Book Review: Brandon Sanderson – Alcatraz Vs. The Evil Librarians
A middle-grade fantasy novel written by Brandon Sanderson following the life of Alcatraz and his companions through action and adventure. He must rely on his new skills during strange and difficult times as he learns new secrets of his life and the world he thought he knew.
I must say, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I picked up Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians. When I first picked up this book, I was somewhat familiar with Brandon Sanderson and his work. I read the first title in the Mistborn series, part of The Way of Kings (it’s a long book and I’m not a fast reader), and the first book in the Reckoners series. So, I was aware of his writing style as well as his range as an author, but of those listed above, they were all meant for an older age group and not middle grade. Could Mr. Sanderson write middle-grade books?
Apparently, yes. Yes, he can.
Now, there are two ways you can approach Alcatraz Vs the Evil Librarians:
- Forget everything you know about Brandon Sanderson’s other writing, as it is a different style of writing than Alcatraz and is meant for a different age group.
OR
- Embrace all of his other writing and understand that this man is truly a great storyteller.
I know, I know. A ridiculous two ways to go about reading this book, but I wanted to get across that whether you’ve never read a book of his before OR you’ve read ALL of his other books, you are in for a fun read.
Alcatraz Vs the Evil Librarian is an incredibly energetic and enjoyable middle-grade book that shouldn’t only be for the middle-grade age range as I believe all ages can enjoy this book.
Let’s get right into it.
Plot
I like to keep my plot summaries pretty short as I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
The larger picture of the plot is actually pretty common for a middle-grade book. An antagonist thrown into a situation they can’t believe and/or don’t know how to handle. However, this novel has an original feel to it that doesn’t feel repetitive of other stories. There is just enough spin on it to make it its own and stand out among others.
The overall story moves quickly, but not too quickly where you feel lost and confused. It gets to the action while maintaining mystery and intrigue. Each chapter keeps you engaged and will want you to turn to the next chapter.
It of course has plenty of twists, turns, and bombshells that makes a Sanderson book so good.
Characters
I would classify the characters as full range. Each character feels different, and no two characters feel like a copy and paste from another. They each had their own personality, quirks, and style.
- You have your main character/protagonist handling situations he isn’t sure how to handle but isn’t one of those annoying main characters who whine the entire time. He is actually a likable character.
- You have a mentor-type character that is fun, goofy, and wise in their own way while not being grumpy like many other mentors in other series.
- You have a companion character that is the opposite of the main character’s personality that allows them to have great chemistry with each other.
- You also have some fun and unique minor characters that help fill out more of the emotional spectrum.
- Then, you have the antagonists that fill the role quite well. They are annoying, you don’t like them, but yet you are intrigued by them, their ways, and their motivation.
There seems to be a character for just about every reader to enjoy and identify with.
World Building
The world-building is for the most part pretty strong. Much like the plot, you don’t need to wait long to discover more about the world that Sanderson has built. You are given a reasonable amount of information about the world to remind you that it is not the world we know and live in.
The downside to the world-building is that I never feel like it was enough. The reader is given a great amount, but yet I wanted more. Though, that may say more about me and how much I love escapism rather than Sanderson’s choice to not throw us in the deep end of his world.
Prose
This is by far my favorite part of this series. Sanderson’s style of writing in this book is absolutely fabulous! It is different from his other works that I’ve read and makes me want more like it. It keeps you on your toes and entertained. Not to mention, I was laughing a good bit in each chapter at some of the self-deprecating humor in the story. Sanderson found a great way to keep everything light-hearted with enough emotion to make the reader feel those feelings. It also feels and shows he had a great time writing it.
Conclusion
Will I read more in this series of Alcatraz Vs. The Evil Librarians? Yes. In fact, I have already read the second and moving on to the third. I would recommend this middle-grade fantasy series to anyone that wants to escape into some action, fun characters, and witty humor.
***This is not a paid review. This review is my own personal opinion and thoughts. However, please note that links in this this site contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.
