Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2025 Gr 5–8—Ever since her 11th birthday, Mystery James could smell ghosts; they have a noxious skunk smell that leaves a sour, metallic taste in her mouth. The scent even plagues Mystery where she lives and works, helping her aunt Lucy (who discovered her as a newborn in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery) run the Garcia Graves & Funeral Home. She keeps her secret from everyone except her good friend Garrett. After Lady Ellis, a wealthy member of a prominent family, passes away, Mystery suddenly can smell, see, and hear her spirit calling out to her. Days after the burial, the Ellises accuse Tia Lucy of stealing the necklace that was to have been buried with Lady Ellis. Desperate to clear Lucy's reputation, Mystery and Garrett embark on a dangerous journey that connects her with an evil vampiric Ellis ancestor, who is looking for his heart and a fresh body to inhabit. The eerie, thrilling plot moves rapidly leaving breathless readers eager for the next chapter. The cast of characters is richly diverse and blends easily into the storyline. Early chapters define vocabulary terms like epitaph and heirlooms using Mystery's journal entries which might be helpful for younger readers. Some unfinished threads by the end of the novel will have tweens awaiting the sequel. VERDICT With a ghoulish plot and some niche interests (magic minerals and funeral home procedures), this story will be a thrilling read for young mystery enthusiasts who appreciate the macabre.—Anne Jung-Mathews - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2025 Thirteen-year-old Mystery James lives at the Garcia Graves and Funeral Home with her tía Lucy. Found in the cemetery as a baby, Mystery has always felt different for not knowing who her family is, but there are also the facts that she can smell ghosts and suffers from sleep paralysis she believes is caused by a sleep demon. When the town benefactor and matriarch, Lady Ellis, dies and Mystery receives a warning from her ghost, Mystery’s life takes an unexpected turn. Now Mystery and her best friend, Garrett, must solve Lady Ellis’ mystery and save Garcia Graves from potential ruin—and possibly a half-dead vampire. Russell (It Came from the Trees, 2024) sprinkles journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings throughout the narrative, immersing readers in the adventure alongside Mystery. In a genre still not thoroughly diversified, readers will also appreciate having a graveyard girl of color to root for, especially as she embraces who she is while navigating the uncertainty of where she comes from. A great addition to the middle-grade horror canon. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.