Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/01/2015 In the poverty-stricken Outskirts surrounding fortified cities, scavenging “Scrummagers” and other castoffs scrape together a living however they can. Among their number are twins Charlotte and Sonya, who put their prodigious musical skills to work as an act in Pershing Crum’s Traveling Circus, where they live under the kind care of Tatty, the circus’ tattooed lady. Lately, however, strange things have occurred during the twins’ act—­levitation, an indoor rainstorm. They have barely had time to ponder their unusual abilities when their magic and musical talents are stolen from them, along with their beloved Tatty. The ensuing rescue mission reveals entire new worlds, a diabolical contessa, and revelations about the twins’ true selves. Elements familiar from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials rear their heads alongside an anti-industrialization message, though weak characterization makes Charlotte and Sonya difficult to differentiate for much of the novel. Though Malouf’s debut doesn’t break new ground, it is an imaginative fantasy adventure with a unique arts focus, and her pencil drawings lend it a fittingly peculiar vibe. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2015 Gr 5–8—In this quirky debut, Sonja and Charlotte are identical twins with preternatural musical (and magical) Talents. They use their abilities at the circus where they grew up and were raised by Tatty the Tattooed Lady. When their act begins to cause uncontrollable disasters at each performance and their adopted mother gets kidnapped by an eerie man and his diabolical cats, the sisters begin to unravel the mystery behind their gifts and destiny. Suddenly bereft of their Talents, the twins join forces with the cantankerous Alexandria, a band of shape-shifting Changelings, and the Fortune Teller to locate Tatty and their missing powers. From the dystopic Outskirts wastelands to the bustling Million-Mile-High City and from the Forlorn Forest to the Land Where the Plants Reign, Malouf populates her worlds with odd characters with Dickensian names and foibles. With hints of L. Frank Baum's Oz and C.S. Lewis's Narnia, this fantasy world doesn't quite reach its full potential. The book, divided in three parts, is peppered throughout with intricate line drawings, which add appeal but are often static and awkwardly placed. Driven Sonja and boy-crazy Charlotte are charming protagonists and their constant bickering rings true. The villains are truly evil, but the work's world-building and mythology seem only half-baked. VERDICT A quaint, if not fully realized, fantasy novel for upper middle grade and younger YA readers.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.