Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—The world has been devastated by Flu Flies, leaving small groups of survivors to make their way without technology or organizing institutions. Nico, an 18-year-old with "watery white skin," lives in a barricaded farmhouse in New Hampshire while Kit, an art-loving 12-year-old with "pale white skin," finds himself living in a theater with his mother and adopted siblings, Lakie and Monty—Black twins left orphaned after a swarm attack. Nico, Kit, Lakie, and Monty hear of a haven safe from the Flies and set out on a journey that will force them to consider the tensions among science, faith, and the nature of time itself. Arnold's fourth novel uses intricate storytelling to explore a postapocalyptic world through the eyes of teens who search for meaning in the midst of loss and disconnection. He weaves together rich language and satisfying plot turns while drawing on elements of science fiction and fantasy. His characters are warm and fully realized, and for anyone who has lived through 2020, the book's themes will feel all too real. VERDICT An absorbing read with well-realized characters and beautiful writing, this novel will appeal to readers of science fantasy such as N.K. Jemisin's "Broken Earth" trilogy.—Talea Anderson, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA. - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2020 *Starred Review* In a postapocalyptic New England where nearly everyone has been wiped out by ravenous swarms of “Flu-flies” and a mysterious illness, white 18-year-old Nico is sent by her ailing father on an eight-day trek in search of a “geological anomaly” that seems more fairy-tale portal than scientific plausibility. Elsewhere, after white 12-year-old Kit’s mother dies, he and his adoptive siblings set out in search of a rumored haven for survivors. As Nico’s and Kit’s paths intersect, Arnold shifts between their third-person points of view, in addition to first-person sections following an enigmatic figure dubbed the Deliverer, whose pivotal role is gradually revealed. In its conception, this is an intricate piece of high-concept sf, yet Arnold guides the layered narrative with such clarity and control that the underlying complexity never disturbs the flow; rather, the underpinning questions cultivate tension. The world building has depth in spite of the oddly idyllic setting, and while danger—whether from Flies or malevolent humans—lurks around every copse, this isn’t a thriller; it’s less concerned with physical survival than existential ruminations on art, emotion, and humanity. Neither the characters nor the text meanders, though, instead marching at a steady pace, carried by crystalline prose, which echoes like poetry, towards a genuinely astonishing and moving conclusion. Accessible, sophisticated, and immensely satisfying. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.