TAKEN

Stephanie dislikes Gregg, her mother’s boyfriend—he’s diametrically the opposite of Stephanie’s deceased father, whom she misses greatly. After two girls from a nearby town go missing everyone goes on high alert, suspecting a serial killer, and while walking home, Stephanie is grabbed from behind and injected with a drug that knocks her out. She awakens hours later to find herself tied up in an abandoned cabin deep in a densely wooded area. Logically enough, Stephanie fears she is the killer’s next victim. Armed with some basic knowledge of survival and a few items gleaned from the cabin, her harrowing journey back to safety propels this plot-driven, fast-paced tale forward. Reluctant readers will not be discouraged by Stephanie’s lack of personal growth, nor that she suffers no ill effects from her traumatic experience. Instead, they will be riveted as Stephanie overcomes one life-threatening mishap after another and will puzzle out long before Stephanie does the kidnapper’s true identity. Told in the first person, this suspenseful survival story is sure to have strong appeal. (Thriller. 12 & up)