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Girl, Stolen

(Girl, Stolen #1)

April Henry (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 20,145 ratings · 2,724 reviews

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 tha ...more

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Hardcover, 213 pages

Published December 1st 2010 by Henry Holt and Co. (first published September 28th 2010)

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· 20,145 ratings · 2,724 reviews

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Mar 22, 2011 Morgan F rated it liked it

Shelves: otis-library, pretty-covers, young-adult, goodreads-author, read-2011, kidnapping, multiple, 2010, realistic, mystery

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 ...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Deborah Markus rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-find, young-adult-fiction

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 ...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Cara rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction

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 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. ...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Yin Chien 인첸 rated it it was amazing

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 whic 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. ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-borrowed, series

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 ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Jenn, Reader of Things rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Those who enjoy thought-provoking suspense, people who need something to write a book report on.

Recommended to Jenn, Reader of Things by: No one. I'm all about feminism and being independant.

Shelves: reviewed, stand-alones

"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, ...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Eva Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: b-fiction, y-a

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. A ...more

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May 02, 2018 Amy Leigh rated it really liked it

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 figur ...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Valerie rated it really liked it

Recommended to Valerie by: Cara

Shelves: realistic-fiction

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 sc ...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2010, contemporary-realistic-ya

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 ...more

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Jun 25, 2018 Sierra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: phenomenal-books, realistic-fiction, authors-a-k, hardcover, absolute-favorites, 5-stars, 449-pages-or-less, 2010-releases, female-authors

This book was actually better than I was expecting.

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Feb 23, 2016 Julie rated it it was amazing

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 u ...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Maysoon K rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Karessa A. rated it really liked it

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. ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Morgan rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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Jul 17, 2018 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: disabilities, animals, the-northwest, contemporary, kidnapping

I 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! ...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Sylvere ap Leanan rated it it was ok

"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-p "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. ...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Angelica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: asdfghjkl

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 i 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. ...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Katie(babs) rated it it was ok

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 w 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. ...more

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Apr 16, 2014 Jaime Leigh rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

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 enjoy 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 ...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Tara Chevrestt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2010-release, kindle

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 ...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge

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 on ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Pakhi❤️📚 rated it it was amazing

Super good... definitely recommend for people into ‘on the edge’ books 📚

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Jul 31, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 w 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. ...more

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Apr 09, 2010 Jennifer Wardrip rated it really liked it

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, read-by-other-reviewers

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, 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. ...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Avery rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Toneeshia rated it it was amazing

Girl, Stolen is a contemporary realistic fictional book intended for advanced aged children. It has won the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Award, Maryland Black- Eyed Susan award Maser List, and others. Girl, Stolen is about a car thief named Griffin accidentally kidnapping blind 16- year old Cheyenne while she napped in her stepmother's Escalade. Griffin takes her to his home and soon before she is to be released by G ...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Steph rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, reviewed

I received this book for free as a review copy from the Goodreads First Reads program. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Girl, Stolen and read the bulk of it in one sitting. What initially drew me to the book was the cover art. I really like the symbolism of the little girl covering her eyes, most of us do it when afraid, but for the heroine of the story it is something she must live with every day as a blind person. Cheyenne does find herself in a terrifying s ...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it it was amazing

Life for sixteen-year old Cheyenne Wilder is about to get a tad bit scary and worse for her , as one day when her and her stepmum are at the chemist , their car is stolen though what happens next is that only one of them got out of the car that day. Cheyenne sick with pneumonia is curled up in the backseat and now she has been kidnapped. As the story goes on we see Cheyenne uprooted and kidnapped and left in the middle of nowhere unsure of what is going to happen next. All would be well, except ...more

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May 09, 2017 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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-p ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Girl, Stolen (Girl, Stolen #1) by April Henry - Starting August 1st, 2020	26	18	Aug 07, 2020 05:06AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Blind Girl Gets Kidnapped [s]	6	751	May 31, 2020 10:44PM
Appropriate age???	13	186	Mar 22, 2019 09:26AM
Kidnapping	1	1	Oct 10, 2018 11:52AM

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About April Henry

April Henry

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I 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 ...more

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