Review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Title: Girl, Stolen

Author: April Henry

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publishing Date: December 1st, 2010

Pages: 213

Genre: Young Adult Mystery Thriller

Series: Standalone

Source: Audio

 

Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills a prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, the car is being stolen.
Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she's blind, he really doesn't know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her.
How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?

Girl, Stolen is a young adult mystery thriller about a blind teen who gets kidnapped.. By accident. This book is all about Cheyenne trying to survive. And escape

What made me pick this book up: 

It was yet another April Henry book. Pretty sure any reviews I do for her books are going to say the same thing.

What did I like about the cover: 

This book has two covers. My favorite is the one I posted on this review. I tend to like covers with faces, or people on them. I also have a "thing" for hands. I think they always look powerful and beautiful. What I also like about this cover is that it shows a scared girl covering her face, as if she can't see. And I think that represents her being blind really well. As far as the other cover, it just shows police tape on the cover, and that just doesn't match well to me.

What made me read this book: 

It was April Henry, I have a goal to read all of her books. But also what made me want to read the book was the synopsis. A blind girl who is accidentally kidnapped? Sounded like a really good thriller.

What did I like the most: 

Oh man, what didn't I like? The main character is great. She was strong and didn't give up, even though she was blind. I know girls who aren't blind, who would have just given up. She was a strong, smart, capable girl. She figured things out, and thought them through more than most people would. The story was great, I was completely immersed in the book. 

What didn't I like: 

Hmm.. Well I guess just some of the supporting characters weren't as strong as they could have been. Yes I liked Griffin, but really I didn't care what happened to him. Also near the end was a little bit predictable. And I've read four April Henry books and this one definitely had the most predictability.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
More from this author!?! Absolutely!! I did just find out that there is a second one to Girl, Stolen. I will probably read it just because it's April Henry, but honestly I think this book is perfect as a standalone. It doesn't need more to the story.

Overall I did love this book. I haven't read one by April Henry that I haven't liked yet. The main character was strong. The supporting characters were kind of okay. The story was unique and well written. And the ending was decent as well. Overall it was a strong, and unique story that was well written. 

A Little Snippet

“Sometimes people did this, closed their eyes for a few seconds and imagined it gave them insights into what it was like to be her. Only, at the end, they could still open their eyes and see.” ― April Henry, Girl, Stolen

I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 20 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into six languages, been named to state reading lists, and won the Oregon Book Award.