Stolen

By Vivian Vande Velde

Rating: 4 stars

In this suspenseful mystery, Isabelle's first memory is when she finds herself running in the woods away from a pack of dogs. The twelve year old girl cannot remember anything else about her former life. When the pack is called off after biting her leg, she is brought to an old couple's home where they care for her along with their 6 year old granddaughter, Ravyn. Events are made more mysterious when Isabelle is told that the old witch who lived in the woods was just chased off and her cottage burned down after an infant child had gone missing around the same time she was found in the woods. No one recognizes Isabelle and Ravyn is filled with ideas of who Isabelle can be. Was she the witch's prisoner? Is she a princess? An animal changed into a person? None seem likely and then a family arrives at the door, sure that Isabelle is their daughter who had gone missing 6 years ago. Is she? Isabelle has no memory of this family, so tearfully happy to have her back and even more grateful since they were the ones who had the month old baby stolen. Isabelle isn't sure if she is happy or not, but certainly Honey, her would-be older sister, is NOT convinced that Isabelle is actually her missing sister. As Isabelle tries to sort through these questions and bits of evidence, she becomes more and more convinced that some of the pieces of the story are not making sense. Who is she really? Readers will find this story hard to put down and if they pay careful attention, all the pieces WILL fit together by the time the last page is turned. A good, suspenseful read.