Bound To Stay Bound

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Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2016 Lincoln Jones’ life changed a few months ago when he and his mother fled town to escape Cliff, Mom’s abusive boyfriend; now the sixth-grader spends his afternoons at the “old folks’ home” where his mom works. He keeps a low profile at his new school (though there’s bullying on the bus) and immerses himself in the stories he writes in his notebook until the queen bee Kandi Kain takes an obsessive interest in his activities. There’s not a whole lot of tension here-it’s pretty clear that Cliff isn’t going to make a surprise showing, the bullying sucks but doesn’t escalate, and Kandi is pretty harmless-so this is mostly a story about a kid and his mom recovering from trauma and moving on to a new point in their lives. The theme of the varying trajectories life can take is reflected in the characters Lincoln meets: a homeless vet is moved to a shelter, the hoarding woman in the upstairs apartment chooses to die at home, two kids deal with their grandmother’s dementia in very different ways, and Kandi’s bravado disguises her grief over the loss of her mother to brain cancer. This all plays out organically as Lincoln moves along his own path, finding that identity, both his and that of others, can be a fluid thing. The folksy narration complements the gentleness of the story, and anyone looking for a sweet and ultimately positive family drama will find it here. KQG - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2016 Gr 4–6—The author of the successful "Sammy Keyes" series introduces sixth grade narrator Lincoln. He and his mother have fled her abusive boyfriend and live in poverty as she tries to pay back her savior sister with the small salary she earns as an aide in a dementia facility. Since Lincoln is legally not allowed to be left alone, he usually meets his mother at work after school and weekends, where he's badgered by confused residents and witnesses multiple deaths. There's little escape at school, where he's bullied because of his Southern accent and aversion to sports. Top it all off with a brassy girl named Kandi Kain, who's annoyingly obsessed with him. Luckily, Lincoln uses his artistic imagination, which is "as wide as it is deep," to escape with fantastic stories that mesh with reality. That reality becomes more bearable as the family settle in. They befriend a homeless man and a hoarding neighbor and learn that Lincoln's classmate's grandmother is a resident of the facility. Best of all, they use humor to alleviate tough times, such as when they secretly nickname a woman "The Vampire" because a string of her roommates suddenly die, and they come to appreciate the joyous singing of Brookside's elderly nudist. The seniors' Thanksgiving food fight is a hoot, and Van Draanen skillfully wraps up her tale in a loop to the beginning, offering a realistically happy ending. VERDICT The large cast leaves one wishing to know more about certain characters, but this is a story with a perfect balance of mirth and poignancy. A fine purchase for larger collections.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2016 Sixth grade is tough, especially when you’re new and spend your afternoons with the “oldies” at Brookside, a memory care facility. Lincoln’s ma, having recently escaped an abusive boyfriend, takes a job as a caregiver at Brookside. At school, Lincoln hides his love of writing stories, his thick Southern accent, and, most important, his Brookside connection. Lincoln thinks all the Brookside oldies are crazy, but as he gets to know them, he realizes he’s seeing the illogical, heartbreaking effects of dementia. Humorous dialogue and a swift plot, occasionally dragged down by contrived situations, anchor this realistic story. Lincoln is a delightful narrator, prone to daydreaming about stories. He has a strong, supportive relationship with his mother, although his ability to bounce back after living in an abusive situation seems unrealistic. Aging and dying with dignity are lightly touched upon, but never quite as deeply as one would hope. This book is a good place to start a classroom discussion on intergenerational relationships and the effects of memory loss. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

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