Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 10/01/2005 Dusty Muleman, owner of the casino boat the Coral Queen, is violating the law and being really gross when he jettisons its sewage tank directly into the ocean, causing periodic shut-downs of local beaches and endangering sea life. When Noah Underwood’s dad sinks the Coral Queen, he lands in jail and does everything he can to publicize his cause. Noah, his sister, Abbey, and their mother agree with Dad’s stance, but they are seriously ambivalent about his methods. Mom starts talking divorce, and Noah and Abbey decide to take action. They run into trouble both seriously dangerous and moderately annoying, but they finally devise a plan that exposes Muleman’s offal habits and restores their family’s bliss. Though this novel lacks the intricate plot structure and nuanced emotions of Hiaasen’s award-winning Hoot (BCCB 11/02), it’s still a compulsively readable action adventure with a cleverly conceived resolution. Noah shares with Roy (of Hoot) his mild-mannered tendencies and his unwillingness to back down from bullies, and Hiaasen scores again with female characters who are too spunky and clever to be dismissed as mere sidekicks. Most satisfying are the repeated comeuppances, from unexpected quarters, doled out to Muleman’s mulish, bullying son; his plight contributes humor and a goodly amount of gotcha to this suspenseful tale. Fans of spy stories, action, environmental intrigue, and, well, Hiaasen, will cheer for this one. - Copyright 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2005 Gr 5-8-Noah and his sister, Abbey, are more understanding of their volatile dad's latest arrest than their mother, who begins talking of divorce. Dad sank the Coral Queen, a casino boat on a Florida Key because, he alleges, its owner, Dusty Muleman, has been illegally dumping raw sewage into the local waters. Soon enough the kids begin trying to gather proof that will vindicate their father and put the casino out of business. The colorful cast includes a drunken lout named Lice who disappears before he can be persuaded to testify against Dusty, his former boss. His rough-around-the-edges girlfriend, Shelly, comes through, though, helping the siblings dump dye in the boat's holding tanks, which finally brings the matter to court. Dusty's son, Jasper, is a chip off the old block, threatening and beating Noah on several occasions until he and, later, Abbey are rescued by a mysterious stranger who turns out to be their grandfather, long ago thought to have died in South America, probably while involved in drug smuggling. As the tale ends, he's back to Colombia to settle old scores. The plot would practically disappear if any one of the major characters had a cell phone, but the environmental story is front and center and readers will be hooked as the good guys try to do the right thing. This quick-reading, fun, family adventure harkens back to the Hardy Boys in its simplicity and quirky characters.-Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2005 Hiaasen's second novel exhibits some of the same elements found in his 2003 Newbery Honor Book: Florida local color, oddball adults (buxom and brawny), and a delightful quirkiness. But the sparkle that catapulted Hoot into the limelight isn't quite as brilliant here. Even so, there's plenty to like in this yarn, which, once again, drops an environmental issue into the lap of a kid. Righteous indignation, usually resulting from some sabotage of Florida's natural resources, has gotten Noah Underwood's dad in trouble before. This time, however, Dad's gone too far: he sunk a floating casino. Why? Its owner is dumping human waste in the water. Unfortunately, Dad can't prove it, and that's where Noah and his younger sister, Abbey, come in. The amateur sleuthing puts the sibs into some mildly suspenseful, occasionally amusing, situations, which, as in the previous book, share space with run-ins with a local bully (Noah takes some lumps but gets sweet revenge). An old-fashioned deus ex machina interrupts an otherwise believable setup, but Hiaasen still succeeds at relating an entertaining story while getting across a serious message about conservation and the results of just plain greed. - Copyright 2005 Booklist.

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