Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

6 reviews

jedore's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"It's hard to hate someone once you understand them.”

This is a gripping tale of survival and resilience. Gemma, a teenage girl, is abducted from the Bangkok international airport and held captive in the unforgiving Australian outback. The novel explores themes of isolation, fear, and the human spirit.

I seriously struggled with the developing romantic dynamic between Gemma and her captor, Ty. The author's choice to romanticize their relationship rather than addressing it as a complex and harmful psychological response to trauma was very unsettling. This portrayal can be misleading, particularly for younger readers leading to the glamorization of "trauma bonding."

That said, I was relieved that Christopher did not have Gemma become entirely submissive. Her unwavering determination to escape kept me engaged and hopeful.

While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy and a bit contentious, it's refreshing to see authors of young adult fiction exploring complex issues with depth.

This is a provocative and thought-provoking read. While the romanticization of the captor-victim relationship is a significant flaw in my opinion, the novel's exploration of survival, resilience, and the human psyche is commendable.
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brookey8888's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was an interesting read. It wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it was going to be. It’s more character driven then I was expecting. Gemma gets kidnapped so you and her are starting to feel for the kidnapper and it’s just interesting to read. I didn’t love how this was written, it makes sense, but I just didn’t vibe with it. This was good, but it’s honestly nothing special. It reminded me of the good girl by Mary kubica but young adult. The setting was maybe my favorite part of this, learning about the Australian Outback was interesting. 
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abbyycadabbyy's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

2.0

     Alright, so this book... We can tell I didn't like it due to the rating. This whole book I was bored and wasn't wanting to read it. 

     The only thing that I really liked is how it was told in her letters to him. I thought it made for an interesting book. I wanted to know how it ended but if it wasn't for the fact that I was doing a buddy read I don't know that I would have finished this book.

     Now for all the stuff I didn't like... we might be here for a while. The main thing that I didn't like was all the cracks in the plot. Just the fact he was able to take her from a crowded airport and nobody noticed, or the fact that she
went from hating him to then falling in love with him
or the fact that he was able to
keep all the materials at a mine site where a bunch of people worked, even if he got them at night all the people had to sleep at the mine site because they were in the middle of nowhere 
. 
 
     He was extremely odd, I am not going to say that I thought he was going to be normal because he did kidnap her but, I didn't think he was going to be so weird. I thought all the painting was super odd. I don't know, I really just didn't like Ty at all. There were a few times where you could say he was caring but, with a story written like this he is going to look like a good guy because
she falls in love with him
. That is one downside to the way it was written, in her letters to him. 

    I really didn't like her that much either because the whole time I was just thinking "oh god she is going to fall in love with him." I don't feel like this book should be marked as a romance because it really isn't. the romance is only really there in the last like 40 pages. 

     I could probably go on and on all day about why this book just wasn't it for me, but I won't. I really wouldn't recommend, there is so many other, better books out there. 
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ellie_girl2929's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book made me feel so many emotions and made me reflect a lot. This book was a lot in general and was a roller coaster. I was hooked from the first page and never wanted to put the book down once a started a sitting. Ty made me think a lot, at times I was disgusted on how he thought and what went on in his mind about keeping Gemma forever and how he was fr crazy in the head but other times he was just alone and kinda sweet and caring when he wanted to be. Would definitely recommend
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michaelion's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book did irreversible, irreparable psychic and psychological damage to my 14 year old brain and if I could turn back the sands of time I wouldn't change a fuckin' thing.
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sophieduncan's review against another edition

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sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

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