Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2018 Gr 4–7—Cameron's only link to his absent father is a coin which he wears on a chain around his neck. When a mysterious hotel appears in a strip mall near his home, the coin proves to be a link between Cam's mundane life and the magical world of the hotel, where doors open onto every part of the globe. There is some connection between Cam's missing father and the hotel. A cheeky teen doorman who befriends Cam promises to help solve the mystery. However, everyone at the hotel has secrets, and Cam must navigate treacherous circumstances and shifting allegiances in order to achieve his goal. The plot is fast paced but a little muddled. Reluctant hero Cam stumbles into adventure while single-mindedly pursuing the father he can barely remember. Cam's grandmother and his twin sister Cassia, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, are incidental characters and remain left behind for most of the book. The hotel staff is diverse, though only a few of them get any significant character development. VERDICT Purchase for large collections where fantasy circulates well.—Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2018 Twins Cameron and Cassia have lived with their grandmother since they were babies, left by a father they’ve never met. The only keepsakes they have of their parents are the tree-etched coins each wears as a necklace: Cass’ is gray, having belonged to their deceased mother, but Cam’s was their father’s and still glitters, indicating their dad is alive. While walking home from school one day, Cam notices a door in a strip mall with the same design as their pendants. Believing it’s a clue to their dad’s whereabouts, Cam goes inside, thus entering the Hotel Between. What awaits him is beyond belief: doors that lead to all parts of the world, hints about his parents, and an unexpected realization. Easley’s first novel is a fantasy adventure brimming with action and anchored by familial love. Cam constantly worries about Cass, whose spina bifida confines her to a wheelchair, but he also must learn that she’s more capable than he gives her credit for. The story begs a sequel and will draw in fans of A Wrinkle in Time. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.