Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2015 Gr 4–6—British siblings Parker and Emma Banks have a lot on their plates: Emma is deaf, Parker is being bullied at their new American school, and their mother is dead. Their father, renowned scientist Dr. Geoffrey Banks, is often unavailable due to the hours he's putting in at his new job at Avecto. The three stay in contact with a telepathy device developed by Dr. Banks to help Emma communicate, but it doesn't help them talk about the things that really matter. Then Dr. Banks disappears, and Parker and Emma are the only ones who can rescue him—if they can figure out what he did at Avecto. Through many twists and turns, they discover that their father was developing teleportation technology to transport people to a new utopian planet called SIX, and that he has been unwillingly teleported there. Most issues are resolved, but some remaining loose threads make another installation possible. At close to 400 pages, there's a lot crammed into this book. The periodic action scenes keep the pages turning, but other plot elements seem unnecessary. Parker's bullying and the introduction of an albino pig only serve to bog down the story. Certain plot points smack of deus ex machina. For example, Parker has a wealthy sidekick whose money handily circumvents a variety of obstacles. VERDICT An additional purchase for ravenous readers of adventurous sci-fi.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2015 Former Londoner Parker isn’t happy in New York, even if his father and sister, Emma, seem to like their new home just fine. Parker’s dad spends long hours at work, and the three stay in touch via a special telepathy device designed to improve communication with Emma, who is deaf. Dad is clearly hiding some dark secrets, though, and there may even be a connection with his missing wife and the new company for which he works. Parker and his sis realize things are serious when their dad disappears, and they are determined to save him, even if they can’t find many adults to help. The bad guys are satisfyingly bad, building a “perfect” planet for the über-rich and using brilliant humans as unwilling minds behinds the technology. Similarly, the good guys are a scrappy group of oddballs who come together to try to save the day; readers will find at least a couple with whom they will likely strongly identify. The ending is unexpected but still undoubtedly happy, and it might open questions about realism, expectations, and what’s most important when you might lose everything. AS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.