Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2015 Gr 4–6—Clayton Stone is perfectly happy living his life as a mild-mannered 12-year-old lacrosse player, but finds he has a thirst for adventure when he is suddenly thrust into an underground world of intrigue and danger. It turns out that his sweet Gran, who runs a diner in DC, actually works for a top-secret government agency. When a series of kidnappings culminates in the capture of a senator's wife and daughter, Clayton is enlisted to ensnare the bad guys. Will he find the victims in time to make it to his lacrosse game? This exciting premise is misspent with flat characters and a confusing plot. The secret spy grandmother has the most potential for humor and interest and yet she barely appears in the second half of the book. Heavy-handed attempts at colloquialisms make the dialogue and Clayton's inner monologue seem forced. The mystery is disappointingly solved rather hastily and without much creativity. Additionally, there are moments when Clayton inexplicably chooses to drive a car and carry a gun, despite having training in neither. VERDICT A clever and action-promising premise may interest some reluctant readers, but clunky writing will confuse more than amuse.—Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School Library, Brooklyn - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2015 Meet Clayton Stone: average seventh-grade student, above-average lacrosse player. But, as it turns out, Clayton is very unusual in one way—his parents (dead), grandfather (dead), and grandmother (very alive and super feisty) were all agents of the Special Service, a U.S. government organization more secret than the Secret Service, more special than Special Forces. Clayton becomes aware of this legacy when he is recruited to help foil an organized group of criminals kidnapping wealthy moms and children from upscale malls. Soon his life is full of missions and gadgets and more secrets than he can keep up with. Set in the moneyed suburbs of Northern Virginia, this book combines family and school drama with Nancy Drew–style precocious sleuthing. Some readers may have difficulty identifying with Clayton’s preppy private-school environment, but most will recognize his conflicts as he tries to incorporate the responsibilities of his new secret life with his responsibilities to his team and friends. Hand to readers who loved Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School series. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.