Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2023 Gr 5 Up—Inmate Eleven has never seen the sky, or even been outside in her 12 years. All she knows is that there's a virus outside and she can't leave without a vaccine. In order to get the vaccine, she must pass tests to be sure she is ready. She is eventually paired with a child called Larkin who is the son of the President. A young Black girl, Inmate Eleven thinks her life may be changing for the better, but little does she know what lies ahead. The book is split into three major sections that deal with Inmate Eleven in the year 2111, and a girl named Imogen in 2022. Imogen has to come to terms with several things that have impacted her life due to the pandemic and her mental health. This book is written in a conversational tone, so it's a quick read. At the end of each chapter there are notecards to help readers understand what is happening in each character's world. The book deals with tough topics like racism, generational trauma, and the pandemic. Each section is masterfully written, and will cause a few eyes to tear up. McBride includes some notes at the end of the book with an explanation of real and historical events. VERDICT Great for libraries looking for more diverse voices, and books that touch on the topic of the pandemic in a relatable way.—Kristin J. Anderson - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2023 *Starred Review* There are two realities for Imogen. In one reality, she is simply known as Inmate Eleven, and she lives in the Bible Boot, a place that has reinstated slavery for Black Americans. Some of those enslaved people are so sad that they have physically turned blue. Imogen is one of those “blue” people, one who lives in a prison with her wolf-dog, Ira. Imogen yearns to be free of the binds that the “clones” harness her with. In another reality, Imogen is a girl in the modern world, dealing with the aftermath of racial violence, a devastating virus, post-election discord, and the death that links all of these things in her life. National Book Award finalist McBride, author of Me (Moth) (2021), is a master at crafting characters who are unapologetically flawed, a pattern that continues in this, her middle-grade debut. Imogen’s character perfectly personifies the continuous shroud of grief that Black Americans have to live with in a post-pandemic, post-2016 election world. But even with the integration of the theme of grief throughout the novel, there is still the insistence of hope. McBride examines the beauty in Black resilience and the importance of building community. This novel is an integral addition to the children’s literary canon. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.