Curiosity

Author: Gary Blackwood


Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction 

What this book is about: A boy named Rufus loses his father to debtor's prison and is secretly living in their home without paying rent while playing chess. Even at an early age Rufus was amazed by chess. He reads books about famous chess players and seems to effortlessly checkmate his opponents. Someone does see Rufus' talent. He gets hired to work as a chess playing automaton called the Turk. He has to keep his job a secret because the automaton is supposed to be all machine, but it's actually part human-operated. While he's making the Turk beat the townfolk - good and bad - in chess, he gets an average shelter with also average food. He shares his "bedroom" with a French worker named Jacques who has a peg leg for a foot. While Rufus is doing his thing, Jacques refines the other automatons of their traveling show. Rufus is lonely because he is not allowed to go out without an adult, and the only adults there are Jacques, who is always busy, the head boss, who is mean and strict, and lastly, there is Maelzel, who pops in and out. He does find a friend, but she may only be trying to pry the secrets of the Turk out of him. While stunning crowds, he finds bloodstains and an earring in the Turk which makes him wonder about the previous operators of the Turk, and the true meaning of what he is doing. Blackwood writes a suspenseful thriller of a 12-year old chess prodigy's adventures.

Your opinion: I thought that he book was the perfect amount of suspense and adventure at the same time. I personally love suspense books and this one is one of my favorites, but I did not like how the story ended. One thing I also liked about Blackwood's story was that it mixed in famous people from history, like Edgar Allen Poe.

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think suspense, adventure, and historical fiction readers would love this book. I think 3rd grade and up should read this book, maybe 2nd graders if they can understand the words and not get scared by the plot.

Reviewed by: OB