Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2022 Gr 9 Up—Death has been following 19-year-old Signa for her entire life. After her parents died, Signa was forced to move from guardian to guardian hoping for somewhere to call home, until coming of age to receive her inheritance. She has come to realize that she has some immunity to dying and can even see and communicate with Death itself. When Signa finds herself at Thorn Grove she begins to settle in with her estranged family, but quickly realizes that her cousin is being poisoned. Uncovering this mystery alongside Death, Signa finds herself confronted with societal and moral quandaries. Grace provides an intriguing gothic-infused fantasy, focusing on the supernatural concept of Death personified. The novel is slow to start, but as Signa and Death develop a relationship, the story becomes more alluring. There are continuous difficulties that Signa must face, and her actions and decisions deliver a suspenseful narrative. Readers will be drawn into the mystery presented but may also find themselves uncovering secrets well before the characters do. A twist at the end provides an interesting opportunity for the sequel. VERDICT Put into the hands of readers looking for a dark fantasy with a hint of mysterious intrigue.—Aliza Mangefrida - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2022 From the best-selling author of All the Stars and Teeth (2020) comes a new series that follows orphan Signa Farrow, whose life has been filled with omens of death. After nearly 19 years of greedy guardians being bent on gaining her inheritance and meeting unlikely demises, Signa is summoned to Thorn Grove, the estate of her mysterious distant relatives, the Hawthornes. As the family’s unsavory secrets unravel and their matriarch’s ghost reveals the truth of her murder, Signa must follow the trail of clues to protect her new family. Grace’s gothic murder mystery is abundant in gorgeous illustrative prose surrounding Death himself, who figures to be a bigger player in the plot than Signa would have liked. As her relationships with the Hawthornes grow, Signa realizes she may have to take control of the powers that have been lurking in the shadows all of her life. The result is an immersive, romantic atmosphere with dangerous secrets about inherited wealth, death, love, and danger embedded in every page. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.