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Girl, Stolen #1
Girl, Stolen
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills a prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, the car is being stolen.
Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she's blind, he really doesn't know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her.
How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?
Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she's blind, he really doesn't know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her.
How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?
213 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2010
About the author
April Henry
38 books2,756 followersI write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 27 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have been on the New York Times bestseller lists, gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into seven languages, been named to state reading lists, won the Anthony award and won the Oregon Book Award.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 27 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have been on the New York Times bestseller lists, gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into seven languages, been named to state reading lists, won the Anthony award and won the Oregon Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,037 reviews
June 29, 2012
I read Girl, Stolen because some bastard at my library stole Stolen: A letter to my captor (yes, the irony is not lost on me). I figured Girl, Stolen, a book of similar premise and title, would have to do.
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder, blind and sick with pneumonia, is napping in the back seat of her step-mother's Escalade when someone gets in the car and drives away. Griffin, the car thief, just reacted when he saw the keys in the ignition, not noticing the girl in the backseat until it was too late to turn back. Griffin takes both the car and Cheyenne to his criminal father, thinking that the car could be a present and they would drop Cheyenne off somewhere. But once Griffin's father discovers Cheyenne is the daughter of Nike's CEO, the crime quickly elevates to a ransom situation. Cheyenne, impeded by her lack of sight and worsening illness, knows she must escape, because she isn't so sure her kidnappers plan on returning her to her family alive.
This book, although it was suspenseful in several scenes, lacked an edge. I never really believed Cheyenne was in any great danger. I knew from the 2nd chapter that Griffin was never going to let anything bad happen to her. It would have been better if we didn't know Griffin was completely good guy, if there was some doubt over his good intentions, something dangerous about him other than his father. The book would have been more intense if all the angles had been played. Even though Henry tried to give her characters some depth through really obvious info dumps (sometimes the book read like a text book, I swear), she really didn't dive that deep into the psychology of being kidnapped.
The book was okay. Some scenes were better done than others, but overall it lacked the urgency and panic I would expect from a kidnapping novel. It wasn't bad, but it could have better is all I'm saying.
I did learn some new facts about blindness, though.
I think Hailee Steinfeld would be an excellent Cheyenne.
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder, blind and sick with pneumonia, is napping in the back seat of her step-mother's Escalade when someone gets in the car and drives away. Griffin, the car thief, just reacted when he saw the keys in the ignition, not noticing the girl in the backseat until it was too late to turn back. Griffin takes both the car and Cheyenne to his criminal father, thinking that the car could be a present and they would drop Cheyenne off somewhere. But once Griffin's father discovers Cheyenne is the daughter of Nike's CEO, the crime quickly elevates to a ransom situation. Cheyenne, impeded by her lack of sight and worsening illness, knows she must escape, because she isn't so sure her kidnappers plan on returning her to her family alive.
This book, although it was suspenseful in several scenes, lacked an edge. I never really believed Cheyenne was in any great danger. I knew from the 2nd chapter that Griffin was never going to let anything bad happen to her. It would have been better if we didn't know Griffin was completely good guy, if there was some doubt over his good intentions, something dangerous about him other than his father. The book would have been more intense if all the angles had been played. Even though Henry tried to give her characters some depth through really obvious info dumps (sometimes the book read like a text book, I swear), she really didn't dive that deep into the psychology of being kidnapped.
The book was okay. Some scenes were better done than others, but overall it lacked the urgency and panic I would expect from a kidnapping novel. It wasn't bad, but it could have better is all I'm saying.
I did learn some new facts about blindness, though.
I think Hailee Steinfeld would be an excellent Cheyenne.
September 6, 2015
A strong, compelling read. Henry's prose is clean and uncluttered -- she has faith in her story and she just plain tells it.
We learn on page 3 that the main character is blind. We also learn that she's being kidnapped in a car-theft gone bad. I was very skeptical when I realized this was the premise. Seriously, do all blind characters have to be gorgeous young women? (I've ranted about that in other reviews.)
But Henry manages, seemingly without trying, to make Cheyenne not "the blind girl," but a girl who is blind. Yes, this is a significant part of her life. How could it not be? But so is the fact that her father is incredibly wealthy. So is the fact that her mother was killed in the same car accident that blinded Cheyenne. (Henry nails the medical science on this one, which I appreciated.) So is the fact that she's named after the tribe she's descended from, though she doesn't consider herself Native American enough "to really matter." Which of these is most significant? Or do we stop thinking about people as categories, and start accepting them as a messy mix of circumstance and choice?
Henry doesn't just make us care about Cheyenne (and Griffin, her young kidnapper) -- she makes us interested in them, which I think is harder. I have a bad cold and desperately need distracting. This book made me forget my own troubles for a few gripping hours.
We learn on page 3 that the main character is blind. We also learn that she's being kidnapped in a car-theft gone bad. I was very skeptical when I realized this was the premise. Seriously, do all blind characters have to be gorgeous young women? (I've ranted about that in other reviews.)
But Henry manages, seemingly without trying, to make Cheyenne not "the blind girl," but a girl who is blind. Yes, this is a significant part of her life. How could it not be? But so is the fact that her father is incredibly wealthy. So is the fact that her mother was killed in the same car accident that blinded Cheyenne. (Henry nails the medical science on this one, which I appreciated.) So is the fact that she's named after the tribe she's descended from, though she doesn't consider herself Native American enough "to really matter." Which of these is most significant? Or do we stop thinking about people as categories, and start accepting them as a messy mix of circumstance and choice?
Henry doesn't just make us care about Cheyenne (and Griffin, her young kidnapper) -- she makes us interested in them, which I think is harder. I have a bad cold and desperately need distracting. This book made me forget my own troubles for a few gripping hours.
August 20, 2016
From the get go we know what we are going to get. Cheyenne is blind and is accidentally kidnapped by a young man named Griffin. Unbeknowst to him she is in the Escalade, and he is in a world of trouble to say the least. At first he just doesn't have any idea what to do with her, but his dad finds out that she is the daughter of a CEO, and a CEO for Nike at that. Cheyenne knows she has the disadvantage here. She's blind and sick with pneumonia; she is not in top fighting shape. Can she dare hope that there is a way out?
The story is told through shifting perspectives. We see things from Cheyenne's and Griffin's point of view. Their relationship is odd and complicated because you get the impression fairly quickly that Griffin really isn't like his dad and the deadbeats he hires. Griffin has sympathy for Cheyenne. Throughout this whole ordeal the two get to know each other. Given the circumstances that would seem weird but the author does make it believable. Especially since the whole thing wasn't planned out. The bad guys are flying by the seat of their pants so to speak.
Cheyenne is so strong, and resourceful. She has this relatable feeling to her. This girl fights tooth and nail to keep herself alive, and figure out how to escape. Though the story is short I feel like I know Cheyenne and Griffin really well. You learn how she became blind, and how it's been hard to deal with that. I couldn't imagine not being able to just pick up a book and read it, and she even mentions that it's one of the things she misses the most. From reading this I learned a great deal about how it is to live like a blind person, and struggles they must deal with on a daily basis. As the reader we also get the backstory of Griffin and why he is in his certain situation. It's weird, but the two of them had some things in common, which was interesting to see. The only misgiving I have is that I felt the first half of the book wasn't that suspenseful, but then again it did have good character interactions.
The author is so good at suspense. Towards the end I just kept anticipating what was going to happen. It didn't go down like I thought it would, but I have to say I did like the ending. Great writing and insight, so highly recommended.
The story is told through shifting perspectives. We see things from Cheyenne's and Griffin's point of view. Their relationship is odd and complicated because you get the impression fairly quickly that Griffin really isn't like his dad and the deadbeats he hires. Griffin has sympathy for Cheyenne. Throughout this whole ordeal the two get to know each other. Given the circumstances that would seem weird but the author does make it believable. Especially since the whole thing wasn't planned out. The bad guys are flying by the seat of their pants so to speak.
