A Review of The Card Turner by Louis Sachar

I am reviewing The Card Turner by Louis Sachar, and the main reason I picked it up is because I really enjoyed Holes, also written by Sachar, however this book is quite different to Holes, while still containing a gripping plot and well developed characters.

The main protagonist is Alton, a normal teenage boy who is just trying to get on with his life. For his whole life it has been drummed into him that blind Uncle Lester is his favourite great-uncle, but the only contact Alton has with him is through awkward phone conversations. When Lester requests that Alton come and help him play bridge,  Alton is unsure, however his mother reminds him that not only is Uncle Lester old and blind, he is also very rich, so it wouldn't hurt to keep on his good side.

At first, Alton wishes he hadn't come, but after meeting Lester's attractive young bridge protege Toni, decides to stay. On his journey as Lester's cardturner Alton discovers a family secret that entwines his and Toni's family together, while also learning how to play bridge.

I really enjoyed this book, as it introduced to me the game of bridge, while wrapping it up in an amazing story. I do not think this book was written exclusively for people who want to/play bridge. I still only have a shaky knowledge of the game, and when there is a bridge game, or excerpt talking about bridge, there is an option to just skip and read a summary. I thought this was a very good idea as complicated details can often make people zone out. The bridge details aside, the book was very good. I found Alton's narrative very engaging as Sachar uses a colloquial tone. I thought that there was a good balance between description and speech. I found the relationship between Alton and Uncle lester very interesting as at first he is forced into calling Uncle Lester, however, by the end of the book, he is actually his favourite uncle.

Age rating: 11+
Star Rating: 4/5