Name: The Girl in the White Van
ISBN: 9781250157591

April Henry

A teen is snatched outside her kung fu class and must figure out how to escape—and rescue another kidnapped victim—in The Girl in the White Van, a chilling YA mystery by New York Times bestselling author April Henry. When Savannah disappears soon after arguing with her mom’s boyfriend, everyone assumes she's run away. The truth is much worse. She’s been kidnapped by a man in a white van who locks her in an old trailer home, far from prying eyes. And worse yet, Savannah’s not alone: ten months earlier, Jenny met the same fate and nearly died trying to escape. Now as the two girls wonder if he will hold them captive forever or kill them, they must join forces to break out—even if it means they die trying. Christy Ottaviano Books

The Girl in the White Van

Sara Carlson 

Cynthi

It was good. The first time I read it I loved it so I would definitely say this is a good book for a middle schooler. Rereading and also reading April's other books they are really similar which isn't bad but I wish it was more versatile. As an older and more experienced book reader, I just wanted more.

Lynn Braden

Savannah has moved more times than she can remember because her mother continues to look for happiness with men she meets in online dating sites. Savannah has tried to make the best of it, but has finally come to the conclusion that it is useless to make friends when she is just going to have to leave soon anyway. One evening when she is on the way to her Kung Fu class, she has a terrible argument with her mother's boyfriend, Tim, and he takes away her phone. After class, Savannah is kidnapped and finds herself in a dire situation with another girl named Jenny who has been with "Sir" for several months. After "Sir" drains all of the water out of the RV where the two girls are staying, both girls realize that they are going to die if they don't find a way to escape.

Because The Girl in the White Van is so short, there is little time for in-depth character or plot development. However, at the beginning of each chapter, there are quotes by Bruce Lee, whose book Savannah is reading. The quotes are profound and add something interesting to a story that is pretty much a bare bones kidnapping story. Overall, the book does what it needs to do to tell the story, but that is just about all it does.