Cheyenne is so strong, and resourceful. She has this relatable feeling to her. This girl fights tooth and nail to keep herself alive, and figure out how to escape. Though the story is short I feel like I know Cheyenne and Griffin really well. You learn how she became blind, and how it's been hard to deal with that. I couldn't imagine not being able to just pick up a book and read it, and she even mentions that it's one of the things she misses the most. From reading this I learned a great deal about how it is to live like a blind person, and struggles they must deal with on a daily basis. As the reader we also get the backstory of Griffin and why he is in his certain situation. It's weird, but the two of them had some things in common, which was interesting to see. The only misgiving I have is that I felt the first half of the book wasn't that suspenseful, but then again it did have good character interactions.
The author is so good at suspense. Towards the end I just kept anticipating what was going to happen. It didn't go down like I thought it would, but I have to say I did like the ending. Great writing and insight, so highly recommended.
December 22, 2010
As you can read from the synopsis, the protagonist Cheyenne is sick and blind. But her bad luck doesn't end there. When her stepmother, Danielle drives her to a pharmacy to get medicine supplies, she asks her to leave the key in the ignition to keep her warm. Then, when someone enters the car, she realizes from the person's micro-behaviours that he/she is definitely not Danielle. That's when reality hits - her car is stolen, and worse, she's inside it!
This book is different from other books which I've read before. I think the best thing about this book is that the author has successfully portrayed Cheyenne's character. Having a blind protagonist is not easy, and I'm sure April has done quite a lot of researching and reading on this part. She also narrates Cheyenne's story skillfully, telling us what she feels at a particular moment, how she reacts to perilous events, and how she learns to trust one of her captors who promises to let her go.
Griffin steals a Cadillac Escalade on a whim, without realizing that there's a girl in the backseat. When he discovers her, it is too late to let her go. So he brings her back to his dad's place, along with the car. He promises her that he will let her go once it is dark. But his dad declares that they will keep her as a captive after listening to the news broadcast reporting about the missing Cheyenne Wilder, for her father is Nike's president, and she is their one-way-ticket to wealth.
The friendship between Cheyenne and Griffin is honest and unfeigned, although it seems out of place because of their different roles - one captive and the other the captor. But still, Cheyenne doesn't trust Griffin entirely, despite the fact that he's the only one who's kind towards her. She even tries to knock him unconscious on the day his father and his sidekicks go to get the ransom which they demanded earlier from Cheyenne's father. I don't blame her for this, because this only proves that her survival instincts are functional. I really admire Cheyenne's extraordinary spirit and strength. You would probably think that being blind, she will just give up and surrender. But this tough teenage girl will absolutely prove you wrong. She faces the problem calmly, and even tries to escape without the help of her cane. Her courage and determination to keep herself alive is indeed commendable. I couldn't imagine going through everything that Cheyenne has gone through - it was a really scary experience. And what's worse is that she's blind.
Girl, Stolen is really amazing! I devoured the book in one-sitting. The story is fast-paced thrilling and heart-gripping. Even though I constantly feared for Cheyenne's safety, I remained hopeful for her survival. The climax of this novel left me in awe with the author's creativity and brilliance. The twist she inserted made my insides churn with fear for Cheyenne's fate. I went Oh, no! when her ticket to safety is suddenly ripped into pieces. I'll stop here so that I don't accidentally spill anything. If you want to know whether Cheyenne escapes efficaciously, you'll have to read this book to find out.
Note: This book is a clean read. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great, thrilling story.
This book is different from other books which I've read before. I think the best thing about this book is that the author has successfully portrayed Cheyenne's character. Having a blind protagonist is not easy, and I'm sure April has done quite a lot of researching and reading on this part. She also narrates Cheyenne's story skillfully, telling us what she feels at a particular moment, how she reacts to perilous events, and how she learns to trust one of her captors who promises to let her go.
Griffin steals a Cadillac Escalade on a whim, without realizing that there's a girl in the backseat. When he discovers her, it is too late to let her go. So he brings her back to his dad's place, along with the car. He promises her that he will let her go once it is dark. But his dad declares that they will keep her as a captive after listening to the news broadcast reporting about the missing Cheyenne Wilder, for her father is Nike's president, and she is their one-way-ticket to wealth.
The friendship between Cheyenne and Griffin is honest and unfeigned, although it seems out of place because of their different roles - one captive and the other the captor. But still, Cheyenne doesn't trust Griffin entirely, despite the fact that he's the only one who's kind towards her. She even tries to knock him unconscious on the day his father and his sidekicks go to get the ransom which they demanded earlier from Cheyenne's father. I don't blame her for this, because this only proves that her survival instincts are functional. I really admire Cheyenne's extraordinary spirit and strength. You would probably think that being blind, she will just give up and surrender. But this tough teenage girl will absolutely prove you wrong. She faces the problem calmly, and even tries to escape without the help of her cane. Her courage and determination to keep herself alive is indeed commendable. I couldn't imagine going through everything that Cheyenne has gone through - it was a really scary experience. And what's worse is that she's blind.
Girl, Stolen is really amazing! I devoured the book in one-sitting. The story is fast-paced thrilling and heart-gripping. Even though I constantly feared for Cheyenne's safety, I remained hopeful for her survival. The climax of this novel left me in awe with the author's creativity and brilliance. The twist she inserted made my insides churn with fear for Cheyenne's fate. I went Oh, no! when her ticket to safety is suddenly ripped into pieces. I'll stop here so that I don't accidentally spill anything. If you want to know whether Cheyenne escapes efficaciously, you'll have to read this book to find out.
Note: This book is a clean read. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great, thrilling story.
December 1, 2019
3.5 stars
My students recommended that I read this and I loved every moment of it. Therefore it was my first read of term 2 during their independent reading time. I must admit that I even read it during my lunch time. Now I just have to get my hands on the sequel....
With "Girl, Stolen" April Henry jumpstarts the action in the very first chapter with 16 year old Cheyenne Wilder waiting for her stepmother to come out of the drugstore. When a person enters the car, Cheyenne soon realizes that the car is about to be stolen with her in it. The thief is just as surprised to find Cheyenne in the back of the car, but he won't let her go. Blind and battling pneumonia, Cheyenne will need to keep her wits about her to plan her escape.
Now I have read my share of thrillers/suspense/ mystery novels and this book has all the best ingredients to keep readers of any age interested. A nice even pace, plenty of action, interesting main and secondary characters, and a satisfying albeit open ending.
Goodreads review published 30/11/19
My students recommended that I read this and I loved every moment of it. Therefore it was my first read of term 2 during their independent reading time. I must admit that I even read it during my lunch time. Now I just have to get my hands on the sequel....
With "Girl, Stolen" April Henry jumpstarts the action in the very first chapter with 16 year old Cheyenne Wilder waiting for her stepmother to come out of the drugstore. When a person enters the car, Cheyenne soon realizes that the car is about to be stolen with her in it. The thief is just as surprised to find Cheyenne in the back of the car, but he won't let her go. Blind and battling pneumonia, Cheyenne will need to keep her wits about her to plan her escape.
Now I have read my share of thrillers/suspense/ mystery novels and this book has all the best ingredients to keep readers of any age interested. A nice even pace, plenty of action, interesting main and secondary characters, and a satisfying albeit open ending.
Goodreads review published 30/11/19
September 2, 2013
"Sometimes people did this, closed their eyes for a few seconds and imagined it gave them insights into what it was like to be her. Only, at the end, they could still open their eyes and see."
****3 stars****
Girl, Stolen is the story of Cheyenne, a blind 16-year-old who is accidentally kidnapped while her car is being stolen, and Griffin, the teen kidnapper from the wrong side of town.
I've never read a book told from a blind person's perspective, and even though this is written in third-person, I felt like the insight into Cheyenne's mind was really cool. Everything about her lack of sight was detailed, and you can tell the author did alot of research and knew what she was talking about.
