Girl, Stolen

Griffin Sawyer is a teenager, similar in age to Cheyenne. He has dropped out of school and helps his father, Roy Sawyer, in stealing and breaking down cars. He has a scar on his throat, the result of an explosion caused by his father cooking meth. He believes that his mother, Janie Sawyer, left them after the accident, but he later learns that Roy killed her in retaliation for bringing Griffin to the hospital.

Griffin kidnaps Cheyenne by accident, not realizing that she is in the Escalade that he is stealing. Although he initially appears as the antagonist, subsequent chapters reveal his harsh living situation and the abuse he has endured, which throws his story in a more sympathetic light and casts Roy as the true antagonist. As the narrative progresses, Griffin is further humanized. He develops respect for Cheyenne and treats her with kindness, ensuring she has food and medication, and resolving to help her escape. He is revealed to be protective and curious, asking Cheyenne many questions about her life, as well as insecure about his intelligence due to reading difficulties. Though Griffin feels trapped in his situation, with no opportunities to improve his circumstances, Cheyenne’s support inspires him to become more assured and resolved. By the end of the novel, Griffin helps Cheyenne escape and later goes to live with his aunt in a new city, which signals a hopeful new beginning.

Griffin’s father, Roy Sawyer, is the primary antagonist of the novel. He is violent and emotionally and physically abusive. He insists on total authority and punishes Griffin by punching him. He used to work as a mechanic, but after losing his job, made and sold drugs. He now runs an automobile chop shop. He has killed his wife, Janie, and buried her in the backyard.

The novel describes him as “nothing but muscle and tattoo,” and he dresses “in a black leather Harley vest open over a flannel shirt” (28-29). Cheyenne especially notices that he smells of tobacco and peppermint, which is what allows her to recognize him when he disguises himself as a policeman. Roy is the primary architect of the ransom plan, but he reveals his shortcomings by losing Cheyenne’s phone numbers while drinking at a bar. By the end of the novel, Roy faces charges of kidnapping, assault, and second-degree murder.

Jimbo and TJ are friends/employees of Roy’s. They help him with the ransom plan. TJ is skinny and short, and Jimbo wears “so many layers he looked like the Michelin man” (29). The two function as a pair throughout .TJ stands out from Jimbo through his sexual interest in Cheyenne; He tries to assault her. At the end of Girl, Stolen, TJ kills Jimbo, angry that his friend called him an idiot. The police apprehend TJ, and “[p]ending a mental health evaluation,” he faces “a dozen charges, including murder” (211).

Nick Wilder is the president of Nike and Cheyenne’s father. Cheyenne loves him and looks to him as a protector. Prior to her accident, however, he travelled a lot, and Cheyenne’s mother was her primary caretaker. In hospital, Cheyenne remembers waking up to him crying by her bedside. Nick hires Cheyenne as a private nurse for Cheyenne, eventually marrying her, and she plays a key role in Cheyenne’s recovery. Although Cheyenne has mixed feelings about her stepmother, blaming her for Phantom’s being left behind on the trip to the shopping center, she recognizes that Danielle’s tough love was a catalyst for her recovery. Danielle confronts Cheyenne over whether she wants to stay in bed depressed for the rest of her life and tells her that she has to learn to be independent. Danielle is described by Cheyenne as “blonde, shoulder-length, straight hair and a slender body, looking like one of a million actresses on TV” (22).