certainly would have grabbed my attention with the pulpy attraction and facial detail like the Fear Streets and Point Horrors I gravitated towards.
Being my first time reading Nixon, I did like it. Again, first person narration takes me some time to fall into a groove where I don't think the protagonist sounds so braggy or snobby or annoying and stuck-up as well as a bunch of other adjectives where they get on my nerves.
As the title implies, Christina Lattimore gets kidnapped.
She goes to an all-girl school because her family is big in the oil business because hey this is Texas.
Christina is named after her oil baroness grandmother, Cristabel, but never calls her that g-word except maybe in slip ups of emotion. Her mother is one of those charity socialites with luncheons and whatnot who goes along with whatever her husband says.
Her husband in turn does what his mother tells him and he is the vice president of the company but knows almost nothing about the business. Christina's father would rather be a lay preacher than a businessman but the oodles of money probably doesn't hurt.
The money is nice but Christina likes going to a burger dive than some fancy tea room restaurant like her bestie Lorna...cheeseburgers drippy with mustard and some worn jeans when the school day is done. The place they have been coming to is owned by a man named Zack and Christina doesn't like how he has been looking at her lately...
His wife Loretta sits at the table where Christina is waiting for Lorna and the woman doesn't say anything before Zack comes to drag her away after a few words between them.
It creeps Christina out but she doesn't mention that to Lorna when she finally gets there because there are more important things on the mind of a teenage girl about to start her senior year of school soon.
Her junior class is going to France to study art and museums all over the country and Christina can't go because of her father's religious beliefs. Her mother won't go against her father and "Cristabel"won't let her touch any of the money in her trust to go on the trip.
She even has it planned out of the types of colleges or universities Christina will go to when done with her all-girl education. It's also hinted at that Christina go out with the brothers of her female schoolmates because only the most influential and prominent families send their daughters to that academy.
All of that goes out the window when Christina is kidnapped. It isn't hard to figure out who took her but it is clear that someone else is also in on this plan to get their hands on the Lattimore family's money underneath the matriarchal thumb of her grandmother.
A note sent with Christina's signature (purposely misspelled on her part) asking for a ransom and she won't be hurt. Soon, they receive the money and her kidnappers let Christina get cleaned up to head home. Seems cut and dry but the plan has been worked where it seems Christina was the other person in on the scheme to extort money from her own grandmother when the police arrive!
It seems that no one believes Christina in her own family or the school she attends or even in the people who work for her family, hired help or lawyers or secretaries closely tied. The only people on her side are one of the detectives, while his partner thinks Christina is guilty, and the college-aged cameraman she sees outside the police station when Christina is released.
Two strangers who believe her over her own flesh and blood? Christina can't fathom it but that's not the only hard pill to swallow. When it seems that someone she knows was behind the plan to frame her along with her dim-witted kidnappers is when Christina truly learns to stand up for herself...
The beginning of the book was sort of slow but once we get to more of the kidnapping it picks up my interest and the story moves along at a pretty steady pace. Christina is a pretty strong character and out of all the people in her family, the only one you kind of actually care about.
The mother is the lesser of two evils or in this case three. The father and the grandmother, I just can't get over how self-absorbed they are. It might be some tough love but to think she is that much of a spoiled rich kid they think she would steal money from her family to go on a trip to France?
I'd just run away because once we get toward the end of the book, Christina is more than capable of standing up for herself. Getting far away from the family money and making your own way? Don't some people actually do that than rely on being trust fund babies?
Characters can be complex and Nixon writes it so that character we think we should hate are actually good ones and making others appear to be the ones we should trust but in the end are just out for their own wants and needs.
The reveal as to who is the third person involved in the kidnapping is actually quite a twist and it was not anyone I suspected the way things were written. Trying to throw you off the scent so to speak and a complete aversion as to how I thought the book would end.
I would say I am impressed and eager to read some more of Nixon's work to see if it is just as good as this one. Written in 1979, there is a slight bit of non-political and maybe even some religious correctness of today but not to slap you in the face.
If you haven't read any Joan Lowery Nixon before, just like myself, I would recommend The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore. It's a start on my journey it could be the start of your own as well...
November 22, 2011
I really liked this book! I was at the book store one time, and I saw the title and cover and the section it was under, and it looked pretty alright. Then I read the back, and that's when it caught my attention, it looked like a good book to read so I bought it.
What I really liked about this book was that it has some mystery in it, and some problems to deal with. I can't really explain it in words, but it was a really good book! It must be really hard to prove yourself innocent when there is so much evidence that says otherwise, it also must be really difficult to have no one believe you besides yourself and try so hard to prove yourself as innocent.
What I really liked about this book was that it has some mystery in it, and some problems to deal with. I can't really explain it in words, but it was a really good book! It must be really hard to prove yourself innocent when there is so much evidence that says otherwise, it also must be really difficult to have no one believe you besides yourself and try so hard to prove yourself as innocent.
August 25, 2017
This book was one massive eye roll after another. It was copyrighted in 1979, and it should have stayed in that decade. I've read children's picture books with characters with far more depth, story lines much more unpredictable, and more expressive use of language. This book is boring from start to finish. The characters are shallow and not relatable. The ending is underdeveloped and obvious. If I could give this book zero stars, I would.
June 4, 2010
Fun, fast-paced mystery! The main character's voice was a little old-fashioned sometimes. She would say things like, "Why, Mother!" But it wasn't so annoying that it got in the way of the story. I would definitely read more of this author's books.
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