My main gripe (and I always have one) is that this book was simple not as suspenseful or thrilling as I thought it would be. Besides that it's a very solid book with alot of detail and interesting characters.
Cheyenne is realistic. She reacts like any real person would, (blind or not) freaking out at times, but she's still an intelligent, resourceful girl. She's really brave for doing some of the things she did, and I'm glad to finally see a protagonist that can think in the midst of fear.
Griffin, poor Griffin. Griffin isn't a bad guy. He's just been raised doing illegal things, he dropped out of school, his mom left years ago , leaving him in the care of his abusive father.
I HATE YOU, ROY >:( I will hurt you.
No,
Griffin feels like he's somewhere in between torn and lost. He wants to help Cheyenne (he was going to let her go in the first place) but he has his dad and his dad's cronies to contend with. They end up keeping her for ransom when they find out her dad is the president of Nike (yeah, that Nike). Overall, Griffin is just the victim of a screwed-up life.
Anyways, I also really disliked how TJ (a guy that works for Roy at their chop shop) always refers to himself in the third person. Adults don't really speak like that, no matter how stupid they are.
For your information, TJ, humanity has developed these things called "pronouns" that really come in handy.
I'm glad Girl, Stolen didn't have any romance. It would've been strange, considering that the entire novel takes place over the course of about two days. Ain't no Stockholm goin' on here.
I'm also glad the perspectives were interchanging between her and Griffin, so we heard the story from both perspectives. I really feel alot smarter after reading this book, like I overall understand sightless people better. It was a good, thought-provoking read.
-JennTheAwesum
July 2, 2010
The YA genre has not stopped surprising me. Everytime I crack a YA book I have a fear deep down inside that it'll be so childish I'll cringe. While there certainly have been a few like that most are not and this falls in the latter category.
Henry's biggest feat here, in my opinion, is Cheyenne's blindess. Everything that she went through is suspenseful. Add in blindness and it throws it all right through the roof. I kept think, in almost every single situation, how scared I'd be if it was me. And I can see. Then I thought about me going through such and such - BLIND. I couldn't imagine it.
This is very much one of those books you have to stop yourself from flipping forward in. I wanted so much to just know it was all going to be okay but I forced myself to not do that.
I'm very much looking forward to another book by April Henry and I must also say that I loved the rest of the characters. Even the unlikable characters were thought up beautifully. Roy and his cohorts were great and Griffin's characters couldn't have been more perfect.
The only thing I didn't like was a little thing on the cover. The actual cover itself - awesome. I love the girl with the hands over her eyes and I love how a little sliver of space can be seen through fingers. What I don't like is the "Please let me go, I won't tell!" on the top of the front cover. That just screams "kiddie" to me and it struck me as just really not being needed. Subtleness goes a long way with something like this and I think with that removed the cover will be much more hard-hitting.
Henry's biggest feat here, in my opinion, is Cheyenne's blindess. Everything that she went through is suspenseful. Add in blindness and it throws it all right through the roof. I kept think, in almost every single situation, how scared I'd be if it was me. And I can see. Then I thought about me going through such and such - BLIND. I couldn't imagine it.
This is very much one of those books you have to stop yourself from flipping forward in. I wanted so much to just know it was all going to be okay but I forced myself to not do that.
I'm very much looking forward to another book by April Henry and I must also say that I loved the rest of the characters. Even the unlikable characters were thought up beautifully. Roy and his cohorts were great and Griffin's characters couldn't have been more perfect.
The only thing I didn't like was a little thing on the cover. The actual cover itself - awesome. I love the girl with the hands over her eyes and I love how a little sliver of space can be seen through fingers. What I don't like is the "Please let me go, I won't tell!" on the top of the front cover. That just screams "kiddie" to me and it struck me as just really not being needed. Subtleness goes a long way with something like this and I think with that removed the cover will be much more hard-hitting.
September 12, 2010
Hmm. I wasn't sure what I'd be getting when I picked this up to read. A blind girl kidnapped? How would that plot unfold? How would the characters interact? Could the author pull such difficult circumstances off?
Well, in some ways April Henry excelled, but in others? Not so much.
The plot was engaging and constantly moved forward. I think the circumstances were very realistic and believable, and the back-and-forth between Griffin and Cheyenne was quite intriguing.
However, as far as the characters go overall, this is where Henry fails to deliver. A blind girl being kidnapped? This should scare me - my heart should be breaking for this girl. Griffin was caught between his jerk father and his own feelings. These tortured characters should have jumped off the page and haunted me. However, even when Cheyenne was talking or thinking about her horrible past, the descriptions felt more like dispassionate character sketches then the real feelings and events in a teenage girl's life. I never felt like the words or the story connected to the characters: they were just props for the plot.
So, even though the plot was well written and I was very interested to see how things turned out, I never truly felt the characters. If you are intrigued by the plot of this book, I'd recommend picking up Stolen by Lucy Christopher instead.
Well, in some ways April Henry excelled, but in others? Not so much.
The plot was engaging and constantly moved forward. I think the circumstances were very realistic and believable, and the back-and-forth between Griffin and Cheyenne was quite intriguing.
However, as far as the characters go overall, this is where Henry fails to deliver. A blind girl being kidnapped? This should scare me - my heart should be breaking for this girl. Griffin was caught between his jerk father and his own feelings. These tortured characters should have jumped off the page and haunted me. However, even when Cheyenne was talking or thinking about her horrible past, the descriptions felt more like dispassionate character sketches then the real feelings and events in a teenage girl's life. I never felt like the words or the story connected to the characters: they were just props for the plot.
So, even though the plot was well written and I was very interested to see how things turned out, I never truly felt the characters. If you are intrigued by the plot of this book, I'd recommend picking up Stolen by Lucy Christopher instead.
April 1, 2021
This book was actually better than I was expecting.
May 2, 2018
This is a great ya thriller full of suspense and it's scary. I really liked the atmosphere and Cheyenne's character. She fights even though she is blind and deathly ill.
Cheyenne has pneumonia and is sleeping in the car while her mom runs in the store for medicine. Griffin sees a car that looks like a good haul and steals the car. When Griffin realizes Cheyenne is in the car he freaks out. He wasn't planning on kidnapping and asks his dad for help. Griffin's dad had evil intentions when he figures out who Cheyenne's dad is but Griffin just wants her dropped off somewhere safely.
Cheyenne's dad is a CEO for a major shoe and sporting goods company. Cheyenne is also blind. She can't see her captors but she learned as much as she could about them and paid attention to everything. The problem is Cheyenne's pneumonia isn't getting any better. Will she ever escape or will she die before she has the chance to go home?
Cheyenne has pneumonia and is sleeping in the car while her mom runs in the store for medicine. Griffin sees a car that looks like a good haul and steals the car. When Griffin realizes Cheyenne is in the car he freaks out. He wasn't planning on kidnapping and asks his dad for help. Griffin's dad had evil intentions when he figures out who Cheyenne's dad is but Griffin just wants her dropped off somewhere safely.
Cheyenne's dad is a CEO for a major shoe and sporting goods company. Cheyenne is also blind. She can't see her captors but she learned as much as she could about them and paid attention to everything. The problem is Cheyenne's pneumonia isn't getting any better. Will she ever escape or will she die before she has the chance to go home?
April 21, 2011
A book about a blind girl who gets kidnapped. Well that sounds good to me. The girl's name is Cheyenne and her kidnapper is a boy named Griffin. He didn't kidnap her on purpose but still it creates a problem.
The book is in both Cheyenne's point of view as well as Griffin's. When I was reading Cheyenne's point of view I was very aware of it; it felt like I was seeing the way she would picture it in her head. When I was reading Griffin's it was the same.
Cheyenne seems like a real girl. She gets scared, she gets angry, she mopes, and she has empathy. Maybe she isn't always the bravest of souls I've ever met but she has her strength. Griffin is a good kid raised by a terrible father. I like him despite him being the person who caused all the trouble in the first place. For being a car thief he has his noble moments.
