Crazy or Not?

Molly Ellrodt
809


Reading Response #6



       In the book Stolen by Lucy Christopher, a young and lonely man named Ty abducts a 16 year old girl, named Gemma, who he has been stalking since she was little. He takes her to a desert in Australia where he is the one and only resident and soon she will be the second. This desert is in the middle of nowhere with no human being in sight and is not even located on a map. Ty had planned this kidnapping for a very long time and after he took her he left not a single clue that would ever lead anyone to them. Ty doesn't see what he has done and he doesn't realize the true meaning and depth to his actions. It's much more than just taking a girl because you feel lonely and you want someone to be with. I find it extremely disturbing what Ty did and I feel awful for Gemma. As I read on, I never know what Ty is going to do. Is he mentally ill, or just a terrible person?

       Ty doesn't realize that abduction is a bad thing. He says that all he is is lonely and that Gemma was "the one" he needed. It disgusts me that he doesn't realize how wrong this is. He thinks that it's okay to steel a 16 year old girl and keep her without anyone knowing. In the book Gemma asks him how long he will keep her and he says, "Forever of course." The way his response is written in the book gives off the idea that Ty doesn't have a clue about how awful what he's done is. What boggles my mind even more is that he thought Gemma would have liked living with him like this. He said that over all the years he watched her, he saw that she didn't have a great life and that he felt he would give her everything she ever wanted. Even if that's the case, who would want to be separated from everyone they love and never see another human being, besides the one who stole you, again? Ty doesn't understand that he's taken away all of Gemma personal freedom. He's taken away everything she's ever known.

       In the beginning, Gemma went crazy. She cut herself, tried to hurt Ty as much as she possibly could and wouldn't do anything with him. She tried to make it all just go away even if she realized all Ty wanted was company, not to hurt her. If I were in that situation, I would have done the same things she did. I would be very mad at Ty and no matter what his intentions, I would hate him!  Gemma tries to escape many times but repeatedly fails. Ty continually tells her that there is no way out but she doesn't give up. I still don't understand how Ty got her there but she can't find a way out. Obviously the way out is either very complicated or hidden very well. Towards the middle of the book, Gemma steals Ty's car and drives hours on end to find a way out. All she found was an endless desert that didn't seem like it led anywhere. She walked and walked until her body was too weak and dehydrated to continue on. After searching for her, Ty found her laying in the sand and took her back. I would have never thought he would trap her again. I surely thought she was free. What amazes me is that towards the end of the book, Ty tells Gemma that he will let her go if she still doesn't like this place after four months. I keep getting nervous that Gemma will start to respect Ty now that she knows he offered to take her back home. I don't want her to ever like him and stay with him forever!

       In conclusion, I find the ideas portrayed in this book frightening and creepy. I empathize with Gemma throughout the book and learn to truly hate Ty. I keep finding myself getting so involved in this book!  I want Ty to get caught so badly and I want everyone to hate him. Even if I somewhat understand how Ty is feeling, I will never think that what he's done is okay. I think he is an awful person and I can't wait to see what happens in the end. I am so close to finishing the book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in disturbing concepts and real life unsettling stories. This is an amazing book!