By 2035 the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and kidnapping has become a major growth industry in the United States. The children of privilege live in secure, gated communities and are escorted to and from school by armed guards.
But the security around Charity Meyers has broken down. On New Year's morning, she wakes and finds herself alone, strapped to a stretcher, in an ambulance that's not moving. She is amazingly calm - kids in her neighborhood have been well trained in kidnapping protocol. If this were a normal kidnapping, Charity would be fine. But as the hours of her imprisonment tick by, Charity realizes there is nothing normal about what's going on here. No training could prepare her for what her kidnappers really want . . . and worse, for who they turn out to be.
BOOK REVIEWS
BookBrowse Taken's vision of families where hired help do the parenting, and of a world where racial and economic injustice imprison both rich and poor is made vivid by the anger and brilliance that inform Bloor's most successful, moving and darkest novels—Tangerine and Crusader. (Reviewed by Jo Perry). Full Review (838 words).
Media Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Filled with unsubtle commentary about race and wealth, this still manages to be genuinely exciting although astute readers will see the twist early on. Charity's self-possession strains credibility, as does her quick turnaround at the novel's end, but this is competent near-future fiction.
VOYA
The violence is not graphic, and there is little coarse language, making a good fit for middle school readers. But the effect for which Bloor seems to be striving - opening readers' eyes to the divisions in society - is muted by a heavy-handed tone.
Booklist
This page-turner will grab readers at the outset, and its unexpected twist at the close will send them back through events to look for embedded clues.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Deftly constructed, this is as riveting as it is thought-provoking.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by ryder taken review This was the dumbest book i have ever read. if your thinking about reading it i will give you some advice, DON'T. The cover makes it sound like it will be such a good book. I was very disappointed. I will say, tho. that the idea was good. Go back... Read More
Rated of 5
by Bj loved it !!!!!! This was an awesome book about a girl that gets kidnapped and fights her way through that keeps you you on the edge of your seat. It took me 2 days to read the book. I literally stayed up all night reading this. I definitely recommend this to any... Read More
War, natural disaster, reckless gods and the recognition of impermanence in the world are just some of the threads that AS Byatt weaves into this most timely of books. Linguistically stunning and imaginatively abundant, this is a landmark.
A beguiling, imaginative, inspiring story about the bigness of being alive as an individual, as a member of a tribe, and as a participant in history, exploring how we use storytelling to survive and shape our own truths.
Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Margaret Powell's classic memoir of her time in service is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high.
Vivid, daring, and unforgettable, The Printmaker's Daughter shines fresh light on art, loyalty, and the tender and indelible bond between a father and daughter.
I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child...
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The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van...
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Arizona bills Amazon for $53 million in uncollected sales tax(Feb 06 2012) The ongoing sales tax battle between many US states and large online retailers, most notably Amazon, continues with a thrust from Arizona which, last week,...
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Amazon rumored to be opening bricks and mortar stores(Feb 03 2012) There are mumblings in the blogosphere that Amazon is to open bricks and mortar stores. Launch.it offers four possible scenarios:
(838 words).
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
of 5
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of 5
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