{Audiobook} Review: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor
Author: Lucy Christopher
Narrator: Emily Gray
Series: Standalone
Length:  8 hrs 38 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: August 16th, 2010
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere.

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

Why have I waited so long to read this book!!!!!???? OMG. I loved it so much. I recently bit the bullet and purchased the Kindle edition. At the time it was on sale for 2.99. (I think it still is). Then I saw the audible version was on sale for 3 something just because I already owned the Kindle. Heck yeah, I grabbed that shit too. 

I ended up going with the Audio for my first read, because I wanted to get to it sooner rather than later. And plus, it takes place in Australia, and I really enjoy hearing the accents. It bring the book even more to life. I loved the narrator for Stolen. There are some moments that the fear just drips from her voice. She was freaking awesome. 

Stolen took over every hour of my day. If I wasn't listening I was thinking about it. It was that interesting. I mean, this poor 16 year old girl gets kidnapped. You have no clue going into this story what kind of man this is. Now I'll admit, he's a bit screwy in the head, but for those of you who fear this story, because of what normally happens when young girls are kidnapped... it will be okay. Trust me.  I think that is one of the things that made me hold off on it, because I was afraid I would be reading a horrible story.This isn't your normal kidnapping though. 

Stolen is told from Gemma's point of view, but in a letter. She's writing everything that happened and writing it to her captor Ty. I really like that. I think it helps us get in her head a little better. Because it's not all "OMG, Happening Right Now!!!". She's telling us with a calm way about her. Now that she's had time to give it all some thought, before putting it into words. It makes things much clearer than if she was telling us in real time. At least that's how I felt about it. 

Also, the setting! It almost made me want to go to Australia. Even with all those poisonous thing that live there. So beautiful, and the heat has an appeal to me right now as I'm living in single digits. 

I struggled with how I felt at the end of Stolen. It's one of those stories, that really make you question your feelings. Those are the best kinds of books. This one will go down as one of my faves this year. Love love loved it! 

About the author:

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.

Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.

Find Lucy:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: Audiobook, Australia, favorites, kidnapping, lucy christopher, reviews, scholastic, stolen: A letter to my captor

{Audiobook} Review: The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher

Title: The Killing Woods
Author: Lucy Christopher
Narrator(s):  Fiona Hardingham & Shaun Grindell
Series: stand-alone
Length:  9 hrs 25 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Audiobook Jukebox
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.

A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.

I had some seriously high expectations for my second Lucy Christopher novel after the gut-punch that was Stolen.  From other reader reactions, though, I knew to lower expectations a bit, that this would not hit me right in the feels like her previous novel.  And while that may be true, I still really enjoyed this novel, and I attribute that to the fact that I embarked upon this story with reasonable expectations...and also because I went the audiobook route.

Fiona Hardingham is a fabulous narrator.  She also portrayed Puck in the audiobook version of Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, which is still probably my favorite audiobook to date.  So, when I saw that she was voicing the character of Emily in The Killing Woods, I knew I had a winner of an audiobook ahead of me.  I don't think I've ever experienced Shaun Grindell's narration before, but he really brought his A-game as the voice of Damon Hillary.  I got a Jonah Griggs-vibe from him, if that helps.  :)

Both of these characters' lives have, in one way or another, been affected by war.  They live in an army town, and both of their fathers served...would be serving still if one hadn't been honorably discharged and the other hadn't been killed in action.  And maybe under different circumstances, they could have bonded over this shared grief.

But when your father's been charged with murder, no one's likely to give you the benefit of the doubt.  And doubt is everywhere in this story.  Emily starts to doubt her father's innocence.  Damon starts to doubt whether his memories from that night can be trusted.  He even begins to wonder at his own innocence. I even started to doubt whether Damon was a reliable narrator anymore.

If I'm being completely honest, it didn't take me very long into the story to figure out who the real guilty party was.  But it was still terribly intriguing to watch the puzzle pieces fit into place, to watch the characters come a bit unglued as it happened.  Lucy Christopher is a master at capturing the setting of her story, and some of my favorite parts in this novel were of Emily and Damon's time spent traipsing through the dark woods. Christopher managed to make those woods both alluring and beautiful but also creepy and dangerous.

My favorite kinds of psychological thrillers are those told by an unreliable narrator, and so that's probably a big part of why I enjoyed this novel so much.  I can't say for sure that I would have loved the story as much if I hadn't listened to the audio because those narrators did make the story that much more fantastic. But I think that if you've enjoyed Christopher's previous books, there's a good chance that you'll like this one, too.  It doesn't pack the emotion of Stolen but the writing is still just as brilliant.


GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.

Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.

Find Lucy:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, aussie, book trailers, contemporary, lucy christopher, murder mystery, psychological thriller, reviews, scholastic, the killing woods

Waiting on Wednesday: The Killing Woods & Silver Shadows

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: The Killing Woods
Author: Lucy Christopher
Series: n/a
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.

