Girl, Stolen
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is asleep in the back of her mom's car when it's stolen from the pharmacy parking lot. Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia—she's also blind. Griffin, the teenager who was stealing packages out of parked cars, hadn't meant to kidnap her; he just impulsively stole the car with her in it. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of Nike, everything changes—now there's a reason to keep her. Will Cheyenne be able to survive this harrowing ordeal and escape? And if so, at what price?
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Reviews
"This can't-put-it-down crime thriller unfolds through the viewpoints of both victim and criminal. Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne , blinded in an accident that killed her mother three years earlier, has pneumonia. As she sleeps in the back of her stepmother's car, Griffin steals it, inadvertently kidnapping her. Once Griffin 's car-thief father learns she's wealthy, he decides to demand ransom. When the hapless Griffin realizes his dad and cronies will kill the girl to protect their identities, he tries to protect her. Clearly, the author did extensive research on blindness and its challenges. Her realistic depiction of the coping strategies and the strengths developed by the blind greatly enhances the novel, lifting it above the level of a mere escapist thriller. Characterizations make an impact, with both Cheyenne and Griffin becoming quite appealing; much suspense revolves around Griffin 's divided loyalties. The slightly ambiguous ending highlights Cheyenne 's ambivalent feelings toward Griffin . Although Cheyenne 's multiple problems might feel overdone in less skilled hands, Henry handles them deftly and makes her choices work. Constantly interesting and suspenseful."
- Kirkus
A Quick Pick nominee!
"April Henry's Girl Stolen is page-turning suspense with a clever heroine who meets up with bad luck, bad men, a bad dog, bad weather, bad health, and has to face them without seeing them. A nail biter."
- Gail Giles, best-selling author of Whatever Happened to Cass McBride
"A unique and clever premise. Cheyenne has to be one of the most resourceful heroines in recent memory."
- Todd Strasser, the best-selling author of Wish You Were Dead
"I enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful and really interesting. A lot of the things that Cheyenne dealt with in being blind were really surprising. I never knew or even thought about how those who are blind might be treated or how they navigated in a world where most everyone else sees. And though Griffin's the kidnapper, he's not just the bad guy. He has depth and character."
- What's Been Reading Me blog
"I was hooked within the first chapter; the chapter is only three pages long. Cheyenne is a sixteen year old girl accidently kidnapped as she was resting in the back seat of her stepmom's car. Once the car thief, Griffin, discovers she is back there, he feels he must take her home because she knows too much already, even if she is blind. Cheyenne is a very independent teen even after becoming blind just a few years earlier. She's a strong character who doesn't just cower in a corner waiting to be rescued. Girl Stolen is a can't-put-down book full of suspense from start to finish. Reluctant readers will enjoy this book as well. It is a must for any library collection. (My 12 year-old-daughter was also hooked in the first few pages and could not put it down.)"
- Michelle Levy, School Library Media Specialist, Eton Academy
