The Girl in the White Van is a brand new YA mystery thriller from author April Henry. Henry is no stranger to the genre with over twenty published novels and delivers a fast paced and creepy narrative with The Girl in the White Van. As a teen, I lived in the mystery/thriller section of my local library, bookstore, and video store. My tastes have certainly changed over the years, but the key teachings I took from these types of stories are still ingrained in me today. There are a few formulas that these types of stories follow and I was expecting this book to do the same thing. This is the first April Henry book I have read, but this book seemed to follow its own rules. Perhaps the YA thriller journey is different, compared with more adult thrillers, but this book was certainly different to what I was expecting, both good and bad.
The Girl in the White Van takes the classic stalker with a white van stereotype and develops a plot that made my skin crawl. Savannah is a teenage girl who has a complicated relationship with her mother, who never stays in the same place or with the same man for very long. After a fight with Tim, the latest boyfriend, Savannah heads to her usual Kung Fu class. After class she means to head home, however, she is stopped by an unknown attacker who grabs her from behind. After a brief struggle and a few injuries, she is taken and wakes up somewhere unknown. However, Savannah isn’t alone. There is another girl with her and so begins their struggle to escape. The other girl, Jenny, is pretty beat up and her injuries are described in gruesome detail. The reader soon learns that her injuries were acquired when Jenny tried to escape when she was first taken. Despite her fear, Savannah quickly insists that they try and escape.
The story is told from multiple POVs. In fact, almost every character in this book has at least one chapter to shine. This is an interesting choice, but Henry does a good job keeping each voice individual and separate. It shares emotions and provides a background about Savannah, Jenny, their parents, and other kids from school. It also teaches the reader more about the villain, Sir, and about the fact he has been stalking girls for a long time. Savannah’s chapters are prefaced with Bruce Lee quotes which the reader learns early on is a sort of idol for her. These quotes give a cryptic hint of the mood of each chapter and where a really lovely addition.
“If there is always light, you don’t experience light anymore. You have to have the rhythm of light and darkness.”
The use of multiple POVs also helps propel the story and creates a really fast paced read. There are both positives and negatives for this book in that sense. The positive was I finished this book in under two hours! The negative is I felt that the story was rushed and led to a lack of tension and suspense throughout. It felt like there was simply no time for the suspense to build before the next character started talking.
Prior to being kidnapped, Savannah really struggles to form a connection with other characters. She is used to moving frequently and talks about how there is little point making friends because the inevitable move always results in losing contact. It was wonderful to see the relationship between Savannah and Jenny bloom in their short captivity together. Their characters really complimented each other and where one was weak the other was there to support and assist both physically and emotionally. So many YA books pit young girls against each other and it was refreshing to see these girls work together through many adversities.
This book plays out like an episode of Criminal Minds and the reader is given a psychoanalysis of the kidnapper which felt very familiar. Sir, as he wants to be called, is a loner with severe emotional issues surrounding both his parents after their deaths which has led him to believe he is entitled to a woman to control and treat how he deems fit. I was waiting for a twist within the story and Henry hints throughout at the possible suspects of who Sir may be from the men in Savannah’s life. Unfortunately, that twist never came and Sir is a stranger who preyed and stalked young girls and women until he found the perfect one. This was a bit disappointing (I love a good plot twist, particularly in mysteries and thrillers) but the fact Sir is a complete stranger certainly upped the creep factor by at least 1000.
Henry packs this book with a lot of lessons for young girls and women throughout this book and I am not sure if they were intentional or not. She comments on how each girl was taken by a stranger that had watched their movements over several days/weeks. As a woman with law enforcement in her family, changing up my routine where possible has always been on my radar. There are self defense lessons scattered throughout and Savannah actually teaches certain aspects to Jenny before their escape. I thought the inclusion of these tips was appropriate and rounded this book out perfectly.
The Girl In The White Van is a solid YA thriller that would be most enjoyed by the younger end of the YA reader spectrum. It has a straight forward plot, relatable characters while still delivering the expected creep.
The Girl In The White Van is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 28th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
