What do you think?
Rate this book
Stolen
“The Lucretias always take what they want. And that includes me.”
Cayla was told she had nothing to fear from the Lucretias—at least, not more than anyone else in the city. Her aunt and uncle paid their tithes on time, looked the other way when witnessing crimes, and never caused any trouble.
When the sirens blare at Cayla’s school, she knows that someone has crossed the Lucretias, and the crime family is there to take their vengeance. Huddled with her classmates, she waits for the inevitable to pass.
Except when the Lucretias knock down the door to her own classroom, Jon Lucretia, heir to the dark dynasty, catches sight of Cayla—and decides to claim her as his own.
Taken as a prisoner into their opulent and guarded estate, Cayla must decide how to fight for her life, and her heart.
***
Cover design by LFD Designs for Authors
Cayla was told she had nothing to fear from the Lucretias—at least, not more than anyone else in the city. Her aunt and uncle paid their tithes on time, looked the other way when witnessing crimes, and never caused any trouble.
When the sirens blare at Cayla’s school, she knows that someone has crossed the Lucretias, and the crime family is there to take their vengeance. Huddled with her classmates, she waits for the inevitable to pass.
Except when the Lucretias knock down the door to her own classroom, Jon Lucretia, heir to the dark dynasty, catches sight of Cayla—and decides to claim her as his own.
Taken as a prisoner into their opulent and guarded estate, Cayla must decide how to fight for her life, and her heart.
***
Cover design by LFD Designs for Authors
- GenresAudiobookYoung Adult
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2013
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 22, 2014
This is not your typical YA or Dystopian read. It was so different from others I have read in the genre. It doesn't focus on a romance. It is more about surviving in a tenuous situation. Poor Cayla has to gather her wits and make the best of a very unpleasant situation. I love characters who are not waiting around to be saved. She is spunky but smart, finding just the right way to live another day.
The world this is set in is very interesting. Governments fall only to be replaced by Crime Families. I would have liked more about the history of this change and how the Crime families are outside the home. I also would have loved more on the Rebellion. Perhaps we are most limited because it is all from Kayla's POV, and she really isn't in the know.
While I felt this was a terrific read, it moves rather slowly for the target audience. Most YA is fast paced and constantly engaging. This story has more of a slow build. Blew my mind when they story flips about halfway through. I did not see that coming, at all.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes Cenna, who is well suited to the genre. Her voicing was wonderful and engaging. She keeps a steady pace that keeps you listening, even when things get a little dull in the first half. I loved the wealth of knowledge she was able to instill in Cayla by the end of the book. She was on a journey and grew from it, her voice reflects her gained strength.
I wasn't sure whey to expect coming into this read. I definitely was surprised and delighted to see such an interesting YA tale. I would love to find more of this author in audio, with the same narrator!
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.
The world this is set in is very interesting. Governments fall only to be replaced by Crime Families. I would have liked more about the history of this change and how the Crime families are outside the home. I also would have loved more on the Rebellion. Perhaps we are most limited because it is all from Kayla's POV, and she really isn't in the know.
While I felt this was a terrific read, it moves rather slowly for the target audience. Most YA is fast paced and constantly engaging. This story has more of a slow build. Blew my mind when they story flips about halfway through. I did not see that coming, at all.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes Cenna, who is well suited to the genre. Her voicing was wonderful and engaging. She keeps a steady pace that keeps you listening, even when things get a little dull in the first half. I loved the wealth of knowledge she was able to instill in Cayla by the end of the book. She was on a journey and grew from it, her voice reflects her gained strength.
I wasn't sure whey to expect coming into this read. I definitely was surprised and delighted to see such an interesting YA tale. I would love to find more of this author in audio, with the same narrator!
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.
April 13, 2015
3.5 Stars
Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat
This is going to be one of those hard to review books/audiobooks. The thing is that STOLEN is almost two different books or a book broken in two parts… And I liked one part more than the other. The first part wasn’t bad, it started interesting enough, but soon, it was too good to be true and at the end, it was. The problem is I was already bored with the perfection of it when things changed. I can’t say more without giving spoilers away. Let’s just say the second part shows us something different from the first part, something that makes more sense with the circumstances to which Cayla is exposed and a reality that I enjoyed more because it was more believable. My only problem with the second part was the end. It was simply too perfectly convenient to be plausible.
I liked Cayla as a heroine. She is young, but she is smart. I liked how she grows throughout the story and how it was clear that she is a survivor at heart who is willing to do anything in her power to remain alive.
I can’t talk about the secondary characters without giving spoilers away. So I’ll just say they are all interesting and so well written they made me experience strong emotions.
I also can’t give much away about the story because there are some surprises that should be discover by the reader/listener. What I can say is that there was a twist that really surprised me, and I liked when an author surprises me.
