Most teenage girls would feel joy when their parents offer to take them on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea, but not Amy Fields. All she wants is to defy her father and stay away from her step-“monster”. Much like any other teenage girl, she is able to turn to music and her room when in distress, but on this trip, her stress reaches a whole new level.

In “Hostage Three” by Nick Lake, Amy is a regular British teenager, except for her many piercings and her extremely rich father. As she, her father, and her stepmother go on their own yacht through the Mediterranean Sea, they unexpectedly get stopped by a group of foreigners- they get stopped by real life pirates. As their family struggles to find their freedom, Amy makes an unlikely friend with the pirate translator and for once in her life this friendship is not made just to defy her father’s wishes. Suddenly, Amy’s life flips upside down as she battles her mind and her heart in as many ways as possible.

“Hostage Three” is the perfect novel for young adults because of its tale of a girl finding her true self. In high school, many girls struggle to understand who they are within their society and culture. In order to know who you are, you must go into your past to uncover your most genuine you; only then will you be the best you possible. Lake perfectly describes the everyday struggle of a teenage girl and answers how to solve the problem of self-identity.

As the novel comes to a close, Amy discovers hidden secrets within herself as well as her family, past, and present, causing her to make a shocking decision. However, you will need to read the novel to find out what choice Amy makes.

A Top 16 book from the Media Center revealing the fight between a girl and her identity, “Hostage Three” is a classic tale.