Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2015 Gr 5–8—Ever since he was five years old, Caw has lived with his crows in the safety of the nest they made in an abandoned park. He lives off of what food he can scavenge from trash cans and restaurants. After Caw saves the local prison warden from an attack by escaped criminals, the two strike up an unlikely friendship. When a kindly librarian is found murdered, the two discover that their town holds a sinister secret. Caw finds out that he is a "feral"—someone who can speak to animals. There are others like him, though some of them are not good. Caw discovers that a feral was responsible for the death of his parents; it is up to him and a ragtag group of reluctant ferals to save their town from destruction. While the story is interesting and will certainly appeal to tweens, the plot has several glaring holes. There is the obvious question of how Caw was able to survive for eight years on his own without anyone noticing him. The protagonist also shows a surprising aptitude for summoning his crows after an extremely short training period. Character development is poor and the action slow to start. VERDICT A great premise with a poor execution that will leave readers looking elsewhere.—Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2015 Caw can’t remember much before his life with the crows. He lives as they do: scavenging food from dumpsters, sleeping high in a tree, avoiding attention from adults who might ask where his parents are and why he isn’t in school. But Caw is drawn to the calm warmth of domestic life he spies through the windows of a large house adjacent to the city jail, and on the night three notorious prisoners escape, he finds himself allied with Lydia, the red-haired girl who lives there. Fearing that the prisoners are in league with an even more dreadful criminal, Caw and Lydia look for answers and learn about “ferals”—people like Caw who can communicate with, and even control, a particular species of animal. The action builds to a satisfying and horrific conclusion as Caw gains mastery of his powers. A scary adventure for readers who enjoy the Animorphs series or Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (2008)—although people with insect, bird, or snake phobias should stay well away! - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2015 After his parents inexplicably cast him out as a child, Caw was kept alive by crows, with whom he is mysteriously able to communicate. He lives in Blackstone, a place that was ruined during the horrific crime wave known as the Dark Summer. Though it was believed those who caused the Dark Summer were killed or captured, disturbing hints that this may not have been the case are now surfacing eight years later, and Caw learns that he may be at the center of an impending battle. The idea of ferals who can communicate with and control one type of animal offers possibilities both disgusting (millions of roaches or centipedes) and cool (as with Caw’s snarky but loyal crows); either way it is an effectively memorable concept. However, Caw’s seemingly limitless innate abilities are implausible, even in a fantasy context, and they make it hard to identify with him. Nevertheless, Caw deserves a lot better than the life he has lived so far, and readers will likely be relieved to see him defeat this round of bad guys and consider a life that would include people, education, and comfort. AS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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