It focused a lot on Cheyenne's blindness which makes sense since it affects almost everything you do. The phrase 'people who see don't think about this but blind people do' is brought up a couple of times. I am now more aware of what I'm not aware of as a seeing person, (if that makes sense?). Cheyenne's mother died as well so that is also brought up. But don't think it is only about Cheyenne, there is also some of Griffin's story in there. And let me tell you he's got problems too.
Now I think this book was phenomenal but I thought it'd be more suspenseful. I was expecting Mary Higgins Clark suspense, so I was a little disappointed when I only started feeling anxious near the end.
The book is in both Cheyenne's point of view as well as Griffin's. When I was reading Cheyenne's point of view I was very aware of it; it felt like I was seeing the way she would picture it in her head. When I was reading Griffin's it was the same.
Cheyenne seems like a real girl. She gets scared, she gets angry, she mopes, and she has empathy. Maybe she isn't always the bravest of souls I've ever met but she has her strength. Griffin is a good kid raised by a terrible father. I like him despite him being the person who caused all the trouble in the first place. For being a car thief he has his noble moments.
It focused a lot on Cheyenne's blindness which makes sense since it affects almost everything you do. The phrase 'people who see don't think about this but blind people do' is brought up a couple of times. I am now more aware of what I'm not aware of as a seeing person, (if that makes sense?). Cheyenne's mother died as well so that is also brought up. But don't think it is only about Cheyenne, there is also some of Griffin's story in there. And let me tell you he's got problems too.
Now I think this book was phenomenal but I thought it'd be more suspenseful. I was expecting Mary Higgins Clark suspense, so I was a little disappointed when I only started feeling anxious near the end.
February 23, 2016
I started reading this book a little disappointed, because everything on the back cover happens, literally, in the first 1-2 pages! But, my disappointment was soon squelched by the next sections of the plot. A blind girl, who also happens to be very sick with pneumonia, is asleep in the backseat when her stepmom's car is stolen. Her abductor wants to set her free, but there are other, darker, forces leading him to do otherwise. Will she be able to form a trusting friendship with him before the unthinkable happens to her? Or, will he be able to trust her to do what she is supposed to do in order to gain her freedom? If you've ever thought you wouldn't be strong enough or brave enough to survive a kidnapping, you should definitely read "Girl Stolen!" I LOVED this book - could not put it down, and finished it in a day!
May 28, 2022
GRADE: B-
3.5 stars
Resting in the back of her stepmother Danielle's car, Cheyenne is carjacked from outside a pharmacy. Griffin never meant to kidnap her, he wouldn't have stolen the car if he new Cheyenne, sick from pneumonia and blind from an accident three years prior, huddles under a blanket. When his father Roy learns Cheyenne is wealthy, the accidental kidnapping becomes a ransom situation and all bets are off.
I read GIRL, STOLEN in one sitting. April Henry held my interest with this even-paced novel. Chapters alternate from Griffin's and Cheyenne's third person points of view. I usually prefer first person narratives, but Henry did a great job letting drawing me in. Griffin and Cheyenne were interesting and likable characters. Some of Cheyenne's abilities to fight back felt unrealistic, not because of her blindness, but because she had no self-defense training and any kidnapped teen would have to be terrified.
GIRL, STOLEN is a fun read, but not very memorable. I got it for $1.99 at Amazon. I'll probably read the sequel, but not until the price comes down.
3.5 stars
Resting in the back of her stepmother Danielle's car, Cheyenne is carjacked from outside a pharmacy. Griffin never meant to kidnap her, he wouldn't have stolen the car if he new Cheyenne, sick from pneumonia and blind from an accident three years prior, huddles under a blanket. When his father Roy learns Cheyenne is wealthy, the accidental kidnapping becomes a ransom situation and all bets are off.
I read GIRL, STOLEN in one sitting. April Henry held my interest with this even-paced novel. Chapters alternate from Griffin's and Cheyenne's third person points of view. I usually prefer first person narratives, but Henry did a great job letting drawing me in. Griffin and Cheyenne were interesting and likable characters. Some of Cheyenne's abilities to fight back felt unrealistic, not because of her blindness, but because she had no self-defense training and any kidnapped teen would have to be terrified.
GIRL, STOLEN is a fun read, but not very memorable. I got it for $1.99 at Amazon. I'll probably read the sequel, but not until the price comes down.
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July 18, 2018I can't imagine what it would feel like to go through what this heroine went through. She's tough and courageous. Love the northwest references and the dog. Also, that ending was excellent!
March 1, 2022
This short mystery is about a blind girl and how she is accidentally kidnapped and the process of her escape.
This really held my interest, and as it being only 200 pages long it is a fast read.
I really liked how even though it’s short, it’s not rushed or undeveloped.
This really held my interest, and as it being only 200 pages long it is a fast read.
I really liked how even though it’s short, it’s not rushed or undeveloped.
August 19, 2016
"Girl, Stolen" is the third YA novel from New York Times best-selling author April Henry. Inspired by the 2005 carjacking of 18-year-old Heather Wilson, "Girl, Stolen" relates the story of the uneasy alliance that grows between Cheyenne and her accidental kidnapper, Griffin.
On the surface, 16-year-old Cheyenne seems like a typical adolescent girl: She loves dogs, books and chatting on the phone. She gets along with her stepmother most of the time and occasionally chafes under her father's over-protectiveness. But Cheyenne isn't average. Three years ago, Cheyenne lost her mother to a hit-and-run driver. She also lost her sight. Since then, Cheyenne has fought to regain her independence. Now she's fighting again - this time, for her life.
On a snowy day in December, Cheyenne is waiting for her stepmother, Danielle, to come back from the pharmacy. Cheyenne has pneumonia, so she elects to wait in the car while Danielle picks up a prescription for antibiotics. Cheyenne persuades Danielle to leave the keys in the ignition so she can turn on the heat if she gets cold.
Griffin is a 16-year-old high school dropout and petty criminal following in the footsteps of his father, Roy. Griffin has been stealing shopping bags from cars in the mall parking lot all morning. When he sees the keys in the ignition of Danielle's SUV, he thinks he's hit the jackpot. It should be easy to drive the car back to his house where Roy and his cronies will strip it for parts. In his haste, Griffin doesn't notice Cheyenne laying down in the back seat until he's already on the road.
Confused, and scared of his abusive father's reaction, Griffin dumps Cheyenne's cell phone and takes the most indirect route he can think of back to his house. Roy is predictably angry with his son's blunder until he learns Cheyenne is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. At that point, he decides to demand a ransom.
However, Roy could easily star in an episode of "America's Dumbest Criminals." In a drunken stupor, he manages to lose the phone numbers Cheyenne gives him to contact her father and doesn't bother to disguise his voice when he finally does make the ransom demand from his living room. To top it off, he puts his buddies TJ and Jimbo - who would more aptly be named Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber - in charge of keeping an eye on Griffin and Cheyenne.
Although April Henry is a New York Times best-selling author and her work has won several awards, I was underwhelmed by "Girl, Stolen." While the premise of the novel had the potential to be a fast-paced thriller, the plot drags in several places while Henry gives lengthy explanations of Cheyenne's particular type of blindness, her struggle to regain her independence by learning to use a cane and then a service dog, and what a vehicle identification number (VIN) is and how it works. Maybe Henry thought a young adult audience would need these details to understand the story. However, if the sections dealing with these minutiae are slow enough to bore me, I can't image a teenager being remotely interested.
I also found April Henry's depiction of Griffin to be inconsistent and implausible. This is a boy who has been abused by his father most of his life and has the scars to prove it. I had a hard time believing he would risk provoking Roy by defying him in even the most trivial way, let alone risk his life to help Cheyenne escape. In addition, I consider "Girl, Stolen" inappropriate for children under the age of 16 because of the liberal amount of obscenities, a murder and an attempted rape scene. Although I liked the idea of "Girl, Stolen" and had high hopes for the story, the execution left much to be desired.
