Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians)

It is an entertaining book for kids. Brandon Sanderson is the best fantasy writer for the modern times and this book series could turn out to be as funny as the Harry Potter Series. Recommend it for everybody over 11.

Rereading the series. Still like the silliness. Is harder to appreciate some of the jokes in electronic format. Is harder to check page numbers, chapter numbers, and to skip to the end than I could in paper. But still fun.

I wasn't sure I would like this as much as Sanderson's more mature pieces, but between the forward and the first sentence, I knew I made the right decision to buy it. Sanderson manages to impress me with both the originality and thoughtfulness of every book he writes. Good for adults and kids alike

Alcatraz#1 is a decent effort, but no more. It reads like a mix of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket - a self-consciously sardonic young adult story. Unfortunately, while the writing is clever, it's not clever enough. While Lemony Snicket and his "Series of Unfortunate Events" began to pall about halfway through the series, Sanderson gets there within a few chapters. The ideas are fun, the story hangs together, but the writing just wears on you - for example, the constant reminder that the (purported) young author is NOT A GOOD PERSON. It reminded me a bit of Steven Brust's Viscount of Adrilankha sub-trilogy - the joke got thin well before the book was over.

Sanderson's adult work is much, much better, and equally accessible to children above 10 - I recommend to head there. For others, I recommend the first few books of Lemony Snicket's series to see this trick done better.The Trouble Begins: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-3 (The Bad Beginning; The Reptile Room; The Wide Window)

This is a fun book. The writing style is definitely an acquired taste, and quite different from most of what Sanderson writes. Be prepared to be mocked by the narrator, and to have all sorts of silliness occur. These are good books for kids, though I'm not sure exactly what age. I'm not sure my 8 year old son would quite get them, but I think a high school kid would not necessarily find them on the right level.

I don't get it, why is everyone giving this book 4 or 5 stars??? I read this book with my 10 year old son and we both had the same reaction, it had potential but ended up going nowhere, so 2/3 through it we just gave up and stopped.

The beginning of Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians was excellent. The author does a good job sucking you in. Interesting things happen. Alcatraz accidentally sets his foster parents kitchen on fire. He has a talent for breaking things. His foster parents decide they can't take it any longer and he must go. A mysterious package arrives. A man comes to kill Alcatraz. A crazy old man claiming to be Alcatraz's grandfather helps Alcatraz escape. Alcatraz learns of the existence of another world, the Freeworld, where some of the people have strange talents. His grandfather's talent is always arriving late. What good is that you ask? Well when someone shoots at his grandfather they miss, see the bullets arrive on time but the grandfather is late.

This is good. Clever. I could love it. But...

The story just drags along so slowly, and cleverness only gets you so far. The narrator, the boy Alcatraz, gets repetitive, and his rants about librarians and how he is "not really good" grows tiresome. It's almost as if the publisher told the author, "Your book is good but a little thin so just add some useless talking." And the author did. Also, outside of Alcatraz, the other characters aren't really well developed or that interesting.

I kept hanging in there waiting for the action to pick up -- but almost halfway through (as I try to restrain my growing impatience) my son, turns to me and says, "did he just spend a whole chapter getting them down a hallway with nothing happening." And I say, "yes he did." We continued on to about page 200 (out of 300) and there finally was some action but we just didn't care enough about Alcatraz to continue so we gave up and will move onto something else (try Suzanne Collins, Eoin Colfer, Kenneth Opel, Rick Riordan, or Patterson's Maximum Ride Series).

Definitely not up to par with the rest of Sanderson's works. But seeing how it's written for 7 year olds and I'm much older than that, it's probably not to fare to expect too much from it. The good news is that it only takes a couple of hours to bust this one out. If only the overly verbose chapter introductions would have been omitted, then the book would have only been like 30 pages. Loved the mild Harry Potter pot shot at the end. Not quite an rofl but definitely a lol moment :)

I am a BIG fan of Brandon Sanderson books: I thoroughly enjoyed "Elantris", "Warbreaker" and the "Mistborn" book series - and the series by Robert Jordan GREATLT improved when Brandon Sanderson got involved. So, I fully expected good things from this book as well and with the full understanding it was written more for pre-teens. I had also enjoyed the "Percy Jackson" book series (by a Rick Riordan) and was maybe anticipating this would be similar.

Sorry to say, this book was a big disappointment. The writing style in this story is more annoying and obnoxious than witty or even interesting by the character to his readers than story, and the actual story idea is fairly lame. I will still pass this book along to my young niece (which was my intent when I bought it), but I honestly doubt even she will like it.

This was NOT well written, is NOT up to Brandon Sanderson's proven ability, and I am frankly amazed at the good reviews some others gave it. With major editing and a little rewriting he might have something here - but as it is - "2 THUMBS DOWN".

I WOULD highly recommend the following books by this author: Elantris, Warbreaker, and the Mistborn series. I would NOT recommend THIS "Alcatraz" series to anyone.

Everything in this book is lies! All of it. Some of it. Oh, heck, parts of it. Some of the important parts, and the not-so-important parts. You know what? At this point, I am not sure I can differentiate what actually happened, or didn't happen. But then, I am from the Hushlands, and clearly ruled by the Librarians.

As far as that goes . . . so are all of you! And in that case, you will love this book, and enjoy the confusion it is bound to bring. So much so, that when you are dizzy in the head, the idea of rutabagas, coconuts and cantaloupes will all make sense. (Maybe. Okay, probably not).

Imagine this. You are an orphan. On your 13th birthday you get a delivery. It's a box. Inside the box is a bag of sand. For what it's worth, it's from your Dad. You've been in over a dozen foster homes. Your Dad is supposedly dead. How did the package find you?

After nearly burning down your foster parents' kitchen, it's time for you to move again. Only, when you think the case worker sent someone to transfer you from this residence to the new place you'll call home, it is instead your grandfather, Leavenworth. He wants the bag of sand. It is known as the Sands of Rashid.

And he wants you, because you are bound to save the Free Kingdoms from the Librarians.

This is the reality Alcatraz Semdry is thrust into. As a boy with an amazing talent (because all Semdrys have talents), breaking things is considered powerful. (Leavenworth has the talent of arriving late).

The bag of sand is in the hands of the evil, sinister Dark Oculator. And if the Semdrys don't recover the sand in time it will be used to create lenses with amazing power. Those in control of the lenses will win the war! With a close-knit team, the Semdrys must infiltrate the Library, without getting caught, without getting killed, and find a way to say the Free Kingdoms from being overrun!

Brandon Sanderson has created a young reader adventure that is bound to capture the heart of millions and millions of readers! Captured mine, anyway. Alcatraz is an awesome character. However, his grandfather, and cousins, and the knight, Bastille are equally awesome. The action is fun, and fast. The plot is compelling, and just dark enough. I see there are at least four more books in this series. I will be reading them. With relish!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series, and
The Vacination Trilogy

Never before have I read a book that has been so self-aware . . . and I loved every minute of it. There’s breaking the fourth wall, and then there’s Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. A fun and hilarious read for teens and adults, this book’s premise is as ridiculous as it is original. Of course, while it tends to border on the random (for maximum comedic effect), this book also manages to tie all these random pieces together in the most satisfying way. The comedy in this book is effortless, and the plot is certainly the most interesting thing I’ve read recently.

I think the ability of this book to successfully break norms and fully immerse the reader in the world is due to Sanderson’s talent as a fantasy writer. The details that seem odd, like receiving a bag of sand for your thirteenth birthday, manage to be relevant to the climax of the story. Even the unique “superpowers” present in this narrative are fully fleshed out, and the minutia of how they work makes sense and adds to the depth of the characters. In fact, these superpowers practically define the personalities of the people who wield them.

While this is only the second Sanderson book I’ve finished reading (I’m still working on The Way of Kings ), I am quickly becoming a fan of his work. Or, at least I genuinely enjoy the shorter books that he writes, like this one. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the books in this series, because the characters and the world are so real to me that I want to keep reading to find out what happens next. Who knew that unassuming librarians could make the best villains? Maybe that’s the whole point, though?

A hilarious, random, and well thought-out adventure, I give Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians 5.0 stars out of 5.

To anyone familiar with the field of fantasy literature the name Brandon Sanderson will bring to mind big fat fantasy novels, intricate, logical magic systems, in-depth world-building, his finishing of The Wheel of Time and the fact that he is one of the most — if not the most — prolific authors currently writing. And while I knew that in addition to his novels for adults he’d written several YA works, I was surprised to learn that he’d also penned an entire middle grade series. However, upon learning the title of the series is Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians I had to read it—I mean, as a librarian, how could I not? What I found in the eponymous first book of the series surprised me. While Sanderson’s world-building and magic-system-creation skills are very much on display, the book was also irreverent, funny, puntastic, and very different from Sanderson’s other works I’ve read.

