Stolen

Contributed by Jade, gr. 12, Jan. 2019

Stolen by Lucy Christopher is a fascinating non-fiction novel that was written as a letter from a 16-year-old girl to her kidnapper. The story explores the topic of Stockholm Syndrome which is one of the most intriguing human psychological conditions. It also illustrates the theme of isolation as the main character is forced to adjust to her new environment.

The story follows the journey of 16-year-old Gemma Toombs, starting from the moment she encounters the 24-year-old attractive men named Ty at an airport in Bangkok then  to when she is kidnapped and brought as a prisoner to  in the Australian outback and then where she experiences emotional changes under the influence of Stockholm Syndrome. Through the perspective of Gemma, the reader will obtain a deeper understanding of this condition through the compelling character development.

In my opinion, there are some portions of the book that feel stagnant and repetitive,   but overall the tension is maintained for the audience. I would recommend this book to grade 10 and 11 students since it is a moderately quick book to read with an easy-to-understand writing style. This story can also appeal to anyone who is invested in the topic of human psychology.