Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Stolen (Chicken House, May 2010) was an amazing surprise. I'm not sure why this one was the first book I picked up out of my recent Scholastic box, but I was hooked instantly (and the same goes for several students I've given it to). Gemma is traveling with her family to Vietnam via Bangkok for an antique hunting trip for her mother's job. While getting a coffee in the airport, Gemma is abducted and whisked off to Australia where she is now living with Ty in what seems to be desert bush country. You know, like where young men did walkabouts? That's how I visualized it. The twist comes in when the reader finds out that Ty has been planning Gemma's abduction for 6 years! The emotions I felt when reading this novel changed every 20-25 pages and I'm still not sure how I feel about Ty now that the book is over. All I can tell you is that Ty and Gemma are still following me around in my head on a daily basis. This was a wonderful treat in my week of treating family illnesses- the flu has found out later than usual this winter. :)