Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Gemma was just killing time before boarding a flight with her parents. She just wanted to have a coffee in one of the airport restaurants. When she didn't have the right currency to pay for a drink, the handsome stranger behind her offers to pay for it. She start talking, and it seems like they might be flirty with each other. Then everything changes. The world starts sliding in and out of focus; Gemma can't speak, can't yell, can't protest. When she regains consciousness, she realizes that he has taken her to a secluded location where no one will find them. And that's just the start of her nightmare.

I was reluctant to pick this one up, because I wasn't sure that I wanted to get involved with a gory thriller type of book. And while there is some action and it does involve a kidnapping, this is really much more of a psychological book that will mess with your head. As Gemma learns more about her captor, he seems like more of a monster - but also more of a human. And as she struggles to make sense of her kidnapping, the reader will also be forced to confront our perceptions of what is happening. I can't remember where I heard of this as a recommendation (it could have been a blog or a twitter post), but I'm really glad I read it.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Girl, Stolen by April Henry
They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney
Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope by Ed Smart