Review: Stolen: The Orion Sessions #2 by Cheryl DaVeiga | Middle-Grade Review
An uplifting reminder that the most important voice to listen to is your own.
Middle school can be hard enough without feeling invisible. In Stolen: The Orion Sessions, Cheryl DaVeiga takes Orion Casey's story in a more challenging direction, exploring what happens when trust is broken, friendships are tested, and doing the right thing isn't always the easiest choice. Through music, perseverance, and a cast of memorable supporting characters, this second installment delivers an uplifting story about standing up for yourself and finding the courage to keep going when life feels unfair.
About Stolen: The Orion Sessions #2
Stolen: A Contemporary Middle-Grade Story With Music By Cheryl DaVeiga
Series: The Orion Sessions Book 2
on July 2026
Genres: Middle-Grade
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 168
She trusted the wrong person. Now someone's stolen her voice.
Thirteen-year-old Orion Casey arrives at songwriting camp ready to write, perform, and finally belong.
Then she meets Ava Rae-TikTok-famous, confident, and everything Orion hopes to be someday.
When Ava asks Orion to co-write a song for a real music producer, it feels like the universe finally has her back.
It doesn't.
The morning after their late-night session under the stars, Orion wakes up to a post blowing up on social media.
Ava has uploaded their song-every chord, every lyric, every melody-and claimed it as her own.
Orion's name: Nowhere.
Her notebook with all the proof: Gone.
And in a camp full of kids who worship Ava, who's going to believe her?
Now Orion is up against something she never saw coming. She's been written out of her own story.
And finding her voice again might be harder than losing it.
���� A story with a soundtrack
Stolen is part of The Orion Sessions, a middle-grade series that blends music and storytelling. Readers can listen to original songs connected to the story, creating a unique and immersive reading experience.
Each book in the series can be enjoyed on its own, while together they tell a deeper story of friendship, identity, and finding your voice.
Perfect for readers who love:
- emotional middle-grade stories
- friendship, betrayal, and real-life drama (with a little humor)
- music, creativity, and self-expression
- fast-paced, relatable reads for ages 9-13
Book 2 in The Orion Sessions
Start with Best Friends (Book 1)
Continue with Stolen (Book 2) and Viral (Book 3)
Reader Resources
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Review at a Glance
| Genre | Contemporary Middle-Grade Fiction |
| Series | Orion Sessions, #2 |
| Audience | Ages 9-13 |
| Length | 168 pages |
| Content Rating | G |
| My Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ |
Quick Take: A heartfelt middle-grade novel about trust, resilience, and finding the courage to stand up for yourself when someone tries to take credit for your voice.
Content Considerations: Written for middle-grade readers. Themes include bullying, betrayal, social media pressure, unfair treatment, loneliness, and homelessness. All topics are handled in an age-appropriate and ultimately hopeful manner.
Let's take a closer look at Stolen, the second book in Cheryl DaVeiga's Orion Sessions trilogy.
My Thoughts on Stolen: The Orion Sessions
After enjoying Best Friends, I was eager to see where Cheryl DaVeiga would take Orion's story next. While the first book focused on friendship and finding a sense of belonging, Stolen raises the stakes by exploring what happens when trust is broken and someone tries to take away something you've worked hard to create.
Orion arrives at an elite songwriting camp hoping to grow as a musician and finally find her place among other talented young artists. Like many middle-grade readers, she struggles with feelings of self-doubt and loneliness, making her easy to root for from the very beginning. When a seemingly exciting opportunity turns into betrayal and her work is stolen, the story quickly becomes an emotional journey about perseverance, integrity, and standing up for yourself.
One of the things I appreciated most was that the conflict felt realistic for today's young readers. While few children will attend a songwriting camp, many will understand the hurt of being left out, not being believed, or watching someone else take credit for their efforts. DaVeiga handles these themes in an age-appropriate way while still allowing readers to feel the weight of Orion's disappointment and frustration.
The supporting characters add depth and heart to the story. Izzy once again proves herself to be a remarkable friend, helping Orion from afar when she needs support most. Daisy's character arc offers an important reminder that doing the right thing is not always easy, but courage often means speaking up when it matters most.
I was especially happy to see the return of Pickin' Pete, whose appearance carries a powerful message. Through Pete, the story gently encourages readers to look beyond first impressions and recognize the struggles that others may be carrying. His influence on Orion's decision to keep fighting rather than give up becomes one of the novel's most meaningful moments.
As with the first book, music remains at the heart of the story, but the deeper lesson is about finding your voice and refusing to let others define your worth. Orion's journey shows that setbacks, unfairness, and even failure do not have to be the end of the story. Sometimes they become the very experiences that help us discover our strength.
The ending delivers the satisfying payoff middle-grade readers hope for while reinforcing the novel's central themes of friendship, resilience, kindness, and believing in yourself. By the final pages, Orion has learned that while songs can be stolen and notebooks can be lost, her voice can never truly be taken away.
In Conclusion
Stolen is an encouraging middle-grade novel that reminds readers that setbacks do not define them. Through Orion's journey, Cheryl DaVeiga explores friendship, fairness, perseverance, and compassion with warmth and authenticity. Young readers who enjoy realistic contemporary fiction, music-centered stories, and characters who grow through adversity will find much to appreciate in this uplifting second installment of The Orion Sessions.
Related Reviews
Looking for more Cheryl DaVeiga reviews? Visit Cheryl on my Author Hub or explore book one of the trilogy below.
Best Friends: The Orion Sessions #1
Before we wrap up, here's a little more about the author behind the story.
About Cheryl DaVeiga
About Cheryl DaVeiga
Cheryl DaVeiga grew up loving music—singing, writing, and dreaming in melodies. Following that passion was never framed as a real option, so she chose a path that felt defined and practical, building a career in accounting and eventually becoming a partner at a national firm.
Years later, she found her way back to the music she had set aside, becoming an award-winning songwriter recognized by ASCAP and ultimately discovering the joy of writing children’s books. Across her seven picture books—stories infused with music, humor, and sing-along joy—her work has received award recognition from the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Mom’s Choice Awards (Gold), Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, and Literary Titan.
But even as she wrote those playful stories, she knew there was another one waiting—one rooted in the girl she used to be and the voice she had tucked away. That story became The Orion Sessions, a middle-grade trilogy for kids growing up in the real world—with music, of course. The Orion Sessions is the series Cheryl wishes she'd had when she was twelve: full of music, friendship, mistakes, courage, and the journey of reclaiming the voice she’d hidden to fit in.
Cheryl lives in Tucson with her partner, Doug, and they spend summers in New Jersey. She still sings… like all the time.
Explore more from the author:
Website | Amazon | Goodreads
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Tour dates: June 22-July 10, 2026. To see the full schedule of stops, visit the
iRead Book Tours - Stolen: The Orion Sessions Tour Page.
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