The world building lacks a bit of development. We know crime families now rule (at least that part of the world), but we don’t know much about them and the little we know is about the Lucretias family. We don’t know anything about the other families because they are not addressed. We also don’t know about what is going on outside of the Lucretias’ mansion. We know there is a Rebellion forming, but we don’t know anything about it. I wish I could have known more about the outside world.
The end, although not a cliffhanger, is kind of an open end. I don’t know if Windsor is planning to write more books in this world, if that were the case I would read/listen to them.
This is the second audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes that I listen. She is really good doing voices that fit each character’s personality and with them she brings the story to life.
Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat
This is going to be one of those hard to review books/audiobooks. The thing is that STOLEN is almost two different books or a book broken in two parts… And I liked one part more than the other. The first part wasn’t bad, it started interesting enough, but soon, it was too good to be true and at the end, it was. The problem is I was already bored with the perfection of it when things changed. I can’t say more without giving spoilers away. Let’s just say the second part shows us something different from the first part, something that makes more sense with the circumstances to which Cayla is exposed and a reality that I enjoyed more because it was more believable. My only problem with the second part was the end. It was simply too perfectly convenient to be plausible.
I liked Cayla as a heroine. She is young, but she is smart. I liked how she grows throughout the story and how it was clear that she is a survivor at heart who is willing to do anything in her power to remain alive.
I can’t talk about the secondary characters without giving spoilers away. So I’ll just say they are all interesting and so well written they made me experience strong emotions.
I also can’t give much away about the story because there are some surprises that should be discover by the reader/listener. What I can say is that there was a twist that really surprised me, and I liked when an author surprises me.
The world building lacks a bit of development. We know crime families now rule (at least that part of the world), but we don’t know much about them and the little we know is about the Lucretias family. We don’t know anything about the other families because they are not addressed. We also don’t know about what is going on outside of the Lucretias’ mansion. We know there is a Rebellion forming, but we don’t know anything about it. I wish I could have known more about the outside world.
The end, although not a cliffhanger, is kind of an open end. I don’t know if Windsor is planning to write more books in this world, if that were the case I would read/listen to them.
This is the second audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes that I listen. She is really good doing voices that fit each character’s personality and with them she brings the story to life.
April 12, 2015
*I was given a copy of the Audible book in exchange for an honest review.
This book took me by surprise... several times. The first half seemed to be a fairly typical YA with a somewhat interesting plot line. But then the twists and turns start happening and the story turned into something so much more. At times I found myself wondering if this was a bit too full on to be a YA.
All I can say is don't listen to this book thinking you are going to get some typical teen romance or you will be sorely disappointed. This book is violent, with unlikable and cruel characters and a surprisingly savvy female protagonist who will do anything to survive the situation she finds herself in.
The only reason this got 4 instead of 5 stars is because I was personally hoping for the ending to go a different way, however this does not mean the ending was bad.
This book took me by surprise... several times. The first half seemed to be a fairly typical YA with a somewhat interesting plot line. But then the twists and turns start happening and the story turned into something so much more. At times I found myself wondering if this was a bit too full on to be a YA.
All I can say is don't listen to this book thinking you are going to get some typical teen romance or you will be sorely disappointed. This book is violent, with unlikable and cruel characters and a surprisingly savvy female protagonist who will do anything to survive the situation she finds herself in.
The only reason this got 4 instead of 5 stars is because I was personally hoping for the ending to go a different way, however this does not mean the ending was bad.
June 29, 2015
AudioBook Review: Stars Overall 4 Narration 3 Story 4
The world that Cayla inhabits is very different from ours: governments have fallen and the rule of ‘law’ is in the hands of various crime families. The Lucretias are the family to which Cayla’s parents pay a tithe for protection, and around whom she should mind her p’s and q’s. Until that day when Jon Lucretia picks Cayla out of the crowd, and takes her away.
From here, in most of this genre, I expect a romance-type situation, but Windsor is not falling into that trap. There is no Stockholm syndrome here for our girl Cayla: she is learning and constantly weighing her options in her struggle to survive without losing herself. Told in her point of view, the history of the crime families coming to power is spotty: but the world-building is extensive, as pieces of her life, her memories and her choices come clear.
A bit slow to start, the story is not really jumping with action until a huge plot twist at the midpoint, and from there forward the action and tension build nicely with the increased pacing and growth in Cayla’s understanding of her situation and her ability to make choices that ensure her survival against horrible odds.
Cayla is engaging and intriguing, and the slow start of the story is mitigated by the narration, using the presentation to build the early bones of the story smoothly, keeping interest in what is next. With several diversions from the expected in this genre, Windsor has created a fresh and unique story in a world that is built with care, and while I would have liked more of the history that lead to the crime family takeovers, the information as provided was sufficient considering the perspective was presented from only Cayla’s point of view. A complete story in itself, this story is sure to bring more readers to this author.
