Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/09/2022 Gr 8 Up—Szamosi's debut follows Olive, who spends her first summer after high school as a digital tech intern at a fashion magazine. She is supported along the way by her mom, BFF Toni, maybe-not-real internet crush, "Guy," and internship supervisor, Giorgio. Readers observe Olive as she realizes how far removed from reality digitally edited photos are. Over the summer, she re-examines her own relationships with her body and with social media, crescendoing with the discovery of the (very real) all-virtual model phenomenon. With touches of surrealism, the book's chunky, blocky, black-and-white art portrays the world as Olive sees it, instead of literally. The lack of color makes it difficult to portray a variety of skin tones, but Szamosi does include a variety of body shapes. BFF Toni, who is trans, brings more diversity to the story. Olive's story will resonate not just with readers struggling with their body image, but also with any teen dealing with a new job or internship. It also functions as a digital and social media 101 for teens—the book makes readers think critically about the messages media sends and the control young people have over their responses. Yet it never feels like a lecture watching Olive navigate these issues. VERDICT Entertaining and thought-provoking. Fans of all ages who appreciate The Devil Wears Prada and the fashion/modeling industry will also appreciate this quick read.—Tammy Ivins - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2022 A recent high-school graduate learns about the limits of social media through an internship at a fashion magazine the summer before she starts college. Olive lives with her mother, and she feels aimless and stressed about how she’s going to make a living as an artist. Her mother gets her an internship with the company that owns the magazine she works for, mainly retouching photos for Fash Magazine. Olive gets a crash-course in the fashion industry and finds out about the concept of virtual models. In addition to editing images of live models, Olive works to create models from mannequins from scratch, and eventually, the lines between real and fake blur. Olive also alternates between being totally sucked into social media and stepping away from it entirely. Although this book doesn’t offer any new answers to the problem of social media and how it affects teenage minds, Olive’s journey to seeking balance in internet spaces is important. The black-and-white drawings contrast well with Szamosi’s plot that grapples with the gray areas of contemporary life. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.