Character Analysis
Every young-adult book needs a love interest, right? We recognize that's kind of cliché, but even in Stolen, Gemma has a crush. Unfortunately, though, he's dating her best friend, and the two are on a romantic summer trip to the English seashore while Gemma is being held hostage in Australia. Still, Gemma uses Ben as a way to survive her captivity. "I spent hours thinking about him, imagining he was there with me, my fingers in his floppy, sun-bleached hair" (26.8), Gemma confesses.
Like Anna, we don't actually ever meet Ben in the action of the story. Still, he provides a clue as to what Gemma's life at home is like and what she's missing. The brief details we get also reveal that just like any teenager, Gemma has drama in her life. And really—does teenage life get more dramatic than having a crush on your best friend's boyfriend?
Oh, wait, it does when you're kidnapped and taken to a foreign country.