After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.
Chained
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“…an affecting animal story and a well-paced adventure.”--School Library Journal
"First novelist Kelly crafts a layered, convincing tale of interspecies friendship between individuals who care for each other within the confines of enslavement.”--Horn Book
“A heartfelt…addition to the literature promoting better treatment of our fellow animals.”--Kirkus
"Lynne Kelly has written a story that unwraps the heart and asks it to be brave, loyal, and above all, kind. Readers of all ages will worry for Hastin as he marks the wall that records his bondage to a cruel master, but they will ultimately celebrate his jubilant triumph. This story unwrapped my own heart." –Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestseller The Underneath
About the Author
Lynne Kelly is a sign language interpreter and a writer. Chained is her first novel. She lives in Houston, Texas.
www.lynnekellybooks.com
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More About the Author
Lynne Kelly grew up in Houston, lived in a couple of much colder places, then returned to the Houston area, where she works as a sign language interpreter and writes novels for children and young adults. CHAINED is her first novel.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Vonna
Format:Hardcover
When I was ten, I would have read this book a thousand times, hugged it, bawled over it and slept with it under my pillow. With her unforgettable characters, vivid world building and tense plot, Lynne Kelly has created a new classic.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Joanne
Format:Hardcover
Like a WATER FOR ELEPHANTS for a younger crowd, this book dragged me through an emotional wringer as I read about an elephant and her young keeper at a circus in India. I loved Hastin from the beginning - he is a brave, loyal and strong boy, well beyond his ten years, but he shares the spotlight with an equally brave, loyal and strong elephant, Nandita. To say I loved this book doesn't really do justice to how it made me feel, but throughout I laughed and cried and had my heart broken several times by this boy and his elephant and the situations they faced. But the ending was as it needed to be: bittersweet, but satisfying and enough to mend my torn up heart.
A beautiful book that I think anyone will love.
A beautiful book that I think anyone will love.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you love Linda Sue Park, then you should grab CHAINED with both hands, as soon as it hits the shelves. First and foremost, I loved 10-year-old Hastin. As a mom, I can only hope to raise boys who embody all that this young man stands for. He is compassionate, never looses his ability to love and finds strength beyond his years when he needs it the most. I can't wait to own a copy of CHAINED to share with my own boys.
Hastin isn't the only character that moved me. This is a story of a beautiful friendship between a boy and an elephant. Nandita stole my heart with her playful, sensitive personality. This elephant and young boy have an amazing connection and their relationship will have a lasting impact on me. It doesn't matter if Kelly is writing about gentle giants, adults who have made mistakes, people left without choices or boys who rise to their own occasion, she has a talent for making the characters feel real and for making readers feel.
And just to warn you, after you read this book, you are going to want to go out and hug an elephant. Get in line.
Hastin isn't the only character that moved me. This is a story of a beautiful friendship between a boy and an elephant. Nandita stole my heart with her playful, sensitive personality. This elephant and young boy have an amazing connection and their relationship will have a lasting impact on me. It doesn't matter if Kelly is writing about gentle giants, adults who have made mistakes, people left without choices or boys who rise to their own occasion, she has a talent for making the characters feel real and for making readers feel.
And just to warn you, after you read this book, you are going to want to go out and hug an elephant. Get in line.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful job showing the connected hearts of animals and humans
A beautiful job showing the connected hearts of animals and humans, as well as how we can take control of our lives, even in horrible circumstances.
Published 3 months ago by D. Emory
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read middle grades book!
An emotionally charged middle grade book that readers of all ages will learn from. I liked how the main character is a boy. Read more
Published 10 months ago by sjune
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Debut Novel - Gripping Story
Meet Chanda. She is the catalyst for today's review of Chained, a smart, well-written, and engrossing novel by Lynne Kelly. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Sue Morris
4.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful and lovely book that deserves to be read.
Once again another book has defied all my expectations and proven I don't always know what I like best. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jasmine Baggenstos
5.0 out of 5 stars
MEMORABLE STORY!
One gorgeous read. If you've ever wanted to befriend an elephant, journey with young Hastin through the pages of CHAINED. Read more
Published 11 months ago by M. G. King
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning!
Wow! This is one memorable novel. Poignant and visually beautiful. There are parts where you want to read slowly and just take it all in. And get those tissues ready, as well. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Lynda Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Universal appeal for both boys and girls, and highly recommended for...
I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of CHAINED (FSG/Macmillan) by Lynne Kelly, and I immediately fell in love with Nandita's sad elephant eyes on the cover. Read more
Published 12 months ago by violet