A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.

I only experienced the beautiful Stolen for the first time this year, but I was blown away by the compelling story.  I'm equally intrigued by this thriller, and I've got my fingers crossed for an approval soon.  =)

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #5
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Okay, I know I haven't finished The Fiery Heart yet, but I already know I'm going to wish I had the next book as soon as I do.  But I am refraining from reading that synopsis for now so as not to spoil anything for myself.  I should be done with the audio soon, though, and then I'm sure I'll need to discuss with someone.  I can't believe we're already four books into this series!  It feels like I only just finished Vampire Academy! Btw, anyone excited about the movie?  *raises hand*  I shall be coercing my hubby to take me to see it for V-Day.  :D

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: bloodlines, lucy christopher, murder mystery, penguin, psychological thriller, richelle mead, scholastic, the killing woods, vampire academy, vampires, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Audiobook} Review: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen:  A Letter to My Captor
Author: Lucy Christopher
Narrator: Emily Gray
Series: n/a
Publisher: Recorded Book
Publication Date: August 16, 2010
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere.
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

Sometimes, when the masses say that a book is a must-read and make you feel like a social pariah for not having read it yet, you should listen to them.  Such is the case with Lucy Christopher's Stolen.  I've had the hardcover since I snagged it cheap-like from Borders before it bit the big one, but as it wasn't on my review schedule, I kept putting it off.  I could literally kick myself in the face for not reading it the first time someone told me to.  (Well, I could if I was that flexible, but since I'm not a contortionist, I'll settle for a stiff reprimand.)

This book brings all the feels.  For an author to make you feel compassion toward not only the abducted party but also the kidnapper...that's powerful writing.  Was I supposed to like Ty?  Because I did.  At first, I felt kind of terrible about that fact.  This guy stole Gemma away from her family.  But he did so thinking he was doing her a favor, that her life was horrible before he swept her away to the Outback of Australia.  Or is that just what Ty wanted Gemma to perceive about the situation so that she'd be more open to the idea?  I still don't know.  I think he loved her...but I also think he was a very troubled young man.

And taking her to such a remote location?  The guy was prepared, but even being able to make his own anti-venom, no matter how sharp and attune to the situation he was, made him seem disturbed.  And no matter how prepared he thought he was, I don't think he was equipped for what the desolation would do to Gemma.  The isolated setting became a character itself, thanks to the lush descriptions of the flora and fauna inhabiting the area.  The prose was so evocative, that I downed bottle of water after bottle of water to quench my parched throat during the scenes where Gemma was wandering the desert with little water of her own.  I think dying of thirst might be one of the worst ways to go, especially as Gemma described it as it was becoming a very real possibility for her.

Still, through it all, Ty cared for Gemma...physically and emotionally.  And it should have been a clue that things were about to go south when Gemma started to see him as less of a threat, but maybe I was suffering from Stockholm syndrome along with her.  But toward the end of the letter, I felt disenchanted and disconnected from the situation again, and it was easy to see that the situation played out in the only way that it could have...or at least should have.

I'm making my sister listen to this book now.  She likes "issue" books, and this novel definitely delves into some tough subject matter.  But I also recommended it based on the narration.  It's pretty much two characters for the majority of the novel, and though the story was told only from Gemma's POV through a letter to Ty, it was impressive how Ty's character shined through the narration, as well.  Two distinct accents, two distinct characters, and a conglomeration of feelings.

I can't believe it took me so long to experience this book, but it's one that will get read again and again.  What is it about those Aussie authors that just sends my heart into palpitations?

Rating: 

About the author:

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.

Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.

Find Sarah:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, aussie, book trailers, contemporary, favorites, lucy christopher, must-read, printz, reviews, scholastic, stolen, tough subject

Judging a Book By Its Cover #8: A Kid's Perspective on Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About.  I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately requested forced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.



This week, Katie picked the following book to discuss and recreate:

Katie thinks this book is about stolen butterflies trying to break free.

Cover Art

Stolen as envisioned by Katie

So, maybe Katie means a stolen butterfly in the metaphorical sense?  If so, I think she's spot on based on the summary of the book.  And maybe the book isn't as dark as her usual picks, but I think it's going to be a gritty contemporary read, for sure.

I have wanted to read this book for what feels like forever.  And I've owned it since Borders went out of business.  Yet it takes my daughter picking it off the shelf because of the butterfly on the spine to get me to resolve to read it.  Is there a contemporary challenge this year?  Maybe if I signed up for that, I'd have better luck sticking to my plan to read it.

So, what do you think of Katie's attempt at recreating this cover and her summary? Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.

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Labels: contemporary, cover art, honors, judging a book by its cover, katiebug, lucy christopher, printz, stolen