Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 11/01/2017 Gr 4–8—This sequel to Last Day on Mars picks up where the first book left off, with 13-year-olds Liam and Phoebe traveling through space on their small ship, hoping to rendezvous with the large starliners that are taking the rest of the human race from Mars to the next planet they plan to colonize, Aaru-5. With their aging ship being piloted by a robot that is decades overdue for maintenance, Phoebe and Liam's journey was never going to be easy. Add to that the stress of their parents (all currently in stasis) needing medical help and not one but two species of aliens working to sabotage the humans' mission to Aaru-5, and the stakes for the two teens have never been higher. Their best hope for survival seems to be Liam's wristwatch, stolen from a secret alien laboratory on Mars, which allows Liam to see backward and forward in time. At first, Liam uses the watch to help him make small decisions. Soon, though, Liam realizes that the watch is changing him in ways that he struggles to understand. He begins to question his best friend Phoebe, his parents, and everything he thought he knew about the universe. This well-written and exciting sequel is extremely heavy on complex science, particularly time travel and the multiverse theory. Emerson, who has clearly done his research, uses humor and age-appropriate metaphors to present the science in a way that readers will be able to understand. VERDICT Highly recommended for young science fiction enthusiasts and those who enjoyed the first installment.—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2018 After narrowly escaping the supernova that consumed Mars, Liam and Phoebe are desperately trying to catch up to the starliner that’s supposed to take them to their new home planet on the other side of the galaxy. Their ship is fast enough, but unbeknownst to Liam, Phoebe—not a human at all, but part of an alien race intent on stealthily sabotaging the colonists—has been subtly throwing them off course to delay their rendezvous with the ship. Meanwhile, Liam experiments with the alien time-travel watch and discovers far more than he bargained for. With the same enthralling, cinematic pacing he used in Last Day on Mars (2017), Emerson unspools nail-biting suspense in this sequel, all while employing a solid grasp of real science and paying homage to classic sci-fi stories. Through all the engrossing sci-fi action, however, Emerson keeps the plot solidly grounded in the characters, who are vivid and complex. A cliff-hanger ending promises deepening adventures in forthcoming volumes, which middle-grade sci-fi fans will be eager to get their hands on. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.

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