Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 Gr 3–6—Lemonade Liberty Witt has just lost her mother and has been uprooted from her home in 1970s San Francisco to live with her estranged grandfather in Willow Creek, CA. Lem's grandfather is a Bigfoot enthusiast, though not quite as enthusiastic as Tobin Sky, the boy next door, who quickly embraces Lem as a confidant. Lem must learn to cope with her own pain while understanding others', all while helping Tobin run the local Bigfoot Detective Inc. (and leads on the cryptid have been pouring in!). Debut author Savage is a child and family therapist, and her insights into child grief are clear in the narrative. This works mostly in the book's favor, though at times the discussion veers toward the clinical. Lemon's emotions are front and center, complemented by those of her grandfather. Later on, it's discovered that Tobin is dealing with the loss of his father, who was reported MIA in Vietnam. This extra layer is a little much for the story to handle at times, but it does lead to a sweet and hopeful ending. The closing scenes are a bit puzzling, taking the novel from historical to fantastic; in an otherwise realistic title, this final plot piece seems out of place. The book is well paced, with plenty of humor to balance the heavy themes. Lem is a likable character, and while her relationship with one of her former teachers is implausibly Matilda-esque, her feelings and reactions are relatable. Though she doesn't get her mother back, she does learn how to rebuild her life in a way that is full of love and happiness. VERDICT An enjoyable and welcome exploration of sorrow, healing, and friendship. Recommended as a general purchase for medium to large libraries, and a good option for collection-specific needs.—Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2017 Ten-year-old Lemonade Witt makes more than one life-changing discovery after her single mother’s death leaves her in the care of her estranged grandfather in Willow Creek, a town renowned as the “Bigfoot capital of the world.” There she falls in with Tobin, a young neighbor who is even more emotionally needy than she—his father, a Vietnam vet with combat stress reaction, has gone missing. Tobin’s obsessive focus on hunting for Bigfoot signs—he shows touches of Asperger’s—prompts expeditions into the woods, and this and other incidents ultimately give Lem a handle for her grief and a chance to adjust. And, as it turns out, some of the woods’ hidden residents are decidedly uncommon. Almost everyone in the cast suffers from some loss, and, to many readers, the protagonist’s name, which refers to that famous adage, could be interpreted as a hint that she was unwanted (a notion that, unrealistically, never occurs to Lem herself), but Savage injects enough humor, mystery, and lively interaction among the characters to give this two-hanky debut a buoyant tone. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.