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Grandmaster

By: David Klass
Chess with the intensity of a high-speed car chase
Kelly: ☻☻☻☻
Boy Reader: ☻☻☻☻
Daniel Pratzer struggles to fit in at a new private high school. When the cool kids ask him to go to a travel tournament, he can't resist. Even though they're only interested in his father's chess prowess.

The action is surprisingly compelling for a chess tournament. There's a sneaky villain whose motives you're never quite sure you understand, the cool kids reveal their dark undersides, and Daniel's father is constantly on the edge of a physical and mental breakdown.

​Hidden inside the action is a beautifully developed story of a father and son relationship going from dysfunctional to weird-but-just-right-for-them.

This is shelved as YA, and teen themes (first girlfriend, first kiss, abusive relationships) are present, but mild.

​Boy Reader is a chess player, so the topic was of interest, but he gives it four stars for the interesting characters. Daniel's father is his favorite: A boring accountant turns out to be a bloodthirsty chess whiz who suffers from debilitating anxiety and anger whenever he throws himself into the game.

Boyz Readz by Kelly Mroz

  • Home
  • About
  • Reviews
    • The BFG
    • The Black Pearl
    • Ella Enchanted
    • Every Falling Star
    • Frindle
    • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
    • Grandmaster
    • Gregor the Overlander
    • Half Magic
    • The Martian
    • Nocturnals
    • The One and Only Ivan
    • Pay It Forward
    • Peak
    • Phineas Gage
    • Prisoner B-3087
    • The Quirks: Welcome to Normal
    • Ranger's Apprentice
    • The Red Pyramid
    • Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper
    • Spy X -- The Code
    • There's Treasure Everywhere
    • Upside-Down Magic
    • The Whisperer
    • Wings of Fire
    • The Worst Class Trip Ever
  • Contact
  • Top Lists