Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2019 Gr 9 Up—A community that had already experienced tragedy at the hands of law enforcement is once again dealing with the effects of police violence after the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old African American girl. A witness is left struggling to rein in his anger and support his family. The local community organizer sees the tragedy as an impetus for social change and possible promotion. The local gang lord uses the girl's death as a way to solidify his authority within his gang and within the community. Her young friends are left wondering if they will be next. The policeman's daughter has to deal with the tarnished image of her father. The alt-right see her death as an opportunity to insert their fringe ideology into a mainstream conversation. Many will try to co-opt her voice in an attempt to make sense of their own roles in this tragic event. Ultimately, it is her community that bears the brunt of the collateral damage inflicted by this event. This book provides a nuanced view of the ways the death of a young black girl affects a community. Different voices are fully expressed and the complex and flawed nature of each character is fully explored. VERDICT Reminiscent of Magoon's previous title How It Went Down and Ta-Nahesi Coates's Between the World and Me, this is an important title for public and school libraries interested in thought-provoking portrayals of black life.—Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2019 *Starred Review* Magoon’s latest novel houses an unapologetic, poignant narrative that forces readers to come face-to-face with the harsh realities of racial violence and racial profiling in America. Shae is a 13-year-old Black girl who leaves school one day and never makes it home. Rather, she is shot and killed by a police officer for doing nothing more than wearing headphones and simply existing, her body left lying in the street for hours. Her senseless death rocks her community and affects the lives of many around her. Following Shae’s murder, unrest mounts in her community, and protesters bearing the message that Black Lives Matter clash with white-supremacist demonstrators. This tragic, timely story unfurls in vignettes told from various perspectives of those closest to Shae and her death, including an officer on the scene, Shae’s friends, and her sister. Each voice tells of the personal impact wrought by Shae’s death, while giving readers a gut-wrenching, viscerally true portrait of the light, hope, and promise that are snuffed out whenever another young Black life is taken by police violence. A powerful story of community bonds, injustice, and finding the strength to fight for what is right, this is less an echo of our times than a clarion call for action. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.