Looking for an unforgettable collection of books you’ll devour if you liked Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending novels for my fellow bookworms, especially those addressing tough topics like child abduction and abuse.
Top Three Recommendations
Kidnapping: Junior Missing by Khristina Chess - A seductive and chilling thriller about a runaway teen, drawn into an intoxicating relationship with an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go!
Stockholm syndrome: Stolen by Lucy Christopher - a slow-boil novel about the abduction of a young girl by a stalker who woos her into caring for him.
Child abduction:Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - a horrifying story about a teen who was kidnapped by a pedophile at age 10 and is forced to help him select his next victim to replace her.
You’ll find detailed reviews of these and more than ten other recommendations in the roundup below. 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
why you’ll love it - Kidnapping, dark romance
“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 from Junior Missing
Wow! Readers who love the intense chemistry and unsettling seduction of a dark romance won’t be able to put Junior Missing down. What makes Junior Missing so special is the slow-boil depiction of how Grace’s forbidden attraction turns into a trap set by an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go!
The story starts as 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 musician she met online. He’s charming, funny, and perfect.
Until he isn’t. Until she’s kidnapped and trapped in another state with no way out.
She doesn’t even have shoes.
If you’re looking for books about kidnapping and abuse and if Rust & Stardust left you breathless, I recommend this mesmerizing, authentic novel that depicts how someone can so easily be manipulated and hurt in a toxic relationship. Junior Missing will stay with you after the final page. Worth the read!
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
why you’ll love it - stockholm syndrome, kidnapping
“How long will you keep me?" I asked.
You shrugged. "Forever, of course.” ― Lucy Christopher 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 more novels like Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood. I loved, love, loved this one!
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Why you’ll love it - child abduction
Three life lessons:
1. No one will see you.
2. No one will say anything.
3. No one will save you. ― Elizabeth Scott 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.
Monsters prey on the voiceless and invisibility of children like Alice and Sally in Rust & Stardust. So pay attention. Speak.
Room by Emma Donoghue
why you’ll love it - voice, kidnapping
“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.” ― Emma Donoghue 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.
If you devoured Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood like I did, this book won’t disappoint.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
why you’ll love it - thrilling, child abduction
“The difference between a hero and a victim? Timing.” ― Taylor Adams 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 novel about child abduction and survival. I can’t wait to check out the movie that’s coming out about it!
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
why you’ll love it - kidnapping, psychological mystery
"If she could rewind the timeline, untwist it and roll it back the other way like a ball of wool, she'd see the knots in the yarn, the warning signs. Looking at it backward it was obvious all along. But back then, when she knew nothing about anything, she had not seen it coming. She had walked straight into it with her eyes open." ― Lisa Jewell from Then She Was Gone
This is an unputdownable novel. In fact, I was about 20 pages in when I realized I was going too fast and maybe, like the missing girl Ellie, I was overlooking important clues, so I went back and read from the beginning again.
I had to know what happened to Ellie, and then, bit by bit, new mysteries began to emerge. New horrors. The more I learned about Ellie and Noelle, the worse things became. The whole story became very... weird. Scary.
The relationship between Ellie’s mom and the American writer, Floyd, is where things take a turn. Floyd has a daughter who looks just like Ellie. I mean, how weird is that?
The ending was not predictable to me, and the path to reach the conclusion was not straight. I definitely loved this novel and want to read more of T. Greenwood’s books.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
why you’ll love it - Missing child, murder mystery
I liked it but struggled with a few "technical" things. In my printed copy, the paragraph breaks were wrong, which doesn't seem like a bad thing, but I was often confused about who was speaking because both speakers were on the same line, or the same speaker broke across two lines. It was very strange and kept knocking me out of the reading magic. Also, there are many, many separate viewpoint characters, and there are dates at the top of each character's chapter that I never figured out. I'm sure they meant something.
From early on, I thought I knew what happened, but I didn't. Not quite. Still, The God of the Woods is a good story for fans of Rust & Stardust, and it’s and worth hanging on past the first 60 pages. Enjoy!
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
why you’ll love it - abduction, twist ending
“That’s where you come in, Doc. You have to help me get rid of this obsession that I’m still not safe. That someone or something is out to get me.”― Chevy Stevens from Still Missing
A dark, absorbing, and page-turning thriller! This is one of those novels that takes off with a bang and keeps on giving. A man grabs a real-estate agent from a house that she's showing, drugs her, and imprisons her in a remote cabin. He's a crazy man with all kinds of rules. After nearly a year of suffering in his hands, she escapes.
But that's not the end.
She attempts to return to her life, but she can't shake the feeling that something is off. That she is still in danger. She works with a cop to try to identify the man who took her and learn whether or not he acted alone.
Chevy Stevens' debut novel is outstanding! Fans of Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood will love this. If you missed this one, it's a great vacation beach read. Just be careful going anywhere alone...
The Lost by Natasha Preston
why you’ll love it - psychological thriller, abduction
“Life is a game; you just have to make sure you’re in control.” ― Natasha Preston 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.
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 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 one!
Other Books You’ll Devour If You Liked Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood
If you are looking for other books like these, Goodreads also offers a great book list: Readers Who Enjoyed Rust & Stardust.
You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
