Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 11/01/2015 Gr 4–7—After the death of his father, Christopher goes on an extended sailing trip with his beloved Uncle Jack and a mysterious older boy, Frank, who clearly does not like Chris, although the reason is unclear. Then, in a turbulent storm, the boat sinks. Uncle Jack, who had returned to the cabin for flares, goes down with it. The lifeboat with the two boys on board eventually washes ashore in a remote area of Alaska. Finding an abandoned cabin and catching spawning salmon seem to be their only means of survival. Frank is surly and injured, while Chris is naive—almost to the point of helplessness; he is afraid to be in the wilderness but also reluctant to stay with Frank. Although they are drawn together by their circumstances, the bond between the two boys is tenuous. Chris befriends a curious raven who helps him explore their surroundings and offers him true companionship. The skeleton tree and a bear that seems to stalk the characters give the story a dark and foreboding tone. This is not a typical survival tale, and fans of Hatchet may be disappointed, as the boys grow very little as survivalists and there is less adventure. Instead, the focus is on the rocky and evolving relationship between the two boys. Though Frank is cruel and Chris is innocent, readers come to understand that each boy is much more than he appears. VERDICT Fans of Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (HarperCollins, 2001) will find this a similar read.—Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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