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Searching... Salem Main Library | TEEN Grainger, A. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
When a teen is held hostage, her efforts to escape uncover a conspiracy that forces her to question everything in this psychological thriller with a twist of forbidden romance.
They told her not to worry--
because the man who shot her father was in custody.
They told her that she was safe--
because security had been increased.
All it took was one opportunity, one breach,
and then she was theirs. Kidnapped, confined, alone.
They told her she could go home when their demands were met.
That it wouldn't take long, because she was the prime minister's daughter.
But it has been days , and still no help has come.
She wonders when they will tire of this game and kill her.
She cannot wait around for that to happen; she will escape. She has to.
Author Notes
A.J. Grainger lives in London, England, where she works as a children's books editor. She loves writing and editing because it means she gets to talk about books all day. She is the author of Captive and The Sisterhood . Visit her at AJGrainger.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Robyn Knollys-Green faces many challenges in her life. Her father is the British prime minister, and she was with him in Paris on the day a group of ecoterrorists made an assassination attempt on his life. As Robyn tries to move past this day and live her life as normally as the daughter of an elected official can, she struggles with what it means to be in the public eye and why anyone would want to do harm to her and her family. While driving one day with her mother and younger sister, she is kidnapped by a group claiming to represent those who tried to kill her father. Under the terrifyingly watchful eye of a crazed younger woman and her burly, threatening colleague, Robyn realizes that she is all alone and must do everything she can to escape from her kidnappers' clutches. While the narrative starts out on an intriguing note, it soon devolves into cliché. Robyn suddenly becomes attracted to one of her kidnappers, whose face she never sees, only his piercing eyes. Plot twists are telegraphed, and eagle-eyed readers may be shaking their heads when things are finally revealed. Flashbacks to the day of Robyn's father's assassination attempt are interspersed throughout in a stab at ratcheting up the tension. The inclusion of an ill-attempted romance as well as pacing issues make this a read only for those die-hard thriller fans. VERDICT While the provocative premise may entice readers, the story will ultimately prove disappointing.-Christopher Lassen, BookOps, NYPL/BPL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Robyn's father is the prime minister of the U.K. It's a stressful job for his family, but he's always promised Robyn she would be safe. Then Robyn is kidnapped by a group of eco-terrorists. The terrorists' motives are intriguing--readers are left to determine if their cause is moral--but a half-baked romance between Robyn and a captor eventually dominates this debut novel. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The 16-year-old daughter of the U.K.'s prime minister is kidnapped by terrorists. Robyn Knollys-Green, daughter of the PM and descendant of old money, doesn't particularly enjoy being a politician's daughter. Just a few months ago she and her father were shot at in Paris, and Robyn's still terrified. Besides, her parents' marriage is suffering from her mother's hatred of the limelight. Robyn's worst fears seem to come true when radicals from Action for Change, a "radical anticapitalist and animal rights group," kidnap her. The AFC activists want to trade Robyn's freedom for the alleged Paris sniper, the brother of their vicious leader, Feather. Though her kidnappers are masked, Robyn can see their eyesand from her first glimpse of the "bright green eyes" of the kidnapper code-named Talon, it's clear she's destined for a hefty dose of Stockholm syndrome. Sure enough, over the two weeks of her captivity, Robyn grows ever fonder of Talon. The kidnappers, meanwhile, behave inconsistently: they eat rather a lot of dairy for radical ecoterrorists furious about treatment of animals and the Earth; they are careful to keep their faces covered in front of Robyn but repeatedly reveal their real identities in conversation. Meanwhile, Robyn learns hard truths about her father's actions in office. What better forbidden romance than with a man who chloroforms a girl and zip-ties her to a bed? (Thriller. 12-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Three months after witnessing an assassination attempt on her father, England's prime minister, Robyn Knollys-Green is kidnapped and held captive by an animal rights group that seeks justice. One member's brother was arrested for that assassination attempt, and another's brother died because of a new, not-fully-tested drug, the creator of which was close friends with Robyn's father. Held hostage for days, Robyn tries to keep her wits about her as she suffers the indignities of being captive and pieces together what truths to believe from both sides. The kindness of captor Talon stands in stark contrast to the determination of another captor, Feather, and the perversity of a third, Scar. When Robyn is finally rescued, she believes there are differing degrees of punishment that should be meted out. Presenting an interesting study in the relationship between captive and captors, the concept of Stockholm syndrome retroactively casts a somewhat reasonable doubt on Robyn's feelings for Talon. Action, tension, and high-stakes, high-profile characters make this debut novel irresistible for readers who crave thrilling reads.--Fredriksen, Jeanne Copyright 2015 Booklist