Bound To Stay Bound

View MARC Record
 

Full Text Reviews:

Booklist - 06/01/2017 *Starred Review* Many years ago the Montgomery family was involved in the fracturing of a “great fate,” which has passed through subsequent generations as either an incredible talent or curse. Unfortunately, Blue Montgomery was dealt the fate of always losing, and being left with Grandma Eve for the summer in minuscule Murky Branch, Georgia, feels like his greatest loss yet. Meanwhile, Tumble Wilson—Lily’s self-chosen hero name—is also put out by her family’s recent move to Murky Branch, but she’s determined to make the best of it by helping Blue break his curse, like a true hero would. As the Montgomery clan descends upon Grandma Eve’s in preparation for the blood-red moon—a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change their fate—Blue and Tumble forge a tight friendship and come to a deeper understanding of themselves. Beasley (Circus Mirandus, 2015) wisely reins in the colorful Montgomerys, ensuring that the story stays firmly focused on Blue’s and Tumble’s personal journeys. Their adventure into the nearby Okefenokee Swamp is lightly brushed with folkloric fantasy, and while there, choice emerges as a powerful theme. Reminiscent of Ingrid Law’s Savvy books, Beasley’s sophomore novel is a spirited yarn that shines through its rich characters, evocative writing, and enchanted premise. This will effortlessly ensnare the reader who plucks it from the shelf. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 Gr 4–6—An immersive, supernatural middle grade adventure. Hear the whispers of long-kept family secrets in shadowed corners. Feel the humidity of a languid Georgia summer. Beasley, author of Circus Mirandus, weaves the tale of two tweens spending the summer looking for the way out of an ancestral curse. In 1817, 12-year-old Blue Montgomery's forebear Walcott (a fugitive horse thief) and Tumble Wilson's ancestor Almira (a "murderous young bride") were forced—by violence—to split the mysterious gift of changing one's fate, which they obtained from the fabled golden gator, deep in the Okefenokee Swamp at the rising of a bloodred moon. Both sought to escape the consequences of their crimes, but legend says that the golden gator's gift is meant for only one. "Those are the rules, and they can be terribly sharp when broken." Ever after, subsequent generations in both families were struck indiscriminately with either good or bad luck. A chance to fight the gator for his gift comes only once every 100 years when the moon runs red. Now, as the time draws near again two centuries later, Tumble and Blue must reverse the curse if there's to be any hope of normal lives for them both. Beasley's shimmering prose pulls readers in, line by line, like a fish dragging on a hook through swampy waters. The lush setting and lustrous portrayal of the characters will captivate even the most reluctant reader. VERDICT Middle graders will delight in the richly drawn world and history that Beasley creates. A first purchase for most collections.—Chelsea Woods, New Brunswick Free Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

View MARC Record
Loading...



  • Copyright © Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy