Lord Loss by Darren Shan (Little, Brown and Company)

Mrs. Moen, I’d like you to meet Grubitsch Grady, but you can call him Grubbs.  Grubbs is around 14, but is a little big for is age.  He lives in a small suburb similar to the suburbs in the Dakota school district.  His parents always drilled him in chess to become a better player.  Grubbs doesn’t know why it is so important.  He also loves to play tricks on his squeamish older sister Gret until one day a nightmare came true.  On this day his parents and his sibling was murdered by demons.  Grubbs fled from the demons by using magic.  After Grubbs sad, horrible experience he is put into rehab for a short amount of time.  After he is out of rehab he goes to Uncle Dervish’s mansion.  There he meets his new best friend Bill-E.  Bill-E and Grubbs later suspect Dervish of being a werewolf.  When Bill-E and Grubbs spy on him Grubbs realizes that Bill-E is the werewolf.  Grubbs is in need of answers and Dervish confesses to Grubbs that Bill-E is his brother.  Grubbs is in utter shock.  Too add on to that Dervish then tells Grubbs about the connection of Lord Loss and chess. After Grubbs learns he can save his brother he accepts the challenge. Later that night Grubbs and Dervish battle for Bill-E’s life by battling the demons Vein & Artery and playing Lord Loss in a game of chess. Grubbs and Dervish battle and eventually Grubbs battles and outwits Lord Loss.  To conclude the victory Grubbs sibling has gained back is human spirit.  Grubbs life was full of tragedies, but he made it through with the help of his uncle and brother.