The book stars Alcatraz Smedry, a boy with an unlucky habit of accidentally breaking things, sometimes just by looking at them. Alcatraz Smedry is seemingly a fantasy fiction staple: the orphan boy who discovers he has a greater destiny. On his thirteenth birthday he learns that his aptitude at breaking things is actually a special Talent and he is part of a large and important family, who are part of a magical world that co-exists on Earth called the Free Kingdoms. The book is ostensibly written by an older Alcatraz, who is writing his autobiography, which means we get to see both the awkward, but sympathetic thirteen-year-old Alcatraz, but also hear from his snarky, adult self, who sometimes is rather hard on his younger self, and is intensely irreverent in how he breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly.

During his quest to retrieve the Sands of Rashid together with his grandfather, two of his cousins, and his bodyguard Bastille, Alcatraz learns the truth of what it means to be part of a family, warts and all. His genuine confusion at these people who claim to be his family and the way he connects to them and forms a friendship with Bastille was awesome, especially as they are running around fighting Evil Librarians almost throughout the novel.

Apart from being a rip-roaring adventure, Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians is also a clever deconstruction of literary tropes and devices. Sanderson plays with the form and content, which is sometimes directly explained in an aside by Alcatraz and sometimes needs to be inferred. There are also a number of references that make clear that Sanderson is not only well versed in the craft and mechanics of the field, but that he is also very familiar with its history and its present. This creates an extra dimension for older readers. Also, Grandpa Smedry has the funny habit of using alliterative phrases containing fantasy authors as exclamations, such as Hyperventilating Hobbs, Drastic Drakes, or Nagging Nixes. I had fun trying to figure out who they were just from the last names, as not all of them were immediately obvious.

Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians was a fun first introduction to Alcatraz. While the style, especially the asides and Alcatraz’s impudence might put off some readers, for me it worked beautifully. Of course, no review of this edition of the book would be complete without mentioning the fabulous illustrations by Hayley Lazo. I really enjoyed her drawing style and the images work perfectly with the narrative. If you’re looking for a fun book to read together with your middle grader or have them start reading by themselves, then Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians is definitely worth a try.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

Alcatraz turned out to be quite different than I was expecting. The beginning startled me a little bit with the main character (Alcatraz) as the author, telling me that he wasn't a hero and his was a tale of cowardice. I found this rather intriguing of course so I eagerly kept reading. It was clear from the beginning of his story that Alcatraz had a rather distorted view of himself (don't we all?) that came in part from living in so many foster homes. But his talent of breaking things just by touching them and starting a fire and then waiting a few minutes to put it out hooked me and I had to find out why this young man behaved the way he did.

The arrival of Grandpa Smedry and Alcatraz's rather startling discovery that what he'd long considered a curse (his breaking ability) was actually a talent similar to talents that many others in his family possessed. Of course, this first meeting with his grandfather takes a turn for the strange when someone turns up and tries to kill him. This sends Alcatraz on a quest he never intended and into a very strange new set of circumstances. I was fascinated by the author's new take on the world. Alcatraz learns that a librarian conspiracy has kept the world in ignorance of what his grandfather calls the Free Kingdoms, continents and countries that don't show up on 'librarian' controlled maps.

Having lost something important previous to his grandpa's appearance, Alcatraz and the others are forced to invade the local library at great risk to themselves, and great reluctance on Alcatraz's part. Plenty of fantasy elements come to life here but are mixed with real life in rather bizarre and amusing ways. Alcatraz's asides about the writing profession and the 'tricks' authors use led me to snicker quite often as I read the book. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of the series and recommend that you do as well. These new additions have appealing new covers and interesting (and sometimes false) illustrations.

The Story-
Alcatraz Smedry can't seem to stay with any foster family long enough to put down roots. In fact, he has the horrible habit of breaking anything he comes into contact with. His thirteenth birthday is no different. He receives a weird bag of sand as a present and manages to burn down his foster mother's kitchen.

Fated to once again leave for another home, Alcatraz is amazed when an old man shows up claiming to be his grandfather. He learns that he is descended from a long line of occulists, people who use lenses to work magic. When his bag of sands is stolen, he must accompany his grandfather on a quest to the local library, the hide out of the evil librarians, people who want to take over the world by controlling information.

My Thoughts-
This new series appears to be a revamp of earlier writings and marks Sanderson's try at middle grade. The book is told in first person and follows Alcatraz as he learns about his heritage and the powers they entail. I found his character to ramble on a bit, and though sometimes clever, it was a little too much. I found myself skipping chunks of paragraphs.

The redeeming quality is the juxtaposition of librarians and evil. I love librarians, and I think of them as silent warriors. So, when the theme of the book turned out to be that librarians are truly evil and planning to take over the world, I just had to know more. I was able to overlook the rambling and move forward into the plot, which is fun and original. Plus, the characters are a hoot. Each of the people from the Occulist world has a bizarre power, like Alcatraz's ability to break things. Some of the scenes are just plain hilarious and the main character is saved over and over again by truly weird talents.

I like the idea of where this series is heading, and the ending of the book sets up the next, which I am eager to read. I think kids will find this a fun read, though some of the jokes adults will understand better, but overall, a solid read. 4 stars!

the whole idea is great. many times we are being told of all kinds of things, and we take them for granted. we never dare question all those 'facts' and 'belifes'. this book, this particular book, made me question and wonder.

in the past months since i read it i found myself over and over in a situation of the sort:

radio: there have been found a new skeleton of dinosaur. the skeleton seems to be from XXX and it is something that we hadn't known existed before

me: mmm...the reminds me of Alcatraz. wait, don't tell me some dinosaur was hunted again! damn, this book is F with my head

well, yes, and it happened all over again, in all kind of situation. why? because Alcatraz force you to think. because reading it is like sparing with the narrator. like playin ping-pong with it. each and everytime he sets you a trap, and the question is wether or not you'll fall for it.

the wonderful thing about this book is how it shows you that, well, somethings can be really, but really, useful even when you don't think it's even possible- like being late, what if you could be late to the pain ypu feel when you are badly injured? and your blood would be late so you won't bleed to death? what if you could be late to your own death? or break something just the right way so your enemy couldn't use it against you?

sounds tempting, right?

add to that a few conspiracies- like evil libarians who want to control the world, and actually control the knowledge you consume. say that stairs and swords are more high-tech then elvators and guns, mix with a bit of a cynical, liar, super smart-ass narrator surrounded by a group of colorfull and interesting characters and you got Alcatraz. a throughlly enjoyable book that would most likely make you laugh while saying some harsh truths like: “Authors also create lovable, friendly characters, then proceed to do terrible things to them, like throw them in unsightly librarian-controlled dungeons. This makes readers feel hurt and worried for the characters. The simple truth is that authors like making people squirm. If this weren't the case, all novels would be filled completely with cute bunnies having birthday parties.”

and a few favourite qoutes: “I froze, shocked. (And don't try to clam that you did anything different the first time a government bureaucrat pulled a gun on you.)”

“People can do great things. However, there are somethings they just can't do. I, for instance, have not been able to transform myself into a Popsicle, despite years of effort. I could, however, make myself insane, if I wished. (Though if I achieved the second, I might be able to make myself think I'd achieved the first....)
Anyway, if there's a lesson to be learned, it's this: great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable. Or, in easier terms, distinguishing between Popsicles and insanity.
Any questions?

also, that's how the book starts

“So, there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil Librarians.”

interesting, right? what are you waiting for? go read it! so you'll find out what happens next

My brother is in love with this author, but I haven't read him until now. On a recommendation from not one but two librarians (GASP I know) I decided to read this book. And I must say I was not displeased with how it turned out.

I started Alcatraz knowing only the title, but with a title like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians who really needs a summary? And if the title doesn't hook you I guarantee the first chapter will. This book is really unlike anything I've read in a long time, and I'm hard pressed to find anything to compare it to.

Alcatraz has been in and out of foster homes all of his life and trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. He has a remarkable ability to break things, and it has gotten him into a lot of trouble. On his thirteenth birthday he receives a bag of sand as his inheritance from his parents and meets his grandfather who proceeds to pull him into a world he never would have imagined. This world is one controlled by evil librarians and one where his talent of breaking things is considered a good thing, even if he is having trouble controlling it. His quest to recover his inheritance from the librarians who've stolen it is a wild one that takes readers deep into a library that is lit by lanterns shaped strangely like fruit, and populated not only by horned rimmed glasses wearing librarians but also by the occasional dinasour.

And I haven't even mentioned the magical glasses that Alcatraz is lucky enough to be able to wield. There is so much to this story to give you an accurate description of everything I liked would be to spoil the whole book. This book is so crazy it's good. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians doesn't take itself too seriously and is sure for a good laugh. It's a quick but fun read and I found myself flying through the pages laughing constantly. I haven't enjoyed a book this funny in a long time. Even in all of the book's hilarity it still has a coherent and interesting story.

