Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2023 Zipporah Chava McConnell—aka Zippy—is going to tell you the story of what happened during the fall of seventh grade, and you need to understand that this story is the truth. Hers is a tale of strained friendship, questioning faith, and personal evolution—not to mention The Witch Thing.” Zippy’s family are “part-time Jews,” but she is a full-blown witch, and, during the High Holy Days, 12-year-old Zippy conjures and befriends a winged girl with whom Zippy shares a magical but dangerous connection. Zippy’s discontented self-confidence and emotional journey meld the burgeoning independence seen in Snyder’s My Jasper June (2019) with the discomfort of the unknown in Orphan Island (2017). Here she offers the Jewish fantasy she wishes she had in her youth, proffering Zippy’s as one of limitless pathways through Judaism. Even with this aim, Snyder ensures readers of all beliefs will feel welcome by the novel’s animated tone and expressive analogies. This lively middle-grade read offers a spirited exploration of the strength required to know and stay true to oneself in adolescence. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.