Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 05/12/2025 Following her cricket player baba and educator mama’s deaths in an earthquake, 12-year-old Aarzu and her younger sister Sukoon move in with their aunt, uncle, and cousins in Karachi. Aarzu longs to follow in Baba’s footsteps, but while her uncle allows his sons to play cricket, the sisters must stay inside and assist their aunt with housework. When Sukoon-who lives with kidney disease-faces health complications, Aarzu determines to earn money for a transplant. She first heeds a friend’s advice that she sell roti, which Aarzu gamely practices making despite her poor culinary skills. Then a chance encounter sparks an idea, and Aarzu cuts her hair, disguises herself as a boy, and gains employment as a servant for a wealthy family, which, serendipitously, affords her an opportunity to play cricket. While earning money, cultivating new skills, and finally pursuing her passion, Aarzu learns hard truths about friendship. In her debut verse novel, Abbas (Excited for Eid) employs numerous poetry forms (acrostic, blackout, ghazal) to deliver an accessible tale about resilience as well as the comfort that earnest connection and following one’s dreams can bring. Opens with information about cricket; ample back matter, including a recipe and author’s note, conclude. Ages 8-12. (July) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 10/03/2025 Gr 6 Up—Abbas includes seven poetry types, a taste of cricket, a glimpse into the Muslim faith, and the realities of living in a developing country with a patriarchal culture in her most recent work. Twelve-year-old Aarzu and younger sister Sukoon were orphaned a year ago and taken in by an uncle and aunt. However, the family dynamic does not favor the sisters or women. Sukoon is barely five and needs a kidney transplant, yet emotionally explosive Uncle Khaloo refuses to pay for any medical care. Aarzu and her aunt seek to raise funds unbeknownst to anyone, even each other. Aarzu's disguise for employment as a boy is found out and she is grounded for two weeks. Thus, she sadly misses the tryouts for the girls' cricket team. The ending chapters are fast-paced and tie a neat bow as Aarzu does end up making the cricket team, and her family moves in to work for the family who employed Aarzu. With its ambitious attempt to cover numerous plot points through different poetic forms, this novel may be slow to engage readers. The emphasis on the specifics of cricket may also be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the sport. In addition to the word art and poetry, artist Prabhat has graced the pages with grayscale illustrations. Included is a glossary of terms for cricket, the local Pakistani dialect, and Muslim terminology. VERDICT A general realistic fiction purchase that may require hand-selling.—Sarah Sieg - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2025 After Aarzu's beloved parents died in an earthquake, her life of cricket playing and relative freedom were exchanged for a Karachi slum with her far more traditional relatives. Aarzu desperately wants to try out for the junior girls’ league, but her uncle feels strongly that Muslim girls belong indoors as homemakers and caretakers, so she’ll have to sneak in the sports. To make things worse, her little sister’s health is deteriorating, so Aarzu decides to pose as a boy and work at a nearby mansion to drum up treatment funds. Can she find a way to keep her secrets while staying true to her beliefs, her family, and her own heart? The stirring story is told through an incredible variety of poetic forms (readers will find the entire list of those constructions in the back matter). Urgent, elegant language, mouthwatering descriptions, and the bustling Pakistani setting make for an enthralling read, and watching Aarzu embrace her religion while chafing against societal expectations is a thought-provoking process. A rousing read that affirms the power of persistence and love. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.