Alcatraz Smedry, the narrator of this book, tells story from first person as a sort of autobiography. In his telling he is constantly interrupting for different reasons, often times to tell the reader something that doesn't even relate to what is going on. This was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I found myself looking forward to each new chapter and each new 'introduction' to the chapter. Alcatraz's monologs often had me rolling in laughter and many times I nodded my head in agreement with something he said (such as his description about authors and their delight in leaving cliffhangers for their readers) And his little references to things like See chapter 15 kept me jumping around looking at all the cleaver devices in the book. Not only that but this book is filled to the brim with references any fantasy fan would appreciate. There is so much going on it would seem like it's hard to keep up with, but that's just the opposite of how I felt. Even with all of the interruptions and references going on around the story I found the story easy to keep up with.

My favorite character by far is Alcatraz. It's not difficult for me to enjoy his quippy sarcastic, and awkward self. His voice is by far the strongest in the book simply because he is the narrator. But I think that even written in third person I still would like Alcatraz best, he's a very open and real character. His goal is to let readers know the real him, to give them the truth of who he is and I think that is one of the things I like best about him. A close second is Bastille who is a lot more than she first seems. The other characters are also enjoyable particularly Alcatraz's Grandfather. The villains are a little cardboardy but to be fair most of them don't get a lot of time in the book. The main two villains have some character and are interesting, if not likable.

Have I mentioned the world building in this book yet? No, well somehow amidst all of the fun Brandon Sanderson manages to build a wonderful world similar to ours but totally different as well. One of the best parts about this book is despite the crazy things that happen you can still imagine it being real. There is an explanation for everything that makes sense in the context of the book. The reader can really step into Alcatraz's world and feel like they could live there. Brandon's descriptions and Alcatraz's responses to what is going on around him really set the reader up to be willing to suspend their disbelief every time they open the book again to read.

There is nothing I did not like about this book, except that it was too short. But that is easily rectified by getting my hands on the next book, and the rest of the series.

Overall Alcatraz was a great read that I will recommend to anyone in need of a good laugh, or just a good book. It's great for kids to read but I think that adults may enjoy it more simply because they would catch more of the hints and references talked about in the book. I cannot stress enough how often this book made me laugh. The thing I like best about reading is getting to laugh and Alcatraz never let me down in this area. It truly lifted my spirits and gave me a great laugh without taxing my brain too much, and yet it still managed to keep my mind active as I plodded on through the story. As a short, quick read I give it a perfect score for what it hands out.

You can tell Brandon Sanderson had a blast writing this book. He had the chance to tell a fun story, make up mythical powers and abilities, interject with funny insights or lifelong pet-peeves, and keep me laughing the entire time.

I am now reading this book out-loud to my kids and I'm loving it. It's told from the main characters perspective so he gets to explain as he writes the book why he wrote it, what parts of his writing are annoying, when he's foreshadowing, and when he's leaving a hook at the end of a chapter (knowing that this is torture to the reader!)
The plot is fun, and he's thought of some rather ingenious magical powers. He's also given people magical talents (which most of us would see as faults) - such as the talent of always arriving late, tripping all the time, or breaking everything you touch.
It's fun waiting to see how each character's "talent" will help them or hurt them throughout the book, and how they're talent always presents itself at the wrong time, or in the wrong way.

Here are a few of my favorite little tangents from the book:

"People can do great things. However, there are somethings they just can’t do. I, for instance, have not been able to transform myself into a Popsicle, despite years of effort. I could, however, make myself insane, if I wished. (Though if I achieved the second, I might be able to make myself think I’d achieved the first….)"

"At this rate, it won't be long before this story departs speaking of evil Librarians, and instead turns into a terribly boring tale about a lawyer who defends unjustly accused field hands.
What do mockingbirds have to do with that, anyway?"

At one point there is a character who can only speak gibberish and he says "Churches, lead, very small rocks, and ducks."
- When I read this I laughed out loud in the middle of a library. (He's quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

"Some people assume that authors write books because we have vivid imaginations and want to share our vision. Other people think we write because we are bursting with and therefore must scribble those stories down in moments of propondenty. Both groups are completely wrong. Authors write books for one and only one reason. Because we like to torture people. Now actual torture in frowned upon in civilized society, fortunately the authorial community has discovered in story telling an even more powerful and fulfilling means of causing agony. We write stories, and by doing so we engage in a perfectly legal way of doing all sorts of terrible things to our readers. Take for instance, the word I used above, "propondenty", there is no such word. I made it up. Why? Because it amused me to think of thousands of readers looking up a nonsense word in their dictionaries."

Bottom line: Loved it!

I've never encountered a genre quite like this one. Brandon Sanderson incorporated Alcatraz not only to be the main character, but as the "writer" as well. The book is filled with family humor and flows really well, even with the purposed breaks and tangents Alcatraz makes in the story.

*Spoiler*

The story starts off with Alcatraz, a young 13 year old boy living in America as a foster child. He has a particular "curse" (later called a "talent") he has that allows his to break things. Walls, door knobs, floors, cars, wheels, and even chickens. His life changes, however, when he meets his first relative, his grandfather, one day after his 13th birthday.

The story continues with Alcatraz sneaking into an evil librarian fortress, a library, to recover his stolen 13th birthday inheritance: a bag of regular-looking beach sand. But not just any sand. You'll have to read to find out ;)

Sanderson leaves excellent hints and foreshadows for the rest of the series in this first of five books. The climax ends with all hope being lost and then a miraculous save by Alcatraz.

Easily top 5 favorite series in my collection of read books. Very well put together. Very unique perspective. Keeps the reader on his//her toes about what happens next. Very humorous, lots of laughing and jokes.

5/5

This is such a silly, stupid book, but its purposely written that way and the author doesn't try to take himself seriously so in a way it works. I was all set to give this book a 2 star review, but somewhere in the middle of the book when they team is running around the librarian headquarters, I got into it. Other than being purposefully ridiculous, the other thing that kind of annoyed me was when the main character talks directly to the reader. I hate books like that because it takes me out of the story.(Its just a personal preference--I couldn't get through more than one Series of Unfortunate Events book for that reason.)Again, Sanderson does it in kind of a silly, nod-and-wink to the reader kind of way which kind of works too and by the middle of the book I ended up getting used to it and not minding it.

There are some good lessons that could be drawn upon in the book such as how it feels to push people away because you think they won't like you and issues about being in the foster system or abandoned by your family. All the themes are touched upon but aren't beaten into the reader relentlessly and the humor of the story lightens the mood. It could make a good light-hearted book discussion to follow something a little more serious.

I can't decide if this would be more geared towards grades 4-6 or if middle school students would like it too. The main character is 13 years old and the humor is more intelligent than say Captain Underpants and that whole series(which the kids like)so I'm guessing middle schoolers would like it. It would be a good book for reluctant readers because the pace is quiet fast and its really easy to get through the book itself.

Alcatraz is a seemingly average kid with a gift for causing destruction wherever he goes. This has led to him moving from foster home to foster home, until an old man shows up claiming to be his grandfather – and introduces Alcatraz to a world beyond his imagination.

Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians is the first in a fun and wacky children’s series, where Evil Librarians control the free world. Only a group of strangely-talented allies stand against them. This series debut is a weird and wonderful world that children (and the young at heart) who love silly humor and adventure will enjoy. And there are plenty of unanswered questions that left me ready to pick up the next in this engaging series right away.

*Previously posted at SciFiChick.

Alcatraz Smedry never knew his parents, instead spending his life going from one foster family to another. His curse of breaking things causes him to never find a true home since he always seems to break what his families prize most.

On his thirteenth birthday, he gets a package in the mail claiming to be his inheritance from his father. It's a box of sand. But the next day, his grandfather shows up claiming the sands are important. When they realize the sands have been stolen, Grandfather takes Alcatraz on a wild ride to get them back from...evil librarians? Is Grandfather crazy? And will Alcatraz's curse help them?

This book had been recommended to be several years ago by a friend, and I wish I had read it then. It was just so much fun with a wild, wacky plot that is one part zany and one part brilliant. The characters are also fun. But the real prize here in the narration that breaks into the story to talk about the art of storytelling. I was laughing out loud at the truth of some of the observations and tricks that were played on us.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel. I can't recommend this book highly enough to the target audience of 9 and up plus those cool enough to still enjoy books aimed at kids.

So much fun!

Likes: The author asides and meta analysis of why he's saying and writing certain things is incredibly amusing. I was interrupting my husband every five minutes to read him the funny parts until I gave up and told him to read it so we can quote it to each other. And despite his claims to the contrary, Alcatraz is an incredibly likable character; he reminds me a bit of Artemis Fowl, tbh, and I love Artemis. I loved the goofy "talents," and the glasses and the chaotic neutral Ms Fletcher, I look forward to hearing more about her. Ok and the dinosaurs how can you not love them??

