Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Bettina

Grubbs is just a regular kid, ok, maybe a bit over the top with the torturous little brother thing, but yes he is normal compared to what goes on when his parents leave him with a friend to supposedly go see a ballet...

Grubbs family loves chess; they have a board in every room, but Grubbs doesn't understand at all why it's so big of an obsession for them. That's why he doesn't understand the horrific scene when he sneaks back into the house when the rest of his family is supposedly at the ballet.

The scene is so gruesome that it is all Grubbs can do to escape from the monsters that have slaughtered his family and reach a sort of safety. Grubbs is driven into insanity which he gladly embraces instead of the horrific truth. Grubbs is brought to a mental facility until he gets well enough to go and live with his uncle. Once there, Grubbs tries to unravel the truth behind the murder of his family.

This is a very gruesome book. It's probably (well actually, postively) not a good book for readers with a weak stomach. A little lighter would be to read the Cirque du Freak books, it's not as gory. The book was quite well done with a few different stories wrapped up into a bundle. Surprises are right around the corner, so it keeps the reader interested. The gory factor is really big in this book, but the actual story isn't that bad, sort of like an Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider book.