Louis Sachar is one of the few masters of American fiction

Independent on Sunday

This is Sachar, owner of the most distinctive, clever, funny, philosophical voice in children's fiction . . . a whale symbol on the page warns of forthcoming bridge analysis, which the readers can skip if they want. But they probably won't. Because this is Sachar

The Telegraph

In Alton Richards, Sachar has created a credible and funny teenage lead . . . The human drama is gripping

Financial Times

The genius of Sachar's prose is that it's so plain and unshowy you don't notice the daredevil artistry of his storytelling until it's too late. You don't know you've been cut in half until you try to walk away . . . As Uncle Lester might say, nicely played, Louis

Frank Cottrell Boyce, Guardian