Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2022 Gr 10 Up—What are monsters? Does society create monsters or do they plague the earth regardless of what we do? In this book, a 16-year-old from the Bronx named Raquel is determined to find the answers to these questions. For years, kids in the Bronx have mysteriously gone missing without a trace, taken by the monsters. Center to the plot is an urban legend called the Echo Game, which is said to trap people under the city. Raquel and her friends team up when their friend Francisco (the cousin of Raquel's crush Charlize) is taken and enter a sinister world drenched in the dark past of New York. Tirado drops readers into a suspense-filled, terrifying world. Readers will be immediately struck with alarm, terror, and the feeling that something is about to sneak around a corner. This feeling propels the story forward and builds tension that does not release until the conclusion. The story holds many secrets, twists, and surprises for readers, touching into the supernatural and merging fiction and reality. This is a fast-paced, psychologically engaging, and terrifying novel that takes everyday traumas such as slumlords and racism and personifies them as monsters. There is Black and Latinx representation among the characters. VERDICT Readers will be on the edge of their seats and will have the chance to explore societal issues in a new way to answer the question "What are monsters?" when reading this book.—Tracey S. Hodges - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2022 People have been disappearing in Raquel’s neighborhood in the Bronx, and no one seems to care. When her friend’s cousin goes missing, only to reappear looking disheveled and disoriented, Raquel and her friends investigate a supposed global game that transports players to the Echo world, where time stands still and monsters lurk. Tirado creatively marries history with horror; scenes in the Echo world create a sense of dread and terror, and they’re linked to real-life tragedies by way of urban legends. The urban-legend angle is engrossing, and though the ties linking the realistic events to the nightmare world feel underdeveloped, they do still emphasize the resilience of the diverse Bronx community. While the eerie stories play a large role in the novel, Tirado also explores the messiness of teenage emotions and relationships, as Raquel’s friendships are tested and her feelings toward her friend Charlize intensify. Tirado’s unsettling debut is a love letter to the Bronx and the community that makes it. The perfect pick for horror lovers still looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.