How are we supposed to be partners? He can’t see the cards and I don’t know the rules!The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him to hook up with his best friend. He has no money and no job. His parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner—whatever that means. Alton’s uncle is old, blind, very sick, and very rich. But Alton’s parents aren’t the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp’s good graces. They’re in competition with his longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family, who seem to have a mysterious influence over him. Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life.
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"Enjoyed this book, who knew bridge could be so entertaining?! i questioned what teen i could recommend it to, but then realized what an all around a solid plot it is, with characters that had depth. And all though it isn't a story for reluctant readers, i feel this book good find an audience. The story is wholesome but somehow i didn't find myself getting bored and even when the foghorn blew to represent bridge terminology was going to be explained, i felt myself pulled into the game. Nothing exciting but a genuinely good read for those who don't always need the racey "love" scenes, vampires/shapshifters or the bullying so often found in YA lit." — Alexandria (4 out of 5 stars)
"Enjoyed this book, who knew bridge could be so entertaining?! i questioned what teen i could recommend it to, but then realized what an all around a solid plot it is, with characters that had depth. And all though it isn't a story for reluctant readers, i feel this book good find an audience. The story is wholesome but somehow i didn't find myself getting bored and even when the foghorn blew to represent bridge terminology was going to be explained, i felt myself pulled into the game. Nothing exciting but a genuinely good read for those who don't always need the racey "love" scenes, vampires/shapshifters or the bullying so often found in YA lit."
" I originally picked this book up in the bookstore while I was waiting for a ride out of curiosity. I was a fourth of the way in and bought it by the time I left. The story line draws you in a beautiful way and makes you want to keep turning the page. Even if you've never even heard of bridge before you'll enjoy the story line and the characters. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll leave the story feeling like there can be a purpose in anything. "
" Loved it. Can't wait to play bridge now! "
" It's got that fantastical-coincidence Sachar touch. Delightful! "
" Louis Sachar is nearly unparalleled in his ability to keep the momentum brisk and the characters sharp. I still don't understand how to play bridge, but his novel is so good, you don't really have to. "
" I was amused and irritated by the Bridge elements. Found most of the characters irritating (awful parents, terrible best friend) and yet...something was really great about this book. "
" Engaged with the story, but I got lost with all the bridge vocabulary (the card game of bridge) although the author does try to explain it. The story line, characters, theme, etc. were nicely constructed. "
" Wish I had an Uncle Trapp to teach me how to play bridge. "
" I really liked The Cardturner. It was easy to skim through the bridge details but it made the game sound very interesting. Loved the characters and the plotline. Alton was an awesome protagonist! A quick and interesting read. "
" An entertaining lesson in bridge. "
" What a delightful YA novel this is! It held my interest because I play bridge, and much of the action revolves around that amazing, addicting game. This book is by the same author who brought us Holes, another incredible YA read. "
" Sachar writes young adult novels but since this one dealt with bridge, I read it. A very entertaining read, much like Holes. "
" Would have been a five if all the bridge stuff didn't go completely over my head. "
" This was an interesting read. I liked it overall, but there were times when I wasn't especially invested in all the descriptions of bridge hands. Good story overall, though. I read it on the recommendation of one of my 8th grade students. "
" It's not Holes, that's for sure. "
" I love this book, in the beginning it's a little hard to understand but as the book carries on you start to get a feel for it and really get into it "
" Classically likeable Louis Sachar, with the added bonus of schizophrenia and learning about bridge! "
" I thought the story's concept was extremely interesting, however, i believe it needed more substance in the story to keep in moving, and to back everything up. I would be nice to see gaps and more detail of the main character's problem and his interaction with Trapp. "
" Maybe I'll take up bridge..... "
" After reading this I almost wish I played bridge. Also, competitive bridge players are insane. "
" Not as fun and twisted as Holes. Not bad, either, but a lot of the subplots never really went anywhere... "
" Bridge - makes me want to play "
Louis Sachar is the author of the New York Times bestseller Holes, which won the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Christopher Award. He also wrote Stanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake; Small Steps, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award; and The Cardturner, a Publishers Weekly Best Book, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award recipient, and an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book. His books for younger readers include There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, The Boy Who Lost His Face, Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes, and the Marvin Redpost series, among many others.
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