Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2025 Gr 5–8—In this sequel to The Witch in the Woods, eleven-year-old twins Willow and Jake Grimm once again find themselves sucked into Grimmworld, an alternate dimension where fairy tale logic rules and "every story end[s] in tragedy and pain." Although their close-knit sibling relationship helped them bring the first happily-ever-after to Grimmworld in book one, that bond is now tested by their father's complete disappearance, not just physically but from memory itself. New characters Rot and Ruin, siblings inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, join the Grimms as they search for their father. This quest culminates in the Wolf Trials - a perilous series of tasks designed to test their strength and cunning against wolves. Intricate descriptions and complex worldbuilding, which includes elements of classic fairy tale, dystopian science fiction, and supernatural fantasy, are often overwhelming rather than intriguing. Readers may struggle to navigate a deluge of details with very little narrative depth to anchor them. The main conflict centering the twins' father is unsatisfyingly left unsolved. VERDICT This series is big on imagination but falls short on meaning. A second purchase where twisted fairy tales are in high demand. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.