Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/10/2025 Gr 4–8—Hardinge's latest read delivers suspense, adventure, mystery, and fantasy all in one beautifully illustrated novel. Milo never imagined that he would be the one to fill his father's big shoes of being the Ferryman, taking their island's departed souls to the afterlife. Being a Ferryman required the ability to focus and to stay unmoved by death, and his father made it clear that Milo's older brother was his top choice. But when his father is killed and Leif is kidnapped, Milo knows it's up to him to ferry the spirits and their shoes across the seas to their final resting place on the Island of Broken Tower. Hot on his heels are two malevolent magicians, hired by the Lord of Merlank who believes they can revive his dead daughter. As he races to complete his seafaring journey on his father's terms, Milo falters in the rule to not communicate with the dead but learns a lot about grief and loss in the process. Readers will root for Milo as the plot thickens and he makes some exciting discoveries about his new role. Stunning black, white, and light blue illustrations pepper the pages of this nail-biter that has action and tenderness in equal measure. Characters pictured are white, and their clothing seems indicative of the Renaissance era. VERDICT A perfect read for fans who love fast-paced unconventional stories with good triumphing over evil and a feel-good ending.—Tracy Cronce - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2024 This illustrated novella follows Milo, son of the Ferryman, a local figure tasked with collecting the shoes of the dead and through those items helping souls along to the Island of the Broken Tower, “the passing place of the dead.” When the daughter of a lord dies, the distraught father employs magicians to extend her life through twisted arts. In an attempt to reclaim her shoes, they kill the resistant Ferryman, and Milo finds himself in a race to complete his father’s work, fleeing by ship with the girl’s shoes—as well as those of his father, whose own spirit now shadows him. There’s an intense quiet about Hardinge’s controlled prose that perfectly suits Milo’s character and circumstances, well complemented by Gravett’s illustrations, which are by turns heavy with black inks and ethereal with light washes of blue. The moody story, with all the feel of a real folktale, deftly manages to be both a thrilling sea chase and a touching story of loss and coming of age. Sweetly macabre. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.