Dislikes: Well, Bastille was not very likable was she? I know that was intentional but ug. But really I have no complaints about this book; it was a ton of fun, and all my questions I'm sure will be resolved in the sequels.

I have to admit, the title alone sold me on this book. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. I just couldn't pass it up. Then when I looked at the strange cover, I was definitely hooked. I had it in my hands and just couldn't put it back on the shelf.

Brandon Sanderson has taken the fiction world by storm, it seems. He rolled out for fantasy novels for adults in quick succession, a standalone book followed by a trilogy, then somehow found time to start writing a YA series on the side. Obviously the author has a lot of stories to tell, and thankfully at least four of them will be about Alcatraz Smedry and his wonderfully wacky family. Oh, and the Evil Librarians as well.

The book begins as many of the YA fantasy novels do these days: with an orphan who possesses a strange destiny and powers to achieve it. Only with Alcatraz, the power doesn't seem all that marvelous or even desirable. He breaks things. All kinds of things. Once, he claims, he even broke a chicken. Nothing appears to be beyond his power.

On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz receives a birthday present from the father he believed dead for nearly all of those years. Since that time, Alcatraz has lived in one foster home after another, never getting close to anyone because he always manages to break something. Weirdly, the package appears to have been floating around through the postal service and for years, just waiting till his 13th birthday. I was pretty much interested by this time, but I was even more captivated when the birthday present turned out to be a bag of sand.

After burning down his current foster parents' kitchen, she's a chef and loves to cook, Alcatraz prepares himself to once more be picked up and carted off to the next set of parents. If anyone will have him. I couldn't help but feel concerned about Alcatraz at this point, but is you read, you'll see that Alcatraz isn't worried all. His strange point of view is one of the most endearing aspects of his character.

Instead of the foster care people, his grandfather arrives. Before Alcatraz can find out why his grandfather has been missing in action all these years, an assassin shows up and tries to kill them. Not only that, but someone has stolen his birthday bag of sand. And Grandfather Smedry insists the fate of the world rests on figuring out where the sand has gone and find out how to get it back.

With all these balls comfortably in the air, Sanderson starts juggling like mad, putting together a compelling first-person narrative complete with wit and sarcasm, a blistering pace filled with tons of action, and more weird magic that tumbles freely across his imagined landscape.

My son and wife put me on to this book because both enjoyed the audio version during a summer trip. They came back regaling me about every adventure Alcatraz had. Well, almost. There were so many things they couldn't remember them all. Thankfully, that meant a lot of the book was still new and fresh to me, and had plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming.

This is one of those wonderful books that is meant to be read out loud. Provided you know your way around dry sarcasm. The second book is out, and the third book is scheduled to be published soon. If you're missing Harry Potter but would like to share something new and different with your kids, or just read it for yourself, I'd like to recommend the series.

Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. So I was curious to see what this childrens fantasy series would be like. I can't say I like it as well as his adult fantasy, but it was highly enjoyable for sure. It's written in the style as if the main character is writing his story, and there are a lot of instances of the character (as the author, or is it the author as the character?) talking to the reader. This type of thing can be done well or it can be incredibly annoying. Fortunately, it was done well and was very fun.

Alcatraz is a great character, and I think one that older children especially will love. The whole book is very clever and creative. Here's a quote that I particularly liked:

"Now, actual torture is frowned upon in civilized society. Fortunately, the authorial community has discovered in storytelling an even more powerful--and more fulfilling--means of causing agony in others. We write stories. And by doing so, we engage in a perfectly legal method of doing all kinds of mean and terrible things to our readers.
Take, for instance, the word I used above. Propondity. There is no such word--I made it up. Why? Because it amused me to think of thousands of readers looking up a nonsense word in their dictionaries."

This is the writing style of the book, so if the above quote sound fun to you, you'll probably like it. If it seems annoying, steer clear. This is not a book for everyone. I would say that just because you enjoy Sanderson's adult fantasy does not mean you will like this. It's completely different in style. But if you like silly, fun children's fantasy, or you're looking for something fun for your kids to read, this is a great choice.

At ConStellation where Brandon was a Guest of Honor last night I got my hands on a copy of Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. I thought that I was a true Brandon Sanderson fan and had read all of his books. Come to find out, I completely missed the release of this Gem!

Departing from his usual adult fantasy world, Brandon masterfully ventures into the world of Young Adult writing. Personally, I am a fan of Youth Novels. I started reading R.A. Salvatore when I was in high school and have been addicted since. However, if Brandon started the Alcatraz series when I was a teen, R.A. would have been a footnote in my teen reading career.

As a teenager, I always thought myself slightly clumbsy. I tripped on stairs, knocked things over and generally left a path of destruction. Alcatraz, however, is a step above anything I could ever manage. He breaks everything. Seriously. Everything. He grabs a door handle and it falls apart. He tries to cook food and sets the kitchen on fire. Even with his talent for breaking things, he is still considered a hero to the people of the Free Kingdoms.

Wait, you haven't heard of the Free Kingdoms? You must be from the Inner Libraria. That's OK. I didn't know I was from Inner Libraria either. Those darn Librarians are really good at controlling what information we have. Suffice it to say, there's a whole world we know nothing about. The map of the world you and I are familiar with is missing continents. Yes. Continents. You might wonder how the Librarians could hide continents from all of Inner Libraria but all I know is they are sneaky devils.

Anyways, Alcatraz is a Smedry. All the Smedrys have amazing powers. Alcatraz is a very powerful Smedry. We know this because breaking things is an awe inspiring power. It's one of the rare ones. Also, his inheritance is also extremely powerful. It is a great honor to get a bag of sand. Again, if you're from Inner Libraria it probably doesn't make sense. Trust me, as soon as you learn what the world is really like, not what the Librarians want you to think, it will be crystal clear -even if you're not wearing glasses.

In the end, I fell for Alcatraz's nefarious plot and could not put the book down. (Darn those devious authors!) From beginning to end it has a great pace. I enjoy Alcatraz's narration and I can't wait to read the sequel, Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones! Anyone looking for good clean fun will adore Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.

Okay, it's official! Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians is the best book EVER. It contains the perfect balance of craziness, weirdness, and randomness (particularly with Quintin.) I mean, if a book mentions popsicles and insanity in the same sentence, compares grandfathers to kangaroos, features evil paper monsters made out of bad romance novels and talking dinosaurs who are very polite with British accents, and has characters whose Talents are to trip and fall or speak in nonsense, a 13 year old female knight who's very sarcastic, an old man who arrives late to getting hurt, and a kid who isn't the hero everyone calls him, then how can it be anything but pure awesomeness????

I met Brandon Sanderson and heard an author's reading this week. It gave a flavor of his personality and writing, enough to browse the shelf and pick up Alcatraz. Brandon wrote it as a quick break from crunching two serial volumes of his serious fantasy work. Don't let the young audience deter you, nor the dissuasions of librarians everywhere, who tried to block the book's publication. You'd expect that from cabals that control the Hushlander (shhh, keep it down, would you?) world.

Alcatraz seems to break just about everything he touches. It's practically a gift. Bouncing between foster homes, he seems too prone to breaking things to have a settled life. The grandfather he'd never known arrives a day late for his 13th birthday, learning Alcatraz has lost the bag of sand his unknown parents sent for his birthday. Now they have to save the Free Kingdoms from the plot of the evil librarians to take over the world.

Sanderson is hilarious, thought provoking, and insightful. He peoples the story with memorable characters, none of whom is the deceased dog or mother you dread reading about in "meaningful" books recommended by librarian types. Instead, Alcatraz takes you on a rollicking adventure that just might involve dinosaurs, sharks, paper monsters, enchanted glass, magical powers, and being sacrificed to the evil powers on an altar made of outdated encyclopedias. Or it might be a story about a boy and his dog. You never know until you read it. Alcatraz is well-written and funny--a swift read that just might change your ingrained preconceptions of the free world forever.

On his thirteenth birthday, Alcatraz Smedry recieves a mysterious package containing a bag of sand. After that, the life of this clutzy 13 year old who has been shuffled from foster home to foster home his entire life, changes completely. He learns that the world that he lives in is the Hushlands, which is controlled by Evil Librarians who control the information that people receive thus, creating the reality which they want people to believe in. Alcatraz learns that he is an Oculator with the talent of breaking things and he goes on an adventure with his grandfather, two uncles, and a 13 year old girl named Bastille to of course, save the world from the Evil Librarians.
The author interrupts each chapter with humerous narration that the younger audience may not understand all the references to, but the older generation will enjoy.
This is a humerous, well written fantasy and I totally loved it and look forward to reading the other books in this series.

