Girl, Stolen

September 20, 2010
While waiting in the car for her stepmother, 16-year-old Cheyenne is accidentally kidnapped by Griffin, a hard-edged teenager who steals the family's Escalade. She is blind, and while this makes her less of a concern for Griffin, his father, and their crew of thugs (who steal cars, replace the VIN numbers, and resell them), an escape is all but impossible ("She no longer knew anything about the world. All she knew about was herself. Her world had shrunk to the edges of her skin"). Cheyenne's disability grants her unexpected strengths; she learns to use her blindness and a case of pneumonia to her advantage, manipulating Griffin into sympathizing with her. When the men discover that Cheyenne's father is the president of Nike, they begin negotiating a ransom, but the question remains: can she trust Griffin to let her go? Henry (Torched) spins a captivating tale that shifts between Cheyenne's and Griffin's thoughts. Both are well-built, complex characters, trapped in their own ways by life's circumstances, which—paired with a relentlessly fast pace—ensures a tense read. Ages 12–up.