Review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Finished: November 21, 2010

Synopsis: Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is waiting for her step-mother inside an SUV as she runs into the store for Cheyenne’s medicine. Cheyenne is blind and she is also suffering from pneumonia. Without the medicine, she could die. A young boy climbs into the vehicle, intending to steal it, but gets much more than he was looking for when, too late, he notices a girl in the backseat.

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed Girl, Stolen and read the bulk of it in one sitting. What initially drew me to the book was the cover art. I really like the symbolism of the little girl covering her eyes, most of us do it when afraid, but for the heroine of the story it is something she must live with every day as a blind person. Cheyenne does find herself in a terrifying situation, she is kidnapped and held captive by four men, but she has no need to cover her eyes since an accident has caused her to lose her sight. She must rely on her intelligence and her other senses in order to make it out alive. 

I think this is a very gripping young adult novel and young people will find a character they can relate to in Cheyenne Wilder. While I didn’t find this to be a life-changing novel myself, in my opinion this book is best suited for its intended audience of teenagers (some YA books can cross this line while others do not), it definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn’t know about blind people. I think it is a worthy read (for anyone) for the insight it offers into the life of someone who is living without their sight. 

Rating:

  

Three out of Five Coffees

Note: This review is of an ARC received for free from the publisher. This in no way shaped or changed my opinion of the book. This review was originally posted on November 29, 2010 (before the birth of this blog) at my Goodreads account. Hardcover editions are already in stores and can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository and other retailers. The Paperback edition of this novel will be released March 13, 2012. Coincidentally, my birthday!