Narration for this story is provided by Andrea Emmes with a voice perfectly suited to present Cayla: her ability to present the tension, confusion and emotions as the story progresses. Other characters have voices that are distinct, some a bit over-exaggerated in tone and tenor but overall the voices held their consistency. A few of the choices were, admittedly, laugh out loud funny, but those choices did not overly impact on the intention or direction of the characters. A solid performance with room for growth and development in styling choices, I’m curious to listen to more of her work as she progresses.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title via AudioBook Blast for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
The world that Cayla inhabits is very different from ours: governments have fallen and the rule of ‘law’ is in the hands of various crime families. The Lucretias are the family to which Cayla’s parents pay a tithe for protection, and around whom she should mind her p’s and q’s. Until that day when Jon Lucretia picks Cayla out of the crowd, and takes her away.
From here, in most of this genre, I expect a romance-type situation, but Windsor is not falling into that trap. There is no Stockholm syndrome here for our girl Cayla: she is learning and constantly weighing her options in her struggle to survive without losing herself. Told in her point of view, the history of the crime families coming to power is spotty: but the world-building is extensive, as pieces of her life, her memories and her choices come clear.
A bit slow to start, the story is not really jumping with action until a huge plot twist at the midpoint, and from there forward the action and tension build nicely with the increased pacing and growth in Cayla’s understanding of her situation and her ability to make choices that ensure her survival against horrible odds.
Cayla is engaging and intriguing, and the slow start of the story is mitigated by the narration, using the presentation to build the early bones of the story smoothly, keeping interest in what is next. With several diversions from the expected in this genre, Windsor has created a fresh and unique story in a world that is built with care, and while I would have liked more of the history that lead to the crime family takeovers, the information as provided was sufficient considering the perspective was presented from only Cayla’s point of view. A complete story in itself, this story is sure to bring more readers to this author.
Narration for this story is provided by Andrea Emmes with a voice perfectly suited to present Cayla: her ability to present the tension, confusion and emotions as the story progresses. Other characters have voices that are distinct, some a bit over-exaggerated in tone and tenor but overall the voices held their consistency. A few of the choices were, admittedly, laugh out loud funny, but those choices did not overly impact on the intention or direction of the characters. A solid performance with room for growth and development in styling choices, I’m curious to listen to more of her work as she progresses.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title via AudioBook Blast for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
April 21, 2015
Stolen is a YA dystopian story set in a time when a powerful crime family have come to rule the region. They rule by fear, force and violence. The story starts out with Cayla being taken captive by the family as one of the sons thinks he might like her for his wife. It then skips ahead six months to a conversation Cayla has with a friend. The book then switched to first person and Cayla tells her friend what has been happening over the past six months. This is not a fluffy romance, but a story of survival.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book, which I received free in exchange for an honest review. Andrea Emmes did a fantastic job of narrating this book and really added to the story. She is great at portraying individual characterisations and when the story took an unexpected twist about halfway through, you could hear and feel the change.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book, which I received free in exchange for an honest review. Andrea Emmes did a fantastic job of narrating this book and really added to the story. She is great at portraying individual characterisations and when the story took an unexpected twist about halfway through, you could hear and feel the change.
April 8, 2015
I was given this audiobook in returne for an unbiased review
This a Y/A Dystopian, story. It started off a bit like a fairy tale, rather too good to be true , but then half way , wow , everything changes. a rather unusual twist to the story.
It was enjoyable to listen to.
Because the second half was more believable (although also more violent) I enjoyed that the most.
The ending was not quite what I expected but did seem true to charcter, and suited the plot.
The narration done by Andrea Emmes, was really good, my only complaint being that the whole recording sounded a bit as if it was recorded in a tin can. It wasn't so obvious that it ruined the audiobook though.
This a Y/A Dystopian, story. It started off a bit like a fairy tale, rather too good to be true , but then half way , wow , everything changes. a rather unusual twist to the story.
It was enjoyable to listen to.
Because the second half was more believable (although also more violent) I enjoyed that the most.
The ending was not quite what I expected but did seem true to charcter, and suited the plot.
The narration done by Andrea Emmes, was really good, my only complaint being that the whole recording sounded a bit as if it was recorded in a tin can. It wasn't so obvious that it ruined the audiobook though.
June 18, 2015
This was a terrific book to listen to! Cayla is taken from school by a member of the crime family that rules her city.John is the oldest son in the family.The question is,will he keep her or toss her to her death?It was a well written and well told story.Andrea Emmes was the perfect narrator for this book.She brings her characters to life and can make you love or hate them.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com."
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com."
Read
August 9, 2016DNF... I’m just not feeling it. I can't relate to the hero or heroine at all. If this book seems like something you may enjoy to, then give it a go. After all, we all have different opinions when it comes to what we choose to read.
January 29, 2014
4 Stars. A tricky little tale by a very clever author. A futuristic fantasy for older YA that twists like a cut snake and is as equally deadly.
June 23, 2015
Review posted on Audible
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews