Looking for a book that will hook readers from the get- go? Check out The Girl in the White Van by April Henry. The novel follows a kidnapped young woman who is left to fight for her life as she navigates through a series of dangerous and scary situations as the clock ticks down.
“It was a great book and I usually don’t read, so when I like a book, it must mean that it’s really good. And I just loved it,” said senior Sarah McKee-Hurley Reifsnyder. “I would definitely recommend it to so many people that love crime books or shows.” It was also a quicker read for Reifsnyder. “For me, who is someone who takes months to finish a book, I finished it in a week and a half,” Reifsynder continues.
Fans of the text say its alternating points of view keep things interesting, while still being easy to understand.”I think it was nice because I usually don’t like those kinds of books because I get confused, but yes, I actually loved it because it was easy to understand how the characters felt,” reports Reifsynder.
The novel has appeal to a teenage audience for a lot of reasons, but most especially because the characters are teens themselves. While this book is a fast paced, action-packed thriller, it also serves as a warning for people, including Reifsynder. ”I check my surroundings a lot and look over my shoulder all the time, and I pay attention to people’s body language.”
Once readers start reading, they won’t be able to put this book down. “The plot twist and the words that were used to describe things.” Reifsynder states, are two of the reasons she kept turning the page. This book also made Reifsynder ”very anxious,” and her “heart raced a lot.”
So, if students are looking for a thriller to curl up and read, they may want to add The Girl in the White Van to their reading list.