The Cardturner

Alton's summer doesn't look exciting at first. His girlfriend dumped him for his best friend and his parents are forcing him to spend time with his elderly great-uncle at a bridge club acting as the blind man's cardturner. His whole life Alton's parents have forced him to kiss up to his "favorite uncle Lester" in the hopes of securing a significant inheritance, and they're sure that this quality time will secure their fortune. But things become much more interesting than Alton could have imagined. First off, he discovers that the game of bridge is much more interesting than he first thought, full of strategy and dynamic team play. He slowly begins to understand the great amount of skill that the game requires, especially for his uncle who can't see the cards and has to memorize his hand. And who knew that Uncle Lester, better known to his bridge club as simply Trap, was actually a nationally renowned bridge player? The only thing that Trap has yet to achieve is a national championship, something he hasn't even attempted in over thirty years. Slowly Alton uncovers the story of Trap's early bridge-playing days and the brilliantly human story of his former partner, Annabelle. The summer shapes up to be even more interesting when Alton begins to spend more time with Toni, Annabelle's pretty granddaughter, and the two find themselves trying to help Trap on the long road to the nationals.

Author Louis Sachar has created another brilliant gem for readers to enjoy. This is a book about the game of bridge, but it's about a lot more than that. It's about learning to not be manipulated and how to take chances. It's about starting over fresh. And I loved it. The characters are strong, expertly built and easy to love (or, in the case of Alton's parents, fun to dislike). They make it easy for readers to enjoy a book so wrapped around a game that most of them have likely never played. If you hesitate to grab this one because of the bridge stuff though, fear not - Sachar does a great job of explaining what you need to know about the game as you go. Older readers who loved Holes will likely enjoy Louis Sachar's newest book for its tone, its endearing characters, and bits of magical realism that make the story come full circle.

Overall Grade: A

White Cat

Cassel comes from a family of powerful curse workers - magicians who are able to perform magic that affects other people. Some are able to change others' luck, or their memories, or can even kill a person with a single touch. These curse workers are generally feared by the public for the work that they do. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Cassel himself does not have any powers; he's just a normal kid in a family with a long history of working. While Cassel wishes he had the abilities that his mom and brothers have so that he can belong, part of him is happy to be normal. But Cassel's history isn't quite as perfect as he pretends it is - at the age of 14 he killed his best friend. He does not even remember doing it, but Cassel has never quite gotten over this event and has desperately tried to be as typical of a teenager as possible. The wall of normalcy that Cassel has built around himself comes crashing down however when he begins sleepwalking and slowly begins to uncover the truth about himself and his family.

Holly Black is the author of such other beloved fantasy books as Tithe and The Spiderwick Chronicles. White Cat is the first book in what will become a series about Cassel and his life among the curse workers, and it pleases on all counts. Black has done a good job of creating a sort of alternate history peppered with the struggles that the workers have endured over time and a world where being a worker is both a great blessing and a curse. I greatly enjoyed the extra dimension of the crime family that Cassel's family works for, which creates some extra intrigue to keep things fresh and intense. Parts of the story are a tad predictable, but this is comforting rather than irritating and peppered with just enough twists to keep readers on their toes. Now that things are set up I'm very curious to see where Black goes with the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: A

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Living in Chicago's suburbs are two teenage boys named Will Grayson. One, from Evanston, has a history of not caring that is complimented by his gay best friend, Tiny Cooper, and his lust for life. The other, from Naperville, is a depressed ball of angst full of anger and desperate affection for a mysterious boy named Isaac who he met online. The two live completely separate lives but are thrust together one night by sheer chance. Tiny Cooper becomes the thread that connects the two Will Graysons as all three learn something about how love makes you a part of the human race.

This book is co-authored by prolific YA authors John Green (An Abundance of Katherines) and David Lavithan (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist). Alternating chapters narrate the story from the perspectives of each Will Grayson and the distinct voices of each author, remaining distinct while still blending their stories together. I personally have never been much of a David Levithan fan, but I gave this book a chance because I adore John Green. While I distinctly preferred the chapters written by Green (Evanston Grayson), I greatly enjoyed this book as a whole. The entire novel is a great discussion about love and how learning to care about people and take chances with them is necessary for all of us to truly be happy. And Tiny Cooper, the fabulous and flamboyant character who ultimately ties the two stories together, is truly one of the most endearing characters I've seen in awhile.

Overall Grade: A

Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

As Ginny begins the seventh grade things look promising. She has a a big To-Do list full of things she'd like to accomplish (ranging from looking good in her school photo to getting a dad to ignoring horoscopes). She has plans to baby-sit her way into the money she needs to buy a coveted yellow sweater (as long as it isn't Tiffany Kurtz). And she really wants to win the role of the Sugarplum Fairy in her upcoming ballet recital. Unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned. Ginny gets her new dad when her mom remarries, but doesn't like it when her family's dynamics change. Her school photo is ruined when she botches an attempt to dye her hair. It seems that Mrs. Kurtz is the only one who ever needs a baby-sitter. And Ginny looses the role of the Sugarplum Fairy to her ex-best friend Mary Catherine Kelly. How can things possibly get worse? They can when her delinquent brother takes things one step too far.

Middle school really is a difficult time for a lot of kids (myself included) and this book really does a great job of capturing the changes and the different emotions that kids of this age experience. From the mundane to the extreme, Ginny seems to experience an awful lot during this trying year but really does come out stronger in the end despite the challenges she faces. The story is told not in regular prose or even in diary entries, but in everyday items such as report cards, notes, receipts, and school papers. This unique format still manages to be emotionally moving and really shows how the everyday and seemingly unimportant really can be everything in the world to someone else.

Overall Grade: A