Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/15/2016 High-school senior Savannah Sutton is now at an alternative school after she stuck a pencil through her ex-boyfriend’s hand after he repeatedly insulted her developmentally disabled little brother. At 17, she’s the de facto adult in her household—her mother left the family long ago when Evan’s disability became evident, and her alcoholic father can’t hold onto a job, let alone care for a disabled child. At her new school, she meets handsome Cameron, a wealthy senior who got kicked out of his private school for the destruction of school property. Unable to help themselves, they see how to help each other, and slowly a tender, loving relationship grows, as well as their senses of self-esteem. Savannah is a tough, wounded, and often abrasive young woman, but she adores her little brother, and when she loses care of him to a well-meaning but insensitive aunt, she is devastated. Young (The Program, 2013) is at her best when portraying Savannah’s fierce love; the bitter realization that she cannot protect or provide for Evan is tremendously moving. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 Gr 10 Up—Savannah is a good person trying to do right by her younger brother, Evan, who has an intellectual disability. When her misogynist, emotionally abusive boyfriend calls Evan a "retard," Savannah stabs him in the hand with a pencil. She is sent to an alternative high school her senior year for "anger management issues." Here she befriends recovering addict Travis and Retha, who also has anger management issues. These two are Savannah's only support system, as she lacks meaningful adult supervision. Her mother ran off a few years back, her father is an alcoholic who wants nothing to do with Evan or Savannah, and her aunt believes her to be dangerous since the stabbing incident. At her new high school, the teen keeps her head down and does the work, making sure she is home in time to care for her brother. She has no time for anyone else in her life, especially not rich boy Cameron. But when Savannah's life begins to slowly unravel, Cameron proves to be a friend before anything else. Young's characters are likable and believable in their flaws. The protagonist's authentic voice makes this title a fast read and hard to put down. VERDICT Budget permitting, this is a strong purchase for any teen collection. For those who enjoy books by Simone Elkeles.—Lisa Nabel, Tacoma Public Library, WA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.