Taken
Grade 7–9—When Stephanie hears about two girls who have gone missing, one of whom was found murdered near her town, she is sure it will never happen to her—until it does. After someone grabs her while she is taking a shortcut home, she wakes up in a shack in the middle of nowhere. She manages to untie herself and escape. The rest of the book follows Stephanie as she runs for her life trying to find someone, anyone, to help her. Eventually, the identity of the kidnapper, which is evident from the first few chapters, is revealed. This book has a lot of potential, but it's just not reached. The story seems contrived, from how easy it is for Stephanie to escape to the obvious villain. The book is written on a very easy reading level, suitable for reluctant readers, but it might not hold their interest.—Robyn Zaneski, New York Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.