Reviews for Stolen

The average rating for Stolen based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-02 00:00:00 Sizo Deeaz ❝The old witch saw that she had gone too far. She had stolen one child too many, and the villagers had come after her. ❞ "Isabelle" finds herself running through the woods with no recollection of why she's running or who she is. Is her rescue by a neighboring family the answer to all her questions or just the beginning of an even deeper mystery? Vande Velde relays an evenly-paced tale of witches, kidnapped children, and things that go bump in the night. A story that may leave you wondering who the real monsters are. What I Liked -Even though this is a youth/YA novel, I didn't feel like the writer was writing just for that genre. It was almost in the style of a story told around the campfire. At night. With marshmallows on sticks. And owls hooting in the background. -The ending of the story is unpredictable. I did not guess it halfway through. Whenever that happens to me in other books, I feel like I'm only reading the rest to confirm my own suspicions and give myself a pat on the back. This book was not like that. It kept me guessing until the very last chapter. What I Didn't Like -There wasn't much I didn't like about it. If I was going to just be super picky, I would say that I wanted more background on the origins of the old witch. How long she'd been there, where she came from originally, what her real name was, etc. etc. etc. However, I think the book was just fine even without that info. What I Wanted More Of -(see above) I don't give many books five stars, so, for me, 4 stars is very good.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-03-02 00:00:00 Murilo Correa On the same day a witch is chased to her home and it is set on fire, a girl walks out of the forest. Isabelle seems to be a girl who was stolen from the local village six years ago. But Isabella can't remember anything at all. Her family takes her in and as Isabella learns more about them, her own past is slowly revealed to her. Is she Isabella? Or is she someone else? And what role does the evil witch play in all of this? For such a brief book, this novel has intrigue, mystery and twists galore. Readers will enjoy the character of Isabella who though confused about her own past sees others with great clarity. The villains in the novel are deliciously evil, roles are complex and twists are built up to but not foreseen. Even those who can predict who Isabella is will not see parts of the ending coming. How wonderful to be right but to be surprised too. Recommended for readers who like a good thriller. The cover alone guarantees that this will fly off the shelves. It also has enough depth to be a good discussion book around Halloween. Appropriate for ages 12-14.