The Game of Sunken Places: By M.T. Anderson

THE GAME OF

SUNKEN PLACES

SUMMARY

When Brian and Gregory receive an invitation to stay at a distant relative's strange manse . . . well, they should know better than to go, but since this is a middle-grade adventure novel, they go anyway. Why not? Once there, they stumble upon The Game of Sunken Places, a board game that mirrors a greater game for which they have suddenly became players. Soon the boys are dealing with attitudinal trolls, warring kingdoms, and some very starchy britches. Luckily, they have wit, deadpan observation, and a keen sense of adventure on their side.

REVIEW

The Game of Sunken Places truly surprised me. When you look at it, it doesn’t really look like a book that would captivate anyone above the age of 12, and through the first few chapters it continues this perception.

But then somewhere around a third of the way through the book, it changes. The plot became more intricate, the action more exciting, and the story all the more inviting.

I was surprised at this change but not disappointed. After the first third The Game of Sunken Places became a great fantasy mystery that should entertain and please readers of many ages. And while I never truly loved the protagonists I didn’t feel as if their lack of depth detracted from the story or the targeted audience. Because of this and it’s interesting plot I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone in late elementary to middle school (grades 3 through 8) and feel this book would make a great summer read.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Published: May 1, 2010

Price: $6.99