Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/17/2025 Gr 3–7—A chilling tale where monsters and nightmares are no match for bravery and family connection. After the death of her mother, 13-year-old Gwen moves to quiet Gloam Island with her well-meaning yet bumbling stepfather and three younger siblings. There they settle into "the House," the eccentrically decorated residence they inherited from Gwen's late grandmother. When Gwen's stepfather takes a job on the mainland, he insists that Gwen and her siblings need a babysitter while he's away and hires Esme, whose sweet looks and saccharine smiles might fool everyone else but give Gwen a sense of foreboding. When Gwen receives a message portending that danger has come for her, she must find a way to stop Esme and fight her nightmares. Thanks to the House, with its rotting walls, strange decor, and dark corridors, the book has a strong sense of place. Spooky imagery and gruesome monsters make this a genuinely frightening story, yet the bravery and loving connections of Gwen's family bring a lot of heart. The scares are delightful and age appropriate, perfect for fans of Coraline. VERDICT Highly recommended, especially for collections where horror is often requested by young readers.—Nicolette Pavain - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2025 After her mother’s untimely passing, Gwen and her siblings, along with Henry, their stepfather, move into their late grandmother’s house—known simply as “The House”—on the small, gray, aptly named island of Gloam. There they meet the ethereal Esme, a local babysitter whose demeanor and general attitude toward the bereaved family seems just a tad too perfect to be genuine, earning Gwen’s immediate mistrust. Sure enough, Esme’s mere presence heralds the arrival of a sinister, creeping darkness—one that threatens to consume not only the old, mysterious house itself but Gwen and her family as well. Now it’s up to Gwen to unlock the house’s secrets and banish the stirring nightmares within. Featuring a bold and tenacious protagonist, a supporting cast of instantly endearing characters, and a veritable phantasmagoria of ghastly ghouls, debut author Mackay’s classic tale of children’s horror is as chilling as it is heartfelt. Exploring themes of grief, resilience, and kinship, Gloam earns its spot on the shelf alongside the likes of Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener (2014) and Kenneth Oppel’s The Nest (2015). - Copyright 2025 Booklist.