Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2025 Gr 3–7—Set against the backdrop of Cold War–era paranoia, Cuevas's latest blends historical fiction with sci-fi intrigue in a story inspired by a real-life "drill" in Lampasas, TX, where a simulated Communist takeover terrified townsfolk. This novel explores identity, race, and belonging through the eyes of Pineda, a Cuban American boy navigating his heritage in a town where conformity is the norm. Pineda, who answers to "Pete" and avoids speaking Spanish, leads readers through a world of bomb drills, fear, and a tightly controlled sense of "American" identity. His life is upended when he encounters Luisa, a humanoid alien girl stranded on Earth. Alternating between Pineda's and Luisa's perspectives, the story highlights how soldiers and citizens alike grapple with fear and prejudice. Luisa's otherworldly perspective provides a fresh lens on issues like segregation and Pineda's internal conflict over his heritage, and challenges both the protagonist and readers to confront societal norms. As Pineda and his friends band together to hide Luisa and later rescue her from capture, they learn to embrace their identities and fight back against conformity. While the overuse of period slang like "holy baloney" can be distracting, the book's humor, action, and heartfelt themes make up for it. Adults like Shipley and Old Lady Kolachek provide wisdom and surprising support, showing that allies can come from unexpected places. VERDICT Historical realism blends with thrilling sci-fi to deliver a story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. It's a timely and excellent choice for readers in a world that continues to struggle with both war and identity.—Lee De Groft - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Other - 02/24/2025 One Texas fifth grader is forever changed when the U.S. military stages a mock invasion of the tween’s fictional town of Soledad in this 1950s-set sci-fi adventure based on real historical events. Cuban American Pineda Matlage is baffled by the slew of soldiers that have descended upon his town. His parents say they’re training in case "an American town was taken over by Communist forces." While going about his routine chores on his family’s farm, however, Pineda unknowingly uncovers the real reason for the invasion upon discovering Luisa, a blue-gray humanoid extraterrestrial with telekinetic powers, hiding in the barn. Luisa informs him that she has been separated from her parents, who were captured by soldiers. Now Pineda must rally the town to help rescue Luisa’s parents so they can safely return home. Via alternating first-person POVs from Pineda, Luisa, and more, Cuevas (The No-Brainer’s Guide to Decomposition) clearly juxtaposes real-life happenings with the protagonist’s science fiction adventures, paralleling the marginalization of past and present Latinx American citizens with Luisa’s plight as a visitor from outer space. With a healthy suspension of disbelief, Cuevas delivers a timely message about the importance of standing against discrimination. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) - Copyright 2025

Booklist - 02/01/2025 When soldiers land in Soledad, taking the town hostage in a military game, Pineda Suarez Matlage does everything he can to keep undercover; unfortunately, he didn’t account for the alien that landed in his family’s pecan orchard the very same day. When he finds the strange girl, Luisa, hiding in his barn, her bluish-gray skin and huge green eyes make him think only about how amazing it is to be able to talk to someone from another planet. When she tells him about being separated from her parents on the way down to Earth, Pineda becomes determined to help. But before he can wrangle his friends, soldiers swarm the town, interrogating everyone about seeing “something that seems like it’s not from this world.” In Cuevas’ third novel, themes of home and belonging shine through the characters’ honest observations of their world. With a setting rooted in history, the whimsy of the supernatural plot feels akin to the strange fantastic of Tim Burton films. Fans of surrealist stories like Holes will find this narrative similarly appealing. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.