A fast-paced, easy-to-read, first person account of Alcatraz Smedry, a foster kid who has a knack for breaking things. But we soon learn that this "knack" is really a Talent - a Smedry Talent - and a powerful one at that!
Alcatraz's world is turned upside down (or maybe right-side up) when he learns that the world we live in (the world of the Hushlanders) is actually run by evil librarians from the Free Kingdoms (where they know the truth...). Alcatraz must help retrieve his stolen inheritance, the Sands of Rashid, from the evil Dark Oculator.
And yet, there's so much more to this book! It's full of witty narrative and clever plot twists (yup, still trying to wrap my head around the last few!). The author pokes fun at numerous things, (jobs, etc.), and while this could offend some people, I don't think it's meant to, as he even pokes fun at authors! More so, I took it as pretty insightful commentary on society (but in a fun, non-snobby way). Also, some readers might find the author's constant "interruptions" annoying - but I found them hilarious and delightful! Moreover, (despite his efforts ;> ), you find yourself caring about the characters and pulling for them.

This is a very different style, and a very unique take on a classic plot. I highly recommend it!!

The mother is an enemy, the female on the team is mean and bitter. The book is fun, but confusing for younger children. It inverts history. Also, the good stopping points are in the middle of the chapter not at the end. I read it with my 8 yr old son, so I was able to soften and explain some parts. My son loved it and is excited for the next story. The narrator also reiterated that he was a bad person too many times. The story makes glasses seem cool.

Although it’s obviously written for young readers, it was still entertaining for adults. The story was fast paced and very humorous. The characters are fun and relatable as far possible in this type of story. It’s a quick read and well worth it.

Perfect for kids. I think it would be a great bedtime story that parents could read with their kids. If anyone still does that.

I write this under the pen name of book reviewer Alex C. Telander, so I can keep the librarians happy and unsuspecting. If you're reading this, then you must've heard about the supposed "fictional" book, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. Good for you! You have taken the first step to learning the truth.

This book isn't really by Brandon Sanderson, it's a cover for the true story and biography of Alcatraz Smedry. In this first book in the series you'll learn about Alcatraz and why he's always breaking everything he touches. It's because that's his special power. In fact he thought he was an orphan - yeah, like Harry Potter - only turns out he was just being protected. On his thirteenth birthday - after burning the kitchen down because he broke the stove - he gets a bag of sand as a gift from the parents he never knew he had, an inheritance, and it get stolen. His grandfather appears from nowhere and just rescues him in time - his special ability is that he arrives late for everything, really handy when you're being shot at.

Alcatraz soon finds out that the world isn't what he thinks it is, that there's other places he never knew existed, but it's all because of those evil librarians; they're behind everything. They've pulled the wool over our eyes for a long time, but if you're reading this, then maybe you'll read Alcatraz's story and find out what the truth is. The evil librarians control everything, but it's up to Alcatraz along with help from his family and an appointed bodyguard, a girl who's a knight of the Crystallia, to try and stop these librarians and get that important bag of sand back. Because the sand can be used to make lenses which have special powers, and this sand will make a lens that can read any language, even the ancient language which nobody knows how to read.

So now you've read this fake book review about a fictional book called Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, go out and get the book at any bookstore - avoid the library, `cos that's where the evil librarians are - and find out what the real world is like. Think The Matrix, only better!

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on July 18th 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interviews with Brandon Sanderson, go to[...]

This was fun! I loved the sly slam to Harry Potter, loved the even more sly Spook-speak lifted from his adult Mistborn trilogy, and loved the insights into a writer's mind (truly more evil than any librarian!). He had me laughing aloud.

And it was also a wise book, packed with useful advice. For instance:

"The ending of a book is...both the best and the worst part to read. For the ending will often decide whether you love or hate the book. Both emotions lead to disappointment. If the ending was good, and the book was worth your time, then you are left annoyed and depressed because there is no more book to read. However, if the ending was bad, then it's too late to stop reading. You're left annoyed and depressed because you spent so much time on a book with a bad ending. Therefore, reading is obviously worthless, and you should go spend your time on other, more valuable pursuits."

Having finished this book, I AM annoyed and depressed. Guess for which reason?

I am a 10 year old boy reviewing this book.

First of I had never even heard of the author so when I saw a book about librarians I thought you have got to be kidding me, but evil librarians, lets give it a chance, so I read it, and loved it. I think the book has a hard to find mix of fantasy and reality where the author twisted the world we live in (200 years ago, technology evolved in a slightly different way, for example; cars exist but are self driving). Alcatraz's family are part of a group fighting the evil librarians who are trying to take over the world.

The book can be tedious as the author puts in long comments at the beginning of every chapter and sometimes shorter ones in the middle or end of the chapter. However, I think the book is funny in a similar way to Terry Pratchett.

At first glance, this appears to be another Harry Potter knockoff with a preposterous premise. And that's exactly what it is. It's also a parody of the Harry-Potteresque genre, conspiracy theories in general, and every literary convention you can think of. The plot really doesn't matter. What makes this novel a winner is the funny, insightful, self-referential asides that appear in every chapter. By turns silly, sentimental, and not-quite serious, "Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians" is a fast, funny book that offers surprises at every turn, even when they've already been more than adequately foreshadowed. It's nice to see some intelligent literature out there that kids are actually going to want to read, and this fits the bill: savvy metafiction packed with literary references. This would be a good choice for an adult and a child to read aloud together before bedtime.

Both my 9 and 20 year old LOVED this book. It is very quirky and funny. There are lots of references to other books (think of Bugs Bunny or Bullwinkle). It's a bit snarky, which may be what the negative reviewer was reacting to. It has a similar tone to the Artemis Fowle books (although this book is funnier). If you don't like those books, you won't like this one either.

And there was the issue of the main character - Alcatraz - realizing that he could not form an emotional attachment to all the kind people who had taken him in over the years. He cares about the people he is with and for his newfound grandfather. But he can't to feel anything for anyone else - even these people. This is one of the things he keeps talking to the reader about - that he really is a bad person. There are hints of further introspection to come. It will be interesting to see how that develops in the sequels.

Nonetheless, everyone in the family is waiting for the sequel.

When I first picked up Alcatraz, I was dubious, to say the least. The evil librarian premise plus the suited-dinosaur on the cover would probably have put me off had I just picked it up in a bookstore. Don't let them fool you. While both evil librarians and suited-dinosaurs manifested in the book, I found myself progressing from forced skeptic, to intrigued, to downright page turning.

While the book admittedly has its share of silly, it is offset by surprising takes on what constitutes Talent, novel world-building, a tight plot that wastes nothing, and a more than healthy dose of humor.

I'd rank this book in similarity to somewhere between Fablehaven (which I think might scare super-young listeners, but had enough serious in it to interest me) and the Series of Unfortunate Events (which I got bored of but my younger siblings loved).

Out of the many books I read over the past few months, this was the one I took home from college to my tweener sister with a rare `you'll love this, trust me' recommendation. One of those books that is fun to read, and would make an excellent and fun family read; enough humor for younger readers, and enough interest for parents or teens. It's popularity is manifest in my hometown by its long waiting list at the library, making it difficult to obtain. Or maybe that's just what the librarians want you to think.

I just started this book and I can see I'm going to have to read them all. Why is it that so many of the really entertaining books out there are Young Adult? I'm hardly the right demographic for this book (I'm 60!) but I'm finding it witty and very entertaining. I guess I should be surprised as I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've read so far by Brandon Sanderson. One thing though... As I read this, I can't help but picture the late, great actor Ed Wynn as the grandfather. If they ever were to film this, they would HAVE to bring him back from the dead or do a digital double of him.

So as an adult, I'd give these 3/5 stars. We listened to the audiobooks on a road trip and they were fine but sort of annoying. But my kids (girls ages 10, 8, 6, and 2) adored them. They have listened to them several times and keep quoting them at each other. They keep pretending with their sunglasses. So since these are written for children, I'm giving them a solid 5/5.

A librarian friend of mine was actually the one to recommend this series to me, after telling her about my students pushing through all of the Alex Rider series and looking for something along the same lines. I finally picked it up and it was a lot more than I expected. Sam has the power to break things, which isn't something good and is the cause of him moving from one foster home to another. When an old man claiming to be his grandfather shows up and tells him that this is a skill that is great, he's right to be skeptical. Of course, there's also the fact that his grandfather believes there are evil Librarians ruling this world and that there is another world out there.

I really loved this book. It was funny, magical and full of adventure. And even though it shows librarians as evil.. well I have no qualms to saying librarians could one day rule the world. Definitely a great start to a new series that I think my students will love.

