Review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Title: Girl, Stolen

Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Release date: September 28th 2010
Pages: 213
Genre: Contemporary YA; mystery
Source: Bought
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Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Ever since hearing about the unique set-up of Girl, Stolen, I've been wanting to read this book. The whole idea of a guy stealing a car without knowing there was a girl in the back is genius, and I love where the author took it from there.


Then there's the fact that the main character is blind, which makes me so, so happy. I am so glad to finally be reading a book about someone with a disability, without that disability being the main subject of the book. I love how in Girl, Stolen, Cheyenne's disability is just a part of who she is, one aspect of the bigger plot. We need more books like that, in my opinion.


April Henry sure knows how to write a great mystery - the suspenseful atmosphere is so well-done. I wasn't expecting all of it to be so dangerous - Griffin's dad, Roy, sounded like a bad guy, yes, but I wasn't expecting him to be that evil! Girl, Stolen surprised me with its life-or-death danger, for both main characters. The fast-paced plot had me flipping the pages, and towards the end, I literally couldn't stop reading. I was terrified for both of our main characters ad that fear kept my heart pounding throughout the book.


But, even if the idea is what makes Girl, Stolen unique, the characters are what make it all come together. I really liked Cheyenne and her history was very interesting to read about. Resourceful is the word that comes to my mind when I think of her, though I have to admit that word wasn't my idea but stuck with me from Todd Strasser's blurb. Anyways, all the things Cheyenne comes up with in order to save herself are fascinating.


My love for Cheyenne, though, is nothing compared to my love for Griffin. Oh, Griffin... He's terribly misguided by his *insert expletive of choice* father, but he's strong and has a good heart. I felt bad about it, since he's sort of the bad guy in this story, but a happy ending for Griffin was even more important to me than a happy ending for Cheyenne. Therefore, I was a little disappointed by how much the ending focuses on on Cheyenne's story instead of Griffin's. Either way, I loved these characters.


I really enjoyed the relationship between Cheyenne and Griffin. I was dreading some kind of romance between the two, and I'm glad the story doesn't go there. The relationship between Cheyenne and Griffin develops naturally and in a very honest and real way. Their connection is subtle, and I very much appreciate that no unrealistic ideas of romance were forced on the story.


Girl, Stolen is the perfect balance between suspenseful mystery and solid character development. I loved it even more than The Night She Disappeared, probably because this plot is a lot more original. I can't wait for more mysteries from April Henry!