Bound To Stay Bound

View MARC Record
 

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 03/01/2015 Gr 6–8—Two months ago, Lana's Grandpa Howie married Cassie's Grandma Tess (Nono). The girls didn't quite hit it off, but as they're accompanying their grandparents on their California road trip honeymoon, Lana hopes that they'll soon be great friends. Cassie, on the other hand, just wants to get through the trip as best as possible. She quickly realizes that maybe Lana isn't so bad, and they begin a tentative friendship. Both girls are struggling emotionally: Lana is pretending that her mother's recent health issues are not bothering her, and Cassie is obsessed with keeping the popular kids as her friends. Eventually, the girls have to face their own truths: Cassie's friends are not really her friends, and Lana's mother is seriously ill. A spur of the moment trip to Maine to catch a Magic Moment finally allows the protagonists to understand what each is dealing with and solidify their friendship. Problems are relatively easily dealt with, and the messages of true friendship and communication will resonate with many readers. VERDICT Despite some heavy topics, this is a lighthearted road trip story with a lot of middle school appeal.—Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2015 Lana is excited to start a road trip with her grandpa and his new wife, especially since it means spending time with her new cousin, Cassie. However, Cassie does not want to leave her friends to sit in a car with nerdy Lana for a week. But both girls need this vacation: Lana to forget about her mom’s illness, and Cassie to learn the real meaning of friendship. Lana’s problem is a big one, compounded by the fear that her parents are keeping her “in the dark” about how sick her mother is—a feeling some readers will understand. Comparatively, Cassie’s problem might seem small, but her desire to fit in with the popular crowd will speak to readers as well. Two very different girls in a car together with show tunes and wacky pit stops plus lots of desert make for a pretty sweet friendship story. Steer this toward fans of Lisa Graff’s Umbrella Summer (2009) and those drawn to books with plenty of heart. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2015 When Lana’s Grandpa Howe married Cassie’s Grandma Tess, Lana was more excited than Cassie about gaining a new step-cousin. The two twelve-year-olds couldn’t be more different, as Cassie is struggling to fit in with the popular crowd at school while Lana enjoys hanging out with her parents and her one good, offbeat friend. When the newlyweds invite the girls along on their honeymoon, the pair are reluctant to go: Cassie knows that a week away from her friends may well mean they ditch her altogether, while Lana worries that she is being sent away because her mother’s headaches are more serious than anyone is letting on. The alternating narration of Cassie and Lana shows their divergent priorities and highlights their realistic mood swings, and while Lana is definitely more likable than Cassie, Cassie may in fact be more relatable to readers who know how precarious junior high friendships can be. Lana’s efforts to jolly Cassie out of her sulks are admirable, but Cassie’s complaint that Lana hasn’t been open with her about her worries is justified. In the end, both girls have a lot to learn and teach each other about friendship, and readers may end up wishing their grands were as cool as Grandpa Howe and Grandma Tess. KC - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

View MARC Record
Loading...



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