This gripping and chillingly realistic novel from New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper shows that all it takes is one bad decision for everything to change.
Diamond knows not to get into a car with a stranger.
But what if the stranger is well-dressed and handsome? On his way to meet his wife and daughter? And casting a movie that very night—a movie in need of a star dancer? What then?
Then Diamond might make the wrong decision.
It’s a nightmare come true: Diamond Landers has been kidnapped. She was at the mall with a friend, alone for only a few brief minutes—and now she’s being held captive, forced to endure horrors beyond what she ever could have dreamed, while her family and friends experience their own torments and wait desperately for any bit of news.
From New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper, this is a riveting exploration of power: how quickly we can lose it—and how we can take it back.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Not What I Expected
By Shanna
I guess I just didn't look at the description of this book enough (or utilize the "Look Inside" Option) because I was disappointed by this book. The reviews made it seem like it would be good. First off, the book is short and written in rather large text, which makes it a ridiculously fast, easy read (under an hour for a fast reader). The summary and reviews make it sound like the majority of the book is about Diamond being kidnapped, but really, the Diamond chapters are fairly short and far between. Chapters from the point of Justin (a very dry, seemingly pointless character), Mercedes (Another seemingly dry, dusty character) and Layla (in an abusive relationship) pack the majority of the book and for the most part seemed to be plot-less and filler.Secondly, the book seemed targeted at a younger audience, but it dealt with more mature themes, which had me confused. There was some dancing around serious issues like child pornography, rape and abuse, but nothing was explicitly stated beyond the abuse. If you're looking for a dark, more up front book about those subjects, this won't satisfy you (Try Still Missing by Chevy Stevens instead).Third, the book didn't reach me. Books about this subject tend to have messages of hope and help embedded- they teach a lesson to teens about what is and isn't acceptable. Usually there is emotional weight to the book and the story is powerful. Here, it wasn't. It was dull for the most part, and even the interesting parts seemed unexciting. The characters were all one-dimensional and so over-stereotyped as teens. Which leads me to my next point...Fourthly, the dialogue had me on edge for much of the story. I'm not entirely sure where the story takes place, but the teens all seem to be way over-stereotyped and over-done African American teens. The talking and texting between the characters was awful. It was terrible text speak (that most teens who actually use text speak wouldn't even use) and overused ebonics and it distracted from the story. It didn't even seem to match up. The characters dove in and out of this mode of communication and I didn't even see why. Their race wasn't a factor in the story in all, but the author seemed to want to make it a focal point and dramatized it in a very annoying way.The points about abusive relationships, sexting dangers and talking to strangers ended up being kind of lost and unimportant at the end of the book and I have to say I was disappointed. The whole book just came off as rushed and thoughtless.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Loved Panic
By Nicole Vargas
I loved it, it kept me very interested. I look forward to buying more of Sharon Draper books. She is my favorite author although I've read all of her books so far like the bully and the rest of the series. They're all awesome.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful.Great Plot/Message Lost in Awkward Dialogue and Crazy Names
By Maria the Baker
I want to be kind in writing this review, since I think the book had a great storyline and message, and because it seems that Ms. Draper's books are popular (she's a bestselling author), but I just wanted to throw this book across the room too many times. My review will reflect that frustration.It began with the characters' names. The most "normal" female names were Layla and Mercedes. The more oddball names were Diamond, Shasta, Zizi, and Magnificent (you *don't* want to know her full name!) I found these names to be rather distracting, as I just kept waiting to hear/read what the next introduced character's name would be.The dialogue was the main problem, however. The first time a character said "true that," I grimaced. (Even if real teens actually say this, I think they say it in a mocking/amusing way, and they would likely say "true dat" with some dramatic flair.) Imagine my discomfort when that phrase was repeated at least 4 more times. Another piece of dialogue that did not ring true was "you trippin',"; I actually asked my friend, when I was telling her about the book and the awful dialogue, "is this 1997?" Another example of the lack of timeliness with the dialogue was a character calling something "super fresh." I'm not kidding. All of these dated phrases made the dialogue feel very artificial and out of place (and time!) There is a point at which one of the main characters, the girl who is abducted and missing and the focus of the book is thinking about what she'd say to her friends if she could speak to them. Instead of a heartfelt, emotional plea for her friends and family to find her and/or praying to be found/released, the author has her thinking these slang-ridden messages that seem to take the horror of her situation very lightly. This book deals with important issues of teens putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations, abduction, rape, child pornography, physical and emotional abuse from boyfriends, and teen self esteem. Unfortunately, the artificial dialogue and almost light-hearted, kid-glove treatment of these issues make a book that could have been great ultimately fail.
