Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2020 Gr 4–8—With an intriguing mystery and a heartwarming tale of friendship wrapped inside a ghost story, this is a sure hit. Cooper is dealing with his parents' divorce—his father has left him, his mother, and his sister for a new family. Cooper has to help his mother take care of his sister and monitor her blood sugar. Since the divorce, his friendships have fallen apart; Cooper has become more comfortable alone, seeking constant solitude and writing in his journal. Everything changes when a mysterious girl moves into an abandoned house nearby. She hardly speaks but always stares at him. When Cooper realizes the logo on her uniform is connected to major disasters throughout the world, he is drawn into a larger mystery. Could this strange girl have something to do with the disasters? Does her appearance mean a terrible disaster is coming here? Ansari knows how to balance a fast-paced plot with well-developed characters. She perfectly uses the "Mystery Box" technique by setting up questions about the eerie girl, driving readers' desire to keep turning pages. Cooper grows and develops friendships that will stay with him forever. The plot twist will hit readers in the gut, and makes this book unforgettable. VERDICT With a memorable twist and an awesome mystery, this title is too good to be missed. Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and "Goosebumps" grads looking for something a little spookier.—Patrick Tierney, Pascoag P.L., RI - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2020 Since his parents’ divorce, Cooper has struggled to adjust to his dad’s absence and their new life, preferring loneliness to the possibility of being hurt by someone—even his friends. But when his little sister, Jess, stumbles upon a mystery possibly involving the mysterious new girl next door, Cooper can’t help being drawn in. He and Jess begin to uncover a mystery more complex than anything they could have imagined, learning of a terrible tragedy from long ago that may be connected to the mysterious new girl. As Cooper learns to manage his feelings and grow closer to his sister, they realize that another catastrophe may be coming, and they might be powerless to prevent it. Though Ansari’s (The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly, 2019) latest begins as a spooky ghost-next-door story, it quickly develops into a mystery involving an intricate web of historical events, a separate dimension that exists “in between,” and characters struggling with major life changes, such as divorce and illness. And readers won’t see the final twist coming. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.