Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 10/13/2025 Twelve-year-old Nia keeps her extraordinary sense of smell secret, worried that widespread knowledge of her ability would brand her as a Sinsory, a group of people with supernaturally strong senses who use their gifts to save the world from periodic plagues. But as whispers of a new outbreak spread throughout Nia’s city of Yerat, Nia is summoned to the Cloister, a windowless desert tower in which Sinsory children train to hone their skills. There, Nia befriends Lime, a girl with uncanny taste, and Lowe, a boy who can read minds through touch. When the rumored plague strikes, Nia must help develop an antidote by determining the right blend of scents, but after her first attempt goes awry and her test subject dies, she and her friends escape the Cloister in a bold gambit to uncover the plague’s source and its cure. In this relentlessly paced adventure, previous collaborators Halpern and Kujawinski (Edgeland) explore a water-starved desert setting that’s seemingly perpetually on the edge of disaster and home to a society seized by paranoia, desperation, and fiscal inequality. A wealth of sensate details grants the story a vivid atmosphere against which intrepid heroes quest to save their friends, family, and home. Nia is described as having tan skin; other characters read as white. Ages 10-14. Agent (for Halpern): Charlotte Simms, WME. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025

Booklist - 01/01/2026 The prospect of being labeled a Sinsory horrifies Nia, who has witnessed the brutal treatment such gifted individuals can be subjected to. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that her sense of smell is incredibly heightened. It’s Nia’s nose that eventually saves her from her life on the street, sniffing out a relative in Yerat who happily takes her in. Two devastating developments reverse her good fortune, however: a plague hits Yerat’s shore just as Nia is tapped to join the Cloister—the sequestered home of the Sinsories, who have historically developed cures for plagues. Halpern and Kujawinski create an adventurous riff on the witch fantasy, which sees those with special sense-based abilities and knowledge as targets for persecution, while also dipping into how power can be corrupted. Nia is a scrappy protagonist whose personality and impulses find balance with two new friends in the Cloister. The high-stakes plot moves at a quick clip, and evocative sensory language brings the world to life. A fun (and fragrant) underdog tale. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 01/30/2026 Gr 5 Up—Outcast and orphaned at the age of 12, Nia is a Sinsory living in the city of Yerat, where there is little water and it's everyone for themselves. Sinsories have supernatural senses, such as the ability to smell so well they can detect every note that makes up a scent. Despite being outcasts in society, Nia's gifts make it necessary for her to join other Sinsories at the Cloister, a community where they work together to find a curefume for plagues. Working at the Cloister means Nia must separate from her best friend, Fox, and her beloved aunt in hopes of helping to find a cure for Baalberith, the newest deadly plague threatening to kill everyone in Yerat and the surrounding area. While at the Cloister, Nia meets Lowe and Lime, two trusted friends with whom she works to combat the evil that lurks in both Yerat and the Cloister itself. High tension, high stakes, and obstacles at every turn make this novel unputdownable. Fantasy and science fiction blend nicely for a nail-biting experience. Nia is a compelling protagonist, and readers will eagerly follow as she uncovers deadly secrets and navigates her powers. Nia is described as having tan skin and dark hair, while most other characters read as white or as fantasy creatures. VERDICT Highly recommended for purchase where fantasy and science fiction are in demand.—Tracy Cronce - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.