Stolen

by Lindsey Undlin

Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book YOUNG ADULT (FICTION) (12 YEARS TO 16 YEARS) category!

Cali Horn is the new kid in Swallowsville–a picturesque small town known as “Basketball Central” of North Dakota. From its quaint boutiques and cafés on Main Street to its diverse neighborhoods, no one would dream of what goes on once the gym lights go out. But, Swallowsville is a town where what you see isn’t always what you get.

While watching the “C Team” practice, she is befriended by Ray, a troubled, volatile basketball player who seems too friendly too fast. Through Ray’s “forced” friendship, Cali becomes involved in situations she is unprepared for. Would these new friends lead her to make the Varsity team and be coached by the modern-day Viking, Coach Talivikki, who was known for her “anything for the win” attitude?

Who can she trust? None of her new friends have active, present parents, but why? So Cali is left to her own devices, adjusting to a new school and grieving the suspicious death of her brother.

After a deadly shooting shuts down a beloved local restaurant, Cali wonders if some of her friends could be involved with the mysterious events in the town, including kidnapping and murder. She knows Harlow, the “It” girl, and Ruby, a defrocked varsity player, have secrets.

Will Cali find the truth behind the dark underbelly of this “picture perfect” town and its residents?

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2022

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to give credit to the author for writing this book when she was 13 years old, and for self publishing; both are things she should be very proud of! I struggled with deciding on a rating for this book, because if comparing it to other books written by authors in her same age group, I believe it deserves a higher star rating and was impressive considering her age. However, when comparing it to other books I typically read overall, I unfortunately had to give it a lower rating. The author's vocabulary seemed to be pretty limited, so some phrases were quite repetitive and sounded corny at times (again, a product of her age at the time of writing). I also think she has some room to grow in her use of imagery, scene-setting, and creating backstories for her characters to help the story make more sense. That said, I do believe she has shown a lot of potential in her debut book, and with some time and experience, she could become a great writer.

[Amanda Beckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book Club* Okay, a lot to unpack here. Does this read like a high schooler wrote it? Yes, but obviously, it actually was. I have to give her a little credit because there aren't many kids her age who can say they are published, which is probably why it got three stars versus two. I don't know why this was set in small town ND when there is nothing Midwest about it other than the mention of snow. We do not have these sprawling schools and arcades and a plethora of restaurants. I also got really tired of all the unnecessary violence and death randomly thrown in. It felt like The Purge or Fight Club or something like that, but not as likable. Ruby was way over the top and annoying. The character and town names were just too much...Oblivia, really?? I'd say this is a good early attempt, but there's a lot of room to grow.