Stealing Candy

March 1, 2017
When Candy is literally stolen from her snooty New England boarding school, she knows something the kidnappers don't: her rock-star dad is not going to ransom her.The white teen's mother's been dead for years, but her father, aging rock star Wade Rex, never stepped in to fill the void, instead first fobbing her off on her emotionally distant grandmother and then dumping her in boarding school. So rather than trying to escape her kidnappers, Candy allies with them. From the outset, Candy's appallingly privileged narration grates. Despite her "poor little rich girl" back story, she fails to ingratiate herself with readers. She is terrified of black kidnapper Jamal, scarred and with "half-dead" eyes, but she finds herself increasingly drawn to white Levon, of the luminous green eyes, soft hands, and "creamy and smooth" skin. The situation is also wildly implausible, starting with Candy's ability to get her HD mini handheld camera out of her back pocket and use it unnoticed while wearing a ski mask on backwards and with her hands taped. Candy and Levon easily become partners in the deal when Jamal departs after an unlikely confrontation. Levon has reasons for his actions that Candy thinks are valid, and she has no fondness for--really, only one happy memory of--her father. For readers who can get past Candy's unpleasant self-presentation and the narrative's equally unpleasant stereotyping and who are interested in escapism, this will do the trick. Right down to the last scene readers will find enough implied steaminess, threatening violence, and sob stories to make pulses race. Just don't think. (Thriller. 14-18)

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April 1, 2017
Gr 9 Up-Candy Rex is bored with her life as a high school junior at a boarding school. She yearns for adventure and makes movies to bring excitement to her life. Her wish is granted when she is kidnapped by Levon and Jamal, who hope to obtain ransom money from her famous musician father. Candy soon discovers that Jamal is violent while Levon is gentle. Candy convinces Levon to rebel against Jamal, and once they find themselves without Jamal, they take a chance and continue on their road trip. Candy realizes that she may like Levon. Levon also begins to make a connection with Candy while heading south in his car. Candy's and Levon's characterizations are underdeveloped, and the details of the setting are not fleshed out. The overall progression of the plot may leave readers disappointed, and both the story and Levon and Candy's relationship end on an ambiguous note. VERDICT Libraries should pass on this problematic selection.-Tracie Marshall, Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids, IA

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