Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2021 Fiona Crane isn’t at all pleased about having to move to a peculiar New England town, Lost Lake, just so her older sister, Arden, can be closer to the ice rink where she trains. Things get decidedly more interesting, however, when Fiona ventures to the library, formerly a grand old house, and finds a curious leather-bound book in the mystery section that draws her like a magnet. Clearly very old, The Lost One tells a haunting story of two sisters that echoes some of her relationship with Arden and, as will later play a much greater role, the two sisters who once resided in the very house that is now the library. Fiona becomes obsessed with the book, which is swathed in secrets, including an inconvenient habit of disappearing and the unfortunate absence of an ending. As Fiona tries to piece together the story’s true ending, she dives into the town’s history and creepy lore and confronts her own needs and faults as a sister. A good choice for those who enjoy atmospheric mysteries. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2021 Gr 4–9—Fiona's family has just picked up and moved across Massachusetts to the sleepy town of Lost Lake, all because of her sister Arden and her figure skating. Fiona cannot help feeling slighted at having to leave everything behind just so they can be closer to Arden's practice rink. When the opportunity arises, Fiona chooses to explore the town library rather than watching skating practice. Deep in the mystery room, Fiona finds a book on the shelf that does not appear to belong to the library. Intrigued, she begins reading and is drawn immediately into The Lost One: the story of Hazel and Pearl and the mystery of how one of them disappeared. This book is a captivating narrative that draws the reader into two stories of two sisters living over a century apart. The stories of Fiona and Arden, and of Hazel and Pearl, parallel each other as both sets of siblings drift apart. Ultimately, Hazel goes missing, and that is where the mystery begins: What happened all those years ago? Fiona is determined to find out. The story breaks frame when the worlds of Fiona and Arden and Hazel and Pearl collide in a supernatural twist that will test the bond of sisterhood. Fiona and Arden have dark hair and brown eyes, but there are no explicit references to their ethnicity or race beyond this detail. VERDICT A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy titles such as Katherine Arden's Small Spaces, Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters, or Lindsay Currie's Scritch Scratch.—Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.