Stained by Cheryl Rainfield - OPTIONAL

Rainfield, Cheryl, Stained. Pgs. 304. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

Language: PG-13 (24 swears, 2 “f”s), Mature Content: PG-13 (rape, psychological abuse, threat of murder, kidnapping, bullying), Violence: PG-13 (rape, threat of murder, guns, kidnapping at knifepoint). $16.99

16-year-old, Sarah Meadows has been bullied all of her life, because of a port-wine stain on her face. In an attempt to protect herself, she pretends in her mind that she’s Diamond, a superhero with super-powered skin. Her only friends, a boy named Nick, who has a crush on her, and her friend, Charlene. When Sarah gets kidnapped by her father’s business associate, she’s locked in a one-room shack, kept blindfolded, raped, starved, and psychologically abused. When Sarah discovers that she’s at least the third one he’s kidnapped, and the previous two are dead, she knows she must escape. With little more than a bucket and a small duffle bag of provisions, and no way to see what she’s doing, will she succeed?

Told through alternate points of view of Nick and Sarah, this harrowing tale is well-written, engaging, and extremely intense. The main characters, although at first a little hard to relate to, quickly steal the reader’s heart and attention. This book would entertain reluctant and avid readers alike. Particularly, for fans of April Henry and Lucy Christopher. All the rape and talk of murder make this book an optional choice for most school collections, but it would make an excellent addition to most public library collections.

HS. OPTIONAL Public ADVISABLE.