On the surface, 16-year-old Cheyenne seems like a typical adolescent girl: She loves dogs, books and chatting on the phone. She gets along with her stepmother most of the time and occasionally chafes under her father's over-protectiveness. But Cheyenne isn't average. Three years ago, Cheyenne lost her mother to a hit-and-run driver. She also lost her sight. Since then, Cheyenne has fought to regain her independence. Now she's fighting again - this time, for her life.
On a snowy day in December, Cheyenne is waiting for her stepmother, Danielle, to come back from the pharmacy. Cheyenne has pneumonia, so she elects to wait in the car while Danielle picks up a prescription for antibiotics. Cheyenne persuades Danielle to leave the keys in the ignition so she can turn on the heat if she gets cold.
Griffin is a 16-year-old high school dropout and petty criminal following in the footsteps of his father, Roy. Griffin has been stealing shopping bags from cars in the mall parking lot all morning. When he sees the keys in the ignition of Danielle's SUV, he thinks he's hit the jackpot. It should be easy to drive the car back to his house where Roy and his cronies will strip it for parts. In his haste, Griffin doesn't notice Cheyenne laying down in the back seat until he's already on the road.
Confused, and scared of his abusive father's reaction, Griffin dumps Cheyenne's cell phone and takes the most indirect route he can think of back to his house. Roy is predictably angry with his son's blunder until he learns Cheyenne is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. At that point, he decides to demand a ransom.
However, Roy could easily star in an episode of "America's Dumbest Criminals." In a drunken stupor, he manages to lose the phone numbers Cheyenne gives him to contact her father and doesn't bother to disguise his voice when he finally does make the ransom demand from his living room. To top it off, he puts his buddies TJ and Jimbo - who would more aptly be named Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber - in charge of keeping an eye on Griffin and Cheyenne.
Although April Henry is a New York Times best-selling author and her work has won several awards, I was underwhelmed by "Girl, Stolen." While the premise of the novel had the potential to be a fast-paced thriller, the plot drags in several places while Henry gives lengthy explanations of Cheyenne's particular type of blindness, her struggle to regain her independence by learning to use a cane and then a service dog, and what a vehicle identification number (VIN) is and how it works. Maybe Henry thought a young adult audience would need these details to understand the story. However, if the sections dealing with these minutiae are slow enough to bore me, I can't image a teenager being remotely interested.
I also found April Henry's depiction of Griffin to be inconsistent and implausible. This is a boy who has been abused by his father most of his life and has the scars to prove it. I had a hard time believing he would risk provoking Roy by defying him in even the most trivial way, let alone risk his life to help Cheyenne escape. In addition, I consider "Girl, Stolen" inappropriate for children under the age of 16 because of the liberal amount of obscenities, a murder and an attempted rape scene. Although I liked the idea of "Girl, Stolen" and had high hopes for the story, the execution left much to be desired.
November 21, 2012
Girl, Stolen by April Henry!
Hmm... What to say about this book?
Let's start off with the base of the book. It's about a girl, she's blind, and she gets kidnapped 'accidently', I guess you could say. Once the kidnappers find out they took a girl with them, she don't know what to do. She's heard too much of their plan, and the girl is the daughter of a very rich man. The boy that kidnapped her by accident ends up, in a way, getting attracted to her. And he helps save her life and all. I won't tell you the rest.
I think the writing style of the book was good. But I think the plot could have had a few twists added to make it more interesting. It wasn't a book I was biting my nails for to read...
I believe it could of had more potential in it, but I guess the book was enjoyable to read. Also, I think writing a book when the main character is blind, is a hard job. I wrote a short-story about a blind girl and I know how hard it is. I think the author did a good job with describing the hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting sense in her book...
So that's my review! I rated the book a 3/5. Read the book and tell me what you think. :)
Hmm... What to say about this book?
Let's start off with the base of the book. It's about a girl, she's blind, and she gets kidnapped 'accidently', I guess you could say. Once the kidnappers find out they took a girl with them, she don't know what to do. She's heard too much of their plan, and the girl is the daughter of a very rich man. The boy that kidnapped her by accident ends up, in a way, getting attracted to her. And he helps save her life and all. I won't tell you the rest.
I think the writing style of the book was good. But I think the plot could have had a few twists added to make it more interesting. It wasn't a book I was biting my nails for to read...
I believe it could of had more potential in it, but I guess the book was enjoyable to read. Also, I think writing a book when the main character is blind, is a hard job. I wrote a short-story about a blind girl and I know how hard it is. I think the author did a good job with describing the hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting sense in her book...
So that's my review! I rated the book a 3/5. Read the book and tell me what you think. :)
October 17, 2018
This was a very good book. It was a lot going on all the time. The characters and theme were very well set up and played out through the book. But can't wait to read Count Her Bones next.
February 5, 2019
This was a great book! I only had it for two days and it was a really easy quick read. April Henry is a great young adult writer and is probably one of my favorites. There hasn't been a book by her that I didn't like.
Girl Stolen is about a blind girl whose car was stolen while she was in it. The book takes you through her perspective and opinions. She makes a friend along the way and manages to find her way out.
I can't wait to read more of her books.
Girl Stolen is about a blind girl whose car was stolen while she was in it. The book takes you through her perspective and opinions. She makes a friend along the way and manages to find her way out.
I can't wait to read more of her books.
January 22, 2013
Name of book: Girl, Stolen
Author: April Henry
Pages: 213 pages
Genre: Mystery and Suspense
Reading Level of book: 4.7
Exposition: The novel started when Cheyenne's step mom stepped out of the car to go in the pharmacy store to fill in Cheyenne's prescriptions. Cheyenne was taking a nap in the back of the car. A boy who's in a 'business' with his dad decided to steal the step mom's car. The thing was, he didn't know that Cheyenne was also in the car. It wasn't his intentions to kidnap her, his only intentions was to steal the car and go.
Conflict: Griffin found out that Cheyenne was blind, and that she was very ill. Griffin's dad found out about Cheyenne being there. They didn't know what to do with her. Also, when they found out that Cheyenne was the daughter of a very rich man (owner of the Nike's company) they thought of another idea, where they could get more money by using Cheyenne. ~Griffin's dad didn't want to let Cheyenne go, even though she's blind and ill. (because they could also trade her for money)
Climax: Griffin and Cheyenne became really close. Griffin thought she was very nice, and beautiful. On the other hand, Cheyenne thought Griffin was a nice guy, even though he was raised by his dad (who's a complete jerk) Griffin was about to help Cheyenne escape, but Cheyenne decided to escape anyhow. She also took their dog with her, to use him as a guide. All of them came out looking for Cheyenne and the dad got her. At first, Cheyenne thought that Roy (Griffin's dad) was a cop, because he was pretending to be one, so Cheyenne wouldn't do anything stupid. but, Cheyenne wasn't dumb enough to fall for his little tricks.
Resolution: Cheyenne got a phone and dialed 911. When the police came, they took Cheyenne out of that place. They also took Roy and put him behind the bars. Griffin ended up with his aunt, because he found out that his mom was dead all along. (Roy killed her, Griffin thought she ran away and left them behind) Cheyenne was also banned to see Griffin, but they still try to give each other a call every now and then.
The theme of this novel is challenges and over coming obstacles. I could relate this book to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I know that their genre's are different, but the story of Griffin and Charlie really connects. (In my opinion) They are both 16 years old, and they are both attracted to a girl that they can't really have. Charlie and Griffin aren't really the typical teen age guy. Charlie was socially awkward in the beginning, while Griffin didn't actually go to school nor hang out with a couple of friends. The differences between them is that Charlie actually got better in the end, and he also stated that he's okay. Griffin was just getting better in the end of the story, because it was his turn to start his life all over again without Roy controlling him. These two guys also saw something else to the girls they were attracted to even though Sam (The girl Charlie likes) and Cheyenne (The girl Griffin likes) have their own flaws. In this novel, I learned that even though you're not 'perfect' and have your own little flaws, someone would still love you and accept you for who you are.
