Bound To Stay Bound

View MARC Record
 

Full Text Reviews:

Booklist - 01/01/2012 Shorty, 15, is in a Haitian hospital with a bullet in his arm when the walls fall down during an earthquake. As he waits for help, drinking blood to try to quench his thirst, he remembers how he got to the hospital and the haunting gang violence he witnessed in the slums: his beloved twin sister was taken; his father was chopped to pieces. His mother loved freedom-fighter Aristide, but his father did not. Shorty’s present-day narrative switches back and forth with an historical plotline set in the eighteenth century, when Touissant l’Ouverture, a former slave, led Haiti in the fight for freedom, calling for justice, not vengeance, in the struggle to emancipate the slaves. The constantly shifting narratives, large cast of characters, and cultural detail may overwhelm some readers, and the unspeakable brutality is not for the fainthearted. But older readers, especially those who have seen the devastating footage of Haiti’s recent earthquake, will want to read about the grim, contemporary drama and the inspiring history. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2012 This harrowing novel, set in Haiti, alternates between the narration of a contemporary fifteen-year-old, trapped in the rubble following the 2010 earthquake, and the story of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the legendary eighteenth-century leader of Haiti’s anti-colonial revolution. The two become aware of each other through dreams; Shorty experiences Toussaint’s reality while Toussaint perceives the bewildering future setting in which Shorty lives. Each story is powerful in its own right, and both share graphic depictions of the cruelty and violence of the protagonists’ lives. Shorty tells of his pre-earthquake life in quick allusions and references that eventually cohere into a complete story, and readers that stick with him through its unfolding will find his tale riveting. In contrast, the Toussaint story is slower paced and imbued with historical decorum, but the events render it fascinating. Readers will come away from this book with a greater understanding of both Haiti’s past and present as experienced through two very different and yet remarkably similar characters. An author’s note are included. HM - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2012 Gr 9 Up—Trapped in the rubble of Haiti's massive 2010 earthquake, teenage Shorty desperately waits for rescue. While in darkness, events of his traumatic, violent life replay in his head. He is haunted by his father's brutal murder, his twin sister's disappearance, and the armed gang activity that has been his means of survival in Site Soléy (Cite Soleil), a very real and dangerous slum. As he faces death and struggles to understand the external forces that have shaped him, Shorty gradually feels the uplifting spiritual presence of revered slave liberator Toussaint L'Ouverture and draws strength and hope from the man's extraordinary life, determination, and idealism. The pervasive Haitian voodoo belief in spirit transfer empowers Shorty and connects him with Touissant across time. In alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then," Shorty's and Toussaint's stories unfold. The relentless oppression, poverty, violence, and instability of the country is vividly conveyed through Shorty's stark, graphic narrative. Toussaint's story provides historical background for the socioeconomic and political conflicts that continue today. As the author notes, he portrays the essential spirit and history of Touissant with some omissions and simplifications. For example, Touissant learned to read as a boy, and not late in life, but this factual inaccuracy does not diminish the account of his charisma and significance. The entangled actions of gangs and government, the complicated relationship between Haitians and foreign-aid organizations, and the rich mix of Creole and French patois provide insight and authenticity. A striking cast of characters, compelling tension as Shorty confronts his own death, and the reality and immediacy of Haiti's precarious existence will captivate secondary readers.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

View MARC Record
Loading...



  • Copyright © Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy