Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2017 Gr 3–6—An episodic plot, London in the early 1700s, and a boy named Oliver who falls in with thieves are all found in Avi's latest work. Oliver's father never recovered from the death of his wife, so he sinks deeper into drinking and gambling, neglecting Oliver and Oliver's older sister, Charity. With cliff-hangers at the end of every chapter and foreshadowing chapter titles, Avi maintains a brisk pace throughout. Themes of greed, survival, and loyalty are consistently articulated as well. Through the first-person narrative, readers experience the weight of the world pressing on Oliver, and Avi successfully uses this perspective to place readers in the 18th-century environment. The descriptions of place and time generally work well; however, there are a few moments that feel a bit like history lessons. In an afterword, Avi details what events and people in the tale are true and mentions a forthcoming adventure involving Oliver and Charity. VERDICT Avi's ability to write compelling historical fiction is evident here, and readers will want to stay tuned for the next installment.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2017 *Starred Review* Wakening to a terrible storm, 12-year-old Oliver Cromwell Pitts finds his English seaside house flooded and his lawyer father gone off to London, leaving the child bereft, penniless, and facing the unsavory possibility of being remanded to the children’s poorhouse. Alas, that is exactly what happens. Happily, circumstances and quick wits allow him to flee the dreadful place, but, his life now in danger, he must escape to London. But how? Because of his flight and the fact that he has, er, borrowed some money, he’s wanted by the authorities and must travel secretly, and the road to the capital is long and fraught with danger—there will be no relying on the kindness of strangers. Will he find his way to London? One hopes so, for our hero Oliver is an unusually appealing character, whom we applaud while decrying his enemies, who are deliciously evil, unctuous, and depraved. In using Oliver as his first-person narrator, Avi does a superb job of suggesting the style and syntax of eighteenth-century speech, while telling an ingeniously plotted Dickensian story filled with suspense, surprises, and ultimately satisfaction. It reminds us, who may have forgotten, why reading is such high entertainment and pleasure. Please, sir, may we have some more? (Yes: a sequel is promised.) - Copyright 2017 Booklist.