Bound To Stay Bound

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Booklist - 03/01/2013 *Starred Review* This story has everything: basketball, dastardly cheerleaders, a robot rumble, conniving geeks, a house party, family drama, student-council elections, and a tiny sliver of romance. Charlie, captain of the basketball team, and Nate, president of the Robotics Club, are neighbors and unlikely friends. When Charlie’s ex-girlfriend, the captain of the cheerleading squad, pits Charlie against Nate for president of the student council in an aggressive bid to snatch Robotics Club funds for new cheerleading uniforms, dirty campaign tricks ensue, and friendships are tested. But, in a remarkable display of cooperation, everyone bands together to build a rumble-winning robot for prize money that will solve everyone’s problems. Hicks’ (Friends with Boys, 2012) black-and-white artwork perfectly captures heart-melting facial expressions, fast-paced basketball and robot-rumble action scenes, and Looney Tunes–worthy comedic timing. Though the plot points are not all too surprising, it’s the compelling, heady teenage emotional drama that makes this so touching. Charlie’s anger over his parents’ divorce and Nate’s awkward attempts to console him are sentimental without becoming sappy, and the camaraderie that arises from their shared goal is genuine. The story’s ample heart helps it transcend mere jocks-versus-geeks melodrama to become silly, earnest, and delightfully stirring all at once. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2013 In this sitcom-like graphic novel, the cheerleaders at Hollow Ridge High are demanding new uniforms while the robotics team requires competition fees and support. The administration punts the funds-allocation dilemma to the student council. It’s therefore obvious that the way to control the money is to control the SC presidency, and Holly, the creepily domineering cheer captain, launches a campaign for her ex-boyfriend, Charlie, the basketball captain with crossover appeal to a large segment of the student body. Charlie’s best friend, Nate, is the rival candidate and current president of the robotics club, a position he enjoys largely because of his tolerant parents and commodious basement. Charlie tries to lie low and let the electioneering swirl around him, but Nate’s out for blood, and as pranking and dirty tricks escalate, the administration forces a cessation of hostilities. There’s one more option, though: convince wealthy Holly to invest in the robotics team’s entry in the Robot Rumble in Atlanta, where the prize money should cover the road-trip expenses and fully fund each school group’s desires. Cartooning allows Shen and Hicks to have fun with Holly’s death stare and cadre of lockstep fembots, and with Charlie and Nate’s frequent shifts of enmity and rapprochement. Moreover, scenes on the basketball court and at the Robot Rumble give Hicks’ action chops full play. This lightweight romp could be just the ticket for latecomers to comics and GNs. EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2013 Gr 6–9—The next student-body president will decide if the school will fund cheerleader uniforms or a robotics competition, and the cheerleaders are forcing the basketball captain to run against his friend Nate, the robotics club president. The line between jocks and nerds begins to waver, however, when the two warring factions enter a robot rumble for the prize money. The robot death matches are suspenseful and, like much of this novel, effectively illustrated with cinematic paneling and few words. Hicks's angular illustrations nod to manga and are wonderfully expressive: the haughty cheerleaders are truly chilling. Tweens, teens, and all robot fans should enjoy this good-humored play on the ongoing battle between jocks and geeks.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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