I had been hearing a lot of buzz about this book and was so excited to read it. I only knew a little bit about the book—that it is about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and that there is something unusual and interesting about her captor—but people were so excited about it, I knew I had to read it. It took FOREVER (or it seemed like it, perhaps I was overexcited and impatient) for it to come in for me at the library, and when I finally got it, I dove right in and didn't stop until I was done.
I've read a few books about kidnappings, but never one like this. The story is written as a letter from Gemma to Ty, which is really helpful in understanding Gemma and her complicated relationship to Ty. I never expected to end up with Gemma and Ty in the Australian outback, but like many other aspects of this novel, its location is probably one of the most vivid and memorable I have read.
Ty is one of the most interesting characters I think I have ever read. You hate him, but don't; he's crazy, but he's not; he's aggressive, but gentle. Like Gemma, my feelings for Ty were so complex that I didn't even feel like I completely understood them.
More than just a story about a kidnapping, Lucy Christopher's novel is a complete eye-opener. Through Gemma's story, she is able to take what we all know as the truth and flip it so we, as well as Gemma, are not sure what is actually right and what is wrong.
Definitely 5 stars for this book!