Author: April Henry
Pages: 213 pages
Genre: Mystery and Suspense
Reading Level of book: 4.7
Exposition: The novel started when Cheyenne's step mom stepped out of the car to go in the pharmacy store to fill in Cheyenne's prescriptions. Cheyenne was taking a nap in the back of the car. A boy who's in a 'business' with his dad decided to steal the step mom's car. The thing was, he didn't know that Cheyenne was also in the car. It wasn't his intentions to kidnap her, his only intentions was to steal the car and go.
Conflict: Griffin found out that Cheyenne was blind, and that she was very ill. Griffin's dad found out about Cheyenne being there. They didn't know what to do with her. Also, when they found out that Cheyenne was the daughter of a very rich man (owner of the Nike's company) they thought of another idea, where they could get more money by using Cheyenne. ~Griffin's dad didn't want to let Cheyenne go, even though she's blind and ill. (because they could also trade her for money)
Climax: Griffin and Cheyenne became really close. Griffin thought she was very nice, and beautiful. On the other hand, Cheyenne thought Griffin was a nice guy, even though he was raised by his dad (who's a complete jerk) Griffin was about to help Cheyenne escape, but Cheyenne decided to escape anyhow. She also took their dog with her, to use him as a guide. All of them came out looking for Cheyenne and the dad got her. At first, Cheyenne thought that Roy (Griffin's dad) was a cop, because he was pretending to be one, so Cheyenne wouldn't do anything stupid. but, Cheyenne wasn't dumb enough to fall for his little tricks.
Resolution: Cheyenne got a phone and dialed 911. When the police came, they took Cheyenne out of that place. They also took Roy and put him behind the bars. Griffin ended up with his aunt, because he found out that his mom was dead all along. (Roy killed her, Griffin thought she ran away and left them behind) Cheyenne was also banned to see Griffin, but they still try to give each other a call every now and then.
The theme of this novel is challenges and over coming obstacles. I could relate this book to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I know that their genre's are different, but the story of Griffin and Charlie really connects. (In my opinion) They are both 16 years old, and they are both attracted to a girl that they can't really have. Charlie and Griffin aren't really the typical teen age guy. Charlie was socially awkward in the beginning, while Griffin didn't actually go to school nor hang out with a couple of friends. The differences between them is that Charlie actually got better in the end, and he also stated that he's okay. Griffin was just getting better in the end of the story, because it was his turn to start his life all over again without Roy controlling him. These two guys also saw something else to the girls they were attracted to even though Sam (The girl Charlie likes) and Cheyenne (The girl Griffin likes) have their own flaws. In this novel, I learned that even though you're not 'perfect' and have your own little flaws, someone would still love you and accept you for who you are.
September 29, 2010
A sick sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is napping in the backseat of her stepmother Danielle’s car. She’s waiting for Danielle to return with her medicine to help her get over her pneumonia, when suddenly someone gets into the driver’s seat and starts the car. Cheyenne knows this isn’t Danielle from the sound of the car door closing, to the smell, and the fast speed of the car Cheyenne quickly comes to the conclusion that she has been carjacked. Cheyenne has no choice to go along for the ride when the carjacker finally realizes she’s in the backseat. Cheyenne has now been kidnapped and frightened beyond belief because she’s also blind.
When Grifffin decided to steal a car for his father, he thought it would be easy as 1-2-3, but he messed up big time. Even when Cheyenne tells his she’s blind and won’t be able to describe him to the police, he doesn’t listen and goes as far as to threaten her with a fake gun to make her behave. And when he arrives home where his father is waiting, things have become much worse not only for Griffin, but for Cheyenne because her father is the president of Nike. Now Cheyenne is a hostage, and until her father pays the ransom, she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere, having to rely on Griffin for the simplest of needs. Cheyenne is a survivor though. After the car accident that killed her mother and left her blind three years ago, Cheyenne has a strong will to live. She just has to appeal to Griffin to help her escape, in case her father doesn’t hand over the money in time. And things become even more dangerous for her as her kidnappers grow more unstable.
The first chapter of Girl, Stolen had me hooked. Cheyenne is a very special girl who’s been through a horrible ordeal with losing both a parents and dealing with a handicap that she’ll have for the rest of her life. But unfortunately, Girl, Stolen couldn’t keep my interest and falters half-way through. There just wasn’t enough tension and suspense even with Cheyenne’s kidnapping and her strange relationship of sorts with Griffin. You can definitely sympathize with both Cheyenne and Griffin because of their situations, but I found the writing to be very dull to the point where I didn’t care if Cheyenne was able to outwit her kidnappers.
There just wasn’t enough to sustain this story, and I’ve read much better kidnapping scenarios in other adult and young adult reads. April Henry missed the mark for me with Girl, Stolen, which even at a little over 200 pages is surprising because you’d think there would be non-stop on the edge of your seat action. There wasn’t. Girl, Stolen is a pass, and only gets a slightly higher grade because of Cheyenne, who was well rounded, but not enough to make this a recommend read.
When Grifffin decided to steal a car for his father, he thought it would be easy as 1-2-3, but he messed up big time. Even when Cheyenne tells his she’s blind and won’t be able to describe him to the police, he doesn’t listen and goes as far as to threaten her with a fake gun to make her behave. And when he arrives home where his father is waiting, things have become much worse not only for Griffin, but for Cheyenne because her father is the president of Nike. Now Cheyenne is a hostage, and until her father pays the ransom, she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere, having to rely on Griffin for the simplest of needs. Cheyenne is a survivor though. After the car accident that killed her mother and left her blind three years ago, Cheyenne has a strong will to live. She just has to appeal to Griffin to help her escape, in case her father doesn’t hand over the money in time. And things become even more dangerous for her as her kidnappers grow more unstable.
The first chapter of Girl, Stolen had me hooked. Cheyenne is a very special girl who’s been through a horrible ordeal with losing both a parents and dealing with a handicap that she’ll have for the rest of her life. But unfortunately, Girl, Stolen couldn’t keep my interest and falters half-way through. There just wasn’t enough tension and suspense even with Cheyenne’s kidnapping and her strange relationship of sorts with Griffin. You can definitely sympathize with both Cheyenne and Griffin because of their situations, but I found the writing to be very dull to the point where I didn’t care if Cheyenne was able to outwit her kidnappers.
There just wasn’t enough to sustain this story, and I’ve read much better kidnapping scenarios in other adult and young adult reads. April Henry missed the mark for me with Girl, Stolen, which even at a little over 200 pages is surprising because you’d think there would be non-stop on the edge of your seat action. There wasn’t. Girl, Stolen is a pass, and only gets a slightly higher grade because of Cheyenne, who was well rounded, but not enough to make this a recommend read.
May 22, 2015
Notes:YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults and YALSA Quick Pick
April Henry is a New York Times Best Seller
Overview (Non Spoilery Section)
This has been sitting on my self for a while and I needed a physical book to read during exams. It was just a middle of the road kidnapping novel, although I very much enjoyed the main character being blind. I also appreciated the amount of research that April Henry did during the development and writing process.
***Spoilers*** and trigger listings
I really enjoyed the main characters of this novel. I was surprised because between the two main characters, most of the novel is spent with them in the bedroom Cheyenne was being kept in. This book is a wonderful example of character development, which is one of the reasons I liked it so much. Cheyenne and Griffin really spend a decent amount of time together, which makes it believable when Griffin saves Cheyenne from being raped. I would have been significantly annoyed if they just met and then he saved her. As a "bad guy", there just would have been much less motive than if he had spent the time he did to get to know her before the incident. I had problems with the "Griffin's mother is actually buried in the backyard" storyline. Griffin's mother is basically only brought up for convenience and because Cheyenne asks but Griffin really just needed an excuse to have antibiotics (still don't quite understand why his mother needed them in the first place but whatever). It is really just thrown in their at the end and then left. Also, the ending was quite rough. Griffin was traumatically injured, having been in shock for significant amount of time and the audience still doesn't get to see him get recovered or picked up, he simply calls Cheyenne on the phone later and says he is fine.
