#Review - The Girl in the White Van by April Henry #YA #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Thrillers & Suspense

A teen is snatched after her kung fu class and must figure out how to escape—and rescue another kidnapped prisoner—in this chilling YA mystery.

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.

Master mystery-writer April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller in this story ripped straight from the headlines. 

"Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." credited to Bruce Lee

Author April Henry's The Girl in the White Van is a suspenseful story that focuses on 16-year old Savannah Taylor. (A word to the wise, do not go into this book thinking that the entire thing is going to be from Savannah's narrative. Get ready for Daniel Diaz, Sir, Michael Diaz, Jenny, Bob, and Amy Dowd.) Savannah and her mother are used to moving around a lot. Her mother, Lorraine Taylor, can't settle down with just one boyfriend. She's had plenty. But, perhaps there's light at the end of the tunnel when they settle down in Portland with Tim Hixon.

In Portland, Savannah discovers a calling for Kung Fu and Bruce Lee. In fact, Savannah uses some of Bruce Lee's motivations in order to survive. She even catches the eye of Daniel Diaz who is a senior and a black belt in Kung Fu under Sifu Terry. When Savannah gets into an argument with Tim and he takes her phone away, she runs out. After class, she is taken, but everyone assumes she has just run away. Daniel and he doesn't think she ran away. He's determined to find out what happened to her.

One of Bruce Lee's alleged sayings, "When your life is on the line, you have to do everything you can," comes into play when Savannah is taken by a man in a white van. A white van that has been seen trailing girls on their way to and from school. While Savannah tries hard to fight back and escape, it's too much to ask that she'll get away. But, Savannah isn't alone. Jenny Dowd was taken by Sir nearly a year ago from her work place. Jenny's father refuses to give up on hope that she'll be returned. Her mother has given up, but in an act of kindness, she finds that she's useful to Savannah's mother who blames herself for Savannah's disappearance. 

Meanwhile, Savannah is determined to use her training and her skills to get them out of the RV. But, Jenny knows what happens when you try to escape. She has the scars on her face to prove it. Together they need to figure out if an attempt escape is worth it even if it fails. April Henry writes fast paced, short thrillers with multiple viewpoints for teens. I've read a couple of her others and had mixed results. The multiple viewpoints allows readers to see more of the story than we would otherwise not. The reader is given an insight into the person responsible, but the mystery of who they are remains and builds the tension. The plus are the short chapters which means you could literally read this book in under 2 hours.

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