Poor Alacatraz Smedry has not had an easy life. As an orphan he has gone through a succession of foster parents mainly due to his unfortunate propensity for breaking things. On his thirteenth birthday he receives a mysterious bag of sand and his life turns upside down. After a visit from his up till now, unknown grandfather, Alcatraz discovers that he is the youngest in a family known as occulators whose sole mission is to prevent the evil Librarians from attaining world domination. I just have to say this was one of the funniest, most twisted books I have ever read. For example: each of the Smedry's has a unique "talent". As previously mentioned Alcatraz breaks things. His Grandfather arrives late to every thing, and his cousin Sing fall down whenever there's imminent danger. Now you wouldn't ordinarily think these would be very useful talents, but after reading this book you will be amazed at how helpful they can be. Then there's the names. All the good guys are named after famous prisons, and the evil Librarians are named after famous mountains. Too funny! I cannot recommend this book enough. It's a fantastic read for not only children, but adults as well. As a non-evil librarian I'm planning on booktalking this to my Harry Potter/Charlie Bone/Percy Jackson fans.
Kim

Brandon Sanderson has further proven his versatility with Alcatraz, showing that he can as ably cover young adult fiction as adult fantasy. Though Brandon is my favorite author, I put off reading this book for a long time, but finally gave it a try as something to read to my son before his naps and bed--my toddler loves being read to, even if there are no pictures. Though I don't feel this has the same universal appeal as some YA books like Harry Potter and so can't recommend this for adults to read just for themselves, have to say that this is a great book for a younger audience and makes a great book to read to your children.

This book is billed as a children's/young adult book. It really isn't, although they will enjoy it as much as anyone. I found myself laughing out loud at a few parts.

I typically read epic fantasy, and actually bought Alcatraz because I'd read some of Sanderson's other works and liked them. That was some of the best spent money of my life. I've since read the book three times, and loaned it out to several of my friends and family.

I won't give a synopsis, as several people have told enough to get you interested already, but suffice it to say that Alcatraz is definitely worth the read. It's nice to take a break from 700 page books and read a 300 page one. It's nice to see how children would enjoy the book, and then also laugh at least every other page as I find some joke hidden in the text.

Make sure not to skip ahead in this one. It will be the source of all kinds of grief, as the last page of the book will tell you.

And I loved it. Seriously, who doesn't like a book that is able to totally innocently make fun of both Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird? And Where the Red Fern Grows, for the matter, though those weren't quite as entertaining.

All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a really fun read, full of random adventures and lots of excitement.

Wow.....just, wow! This books is so twisted and amazing. Then again it's Sanderson so of course it is. Still this is one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I love the characters, plot, world and the style it's written in.

Bravo Mr. Sanderson. Bravo!

Full review @ ReadingOverTheShoulder.com

Review by a 5 year old.

I love this book. This is the best book ever. I would do anything to get this book. I have two favorite
parts. When Alcatraz fights Blackburn with all the different lenses and when Blackburn tries to hurt Grampa Smedry, but he arrives late for the wound.

I recommend this book for any kids who love magic talents, fantasy and book characters that talk to the readers.

This book is full of mystery and action which makes it the perfect book for young readers! While I was reading this story, felt so excitied for what else was going to happen! Thank you, Brandon Sanderson!

The book is clever. I mean, really clever. The tone is Lemony Snickett crossed with Buckaroo Banzai. There were times when I laughed out loud and forced my husband to listen to an excerpt - specifically the veiled allusion in the last chapter, and also the authorial aside about books that you "should" read where boys have dogs that die. I'd recommend this book to people of all ages! I've already lent it to my nephew.

Of course, would I really expect anything else from Brandon Sanderson? He continually amazes me as an author, and I'd rank him as in my top three favorite writers of all times.

I'm looking forward to the release of the others in the series!

This is an excellent novel for young adults. It contains a lot of fun, action and characters that teens can relate to themselves. However, it does require a very specific type of audience to appreciate it. This is the story of a teenager who has always been in foster care. He doesn't ever fit in with a family because he tends to brake things quite often. Suddenly, on his thirteenth birthday, everything changes. He meets his grandfather and embarks on a journey involving two worlds and lots of magic.
It's very exciting and fast paced. The main character, Alcatraz, does a lot of self-realization and self-discovery throughout the journey. Other aspects that stood out to me were the fact that characteristics typically seen as flaws become people's best talents in this story. Some examples are the talent of arriving late to everything, braking things, tripping and falling all the time. Also, libraries and librarians who are usually depicted as good become evil, they're the villains of the story. The story is very creative and original. The author does a very good job at making ordinary things take on a whole new meaning.
However, as I've said before, it does require a certain type of audience to appreciate the story and how it's narrated. Although the plot is very exciting, it's continually disrupted but commentary and editorial notes. The narrator, Alcatraz, keeps on pushing pause on the story to put in his little comments and explanations and that gets very tiring after a while. In addition, he states a lot of the same things over and over again not only tiring the reader but also making the reader feel stupid. One example is that he often reminds readers of how "he's not a good person". There are others such comments repeated all the time throughout the narration and its just irritating.
So, overall it's a really good novel. I rather enjoyed it. Still, it's good to be cautious of those little things that might get in the way for teenagers.

Whoever rated this book 1 star is lying to you. Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians is an amazing book, and whoever tells you otherwise is a librarian or an idiot. This book has all of the components of a good plot, and is funny and engaging. Keep reading the other books too, it gets even better! Overall, the characters have depth, the story is engaging, and Alcatraz should be given all the book awards in the world. Rutabaga. oh, by the way, this is heathers son.

Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians, January 31, 2013
By Tiffany

This book provides an alternate world for young teenagers to experience adventure, fun; also to learn about themselves and the talents they have. The author has an unique pattern of commenting on his own writing style, this provides a fun perspective for young adult to enjoy.

The characters in this book each bring their own attitude and personality. Brandon Sanderson develops his characters into people you can relate with and identify with. Though his world is filled with "magic," it plays off of the real world in a way that makes sense. He creates a world of learning and adventure drawing the readers in on a journey before they realize it.

My favorite thing about this book is Brandon Sanderson turns mishaps, and mistakes that people make into talents and then the character learns how to use that to their advantage. This takes something that is normally a negative, such as always being late, and turns it into a positive where it becomes helpful and even saves lives.

This book would be great for the classroom; it applies to both girls and boys and is full of fun and clean humor. It also contains points of deep thought and insight that allows the reader to reflect on themselves and their own thoughts and feelings, this is done very subtly yet directly so that often the reader is contemplating themselves and finding new truths about themselves without really knowing why and without realizing that the book led them to that.

I am very excited for a sequel to this book. Alcatraz plus his friends and family are a fun bunch to take on an adventure.

Plot: 4/5; This book is completely and awesomely ridiculous. There really is not way to describe this book other then... Rutabega.

Characters: 5/5; Fantastic. Hilarious. Ingenious. They where unique and strange and I really enjoyed all the characters, even the bad guys.

Age: So this is the tricky part. Younger kids will enjoy this book. Its goofy and aimed at them, sorta. Its also has a lot of references to classic literature and a sense of humor that can definitely appeal to adults.

This book was a ton of fun to read, especially out loud. My friends and I read it out loud for study breaks, and it had us all laughing and wanting to know what happened next. The dialogue is fantastic and the main character is bitter, sarcastic, and torturers the reader with every chapter. Totally worth the read for everyone!

Brandon Sanderson is an author celebrated for his already incredibly successful novels, such as the Mistborn series, Warbreaker, and his first ever book Elantris. Not to mention that Sanderson was hand picked to finish Robert Jordans epic Wheel of Time series. Brandon Sanderson shows that he is a true craftsman by producing something intended for Young Adults. Fortunately this apparently includes everyone from 12-90. In Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, Sanderson manages to prove why he was chosen to complete the Wheel of Time series after Jordan's death.

Sanderson has an incredible ability to take already fantastic situations and transform them into something we feel on every level. His ability to create complex emotions in simple quandaries always presented in humorous situations is glaringly present in the Alcatraz series. Brandon Sanderson may soon become to the Fantasy community what Orson Scott Card is to the Fiction genre.

Alcatraz Smedry is a boy followed by disaster. On top of being an orphan, he is transferred from foster home to foster home due to his uncanny ability to bring tragedy and destruction with him wherever he goes. His life takes something of a turn for the weirder when he gets a package in the mail from his dead parents addressed to his current house, and all that's inside is his inheritance, a bag of sand. Now Alcatraz finds himself as the champion of a cause he never knew existed and has all kinds of friends, worshippers, passing acquaintances, and an even greater number of enemies.

Brandon Sanderson has a gift for writing out of the ordinary novels. His humor, wit, pacing, characters are all top-notch but other authors write extraordinarily as well. With the Alcaztraz series the book is written as the character's autobiography and provides plenty of mid-scene 'office or Modern Family' dialogues with himself, which are where this book stands out and makes an impression on me.

Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians is a unique and enjoyable read that is ultimately hampered by too much self-consciousness on the part of the author and the protagonist. It sets itself apart from the typical "young individual discovers a secret magical world" in creating a genuinely troubled young man as the hero and telling the entire story through his perspective.

