Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2017 Gr 4–8—Twelve-year-old Abigail Hunter, occasional rule breaker, is adjusting to her new boarding school and scary headmistress, Mrs. Smith, when she stumbles into a web of intrigue centered on her own missing mother. Abby discovers that her mother has been living a secret life as a spy, and now both good guys and bad are trying to track her down. Guess who's the bait to lure Abby's mother into the open? After learning some handy self-defense moves from mean girl Veronica and being outfitted with fantastical spy technology (a self-destructing smartphone that shoots rubber bullets, for example), Abby is sent to California, where she must use all of her wits to escape the clutches of henchmen working for a mysterious villain called "The Ghost." The action continues in the Big Apple after Abby enlists the help of her friends Charlotte, Toby, and Izumi. Throughout the story, Abby's faith in her abilities, even when she is underestimated, shows strength of character and purpose. Abby's funny, over-the-top personality and the book's numerous, enjoyable secondary characters combine to create a solid foundation for further installments as Abby follows in her mother's footsteps to enroll in spy training. VERDICT Middle grade readers of Stuart Gibbs's Spy School as well as fans of boarding school adventures such as Shannon Hale's Princess Academy will appreciate this comical and exhilarating escapade.—Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2017 It’s a rude awakening for Abigail when she opens an acceptance letter from the Smith School for Children, a preppy boarding school in Connecticut, to which she hadn’t even applied. Her mother, on the other hand, is less ignorant of this matter, having decided that her rule-breaking daughter could benefit from a more focused environment. Old habits die hard, however, and Abigail has no problem sneaking out of her dorm or breaking into Headmistress Smith’s office on a dare; yet, after a bungled escape attempt, the plucky seventh-grader goes from schoolyard snoop to live bait. Mrs. Smith reveals that the Smith School doubles as a spy school affiliated with the Center, a secret intelligence organization, and they need Abigail’s help finding their top agent—her mother. Mind effectively blown, Abigail agrees. An action-filled romp ensues, which first-time author McMullen appropriately outfits with gadgets, close calls, thwarted plans, and a villainous criminal spy group. Abigail’s entertaining narration tempers suspense with levity, and readers will have a blast accompanying her through sticky situations. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.