Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 213
Read Time: 3 day
Rating (1-5): 4
Tag Words: Blind girl, kidnapping, ransom, escape, Contemp Author Challenge
My Summary: Cheyenne is blind, kidnapped and sick with pneumonia. She is being ransomed for a million dollars. Her kidnappers have promised to let her go, but Cheyenne can feel the fingers of death clutching her closely. To escape and survive Cheyenne must hurt the one boy who began it all and protected her while in captivity. Can she do what it takes to be free?
My Review:
When I first began Girl, Stolen by April Henry, I was a bit unimpressed. The chain of events that lead to the kidnapping, and the details that are plugged in to up the stakes feel a bit forced. The kidnapping isn’t premeditated, it isn’t even suppose to occur, so I stuck with the story, hoping the “clumsiness” would wear off and the story would pull through. It did in the end and I was left satisfied with Cheyenne’s tale.
As for the characters Cheyenne is resilient and brave. She is a great heroine and I loved being in her mind. Griffin bothered me a bit. I think that Griffin developing feelings for the young, blind, sick girl within minutes is a bit much. I believe that pairing Griffin against his father and the two other “bad guys” was such a stark difference that I would rather Griffin’s portion of the story been about his struggle with right and wrong and deciding that he wanted to be someone better, that his dad’s approval meant nothing because Roy was nothing. I did like that the chapters flipped back and forth, you don’t read that much and I think it was a good decision on Henry’s part.
All in all it was a good book, I read the last eighty or so pages straight through and my heart sped up at certain points. I really admire Cheyenne and I only hope I would be so brave and strong if I were in the same situation.
Notes on the Names: This is the best part! Cheyenne and I have something in common, we are both descended from a pure-blood Cherokee who happens to be our great-great- grandmother. As Cheyenne said, “Not enough to count,” but this blood is enough to peak my interest in Native American names; because of that I know that Cheyenne means “People of a different language.” Yeah, that’s perfection.
Thoughts on the Cover: I really like this cover, the small details, such as the simple, but elegant jewelry, and the worn nail polish really make Cheyenne come alive. The editing is also beautifully done, I am really impressed!
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