Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2026 Gr 5 Up—In this dystopian middle grade science fiction novel, Mikayla, 14, is determined to pass her exams and be accepted into the Genetic Institute's (GenIn) Elite Scholars Prep Program, until she discovers a shocking secret that jeopardizes her dream. In this cruel and unjust society, people's lives are determined by their genetic DNA score: 95s are Super Elites, but anyone with a 90 or below is labeled Defective and even lower, Expendable. Mikayla tests her DNA and her score is shockingly 88 when she thought she was a 94. Teacher's assistant Garith, Mikayla's best friend until they had a falling out three years ago, hacks into the official DNA database. It reveals Mikayla's DNA is registered to a girl named Grace, a Defective. Mikayla is determined to find out the truth and prove that genetics don't determine a person's worth. The plot is a bit derivative of other books about unequal social classes, but Mikayla, Garith, Grace, and her brother Bryce are sympathetic and relatable. Mikayla's feelings of betrayal by those she loves will resonate, as will her growing anger over the inequality in her society that she has been able to ignore until now. Most characters cue as white, but Garith has light brown skin; the secondary cast includes a same-sex couple. VERDICT This will appeal to fans of books centering strong, determined female characters who stand up against oppression, like Joelle Charbonneau's The Testing or Sylvia Liu's Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation.—Sharon Rawlins - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/01/2026 When resources are scarce and the world is contaminated, who deserves the best chance at survival? Forty years have passed since the Great Dying, and society has created a new framework for the distribution of limited resources: those with the highest genetic potential are given everything they need to rebuild the world. Mikayla Grebe sits near the top of the social hierarchy, and with her mother’s coaching and an intense tutoring program, she plans to pass the test that will ensure her place among the Elites. But when Mikayla uncovers a secret in her DNA, it shakes what she knows about the world, her family, and herself. Monders’ debut sets the classic argument of nature versus nurture against a backdrop of severe economic inequality. The world building is thin on details, with Mikayla’s first-person narration instead focusing on her personal predicaments, yet the commentary on income disparity and parallels to the Holocaust are stark and timely. Sure to prompt thoughtful discussion; follow with Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s anthology After (2012) for perspectives on how humanity might respond to its greatest challenges. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.