Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 01/01/2021 It’s all been leading up to this: Apollo, as awkward teen Lester Papadopoulos, is finally facing down the big bad. Nero, the head of the triumvirate, has lured Lester and Meg, who’s none too eager to be reunited with her adopted “father,” to his Manhattan headquarters for a final showdown, and everything’s on the line. Riordan’s fifth and final installment in the Trials of Apollo series continues with more of what made the preceding novels so great—cinematic action, witty banter, and a dynamic cast of characters to root for. In particular, Meg’s growth and healing, as she prepares to face Nero, whose emotional abuse and gaslighting are perhaps his most insidious, evil feature of all, is a high point; Riordan uses a delicate hand not only in depicting the reverberating effects of Meg’s experience of parental abuse but also in crafting Apollo’s compassionate understanding of his friend’s deep trauma. Readers will want to be familiar with the rest of the series before diving into this one (naturally), but newbies will likely have no problem devouring all five books in a row. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.