Alton barely knows anything about Uncle Lester, except that he is wealthy, blind and elderly. When Uncle Lester calls asking Alton to be his cardturner, he is very surprised. Alton's mother pressures him to become tightly knit with Uncle Lester, with high hopes that they will inherit a fortune, but there is other competition. In the process of becoming cardturner, Alton learns to enjoy the game of bridge. In the twists and turns of the novel, Alton realizes that he has more in common with Toni, the competition for the fortune then he thought, and discovers the mysterious past of Uncle Lester.
Louis Sachar builds the character's knowledge of bridge, the past, and each other in a creative way that hooked me as a reader. One of the main characters, Uncle Lester, had an interesting past that made me want to find more. The main topic of bridge may be thought of as boring, but Mr. Sachar navigated around that in a way that made it interesting. The book's writing style was interesting and funny. I recommend this book to boys and girls from grade 6 to adulthood.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake Bluff, IL United States