It is this very perspective that both helps and harms the story. At times the self-conscious admissions, such as the idea that writers love to torture their readers with suspense, are quite amusing. However, the sheer quantity of them can become grating on an already jaded audience. The best description of this narrative I can offer is a combination of Catcher in the Rye and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, although not as skillful on either count. The target age group, along with their more accepting elders, will likely be able to appreciate this style as original and insightful.

The story itself is quirky and strange; it was constructed with more care than is originally apparent. A young boy discovers that he has a special lineage and finds himself assisting in the overthrow of the librarians who rule our world. There are more details that signify that this is a full and rich universe. However, again I find that the execution is hurt by too much self-consciousness - in this case, a great deal of repetition and weirdness for the sake of weirdness. Alcatraz is a solid book, but at times it seems to underestimate its young audience.

i enjoyed alcatraz. i read the book version off of the kindle but even still, an awsome book! basicly alcatraz, age 13 recieves his b-day gift, a bag of sand, also, this is one of those books that you HAVE to read or listen to "cover" to "cover" for it to make sense and whatever you do, DO NOT just pick up a random book in the sereis and start reading. it wont make any sense. (and he will make fun of you if you do)

This is easily the funniest book that I have read in a long time. Though written so that young adult audiences will enjoy it, the clever humor, irony, and use of wit will capture the attention of any lover of fantasy. The hero, Alcatraz Smedry, is a character that young boys can identify with; he is the foster child who wants to look like a tough guy, but also genuinely cares about the people around him and feels guilt when he does bad things. And boy do bad things happen around him, what with his magical power to break things going off at all the wrong times, a secret organization of evil librarians trying to capture him, and the fate of the free world resting in his hands.
If this book has a weakness, it is the frequent authoritative interruptions that show up in the story, frequently in the middle of an exciting moment. These interruptions are themselves hilarious, and informative, giving the reader a better understanding of the world, and Alcatraz's thoughts, but they do halt the pace of the story.
Over all, an excellent read for anyone who loves to laugh with good clean humor, it is engaging, fast paced, and highly quotable with others who have read it as well.

This is my favorite book by Brandon Sanderson, and I am now considerably older than the target audience. The second time I read this book, I laughed so much the kids I was watching thought I'd lost my mind.

When I first looked at Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians I thought it would be a waste of my time. The cover appeared overly juvenile and my assumption was that the book would be the same. As I started reading however, I was amazed to discover a rich world with believable characters even though they were in an overly fictionalized environment. Alcatraz faced very realistic emotional traumas during the novel and overcame them, and in the process became a better person. My favorite aspect of the book is how Alcatraz breaks the forth wall and directly talks to the reader. His comments about literary hooks, cliff hangers, exaggeration, ect. had me laughing so hard my room mates thought I was crazy. This is just one more case that proves that you can't judge a book by it's cover.

First off, I should say that in my mid twenties I am a little older than the target "reading level" of this book. However, that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying every word of it. I am a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and am glad to see that his writing skill can equally please readers of all ages.

Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians is the most cleverly written book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The precisely written narration is what I enjoyed the most. Each chapter, Alcatraz (the narrator) breaks away from the story, to talk to the reader from the voice of the author. These little sections are filled with really clever tidbits that on many occasions had me laughing out loud.

The story itself is entertaining as well. True to Sanderson's form, some of the characters have a special magical "talent" that they use in very creative ways. These talents are attributes that we might not normally see as an advantage, such as always arriving late, and tripping and falling in very dramatic ways. Sanderson also does a great job sheding new light on the world we live in by comparing it to a more advanced society where light bulbs are inferior to open flames (since lights can't set things on fire) and stairs are more advanced than elevators (because you get a work out climbing them).

This is a book that I think any kid will love, with the parents enjoying it equally as much.

I loved the movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" and know other people who loved it just as much as me. But I also know a number of people who just didn't get it. This book is that kind of tale. It has bits and pieces of everything: magic, foster parents, dinosaurs, librarians, author-asides, a very clever last page, maniacal characters, cliffhangers galore, and even more. Once I got into the 3rd chapter I was absorbed whole-heartedly into the rhythm of the storytelling, and raced through to the end. My 6th grade son and I have had some fascinating conversations about the book, and both enjoy talking about things my wife and younger son know nothing about.

Rutabaga!

I absolutely LOVE the entire Alcatraz series. However, you do need to have a strange sense of humor to enjoy it. Sure, the target audience may be young children, but I recommend this series to anyone of any age who has an off-beat sense of humor, particularly those who are fans of the Sci-fi/Fantasy genres. The world that Sanderson creates in these books is very creative and engaging. He's unique writing style also keeps me very entertained.

I like this book, because it has a lot of hilarious parts and absurd elements, like dinosaurs who are very polite and speak with a British accent. Everyone has a ridiculous talent, and Alcatraz is a character who is convinced he's a bad kid and keeps trying to convince the reader of that throughout the book. If there's one thing that kept it from reaching a five, it would be the constant interruptions from the narrator, which kind of slowed down the story more than it needed. I would have preferred to have followed the plot more than read so much on the narrator's thoughts. However, even those could be funny at times. Overall, it was a fun book.

I love the unique style of writing and can't wait to read this book to my students. I know our library will have to get the rest of the books in this series because I know several of my students will want to read the rest of them. Definitely appealing to all the students but even more to my group of guys!

I picked this book up because I've read some of Brandon Sanderson's "grown-up" fantasy and really liked it. I was in the mood for fantasy today, but I didn't really have the time or energy for an epic. This fit the bill nicely. Fans of Percy Jackson or Pendragon would probably enjoy Alcatraz.

One of the funnest books I have ever read. This is a very smart book, it is very well written, and had me laughing out loud several times (that is a rare occasion for me).

Not only is this book blatantly funny, but there are a lot of small jokes that are hidden amongst the lines that are a delight to find.

Very good read, well worth the price of a hardcover copy.

My son picked this book out himself and I was a bit worried. Should not have been. He soared through it, laughing out loud the whole time. Now, although I have said he is 7, he reads on a 9-10 year old level and is in the gifted classes. What I mean is this book may not be right for all 7 yr olds, and will definitely engage kids older than 7. But my point is - he was hooked. I must say that I am disappointed that there are not more books yet in this series. If that is the worst I can say, then have to give this book 5 stars!

Mr Sanderson's sense of humor is deserving of either a Nobel Prize, or lethal injection. A warning label should come with this book 'Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, read while pregnant, or in the workplace' I have been kicked out of a hospital and my breakroom at work for excessive laughter and a need to read passages out loud to anyone in shouting distance. This book needs to be read not only by every child in the country, but also anyone living. Many good kids books have a meta-level that adults enjoy separately. This transcends that and has a humor that adults and children can enjoy in the same way. But frankly my dear, he had me at the Parmenides joke.

Cross Harry Potter with The Golden Compass, as would be told by a Douglas Adams or a Terry Pratchett... and you get Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.

This book is a great read for adults and kids, and is funny on several different levels.

This book was just fun to read plain and simple. This is one of those rare books that can hit all age groups and keep everyone entertained. Brandon Sandersons use of language and unique world view is refreshing and makes for an enjoyable read.

My grandson enjoyed this book so much I decided to read it myself--it made me laugh. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read the next one. I haven't read the third one yet but I intend to--they are not difficult, just fun!

My kids got this book on CD for Christmas, so we listened to it as a family on a road trip and we all enjoyed it so much! It's full of crazy adventures and lots of intellectual humor. I enjoyed it as much as my 7-year-old and 11-year-old. It's a very creative spin on the fantasy novels that we've all read so much. Brandon Sanderson manages to make you care about his klutzy hero at the same time you laugh at his self-commentary all the way through. Great book.

The story of Alcatraz and the evil librarians is very unique, like many of Sanderson's other works. Unlike his other works, Alcatraz, the narrator, is insulting to readers, and purposely withholds information. On one hand it is irritating, but on the other hand it spurs the reader to want to read on. Sanderson/Alcatraz says it himself on page 148 (and numerous other times): "Are you annoyed with me yet? Good. I've worked very hard-perhaps I will explain why later- to frustrate you." Humor, sarcasm, misdirection, and lies aside this book is certainly interesting. Librarians control all of the information in the world, leaving only a few continents free of their control. On these continents there live magical people with such advanced technology as stairs and swords, and with such special abilities as falling down and speaking gibberish. Without the repetition in the humor from the narrator this would have been a great book. I have to admit, however, that I started skipping the author's tangents about cliffhangers, secrets, and coconuts after a point. I thought it was amusing at the beginning, I even laughed out loud a bit, but it really started to get to me. I wanted to know more about the secret continents, secret language, special powers, advanced technology and such, not why readers are stupid, and why writers are annoying. If this story was told in a linear fashion it would have been a 4 or even a 5 for it's entertainment and uniqueness. I believe the story would have been just as humorous with the characters alone; it really didn't need the rude narration. Overall, even with the sections I skipped, I enjoyed this book enough to continue the series. Fans of Sanderson's other novels should definitely try this, for it's uniqueness alone. Children would probably love this, and it is a children's book after all, so that's what matters.

