by April Henry
Published on July 28, 2020 by Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 1250157595
Format: ARC
Pages: 224
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult
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.
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I’ve recently realized I love the genre of thrillers. After reading several crime thrillers that blew me away, I decided to venture into the YA thriller genre with The Girl in the White Van. And while I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, there was definitely a level of suspense that was lacking in this book. Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, and was a really quick one. But it wasn’t a favorite for me, and lacked the substance I’d been hoping for.
The story itself was okay. The plot begged for tension that I never felt, despite the fact that the main character was literally kidnapped. I think the writing was in part to blame here, but also the quick pace of the story. I would have thought fast-pacing would work well for this sort of book, but in this case it just led to a lack of build-up. Things happened so quickly that my brain didn’t really get the chance to accept the situations as suspenseful. Paired with average writing, it left me wanting more.
There were some really great moments though. I loved the bits about the girls learning self-defense techniques. And I wasn’t expecting so many point-of-view shifts, which ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the book. The switching and unexpected POVs actually did more to serve the tension of the book than the story itself did. And I did really like the ending. I can’t say that any part of it really surprised me, rather it was pretty much exactly what I expected from early on, but it was well executed and fun to read.
The characters were interesting. Savannah was a decent main character, quick thinking and easy to root for. I enjoyed Jenny’s part a lot more, she was intriguing and dynamic from the first moment she appeared on the page. I really didn’t enjoy the love interest Daniel’s chapters. I couldn’t stand him or the ways he handled the investigation into Savannah’s disappearance. Like, dude, tell your COP DAD anything you know! The other characters that got featured chapters were fun, adding a bit more personality to the story than I think it would have had if only Savannah and Jenny had been at the forefront.
Would I recommend The Girl in the White Van? Eh, sure, why not. Don’t go into it expecting thriller of the year and you’ll be golden. It’s short and easy to read, with enough substance to make it interesting. I’m not sure that I’ll read more from the author, as I don’t think this one was suited to my tastes, but I can see some fans of the genre enjoying it.
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
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