Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2025 *Starred Review* Turn the channel to Last Chance Live!, where young death row inmates compete for America’s vote in hopes of seeing their sentence—and their competitors—eliminated. Eternity Price doesn’t know how long she has left to live, but she doesn’t want it to be in prison. With an opportunity to get on the show, she jumps for it. Now, there are cameras in her face, alliances to be made and broken, and a brand to curate as a fat Black girl without knowing how the audience is responding. Contending with her guilt, Eternity will do anything to claw her way back to her little brother, even if he’s all that’s left on the outside. Through Eternity’s perspective and using her legal background, Henry delivers a debut filled with deft nuance and searing societal commentary. Readers will find themselves questioning their own values as they get sucked into the drama and disturbing entertainment of the show, especially as references to real-life culture remind readers of Eternity’s equally real counterparts. Henry ties up the harrowing story with four short essays addressing the themes of justice, mercy, wisdom, and renewal while encouraging and inspiring readers to change the world they live in. A stunning mix of social and political critique with humor, eye-gluing tension, and, ultimately, empathy, this surprising debut should be eagerly shared with fans of Neal Shusterman. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.