---Triggers---
I am including triggers with the spoilers because they do kind of spoil parts but I mentioned them towards the top for those who might have a sensitivity to these topics. I would much rather spoil then cause you harm.
Rape,violence, descriptive blood, burns,(inferred)alcoholism,parent death, accidents or contemplations of death.
Overall:
3 out of 5 stars
85% out of 100%
-Jaime
April Henry is a New York Times Best Seller
Overview (Non Spoilery Section)
This has been sitting on my self for a while and I needed a physical book to read during exams. It was just a middle of the road kidnapping novel, although I very much enjoyed the main character being blind. I also appreciated the amount of research that April Henry did during the development and writing process.
***Spoilers*** and trigger listings
I really enjoyed the main characters of this novel. I was surprised because between the two main characters, most of the novel is spent with them in the bedroom Cheyenne was being kept in. This book is a wonderful example of character development, which is one of the reasons I liked it so much. Cheyenne and Griffin really spend a decent amount of time together, which makes it believable when Griffin saves Cheyenne from being raped. I would have been significantly annoyed if they just met and then he saved her. As a "bad guy", there just would have been much less motive than if he had spent the time he did to get to know her before the incident. I had problems with the "Griffin's mother is actually buried in the backyard" storyline. Griffin's mother is basically only brought up for convenience and because Cheyenne asks but Griffin really just needed an excuse to have antibiotics (still don't quite understand why his mother needed them in the first place but whatever). It is really just thrown in their at the end and then left. Also, the ending was quite rough. Griffin was traumatically injured, having been in shock for significant amount of time and the audience still doesn't get to see him get recovered or picked up, he simply calls Cheyenne on the phone later and says he is fine.
---Triggers---
I am including triggers with the spoilers because they do kind of spoil parts but I mentioned them towards the top for those who might have a sensitivity to these topics. I would much rather spoil then cause you harm.
Rape,violence, descriptive blood, burns,(inferred)alcoholism,parent death, accidents or contemplations of death.
Overall:
3 out of 5 stars
85% out of 100%
-Jaime
November 2, 2010
This is a great book. I am pretty impressed with it. The heroine is Cheyenne. She is sixteen and has been blind for three years. She is suffering pneumonia and laying in wait for her stepmother in the back of an Escalade when a teenage boy jumps in (the keys in the ignition of an Escalade.. too tempting) and drives away, not realizing Cheyenne is in the back seat.
Well, rather than let her go and get his own arse in trouble, he takes her home. Three unfriendly men and a possibly rabid dog await them there. They realize they may have a bargaining chip with Cheyenne. There's a ransom demand and all that.. Meanwhile, Cheyenne is trying to escape, but she doesn't have her cain or her guide dog and she is in an unfamiliar environment. Can she escape? And how?? This chick doesn't sit there and mope, she grabs a car antenna and the rabid dog and she certainly tries to escape. But does she succeed? I'm not telling..
The story is very exciting and I especially enjoyed the insights into the life of a blind woman, the heightened senses that seeing people take for granted, the way people view her now that she is blind. Here is a favorite excerpt of mine:
"If she hid her cane, then people talked to her, not to whoever was with her. Everything changed if they figured out she was blind. She was tired of waiters who took everyone else's order and then said, "And what will she be having?"
Well, rather than let her go and get his own arse in trouble, he takes her home. Three unfriendly men and a possibly rabid dog await them there. They realize they may have a bargaining chip with Cheyenne. There's a ransom demand and all that.. Meanwhile, Cheyenne is trying to escape, but she doesn't have her cain or her guide dog and she is in an unfamiliar environment. Can she escape? And how?? This chick doesn't sit there and mope, she grabs a car antenna and the rabid dog and she certainly tries to escape. But does she succeed? I'm not telling..
The story is very exciting and I especially enjoyed the insights into the life of a blind woman, the heightened senses that seeing people take for granted, the way people view her now that she is blind. Here is a favorite excerpt of mine:
"If she hid her cane, then people talked to her, not to whoever was with her. Everything changed if they figured out she was blind. She was tired of waiters who took everyone else's order and then said, "And what will she be having?"
December 22, 2011
4 1/2 stars. Wow this book was really good I didn't expect it to enjoy it this much I thought it would just be more the fun read it but it turned out to be great page turner.
The twisting the story were amazing Cheyenne is intelligent and she's very cunning and brave and strong and independent and I loved everything about her.
And I love to hate the bad guys and story they we're brutal and actually bad bad-guys.
A lot of unexpected things happened in this book and I loved every part of it.
It's only about 200 pages but man there's so much that happens in the story and it's not too slow not too fast it has a great pace. Glad I picked this book up!
Liked this review? Check out my blog
The twisting the story were amazing Cheyenne is intelligent and she's very cunning and brave and strong and independent and I loved everything about her.
And I love to hate the bad guys and story they we're brutal and actually bad bad-guys.
A lot of unexpected things happened in this book and I loved every part of it.
It's only about 200 pages but man there's so much that happens in the story and it's not too slow not too fast it has a great pace. Glad I picked this book up!
Liked this review? Check out my blog
April 10, 2018
Super good... definitely recommend for people into ‘on the edge’ books 📚
January 13, 2023
از جلد اول ضعیفتر بود به نظرم
January 3, 2023
3.75⭐️ This book is a nice quick and easy ya thriller book that I enjoyed. This book is fast paced so it kept me engaged, the only thing was that this book in my opinion was very predictable and I felt like I knew what was going to happen from the start of the book.
December 14, 2012
In reading Girl, Stolen, I was reminded of two bits of pop culture: Excess Baggage and Wait Until Dark. The first film, a pretty terrible movie starring Alicia Silverstone and Antonio Banderas, tells the story of a poor little rich girl who, in an effort to get daddy's attention, fakes a kidnapping by locking herself in a car's trunk, only to have that car actually stolen. Then she cooks up a romance and a scheme with her accidental captor. Wait Until Dark, quite differently focuses on a blind woman, played by Audrey Hepburn who some thugs suspect of having a doll stuffed with drugs. She has to try to escape this situation with her life. Put these two together and you've sort of got Girl, Stolen.
Of course, comparing a book to other stories really limits it, so I want to stress that there's more going on here; in making these comparisons, I do not intend to imply that Henry's story is entirely derivative by any means. Henry did a marvelous job telling this story, keeping everything suspenseful and scary, but not venturing into melodramatic territory in the slightest. She does not try to make anything more difficult than it already is for the sake of extra drama.
So much YA that I've read, usually in the paranormal genre, centers on a heroine, gifted with supernatural powers that enable her to do absolutely anything, yet she still ends up relying on other people to save her. Your powers or your weaknesses are only what you allow them to be. Cheyenne has been blind since an accident three years ago damaged her brain, leaving her with functioning eyes but a mind unable to read the messages. Now almost entirely blind, she relies on her cane or her seeing eye dog, Phantom.
On the day in question, Cheyenne's step-mom convinced Cheyenne the dog should stay home, since they were not going very far. While her step-mother went into the pharmacy to get the antibiotics to treat Cheyenne's pneumonia, Cheyenne rested in the backseat. Then the car got stolen. Griffin had no idea she was in the car, but, once he got home to his piece of shit father, she becomes even more useful to them than the jacked Escalade. Cheyenne's father runs Nike corporation, and she can be ransomed for a lot of money.
In this situation, I cannot imagine I would be capable of anything other than some snarky comebacks and some seriously menacing death glares. Cheyenne, sick with pneumonia, running a fever, tiny, and blind never stops planning escapes. She is such an incredibly powerful character, able to make the best of any situation, and to use her strengths to best advantage. Where some heroines have endless amounts of power and don't use it, Cheyenne makes the most out of everything she has. I respect her so much, and Henry for writing a heroine with a disability and not making her pitiable, but a figure of strength.
