Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—At his high school graduation party, Kyle's eager about what comes next: college with his girlfriend and a long future together afterwards. But when a car crash takes all of that away, Kyle must find out who he is without Kimberly. When Marley enters Kyle's life, he's not sure he's ready to move on, but eventually the idea of a relationship with her feels too right to resist. This book drops a number of curveballs, particularly in the latter half of the story, which is structured like a fairy tale. This mix of contemporary realism with fairy-tale elements doesn't always mesh well, sowing an awkward atmosphere that struggles to create meaningful depth. While themes such as identity, independence, and grief are familiar and universal, the lack of effective character depth and the cumbersome narrative leave the exploration of these themes feeling superficial. Chemistry between the love interests is similarly incomplete, making it difficult to enthusiastically root for the relationship's success. Meanwhile, a series of twists toward the end contribute to an overall sense of insincerity. VERDICT Fans of the authors' Five Feet Apart and Sandy Hall's Signs Point to Yes will likely be interested, but may find the novel unfulfilling and mediocre. An additional purchase.—Abby Hargreaves, DiC P.L. - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—At his high school graduation party, Kyle's eager about what comes next: college with his girlfriend and a long future together afterwards. But when a car crash takes all of that away, Kyle must find out who he is without Kimberly. When Marley enters Kyle's life, he's not sure he's ready to move on, but eventually the idea of a relationship with her feels too right to resist. This book drops a number of curveballs, particularly in the latter half of the story, which is structured like a fairy tale. This mix of contemporary realism with fairy-tale elements doesn't always mesh well, sowing an awkward atmosphere that struggles to create meaningful depth. While themes such as identity, independence, and grief are familiar and universal, the lack of effective character depth and the cumbersome narrative leave the exploration of these themes feeling superficial. Chemistry between the love interests is similarly incomplete, making it difficult to enthusiastically root for the relationship's success. Meanwhile, a series of twists toward the end contribute to an overall sense of insincerity. VERDICT Fans of the authors' Five Feet Apart and Sandy Hall's Signs Point to Yes will likely be interested, but may find the novel unfulfilling and mediocre. An additional purchase.—Abby Hargreaves, DiC P.L. - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2020 Kyle and Kimberly have been a couple for years, and with their best friend, Sam, they are graduating from high school. It should be a time of celebration because the three of them will attend UCLA together in the fall. But Kim reveals she’s attending Berkeley instead because she wants to know who she is by herself. Kyle, upset, takes his eyes off the road as they continue their disagreement, and they end up in a massive car wreck that results in Kim's death. Grieving, Kyle blames himself and withdraws, while experiencing hallucinations and flashbacks of Kim before her death. Once he finds the courage to visit Kim’s grave, he meets a girl named Marley, who mourns the death of her twin. In an unsurprising move, Kyle and Marley fall for each other, but the plot twist, which surfaces almost too late in the story, saves the day. Is there a happy ending? It’s not a spoiler to say yes. Readers who loved the writing team’s Five Feet Apart (2018) will eat this one up. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.