Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2015 Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Mare Barrow lives in a world where one's lot in life is determined by the color of one's blood. She was born a Red and has to make a living by pickpocketing and trying to dodge "the conscription" and being sent off to fight an ongoing war. Mare's resigned herself to the fact that she'll always serve the Silver, a genetically gifted group of people with supernatural abilities. A chance encounter with the prince causes Mare to suddenly find herself at the royal palace as a servant, where she discovers in front of everyone that she also has a unique gift. She is Red and Silver, and could be just the spark the Reds need to rise up against the oppressive Silvers. The king and queen quickly cover up Mare's anomaly by presenting her to the rest of the Silvers as a long-lost princess and betroth her to their second-born son. Now Mare is torn between playing the part of a Silver, and helping out the Scarlet Guard rebellion. The story has touches of the usual dystopian suspects. However, it's formulaic elements are far outweighed by the breakneck pace and engaging characters. There's a bit of teen romance, but luckily the characters are self-aware enough to realize its frivolity among the story's more important plot points. A solid debut from Aveyard and a welcome addition to the plethora of speculative teen lit.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2015 Mare Barrow is many things: a sister, a fighter, a thief. She is also a Red, a lower caste in a fantastical society split by blood color. Silvers are the elite ruling class whose blood gives them magical powers, while Red bloods are born to serve and are often conscripted to fight in a distant war. Mare resigns herself to the war, until a chance encounter lands her in front of the Silver court and she discovers she has powers of her own, an unheard-of phenomenon in a Red. To cover this up, the Silver monarchs claim Mare as a lost Silver princess, and she soon finds herself caught up in a world of politics, betrayal, and rebellion. First-time author Aveyard has created a volatile world with a dynamic heroine, and while there are moments of romance, they refreshingly take a backseat to the action. Anticipation is already high for this debut, and with the movie rights already acquired and two sequels to come, it will likely only grow. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2015 Like all other Reds, seventeen-year-old Mare Barrow leads a life of poverty and destitution, picking pockets and barely making ends meet for her family, while the Silvers-people with stunning supernatural abilities-flaunt their power and wealth. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger lands her the sweet gig of a servant’s position in the royal house, until another chance reveals latent superhuman powers of her own, to the horror of both Mare and the royal family. Now the royals are trying to pass her off as a misplaced Silver, betrothing her to their second son to keep an eye on her and perhaps use her as a force to quell a budding Red rebellion. Mare has no plans to obey quietly, however, especially after she learns of the death of her brother at Silver hands, and she finds a surprising ally in the prince as she joins the revolutionary forces as a spy. Readers will be familiar with many of the elements here, from the oppressive government to the reluctant heroine to the stirrings of rebellion, but Aveyard uses this conventionality to her advantage, setting her audience up for a gaspworthy twist that reconfigures nearly every character’s role and leaves Mare with no one to trust but herself. The plot turn also provides nuance to characters that initially seem two-dimensional and casts their previous actions in a more complex light. This blend of fantasy and dystopia will be an unexpected and worthy addition to many genre fans’ reading list. KQG - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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