Held by Edeet Ravel

Pages: 245

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: psychological thriller

Notes for parents: Contains mature themes of danger and fear and also elements of sexual behaviour.

The Back Cover

Seventeen-year-old Chloe's summer vacation in Greece comes to an abrupt end when she is suddenly blindfolded and whisked away to an unidentified location. Waking up from a drug-induced sleep, she is seized by terror and imagines the worst. After several days of utter despair, Chloe is relieved when her hostage-taker appears. His revelation that she is being held ransom for a prisoner exchange, however, does little to allay her fears. Haunted by frightening dreams, and with only her thoughts to keep her company, Chloe fights to remain calm. Will her captor ever let her go? And will she be the same person once she’s free?

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

The story is less about her abduction and more about the relationship she develops with her captor. Held explores the concept of Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological phenomenon in which the hostage develops feelings of sympathy for the hostage-taker. Chloe’s isolation leads her to look forward to her captor’s visits and eventually she begins to have serious feelings for him.

What’s good?

The pace is fast and the story is riveting. At the beginning I felt Chloe’s fear and loneliness. The anxiety of her situation was palpable. I felt her relief when her captor would show up after days of her being alone. I felt like I was watching Chloe through a camera hidden in the corner of that large, empty warehouse. The hostage-taker was intriguing and eerily likeable. His motives appeared well-intentioned and at times made his horrible crime seem logical.

Best part: The ending was perfect!

What’s not so good?

Chloe’s inability to recognize how inappropriate her feelings are seems unrealistic, and her willingness to voice how she feels seems way too bold. I don’t know what I would do in Chloe’s situation, but I hope that I would at least internalized my feelings better than Chloe did. As much as this bothered me, the ending made up for it.

Worst part: Chloe’s declaration of love.

Recommendations þþþþo

Highly recommended for anyone looking for an exhilarating read about a topic rarely discussed.

Ravel, Edeet. Held. Toronto: Annick Press, 2011.