Title: Stolen

Author: Lucy Christopher

Hiba’s pick 

I would often daydream as a child what would happen if I ever got kidnapped or lost. It happened once. Getting lost of course. So when I picked up this book having heard Lucy speak at the Sydney Writers Festival school event at Riverside Theatres Parramatta I knew I would be in for a moral joyride.

The novel is written as a letter by 16 year old Gemma to her captor Ty who kidnaps her from her family in a Bangkok airport and takes her to the middle of nowhere – the Great Sandy Desert. There is a constant antithesis throughout the novel of Gemma’s unwillingness to accept the desert and resisting Ty’s efforts to be part of the land. This slowly changes and it is this series of events that Gemma learns the truth behind Ty’s life and choices.

The novel however pushes moral boundaries, expecting the reader to make a choice between hating or loving Ty. It is a choice I still cannot decide upon.

Elements that tied this book together include the picturesque Australian outback that forces you to make a connection with the land and its inhabitants, distinguishing between the harsh climate of the desert and the serene and stillness of the land and animals. The ease and flow of the words and ultimately her decision to settle the restlessness hanging between herself and her captor.

I was left yearning for more words, more description of the Australian desert, Gemma’s emotions, experience and her journey towards making her ultimate decision.

More can be found at Lucy’s official website http://www.lucychristopher.com/stolen