Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2016 Gr 4–7—Charlie Pondicherry, the son of an inventor, lives a cloistered life in a back alley of London until his father is kidnapped and he is thrown headfirst into a series of adventures as he tries to rescue him. As Charlie travels through London, he meets a colorful cast of characters and learns that he might not be quite the boy he thinks he is (hint: the spoiler is in the title). The story is action packed and throws readers right in, but the world-building can feel overly busy, particularly since this version of steampunk London is populated not just by humans but also pixies, trolls, hulders, kobolds, and more, each with their own particular habits, dialect, and political subplots. An open ending promises more to come. - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/15/2016 Charlie Pondicherry lives in the back roads of London’s Whitechapel area, running errands for Bap, his inventor father, and dealing with bullies. Insults and stones fly, with equal accuracy, from schoolmates like Bruiser and from Fathead Wu, who does Bap’s laundry. All Charlie wants is adventure—to meet dragons and trolls and to captain a pirate ship—but even in this alternate London, full of clockwork creatures and devices, true adventures are few and far between. When Bap is kidnapped by a Sinister Man and the creepy Anti-Human League, Charlie takes it upon himself to mount a rescue. With unlikely help from the thieves Heavenbound Bob and The Snake, Charlie uncovers a plot to replace Queen Victoria and blame it on Bap, who, it turns out, has a shocking secret identity. In between chapters are snippets from the Smythson Almanack, detailing the sorts of fantasy creatures (trolls, pixies, kobolds) that Charlie sees on an average day, a nice touch that makes for an interesting addition to an already engrossing story. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2016 Charlie knows that he is special because his dad tells him so all the time, but the Punjabi-English boy still has big dreams of leaving his father’s clock shop behind and finding some true adventures. Adventure doesn’t always come as you wish, however, and when his inventor father is kidnapped, suddenly an unprepared Charlie must step into the role of hero that he has long read about. Fortunately, he is able to quickly round up a motley crew of allies, including a pixie, a troll, and a couple of human chimney sweeps, and together this group challenges the mysterious Anti-Human League who have their eyes on Queen Victoria. Buried in among the adventures, chases, and glorious small victories are some important lessons about xenophobia, clearly present in this steampunk version of nineteenth-century England, and sharp readers will easily spot parallels with today. Comparisons to Pinocchio are inevitable after Charlie’s big secret is revealed, but Charlie’s not spending much time worrying about what he is or isn’t; he just wants to save his dad and prove himself. It’s a strong start to a new series-the characters are diverse, the pace is solid, and Butler creates a smoky, grimy, harsh England that is almost a living character in itself. Readers will happily keep an eye out for the next volume. AS - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.