Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/23/2023 Isaac has recently been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and his mother hovers over all his behavior with worry and disapproval. Hickman evocatively depicts Isaac's intrusive thoughts as buzzing bees that fuel negativity and compulsive behaviors. While Isaac has some success quieting the thoughts with drawing, the bees' buzzing significantly fades when he joins a new group of friends to play Swamps & Sorcery. Though his mother allows him to play the game, she worries fantasy gaming will worsen his condition, but Isaac knows how much creativity and fantasy help. Hickman cleverly uses color to portray Isaac's emotional reality: when he's stuck in his compulsive thought patterns, the world is gray, but when he’s with his new friends or playing Swamps & Sorcery, the panels are in full color. There are lots of graphic novels about kids experiencing anxiety or intrusive thoughts, but not many featuring boys, which makes this stand out. Hand to kids who related to Lee Durfey-Lavoie and Veronica Agarwal's Just Roll with It (2021) or Kathryn Ormsbee and Molly Brook's Growing Pangs (2022). - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2023 Gr 6 Up—Isaac was recently diagnosed with OCD. At school, he has trouble focusing because of his intrusive thoughts. At home, Isaac's mom wants the best for him but is overprotective to the point where his sister, Miriam, is ignored. Miriam is jealous of the attention Isaac gets and is mean to him at home and in school. When a classmate, Micah, sees Isaac's drawing, they introduce him to their group of friends and invite him to play Swamps & Sorcery, a fantasy role-playing game. Isaac's mom worries this could make his OCD symptoms worse; throughout the story, Isaac struggles to show his mom that it is actually helpful for him. The art adeptly depicts how Isaac's thoughts can be so harmful. At first, only shades of a blueish gray are used except for the bees, which are yellow and stand out. When Isaac hangs out with his new friend group for the first time, readers get full pages of color. From there, they'll bounce back and forth between these palettes, and it helps show where Isaac is comfortable and can be himself. The story handles different topics other than OCD. Isaac's relationships with his mom and sister are both important, and both are tested. Isaac and Micah, who is nonbinary, like each other and get closer as the story progresses. The story falls a little flat toward the end, as conflicts quietly resolve on their own. Drawings from Swamps & Sorcery are included in the back matter. VERDICT Overall, a sweet story that fans of Raina Telgemeier will enjoy.—Michelle Lettus - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.