Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 07/01/2018 Gr 4–7—Sixth grader Alex has a lot of worries, and his fear of people dying tops each of the "worry lists" his doctor suggests he write. Alex has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He is terrified of germs, so he hesitates when it comes to touching things that might be dirty, going outside, and being around others. Alex's behavior puzzles his classmates, and while his parents and teachers are frustrated, they try to help him cope. Alex's schoolmate Dan is hurt and angry about his brother's arrest and sentence to a detention home. Bullying boys like Alex makes Dan feel like he has control over something in his life. Forced by their parents to work together to build a raft, the two slowly form a bond. Although Dan begins to feel guilty about things he has done to Alex at school, Dan is afraid his "friends" Sophie, George C., and George W. will turn on him if he tries to stop their behavior. Written in first-person perspectives, alternating chapters movingly present Dan's and Alex's feelings about the problems they are facing. With Dan in particular, clues about his life are given out slowly, allowing readers to understand what is motivating his negative behavior. Honest and painful, this book is not always easy to read, but its characterizations and settings are vivid and powerful. VERDICT A thoughtful narrative that will help middle grade readers build empathy and compassion.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2018 Alex, 12, has OCD and worries all the time about everybody dying, horrible accidents, dog poop, and seagulls, among other things. His classmate Dan is part of a group that bullies Alex relentlessly. Yet incredibly, the two boys end up working on a project together, a raft Dan designed with his brother, Ben, who is currently in the British version of juvenile detention. While Alex is afraid of everything as a rule, Dan is afraid that the others in his group will find out he is spending time with Alex. What’s worse, they are beginning to like each other! At least one worry remains, though: What will happen at school when the holiday ends? Told in sections alternating between the two boys’ perspectives, the novel does a nice job of showing both sides of the duo’s ostensibly contentious friendship, particularly when it comes to Dan, whose narrative illuminates the roots of his behavior. There are no miraculous transformations here; nevertheless, the boys’ development is entirely convincing. Hand to fans of character-driven middle-grade fiction. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.

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