Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2021 It's been almost one year since Cleo's boyfriend, Declan, drowned on a white-water-rafting trip they took with five other friends. Cleo still feels guilty for not trying to rescue him, even though she cannot swim, as well as for bringing him along when he wasn't welcome. At the same time, she's harboring a terrible secret about what happened: Declan fell into the river while Cleo was fending off his murderous attack on her. Now a sinister birthday gift has shown up—a scavenger hunt that forces Cleo to visit places that were significant to her and Declan to collect each clue. As the deadline for completing the hunt nears, Cleo wonders who is behind the hunt. Is it her beloved older brother? One of the friends on the trip? Or . . . is Declan still alive? Richards is a pro at ratcheting up the suspense and concealing the identity of the villain while simultaneously implicating everyone. Richards' knack for blending exciting, nail-biting plots with realistic and engaging characters results in yet another riveting page-turner. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2021 Gr 7–10—Cleo has an extra eventful birthday. Her parents are away for work, and Cleo is in the shower when an unseen intruder drops off a ring box in her bathroom. The box contains the beginning of a series of clues requiring her to retrace the landmarks in her relationship with Declan, the boyfriend she believes is dead. Cleo is a crime-solving fiend and forensics is her hobby, so this is either the best birthday present ever or a really sick joke. More and more of their friends are pulled into the "game" as it is revealed that they all played a part in Declan's disappearance. Along the way, readers get deeper glances into what was a terribly abusive relationship that ended in a drowning that starts to look not like an accident but instead like self-defense. Cleo is white, and her half brother Connor has a Black father. Connor wants to protect her, but given his past experiences with the police, he is reluctant to contact the authorities. Readers will need to suspend significant disbelief, but those who do will be rewarded with a fast-paced whodunit that they won't see coming. VERDICT A serious thriller for readers itching for a good mystery, and also a cautionary tale about abusive relationships and how they can escalate into violence.—Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.