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Girl, Stolen by April Henry


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Welcome to one of the December Reading Circles. We decided to support the RNIB Reading Challenge, picking from their selection of books containing blind characters. There were two books which seemed popular, so as it was December, we decided to go with both of them, especially as one was YA.

 

That YA choice was Girl, Stolen by April Henry, involving a blind girl who's kidnapped.

 

It's assumed that you've read the book when you enter these discussions, as spoiler tags can affect the flow. 

 

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As part of the Reading Challenge, the RNIB asked that those taking part donated the money paid for the book to themselves. If you are able to donate, I'm sure they would appreciate the support, but please don't feel you have to donate to take part in the discussions. Click here to donate.

 

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I shall post some questions later, including the ones sent to us by the RNIB, but to start with, what were your general feelings about the book?

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Well, I enjoyed it and I thought it was a quick and easy read. I think the idea at the start about Cheyenne being asleep in the back of the car that was stolen was believable, and that an opportunist thief on seeing the keys to a car in the ignition would take it.

From then on, If the thief let's her go then there's no story, so he doesn't , even after finding out that she is blind and wouldn't be able to identify him.

Cheyenne decides how she has to act towards her initial kidnapper in order to survive, then uses this knowledge to protect her later on in the story.

 

It was written for young adults, so lucky events should be forgiven. I've read worse action/spy books written for adults, even films. Do you remember the advert for Colin Farrels - Total Recall, Luck.

Edited by dex
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So, for a few general questions..

 

1) Did you have a favourite character?

2) Did you have a favourite part of the story?

3) Have you read anything else by this author, and do you think you will now go on to do so?

4) Would you only recommend this to teens, or all age groups?

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For me, I suppose my favourite was Griffin, as he was actually quite sweet, and didn't want to be like his father. I enjoyed the part where she was held captive better than her escape, which all seemed a bit too easy. I would view this as mainly for teens, but it's ok for adults who like a quick, easy read.

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1) Did you have a favourite character?


My favourite character was Griffin, as he was a "good guy", but then there was very little to choose of other characters. :shrug: 


2) Did you have a favourite part of the story?


When Cheyanne kicked ass (so to speak) and escaped! 


3) Have you read anything else by this author, and do you think you will now go on to do so?


No, I haven't read any of the author's books before,and I don't think that I would read any more, as they are just too 'thin', especially with the characters.


4) Would you only recommend this to teens, or all age groups?


Well, I have to admit that I don't actually know any teenagers that well to recommend any books to :D ,but I wouldn't actually recommend Girl, Stolen to adults either, as it is just too thin in characters and plot.

Edited by Marie H
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These are the RNIB questions..

 

  1. ‘Girl, Stolen’ is a thriller. What do you think is the difference between a mystery and a thriller?

 

  1. If you had to surrender a sense—taste, touch, smell, hearing, or sight— which would you choose? What would be the hardest sense to lose?

 

  1. What did you learn about being blind that surprised you?

 

  1. Cheyenne is physically blind. Are there other ways that Griffin is also blind?

 

  1. Why do you think Griffin cares about helping Cheyenne, especially after she harms him?

 

  1. Would you consider Griffin a hero, a villain, or something in-between? By attacking Griffin, does Cheyenne make herself a hero, a villain, or something in-between?

 

  1. Is there something else that you would have done to help yourself escape besides attack Griffin?

 

  1. What do you think Cheyenne said to Griffin at the end of the story? And why did she say yes—or no? If yes, could Cheyenne and Griffin realistically have a healthy relationship?

 

  1. What would you have said if you were Cheyenne?

 

  1. Why did the author leave the ending somewhat ambiguous?

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Did you have a favourite character?
I liked both Cheyenne and Griffin.  Cheyenne because she didn't just allow herself to be a victim in the situation, and tried to fight for herself when she could, and Griffin because despite the fact he'd done wrong in the first place, he did try to redeem himself.
 
Did you have a favourite part of the story?
The actual car theft was good, as you got the story from both characters perspectives and it set up the rest of the plot well.
 
Have you read anything else by this author, and do you think you will now go on to do so?
This is the first book I've read by Henry, and I probably would only read another if someone here strongly recommended it.
 
Would you only recommend this to teens, or all age groups?
I think it's probably only for teens, as I suspect most adults would find it a bit too lightweight.  YA can be much stronger in tone and themes, and this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.
 
‘Girl, Stolen’ is a thriller. What do you think is the difference between a mystery and a thriller?
To me, a mystery is about puzzle solving, whether there is crime involved or not, whereas a thriller is more based on action and peril, and usually associated more with crime.
 
If you had to surrender a sense—taste, touch, smell, hearing, or sight— which would you choose? What would be the hardest sense to lose?
I'm not sure, but I think taste and smell are so interlinked that if you lost smell, you would also lose taste.  They must surely be the easiest to lose, as they wouldn't affect your ability to live a normal life, I think it would just make life very dull in that aspect.  Sight would be the one that would be most affecting, while hearing would make life difficult too.
 
 
I'll try and come back and do the rest of the questions another time.
 
Overall though, I would say that it wasn't a bad book, but perhaps a bit predictable, and I didn't love the characters, although I was happy to read the story.

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I agree, it was a lightweight YA book. I've actually just read the other YA book on the list, She Is Not Invisible, by Marcus Sedgwick, and that had much more to it. It still had a YA feel, but I emphasised with the blind character more, and there were other aspects to make you think. 

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