Taken

November 30, 2009
Just a few pages into McClintock's (Dooley Takes the Fall) fast-moving thriller, teenage narrator Stephanie becomes the third girl in two months to be abducted near her rural town, as she crosses through a vacant field. Awakening in a deserted cabin, Stephanie is both terrified and level-headed, managing to free herself and venture into the forest ("They say that when you're lost in the woods and don't know where you are, the smartest thing you can do is to stay put.... But staying put wouldn't help me"). Luckily, Stephanie has a wealth of survivalist information at the readyâher "hermit" grandfather taught her everything from "how to use the sun as a compass" to how to find food (such as grubs and the inner bark of birch trees). While Stephanie's preexisting wilderness knowledge feels convenient, it doesn't detract from her emotional turmoil nor does it guarantee an easy escape. McClintock's dialogue feels genuine, though readers spend the majority of the novel in Stephanie's head, as she uses clear thinking and a substantial reserve of inner strength to find her way home. Ages 12âup.

December 1, 2009
Gr 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 heruntil 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 Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2009
Grades 7-10 Stephanie is afraid of the serial killer who has murdered two other 14-year-old girls in her town. But not afraid enoughthe night she takes an ill-advised shortcut turns into a day that finds her tied up and alone in an abandoned shack. What at first glance appears to be a hostage book almost immediately becomes a survival-in-the-wilderness adventure; Stephanie quickly escapes the shack but must then navigate the surrounding forest. As she endures thirst, injury, bad weather, and wild animals, her mind tracks back to her former life: her widowed mother; her new boyfriend Gregg; the year Stephanie spent with her survivalist grandpa. Each of these tangents contains secrets to be unlocked. The final third of the book takes yet another right turn, which culminates in an ending that should surprise many (but not all) readers. While it is overly convenient that Stephanie comes equipped with knowledge of compass-making and grub-eating, her journey is nonetheless riveting, and never becomes too harrowing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)