Find your next great read for National Missing Children’s Day by exploring my reviews of these great YA books about kidnapping.
The good news is that abductions from random strangers represent the rarest type of cases and make up less than 1% of the reported missing children cases. Sometimes these missing children are lured by people they’ve met online, such as suspected in the recent Alicia Navarro case. Yet the famous missing children who make the news and remain in our minds are girls like Polly Class, Elizabeth Smart, and Amber Hagerman, whose tragic kidnapping and murder led to the AMBER Alert System.
Reading thrilling YA books about kidnapping can help us imagine what such an experience might be like so that we can make safer decisions for ourselves or our children. Putting ourselves into a narrator’s head who is held captive, we can ask questions like, “What would I do to escape?” or “Could that really happen?” Seeing a protagonist escape, even hurt the monster who took them, can give us a greater feeling of goodness and inspire hope.
Here is an eclectic list of YA books about kidnapping and child abduction. Some are thrillers with young protagonists who are actively fighting against their evil captors, while others are more tragic stories about stolen children and the repercussions of being hostage. With a list about missing kids and teens who’ve been trapped and endangered, I can’t guarantee you’ll find a list of all roses and happy endings here, but you will find great reads.
Junior Missing by Khristina Chess
“He called me the most willing kidnapping victim in history. I’d invited him to my house, he’d said. I’d climbed into the car. I’d packed a bag. And a parakeet.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Junior Missing
Love shouldn’t take prisoners.
Sixteen-year-old Grace Keegan, darling of the child pageant world with a bright future, is missing. At first, police assume she ran away. But when they find her abandoned phone along the highway, the truth becomes far more terrifying.
No one knows about Quentin Brock—the older musician she met online. He’s charming, funny, and perfect. Until he isn’t. Until she’s trapped in another state with no way out.
She doesn’t even have shoes.
What makes Junior Missing so special is the gripping, slow-boil depiction of how Grace falls into the trap of an abusive relationship with an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go. I worried about her. This is the kind of thrilling, authentic novel that really shows how someone can so easily be manipulated and hurt in this kind of situation.
Dark, gripping, and impossible to put down, Junior Missing is a slow-burn psychological thriller that unravels the chilling reality of physical and psychological violence. If you’re looking for great YA books about kidnapping and child abduction, this one is definitely a page-turner! In fact, Khristina Chess is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she has so many suspenseful novels.
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
“How long will you keep me?" I asked.
You shrugged. "Forever, of course.” ― Lucy Christopher, quote from Stolen
What a beautiful, unsettling, thrilling, complex, and emotional novel! I was mesmerized by the characters and the slow-boil situation. The author did an amazing job of making me emotionally invested in the outcome. I could feel the heat and dryness of the desert. The camel was a creature I could see and smell, and I love the way Lucy Christopher draws a parallel between what happens to Gemma and the camel. Wonderful! I have a very vivid impression in my mind of the setting.
I can’t say too much without giving spoilers, so I will only urge you to read it if you’re looking for YA books about kidnapping and child abduction I loved it!!!
No Exit by Taylor Adams
“The difference between a hero and a victim? Timing.” ― Taylor Adams, quote from No Exit
Holy cow! In this thriller, a college student pulls over at a rest stop during a blizzard, and while walking around the parking lot to locate cell phone coverage (unsuccessfully), she discovers a child locked in a dog crate in the back of a van. A live child. Someone inside the building is holding a child captive in a cage in that van.
The plot takes off from there. Hang on! Who is it? How can Darby rescue the child and herself? How can she ensure that the psychopath doesn’t kill her and the innocent travelers in a blood bath instead?
Darby is a smart, plucky heroine, and I was rooting for her on every page of this tense YA book about kidnapping and child abduction. I can’t wait to check out the movie that’s coming out about it!
The Lost by Natasha Preston
“Life is a game; you just have to make sure you’re in control.” ― Natasha Preston, quote from The Lost
This short YA book about kidnapping novel kept me engaged in the story, turning pages to see how these characters were going to escape their situation. I forgave the implausible premise because the whole thing was just super creepy. This "cabin in the woods" seemed to go on forever with its torture rooms, and the author built an entire world that I could imagine. The suspense and tension in the plot wasn't predictable for me.
The ending could have worked better if Piper had been given a little different character development earlier in the book.
For more books that include psychopaths in the storyline, check out my post on Chilling Teen Psychopath Books That Evoke Strong Emotions.
Room by Emma Donoghue
“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.” ― Emma Donoghue, quote from Room
Room is a story told by Jack, a 5-year-old boy who lives in “room.” In some ways his teen mother is a secondary character, a 19-year-old girl who has been kidnapped, imprisoned for years, and serially raped by her jailer until she gave birth to Jack. She is a fiercely protective mother, loving, courageous, and resilient in the face of incredible hardship and danger.
I couldn’t put this book down. It was a very compelling read with an intriguing and unusual narrator, and although Ma never has a choice about her pregnancy (she’s kidnapped and raped, remember), she does have a choice on how she raises her son under these horrific circumstances.
Their journey is unforgettable.
Read this book. Think about Ma, not just Jack. Ma’s story is why I list Room as a YA book about kidnapping and abduction.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Three life lessons:
1. No one will see you.
2. No one will say anything.
3. No one will save you. ― Elizabeth Scott, quote from Living Dead Girl
Fifteen-year-old Alice is the kidnapping victim of a pedophile named Ray who took her at age ten. This haunting, horrifying, graphic, disturbing, and tragic book is about so much more than child rape, although that certainly happens. This novel shows how a person—a child—can lose their self-worth and believe their captor’s lies.
How someone can lose their own humanity.
This thin YA book about kidnapping and child abduction was a fast read, but Alice and her story have stayed with me long after I finished. It’s her voice. In her unflinching viewpoint, Alice shows us what happens to children who are taken and never found. She challenges us to look more closely at the people around us. To notice.
Like the Melinda in Speak, Alice does not speak. And monsters prey on the mute. So pay attention. Speak.
If you like this one, you might also be interested on my post, Which Poignant YA Books about Rape and Sexual Assault Should You Read Next?
Girl, Stolen by April Henry
"Sometimes people did this, closed their eyes for a few seconds and imagined it gave them insights into what it was like to be her. Only, at the end, they could still open their eyes and see." ― April Henry, quote from Girl, Stolen
This slender YA novel is a fast and engaging read!
The story is about sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder, daughter of a famous Nike CEO, who is accidentally kidnapped by a boy named Griffen. He's about her age, maybe older, and he soon regrets his actions because his abusive father decides to hold her for ransom. Cheyenne is in danger. She has pneumonia; she's blind; bad men at Griffen's house are interested in assaulting her; and she expects to be killed once money has exchanged hands.
The prose is simple and effective. The viewpoint alternates between Cheyenne and Griffen, and we learn backstories of both protagonists through the story. I especially liked learning so much about what a blind person might experience in such a situation. Cheyenne was clever and resilient.
I haven't read a book straight through and stayed up to finish in a long time. Well done! If you’re looking for a fast-paced YA book about kidnapping, you don’t want to miss this YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults and YALSA Quick Pick winner.
Other YA Books about Kidnapping
If you are looking other YA books about kidnapping and child abduction, check out the YA Kidnapping and Abduction Book Lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens.
Do you have any personal favorites to recommend to me? I’m always looking for another great read in this category.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.