Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2023 Sixth-grader Sparkle has a shot at becoming a big star someday. Her father was once a well-known actor in Hollywood, and she attends an arts academy for drama, where some famous alumni have graduated. Plus, she has beautiful, thick, curly hair. Her parents struggle financially, and Sparkle has a lot of pressure to make it big. She is on the verge of becoming a social media phenomenon and a star in the school play, until she finds a bald spot and is diagnosed with alopecia. Losing her hair could hold her back from her dreams. Through Wilson’s characters, we see the range of challenges for a middle school girl dealing with devastating hair loss. There are the bullies, of course, but there are also girls who pressure one another to look a certain way. This adept exploration of the definition of beauty for the middle-grade set will appeal to fans of Naomi Milliner's Super Jake and the King of Chaos (2019) and Jessica Kim's Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (2020). - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2023 Gr 4–7—All her life, Sparkle has known she was destined to be a star. She has a mom who manages her social media, an actor dad, and a younger sister with her own star power. At her arts middle school, she is hoping for a big part in the annual musical; but it all seems lost when she begins to lose her hair. What follows is an exploration of self image, marketability in a social media influencer world, friendship, bullying, pursuit of passion, and family dynamics as they learn about her alopecia. Sparkle and her family are Black, and her school is portrayed as very diverse. The intense focus on social media and image can feel somewhat superficial but will also ring true for readers entering fraught middle school years during this era. The narrative is told through Sparkle's point of view, which is where the writing shines as an authentic experience for a sixth grader. If some of the other characters seem one-dimensional, that can also be attributed to the limited narrative style. While not a first purchase, this book will find an audience for its empathetic portrayal of a young person who is facing a fundamental shift in their self-identity. VERDICT A solid novel about alopecia through a social media influencer/aspiring actress lens for a tween audience.—Elizabeth Nicolai - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.