Girl, Stolen weighs in at only 220 pages, but packs an emotional punch. Dark, scary, and investigating whether Griffin is a redeemable figure, I was sucked into this novel and not let go until I finished the last page. If you're tired of young adult fiction focused on romance and whiny heroines, Girl, Stolen is the perfect break.
Of course, comparing a book to other stories really limits it, so I want to stress that there's more going on here; in making these comparisons, I do not intend to imply that Henry's story is entirely derivative by any means. Henry did a marvelous job telling this story, keeping everything suspenseful and scary, but not venturing into melodramatic territory in the slightest. She does not try to make anything more difficult than it already is for the sake of extra drama.
So much YA that I've read, usually in the paranormal genre, centers on a heroine, gifted with supernatural powers that enable her to do absolutely anything, yet she still ends up relying on other people to save her. Your powers or your weaknesses are only what you allow them to be. Cheyenne has been blind since an accident three years ago damaged her brain, leaving her with functioning eyes but a mind unable to read the messages. Now almost entirely blind, she relies on her cane or her seeing eye dog, Phantom.
On the day in question, Cheyenne's step-mom convinced Cheyenne the dog should stay home, since they were not going very far. While her step-mother went into the pharmacy to get the antibiotics to treat Cheyenne's pneumonia, Cheyenne rested in the backseat. Then the car got stolen. Griffin had no idea she was in the car, but, once he got home to his piece of shit father, she becomes even more useful to them than the jacked Escalade. Cheyenne's father runs Nike corporation, and she can be ransomed for a lot of money.
In this situation, I cannot imagine I would be capable of anything other than some snarky comebacks and some seriously menacing death glares. Cheyenne, sick with pneumonia, running a fever, tiny, and blind never stops planning escapes. She is such an incredibly powerful character, able to make the best of any situation, and to use her strengths to best advantage. Where some heroines have endless amounts of power and don't use it, Cheyenne makes the most out of everything she has. I respect her so much, and Henry for writing a heroine with a disability and not making her pitiable, but a figure of strength.
Girl, Stolen weighs in at only 220 pages, but packs an emotional punch. Dark, scary, and investigating whether Griffin is a redeemable figure, I was sucked into this novel and not let go until I finished the last page. If you're tired of young adult fiction focused on romance and whiny heroines, Girl, Stolen is the perfect break.
November 12, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Cheyenne feels awful. She and her step-mother have just left the doctor's office where x-rays revealed that Cheyenne has pneumonia. Her step-mother leaves her resting in the running car while she heads into the store to pick up a prescription. It all seems simple, until a stranger slips into the front seat and steals the car.
As the car thief speeds out of the parking lot, a glance in the rear view mirror reveals he has a passenger, but by now it's too late. When Cheyenne realizes what is happening, she begs her captor to release her, promising not to tell anyone. When her promises are ignored, Cheyenne reveals the real truth - she is blind.
Griffin, the young car thief, is in a panic. His actual target in the shopping center parking lot was to steal packages from unlocked vehicles. Stealing a car was not part of the plan, but when he saw the classy SUV was just sitting there with its engine running, he reacted. Now he will be delivering a really cool car to his father, but the added surprise of a kidnapped girl is definitely going to complicate matters.
Cheyenne tries to use her remaining senses to follow the route Griffin takes into the country. She knows she isn't far from home, but she has no idea how to figure out exactly where she is. When her kidnappers find out she is the daughter of the company president of Nike, they are determined to demand a sizeable reward. As they plot and plan their next step, Cheyenne listens carefully for clues revealing their names and the location of the house where she is being held.
Author April Henry has created quite a thriller guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats. GIRL, STOLEN is filled with plenty of excitement and suspense. There is the obvious complication of Cheyenne's blindness and the added difficulty of her physical illness and her immediate need for antibiotics. Those problems alone would be enough for most authors, but Henry adds other creative plot twists that will keep readers on their toes. GIRL, STOLEN is a must-read for action and adventure fans.
Cheyenne feels awful. She and her step-mother have just left the doctor's office where x-rays revealed that Cheyenne has pneumonia. Her step-mother leaves her resting in the running car while she heads into the store to pick up a prescription. It all seems simple, until a stranger slips into the front seat and steals the car.
As the car thief speeds out of the parking lot, a glance in the rear view mirror reveals he has a passenger, but by now it's too late. When Cheyenne realizes what is happening, she begs her captor to release her, promising not to tell anyone. When her promises are ignored, Cheyenne reveals the real truth - she is blind.
Griffin, the young car thief, is in a panic. His actual target in the shopping center parking lot was to steal packages from unlocked vehicles. Stealing a car was not part of the plan, but when he saw the classy SUV was just sitting there with its engine running, he reacted. Now he will be delivering a really cool car to his father, but the added surprise of a kidnapped girl is definitely going to complicate matters.
Cheyenne tries to use her remaining senses to follow the route Griffin takes into the country. She knows she isn't far from home, but she has no idea how to figure out exactly where she is. When her kidnappers find out she is the daughter of the company president of Nike, they are determined to demand a sizeable reward. As they plot and plan their next step, Cheyenne listens carefully for clues revealing their names and the location of the house where she is being held.
Author April Henry has created quite a thriller guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats. GIRL, STOLEN is filled with plenty of excitement and suspense. There is the obvious complication of Cheyenne's blindness and the added difficulty of her physical illness and her immediate need for antibiotics. Those problems alone would be enough for most authors, but Henry adds other creative plot twists that will keep readers on their toes. GIRL, STOLEN is a must-read for action and adventure fans.
December 8, 2010
When I first read the back of the this book I thought that it sounded super unique, therefore I was quite excited to read it, thinking it would be amazing. But (isn't there always a but?)... It just wasn't my cup of tea. I think that a lot of other YA readers will enjoy this book, I think that my biggest problem is that I think that currently I am very much loving YA paranormal and anything that isn't within that genre just kinda falls flat for me.
One pro of this book is that the characters are extremely relatable. You have Cheyenne, a young girl who has undergone ordeal after ordeal over an extremely short period of time, losing her mom in a freak accident, losing her eyesight from said accident, getting sick and then getting kidnapped, who remains strong despite it all and then you have Griffin, the unintentional kidnapper who has had a pretty crappy life, who you just cannot but feel sorry for and despite all of his mistakes, and who you eventually come to love. Another pro is that it draws awareness to visual impairments and clears up the misconception that everyone who is legally blind cannot see whatsoever, Cheyenne is considered as such, but she does have a tiny sliver of peripheral vision in her one eye.
However, one of the cons of this book is that the action really never takes off as much as I would have preferred. For a large part of the story Cheyenne is tied to a bed and is pretty helpless since her vision is not good enough to get her out of the situation. When the action finally does occur, it happens within the very last part of the book and is over within a heartbeat.
It kinda reminds me of "If the Witness Lied" and "Code Orange" by Caroline B. Cooney- they are all books that I could either take them or leave them.
One pro of this book is that the characters are extremely relatable. You have Cheyenne, a young girl who has undergone ordeal after ordeal over an extremely short period of time, losing her mom in a freak accident, losing her eyesight from said accident, getting sick and then getting kidnapped, who remains strong despite it all and then you have Griffin, the unintentional kidnapper who has had a pretty crappy life, who you just cannot but feel sorry for and despite all of his mistakes, and who you eventually come to love. Another pro is that it draws awareness to visual impairments and clears up the misconception that everyone who is legally blind cannot see whatsoever, Cheyenne is considered as such, but she does have a tiny sliver of peripheral vision in her one eye.
However, one of the cons of this book is that the action really never takes off as much as I would have preferred. For a large part of the story Cheyenne is tied to a bed and is pretty helpless since her vision is not good enough to get her out of the situation. When the action finally does occur, it happens within the very last part of the book and is over within a heartbeat.
It kinda reminds me of "If the Witness Lied" and "Code Orange" by Caroline B. Cooney- they are all books that I could either take them or leave them.
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