Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/24/2025 Gr 4 Up—Eugenia Wang turns 13 on the fourth of April, which is extremely unfortunate because the word four in Cantonese sounds like the word for death, and is therefore considered unlucky. Eugenia's mom, who has very high academic and social standards, has never allowed Eugenia to celebrate her birthday on its actual date. Eugenia and her best friend Keisha scheme to hold a secret party and invite a crush. High jinks and mystery ensue as Eugenia's passion for art and comics takes sordid and confusing turns through vivid, disturbing dreams, portrayed in captivating shades of red, that end with loved ones dying. Yan's art and storytelling are both quirky and compelling; the facial expressions are full of nuance and dialogue is snappy. Many scenes are portrayed in unique perspectives; in fact, everything in this story is a bit off-kilter and weirdly funny. Panels flow easily and the coloring is thoughtfully considered. Intense sound effects and the calendar countdown to the big day make Eugenia's moral conundrums and zany days speed by. The racially, culturally, and emotionally diverse cast of biological and found family that accompany Eugenia in her many misadventures are constantly entertaining. Her sidekick pup, Peanut, serves as an easter egg and sage that will compel astute middle graders to return for repeat readings. Though the resolution is rather quick and tidy, the story contains many layers of meaning. Readers will quickly fall in like with Eugenia's desire for independence. Includes helpful back matter materials. VERDICT An excellent purchase where unique, amusing, and compulsively readable coming-of-age graphic fiction is in demand.—Jamie Winchell - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2025 A bonk on the head in gym class gives artistic Eugenia a mild concussion and prophetic visions of a disaster on her inauspicious April 4 birthday. At first, she draws the visions in comics to remember them, but soon she’s drawing comics in a trance during her visions, and while her art has never been better, what it reveals is starting to get scary. While she nurses a crush on a classmate and tries to convince her strict Chinese mother to let her attend art camp, Eugenia tries to figure out the origins of the visions and, as they gradually reveal more unsettling detail, how to prevent the inevitable disaster. Yan’s rounded, lively cartoons are full of emotion and movement, and the eerie, red-washed panels of Eugenia’s visions fold in meaningful details that uncover an important connection to her grandmother, who was also an artist, and a more vulnerable side of her mother. With engaging characters and a subtle exploration of generational trauma, this will appeal to tweens looking for grounded, not-too-scary ghost stories. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.