Alcatraz breaks things without trying, and is moved from one foster home to another. On his 13th birthday, he receives a box of sand as a gift. It is stolen. The next day a man claiming to be his grandfather shows up at the door and they set off on a quest to recover the sands and save the free world from the librarians who hoard all knowledge. ( )

Very goofy, and lots of fun! A great alternate reality, too. ( )

Fun, fast written story. Don't like the way Alcatraz is talking to the reader though. Little bit smug and too happy with himself. Very original world. ( )

When Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag of sand for this thirteenth birthday, he finds himself thrust into a word of evil Librarians and noble Oculators.

This was a lot of fun. The story moves quickly, dragging the reader along as Alcatraz meets his grandfather, learns what his bag of sand is good for, and launches an epic rescue mission straight into the heart of the Librarian stronghold. The whole thing is bizarre enough to keep any young reader entertained/confused/exasperated/wanting more. It's certainly not a nice book, (as Alcatraz frequently reminds us), but it should appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket, Jonathan Stroud and others who've crafted entertaining stories about horrible occurrences and less than admirable characters.

There's a fair amount of postmodernism here, too. Alcatraz frequently comments on storytelling as he relates his own strange tale. As a result, I think this would be most suitable for young readers who've already got a fairly good grasp of how books work and are familiar with some literary conventions. Newer readers probably wouldn't get as much out of this simply because they won't know what it's parodying. They may, however, find the humour enough to carry them through.

Definitely recommended. And read some of Brandon's adult stuff while you're at it! ( )

“What you haven’t realized is that all libraries are far more dangerous than you’ve always assumed.”

When orphan Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag of sand as his inheritance from his long departed parents for his thirteenth birthday, he is confused (and disappointed) to no end. That confusion only deepens the next day when his Grandfather Smedry arrives proclaiming, “Lad, with those sands, the Librarians could destroy kingdoms, overthrow cultures, dominate the world!” The Librarians have stolen the sands and it is up to the Smedrys, as Oculators of the Free, to get the sands back.

From the moment of the sand’s arrival into his life, a whole new reality opens up to Alcatraz. It’s the Free Kingdomers with their champions the Smedry’s against the Hushlanders and the evil Librarians in a war that’s fought not about guns or swords but about information. The Librarians rule the Hushlands by controlling information (for example, only the Librarians know of the three extra continents, and now you do too, so shhhh…).

The Librarians were founded by a man named Biblioden who felt that the strangeness of the world required that it be “ordered, organized, and controlled”. The headquarters of the Librarians’ control is the Library, and, thus, Alcatraz’s Grandpa decides a full library infiltration is needed in order to recover the sands.

So the Smedry’s set out for the Library to face down the evil Librarians. Alcatraz is a bit skeptical about the likelihood of their quest’s success: “Let me get this straight. Our strike team consists of a loony old man, an anthropologist, a grad student, and two kids.”

Nevertheless, the four Smedry’s do not enter the enemies lair (the Library) unarmed. They possess unusual talents–Grandpa Smedry (arrives late to his own death), Sing Sing (can trip and fall to the ground), Quentin (can say things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever), and Alcatraz (skilled at breaking things). Plus, they have their knight protector, Bastille–she’s a Crystin who has pledged her life and her services to keeping the Smedry’s alive.

As Alcatraz’s first adventure draws to a close, Sanderson drops many hints pertaining to Alcatraz’s next adventures. The Smedry’s won this battle, but Grandpa Smedry says, “…there is a great deal to be done. The Free Kingdoms are losing the battle against the Librarians.”

In the book, Alcatraz gives readers a warning against books that others describe as important, meaningful, and thoughtful–these books often involve dogs and/or mothers dying. His book, by contrast, includes adventure with fights against Librarians, paper monsters, and one-eyed Dark Oculators while at the same time alerting readers of “the cult of evil Librarians who secretly rule the world.”

While no one would dare to ascribe to Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians such words as important, meaningful, and thoughtful, it is nonetheless a fun yarn that will appeal to conspiracy theorists, readers of alternative worlds fantasy fiction, and overall fast-paced adventure stories. If you enjoy imagining along with the sometimes outlandish, at all times entertaining imaginations of authors such as M.T. Anderson (Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen), Jasper Fforde (Thursday Next, Nursery Crime), and Terry Pratchett (Discworld), then you might want to give Anderson’s depiction of reality a try. You’ll be sure to find a copy of the book at your local library…

Quotes of Note:

“Remember, despite the fact that this book is being sold as a ‘fantasy’ novel, you must take all of the things it says extremely seriously, as they are quite important, are in no way silly, and always makes sense. Rutabaga.”

“Information. The Librarians control the information in this city–in this whole country. They control what gets read, what gets seen, and what gets learned. Because of that, they have power. Well, we’re going to break that power, you and I.” ( )