This series was amazing. With an enormous amount of humor, plenty of action, and loads of fantasy, this book and its three sequels are some of the best children's books I've ever read. Even so, I highly recommend this book for all ages. I can't believe Sanderson wasn't signed on for a fifth book, but the fourth book did have an amazing ending.

Rarely do I have time to read a book - this one came very highly recommended by my sister and her entire family. It took maybe an hour to read, mainly because I kept laughing. I enjoyed the plot twists and the subtle (or not) hints that maybe this could be real... I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those like me well up the education ladder and full of knowledge!

I really wanted to like this book. I liked the premise, and it sounded fun.

And I suppose that the plot, or the little there was of it, wasn't bad. It could even have been fun. It was certainly original enough (for the genre, where there is little that is truly original these days), and sometimes, just sometimes, the jokes were even funny. I actually liked that whole idea about glasses and Oculators, and as wildly unrealistic as the whole Evil Librarians Ruling The World thing was, I didn't mind; sometimes, a truly weird and unlikely idea is just what a story needs.

It's the writing that bothered me. That's the trouble with deciding to write a book in a style where the narrator adds constant, um, witty asides, addressing the reader, throwing in comments meant to be funny, or witty, or sarcastic, in about every second paragraph (or more): it can either be wildly amusing or intensely irritating, depending on the reader's personal taste.

In my case, it was the latter. Perhaps it's because I'm a cranky middle-aged woman with no sense of humour, and thus not the target group for this particular book (although I suspect that I'd have felt the same if I'd read it at age nine), or perhaps it's because it was just extremely annoying. I'm going with the latter.

That said, humour really is a matter of taste, and I can well believe the very things I didn't like could appeal enormously to someone else.

I really enjoyed Sanderson's overall premise. We are all living in the "Hushlands," which is controlled by the evil Librarians. So everything you know to be true, is a lie. I won't go into much more detail than that, but it comes out in some fantastic ways. It sets up the conflict really well and allows Sanderson to play against common knowledge.

However, Sanderson opted for the cliche of a boy destined for greatness. I think it is time this trend was bucked. A kid can have an important impact to a story without having fate or destiny thrown onto his shoulders. Why can't they decide that for themselves?

It feels like they don't have much choice in the matter. That the main story happens to them. Rather than the main character seeking it out.

What I think hurts the most is that I wasn't drawn to Alcatraz as a character. I believe it comes from the fact that he has the "chosen one" syndrome. I wanted him to be more active in the story rather than being drug along. He was an orphan that discovered he has a grandfather and then meets a bunch of his cousins. And has an "oh cool" attitude about it. Then trots along behind them on an adventure.

This is some weighty stuff for a kid to deal with. And the nonchalant attitude Alcatraz has doesn't fit with me. Yes, there is a bit of naval gazing about it all. But it felt too easy.

Overall though I enjoyed it. At 308 pages it was a fast read.

Remember zipping through a good Gordon Korman book on a Saturday afternoon when you were 14 (or 25?). Take that sense of humor and attach it to a teenage adventure story that is anything but derivative, and you've got Alcatraz.

I like Sanderson's other novels, his attempt at "young fantasy" would please readers of less than 11 years of age, but past that it quickly loses its appeal. The characters are caricature, Alcatraz is constantly telling the reader he's not a not a nice guy, but its just a means of attempting to draw forth interest as to why and then fails to deliver with annoying regularity. The tossing of the word "rutabaga" out of nowhere (a hit with 8 year olds to send them into giggling fits but insulting and as my nephews say, "lame" once you get pat 10), along with the premise that people who wear glasses can be either bastions of evil or secret wizards, all fell horribly flat. The genre of young adult fantasy is IMHO serviced far better by Michael Scott with his Alchemyst series and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.

My 9 year old son refuses to read. My sister (a librarian) suggested this book. This is now his all time favorite book. He laughed a lot and loved the part when it said a librarian probably did not suggest this book. After reading this book he is now more open to reading other book like it.

Well,I don't read long books.butt when it comes to Alcatraz versus,I can make an exception.now,this is a interesting book.the drescpition makes it look bad.butt for some reason,you want to know more.so definitely buy.butt,before I finish,please comment.and if you do,I'll make sure to reply.

Found by accident after 'Mistborn' and "Elantris". Generally shelved in the YA section, so not easily found by adult SF/Fan readers. Mr. Sanderson knows where he is going in a story and gets there in the most interesting way possible, not always the easiest! He tells it so that we will not only want to go along, but we'll probably want to stay a while. Reminds me some of Lois M Bujold.

I'm in my mid-twneties, and I find this series very enjoyable. They are quick reads, and have a fun tone.
(this helps make librarians ignore the book, since they don't realize it talks about such a grave topic)

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is kind of fun to read. I really liked the dinosaurs because they were funny. I really liked Bastille, too. She is a cool girl. I have read several books from the series and this is the best of them. Although this book is funny, the later books in the series seem to be funny just to be funny. The comments don't seem to add to the story as much and the cliff hangers aren't as good.

Alcatraz has a special talent--he can break anything. And in this off the wall fantasy he learns how to use that to his advantage. This book reminds me of nothing so much as a cross between Piers Anthony's Xanth books and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13)).

This book however, is probably not for everybody--frequent asides from the narrator and a very pessimistic voice won't endear some readers to the book. I however, enjoyed it a great deal.

Some of the ideas in this book were great (turning faults into talents) but I had real difficulty with the attitude of the author as he addressed the reader. It actually made me so angry, I no longer cared what happened to the main character.

The world created for a book should be consistent and logical within its own set of rules. This book is set here and now and covers all of Earth so should work within (or at least with) "our" rules.

The premise of the evil librarians holding every bit of knowledge, and completely rewriting history wherever they defeat the Free Kingdoms is just plain stupid and fails the logic test. The description of how the librarians manage to keep the extra continents hidden is a throwaway comment in the text, and it displays both laziness and a lack of thought.

The frequent attempts to be witty and sarcastic came across as very annoying, making Alcatraz seem like a prat.

Don't dumb it down just because you are writing for children.

I read it . . . lost interest in the first chapter, but kept on reading to see if it would get any better. It didn't. I found myself skimming through the last few chapters just to get to the end so I could say I read it. More than once I nearly abandoned the task in annoyance that I could have been reading something interesting. My opinion: it was a waste of several hours.

The story style is similar to A Series of Unfortunate Events (its sarcasm and oddness), but without the skill and cleverness. The author throws in a few "scholarly" references (i.e., Plato's "men in the cave" parable) and a smattering of "psychology"; but these little "nuggets" do not justify the time spent getting through the story. The picture of Alcatraz (the boy) on the cover was strikingly similar (almost identical!) to Harry Potter -- a ploy, in my opinion, to capitalize on that series.

First, let me start with I love Brandon Sanderson's work - I loved Elantris, and the Mistborn Series, and I love his Writing Excuses and anything about writing that he does he is very knowledgeable and very entertaining, though I will pass on his portion of the Wheel of time because I did not enjoy Robert Jordan's portion, but this is about Alcatraz.

There are good points, so do not think that I am completely bashing this work, but this book, as a whole, annoyed me to read, it did not entertain me, and Rutabaga

see what I did there, I put in a completely incoherent word in the story - Sanderson does this a ton in Alcatraz - rutabaga is only one of the words he does this with for a half a chapter - I mean, come on.

All in all this is not entertaining enough for me to recommend anyone of any age, and anyone who does enjoy this book, I could not have a conversation with, because you have to have a major case of ADHD to understand what is happening here and what this is about -

This is not my cup of coffee, and I will pass on everything else Sanderson until something new comes along, which will not be for a while.

Take my advice, because I had to study this book inside and out! And I did not like it at all!

PROS-
Original Idea
Creative Storyline
Um... That's about it!

CONS- (Lots of These!)
Alatraz hates himself, and spends too much time in the story telling us that he does.

Their "powers" might have been cool but they just use them in such a twisted way!

The fact that Alcatraz says writers are lonely depressed people who never come out of their bedrooms! Um Hello, I am a author and I travel the whole world! And he is a writer too, which in that case it makes sence.

Evil Librarians. Just..... Why? Kids should want to read more, not less, and a library is a great place to read.

The fact that he says strong will and beliveing in your self will get you no where. Is he emo? This was just not true at all.

And of course, the fact that he LIES to you on the begining! Why would he even need to do that? Because the rest of the book was horrible! He needed at least one good part.

Overall, I guess it was a creative idea, and it could have been worse. But do not read it. Those were two hours I never got back. It is a HORRIBLE book with a stupid plot. I just plain hated it!