Gemma has been drugged , kidnapped and brought to a remote unmapped location in the Australian outback. It’s a stark , dry place of sand, blinding light , poisonous snakes and only one other human , her captor, Ty.
The reader follows Gemma through her terror and her first desperate attempts to escape , then her gradual acclimatisation to the desert environment and her slow acceptance of Ty. Gemma finds Ty physically attractive but is very uncomfortable with these feelings , realising their incongruity under the horrific circumstances.
The author has created a very complex character in Ty. While on the one hand he seems to be the embodiment of evil , for snatching and terrorising a young girl , he does not harm her or touch her and finally gives up his freedom in order to save her.
Gemma’s feelings about Ty fluctuate throughout the novel until little by little she views him as her companion and protector. While she understands that he has lied to her about her parents she finds it difficult to summon up any negative feelings about him , a process known to happen to long-term kidnap victims. A satisfying level of suspense is maintained while the reader is unsure whether Ty will harm Gemma in any way.
The desert environment is beautifully described , with much emphasis on the quality of the light. Gemma’s difficulty of seeing in the desert light is perhaps a metaphor for the way in which she views her captor , half blinded to his manipulation by her dependence on him for her physical safety
Stolen is a disturbing novel of a relationship developing under the most harrowing conditions , nurtured by lies and unreality.
Shortlisted in CBCA Older Readers category 2010
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