In 2035, kidnapping is a major growth industry in the United States. The children of privilege live in secure, gated communities and are escorted to and from school by armed guards.
But the security around Charity Meyers has broken down. On New Year’s morning, she wakes and finds herself alone, strapped to a stretcher, in an ambulance that’s not moving. She is calm–kids in her neighborhood have been well trained in kidnapping protocol. Do not panic. Do not try to escape. Wait for your parents to deliver the ransom and you will be set free.
If this were a normal kidnapping, Charity would be fine. But as the hours of her imprisonment tick by, Charity realizes there is nothing normal about what’s going on here. And no training could prepare her for what her kidnappers really want…
Awards
- Sunshine State Readers Award Selection 2010-2011
- Grand Canyon Reader Award Selection 2010
- Florida Book Award, Silver Medal, 2010
Versions
- Hardcover 2007 Knopf Books
- Paperback 2009 Knopf Books
Ages 9 and up!