Review of The Girl in the White Van by April Henry

Henry, April.  The Girl in the White Van.  Henry Holt, 2020.

Sophomore Savannah Taylor has been dragged from city to city by her mom, always in search of  her next boyfriend.  Since she knows they will only move again, Savannah has learned never to get too comfortable in one place.  Currently, they are living with Tim, an auto mechanic, who is macho and very controlling.

 

In her spare time, Savannah has achieved her orange belt in kung fu and is reading a book about Bruce Lee, whom she admires.  Gossip has been going around school about girls being followed by a driver in a beat-up car and a girl from a nearby town who has been missing for nearly a year.

 

One night after kung fu class, Savannah is attacked and kidnapped.  When she awakes, she tries unsuccessfully to escape by falling out of the white van her kidnapper is driving.  Upon falling, she breaks her wrist and is recaptured.  She is taken to an old junk yard and pushed into an RV, where she finds Jenny, whom she heard was missing.  Jenny tells Savannah that “Sir”, their kidnapper, has certain rules they must follow if they want to remain alive.

 

Savannah is determined to keep herself and Jenny alive, no matter what.  She teaches Jenny how to be resourceful and fight back.  She knows they must use all their strength and cunning if they are going to outsmart Sir and escape from the RV.

 

The Girl in the White Van is the latest in a string of breathtaking thrillers written by April Henry.  Although the plot is simple, the action is nonstop and heart-stopping.  As a student of various martial arts, Ms. Henry has incorporated her extensive knowledge into this book, as well as information about the late Bruce Lee.  

 

As usual, the author has given us a strong female protagonist.  Savannah has learned to be tough, both mentally and physically, because she has lived in many different places.  Although she is claustrophobic, she is able to overcome the fear of being in a small RV in order to empower and help Jenny, who is quite timid and traumatized when they first meet.  

 

Each chapter begins with a quote by Bruce Lee, who was quite the philosopher!  Besides Savannah and Jenny, there are other narrators--the girls’ mothers, Sir, and others to keep readers abreast of is happening with the search for the girls while they are locked inside the trailer.

 

The Girl is the White Van is a real page-turner.  Hand it to fans of the author and readers who enjoy stories about survival and adventure.  I highly recommend it for middle school, high school, and public libraries and give it five out of five fleur de lis!

 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Dutton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.