Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—Living with her mom's abusive boyfriend in a new city isn't easy for teenager Savannah Taylor, but she has an outlet: her kung fu class, where she is developing friendships as well as her own strength and skill. Then one night after class, a stranger accosts her in a deserted parking garage and takes her to a mobile home where she meets Jenny, another girl he kidnapped months before. Together, Jenny and Savannah must figure out a way to escape—or die in the process. This tight, fast-paced thriller forgoes deep character exploration in favor of action, keeping the narrative moving at breakneck speed from the first page until the last. It's ideal for striving readers, particularly those who favor adventure or survival stories. Savannah is a capable but fallible protagonist; though her martial arts training does not prevent her kidnapping, it plays an essential role in protecting herself and Jenny, and her commitment to her own self-sufficiency creates believable tension with her mother's boyfriend. VERDICT Sure to satisfy fans of Courtney Summers and Caroline B. Cooney, this book is a solid purchase for libraries with widely circulating thriller collections.—Madison Bishop, Forbes Library, Northampton, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—Living with her mom's abusive boyfriend in a new city isn't easy for teenager Savannah Taylor, but she has an outlet: her kung fu class, where she is developing friendships as well as her own strength and skill. Then one night after class, a stranger accosts her in a deserted parking garage and takes her to a mobile home where she meets Jenny, another girl he kidnapped months before. Together, Jenny and Savannah must figure out a way to escape—or die in the process. This tight, fast-paced thriller forgoes deep character exploration in favor of action, keeping the narrative moving at breakneck speed from the first page until the last. It's ideal for striving readers, particularly those who favor adventure or survival stories. Savannah is a capable but fallible protagonist; though her martial arts training does not prevent her kidnapping, it plays an essential role in protecting herself and Jenny, and her commitment to her own self-sufficiency creates believable tension with her mother's boyfriend. VERDICT Sure to satisfy fans of Courtney Summers and Caroline B. Cooney, this book is a solid purchase for libraries with widely circulating thriller collections.—Madison Bishop, Forbes Library, Northampton, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2020 Savannah’s ramshackle life—drifting from home to home with every new boyfriend her mother finds—has forced her to become tough, physically and mentally. It’s no wonder she’s drawn to the teachings of Bruce Lee, who espouses serenity and flexibility above all. She has to use everything she’s learned when she is forcefully abducted by a mysterious man who calls himself “Sir.” Taken to an unknown location and locked inside a darkened RV, Savannah must rely on all her skills and wits—as well as the help of a previous kidnapping victim—to free herself before “Sir” enacts his ultimate plans. After setting up the basic cast, the story immediately settles into the main plot of Savannah desperately trying to escape her makeshift prison. Heightening the tension is Henry’s choice to tell the story from the alternating first-person perspectives of all the characters, from Savannah’s potential love interest to the kidnapper himself. With a simple plot and relentless pace, this thrill-ride of a book will absolutely satisfy readers looking for pulse-quickening action and smart, resilient heroes. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.