Alcatraz Verses the Evil Librarians

The book Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians was a very fun read. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite writers and I'm close to reading everything that he has written. This edition of Alcatraz will soon be re-published by Tor (I believe) and will soon be giving out the last book in the series which readers have been waiting years for because of complications with Scholastic Publishing.

Like I said, it is a very funny read that gives us the definition of breaking the fourth wall. This book is the autobiography of Alcatraz Smebry. He is trying to correct some of the wrong information that has been presented about himself in the Hushlands (the US, Europe, and Australia) and the Free Kingdoms (the places of the world that the Evil Librarians haven't taken over). The Evil Librarians have taken control of a vast amount of the Earth and has changed the history of the world. What we of the Hushlands believe to be history is actually a fabrication that the Librarians have employed in order to keep order. Their belief is "Ignorance is Bliss." Most of the ruling governments don't even know they are being manipulated.

Alcatraz is introduced to this world after he sets fire to the kitchen of his 27th foster families house--he has a Talent for breaking things you see. He gets a package in the mail full of sand with a note saying that it is his inheritance. It ends up getting stolen and his quirky and rather ridiculous Grandfather who has a Talent of being late for everything comes to save the day. They end up having to infiltrate a library to keep both worlds--Hushlands and Free Kingdoms--safe. Here we learn many new things about how the world really is, like the dinosaurs are actually not extinct, there are continents we don't know about, etc.

The autobiography of Alcatraz has many of different quirky things that happens that were entertaining, yet sometimes annoying. He breaks into the middle of the action, often, to explain things or to simply be obnoxious--he is a thirteen year old kid so what can you expect. At the end of chapters there is always a cliffhanger that makes you want to read more, but then he goes on dialogues with you, the reader. He also calls you out on little things that readers often do such as reading the very last page first, or skipping a head when you should (at which point in Chapter 15 he calls you a Moron--but not really).

These can be fun if you read it in as few settings as possible, if it takes you too long to read the book it can start to get daunting and somewhat annoying.

I found this very enjoyable probably mostly because I am a Librarian. I hope I'm not evil, but there are moments that are were extremely funny because of my current employment. At one point he mentions, while breaking the fourth wall, that you are probably reading the book in a variety of locations, one of which was the library. At which point I almost burst out laughing because I was at work in a library reading the book. The irony was sweet.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a light hearted read. Brandon Sanderson is an excellent writer who knows what he's doing. Sanderson comes up with the most amazing and different ideas that really haven't been done before--which is extremely refreshing. I can't wait for the next few to come in at my local library so I can continue the series.