Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2013 On the eve of her thirteenth birthday, Jemma Agromond learns the truth about her heritage and, with only her golden telepathic rats as company, escapes the clutches of the cruel family who raised and deceived her. She’s pursued by her former siblings and her family’s henchmen, and the world at large is just as dangerous, with any stranger likely to turn on her for a bounty. Will Jemma find her real family before time runs out for them to help her claim her birthright powers? This mostly dark fantasy will keep readers flipping pages as they follow Jemma through a series of near escapes. Unfortunately, the first half of the novel, wherein Jemma struggles through the forest near her spurious family’s castle, is too static and slow-paced to sustain the excitement the premise deserves. The true draws here are the characters: particularly Jemma herself, who is thoroughly likable, brave, and adventurous (if no deeper than the average fantasy heroine); her Agromond family, who are ruthless, mean, and truly scary; and her golden-furred pets, Noodle and Pie, who will turn readers into rat-lovers. Fantasy adventure fans willing to remain patient through the stately first half may find this rewarding, especially if they like their worlds scary, their villains terrible, their heroines virtuous and victorious, and their lines between dark and light solidly drawn. AM - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 04/20/2013 Gr 6–8—Jemma lives in moldering old Agromond Castle with her nasty brother and sister, her evil parents, and her two pet rats. She doesn't share her family's inclination for wickedness and runs away from home when she learns that the Agromonds stole her from her real parents long ago in order to commandeer her innate magical power on her 13th birthday. The remainder of this turgid fantasy follows Jemma as she tries to get away from the murderous Agromonds to her real parents before she loses her magic forever. On her journey, she is thwarted by hostile mist, vile beasts, and brutal villagers. All ends well eventually and the villains get their just deserts, but not before readers must trudge through long, boring episodes interspersed with scenes full of blood and gore. The cuteness of Jemma crooning to her adorable pet rats clashes bizarrely with the revelation that the Agromonds have been murdering children to sustain their dominance. The slow-moving plot feels cobbled together and the setting is as hazy as the magical mist. For recent atmospheric fantasy with sinister characters, introduce patrons to William Alexander's Goblin Secrets or Stacy DeKeyser's Brixen Witch (both S & S, 2012).—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.