Searches

Alcatraz (Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians) tracks his missing grandfather to the Library of Alexandria. In addition to his magic Talent (breaking things), he has his uncle and cousin on his side. Against them stand the Scrivener's Bones, an extra-evil librarian sect. Sanderson balances absurdity, action, and character growth, also going to town with narrative games and accessible metafictive whimsy. Gr 59 Alcatraz Smedry is back, and the action is just as nonstop, the librarians are just as evil, and the quips and asides (and outright lies) that the author insists on inflicting upon readers are just as omnipresent. Fortunately for the fans of Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Scholastic, 2007), these are all good things. On the run from a Scrivener's Bone, a half-human, half-machine assassin that has been sent to retrieve the Translator's Lenses that Alcatraz stole in the first book, the boy receives word that his father is in mortal danger in the Library of Alexandria. He and a crew of quirky relatives with odd but very useful Talents mount a daring and completely ludicrous rescue. Though some readers may find the author's non sequiturs and frequent interruptions in the narrative off-putting, those who enjoy their fantasy with a healthy dose of slapstick humor will be delighted. Give this novel to fans of Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" (Hyperion/Miramax) and Catherine Jinks's Cadel Piggott in Evil Genius (Harcourt, 2007). They will appreciate Sanderson's cheerful sarcastic wit and none-too-subtle digs at librarians. Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK