Review: Girl, Stolen (Henry)

Title: Girl, Stolen
Author: Henry
Genre: Fiction, Survival, Kidnapping, Blindness
Pages: 224
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne is sleeping in the back seat of her mom's car.  Cheyenne is sick, and her mom stopped at the pharmacy to pick up Cheyenne's prescription.  Wrapped up in a blanket, Cheyenne doesn't immediately realize that her mom's car is being carjacked right out of the parking lot...with her in it.

Griffin was looking for a nice ride to steal, and the Cadillac SUV seemed perfect; the keys were even in it.  What Griffin doesn't notice is that underneath the lump of blankets in the back seat is a very sick girl.  A girl who just wants to be let out of the car and promises not to tell anyone about him...she can't really see him anyway...because she is blind.

Cheyenne is at a disadvantage because she cannot see her kidnapper or her surroundings, and she is sick.  Griffin stole the SUV only to make his father happy.  But this grand theft auto turned kidnapping has gone all kinds of wrong.  Cheyenne turns out to be the daughter of a major corporate executive who has been all over the news demanding her safe return.  Fearing Cheyenne will be able to somehow identify them, Griffin's dad wants her dead.

Griffin and Cheyenne are two teens in desperate situations.  Cheyenne must decide whether to trust Griffen, her kidnapper, in hopes of finding a way to escape.  Griffin must decide who he can trust...Cheyenne or his father. The kidnapping at the heart of this story is told seemlessly through alternating chapters from each teen's perspective, victim and criminal.

Both Cheyenne and Griffin are complicated characters, put through extraordinary circumstances.  Their emotions, reactions, and interactions are believeable.  Readers will feel sympathy for Griffin, growing up without a mother, trapped with a villain for a father.  You will plead for him to do the right thing.  But can he?

In the end, it is Cheyenne who readers will identify with, who they will hold their breath for until she is safe.  She is the princess held captive in the tower, and the odds are stacked against her.  She has every reason to give up.  But she does not and it is her strength that sees her through.  But is it enough?

This is suspense/survival at it's best!  A fast-paced read that will leave you wanting to flip ahead to the end to find out what happens.  DON'T DO IT!  You must appreciate the drama as it unfolds.  In this month of MAJOR books being released, I hope that you don't let this one pass you buy.  A definite "must read."

P.S. An excellent example of a perfect cover!