In this fast-paced young adult novel, Alyxandra Harvey weaves a delightful fairy tale that gives ancient British mythology a hip, often-hilarious update. From the first incongruous scene to the heart-stopping climax, I was caught up in Harvey’s quirky but relatable characters and well-drawn world. Although some parts of the beginning seemed a little rough or confusing, the kinks ironed themselves out fairly quickly and I ended up greatly enjoying Stolen Away!

Stolen Away would be a great read for teens (especially those who have a little familiarity with the folk tales of the British Isles!), as well as adults who enjoy a good, fast-paced contemporary fantasy.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Walker & Company

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 10 religious exclamations. 30 mild obscenities. 9 derogatory names (most of these are used in reference to a pet goat, whose name is a derogatory term). 10 scatalogical words. 10 anatomical terms. 1 offensive hand gesture. 1 f-word derivative.

Violence/Gore: Character is verbally bullied. An old woman pelts a girl with acorns. A character is kidnapped. A character sees prisoners who appear to have been tortured. A man is wounded in a sword fight. Kids are attacked and shot with poisoned arrows by tiny creatures (no lasting damage is done). A climactic battle takes place, with a few characters wounded or killed.

Sex/Nudity: A girl says she’d kiss a hot-looking guy. A reference is made to tongue kissing. Two teenage characters share several intense kisses (the kisses are intense because of chemistry, but are still fairly simple and not overly descriptive). A girl transforms from an animal and is briefly mentioned as being naked. An adult says something about having had a lover.

Mature Subject Matter:

Single-parent families, family secrets.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Teens drink at a party. An adult smokes.