Book Review: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

Paperback Writer here...again. :)

I just finished Brandon Sanderson's book Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians. And I have to say, I haven't enjoyed a book like this since....Harry Potter. Okay, okay, is that really saying a lot? Well, perhaps. :)

Anyway, like Harry Potter, Alcatraz Smedry (yes, Alcatraz Smedry) is an orphan...an orphan who seems to possess special skills. His Talent is breaking things. No, seriously. That's his talent. And on his 13th birthday he receives a special package from his long absent father. The present? Sand.

Wait! Don't go. I'm not that crazy.

Really. :)

Just go with it, okay?

Obviously, this book is geared toward the younger set. But I throughly enjoyed it as well. And perhaps, that's because I'm really a big kid at heart. Throughout the entire book, Alcatraz consistently breaks the "fourth wall" by talking to his readers and reminding them that he "is not a nice person." He repeats this many times leading one to believe that maybe he is a nice person.

At the root of the story is Alcatraz trying to retrieve his inheritance from librarians, which goes without saying that all librarians are evil in this book. They want to take over all the world (Free Kingdoms and Hushlands respectively). With what? The help of Alcatraz's special sand.

Oh, go on. You know you're intrigued.

The only fault that I have with this book? That I finished it within a day. It's only 300 pages. ;)

Anyway, this obviously is going to have a sequel...perhaps more than one. But, we'll see where it goes. I've a pretty credible source telling me that Sanderson has been tapped to write the last Robert Jordan Wheel of Time book.

Nine out of ten stars.

Movie Review: Cloverfield

Paperback Writer here.

Loki and I went to see Cloverfield this weekend. It took me this long to try and put down a review...

And I think it might be difficult for me to write a proper review without giving away some of the details.

But I'll try.

First, don't go in with any expectations. You'll probably have a better time that way.

Second, if you get motion sickness this movie is not for you. Seriously.

Third, this isn't a Hollywood movie. Meaning?

Well...

(Don't say I didn't warn you)

It doesn't have an "ending" per se. Oh, it ends all right. Abruptly. And not prettily for anyone. The ending is not satisfying at all. And yes, there were a couple of boos from the audience (which was sold out, by the way), but there was still an even greater number that was blown away by it. Loki included. He said that he hasn't been that scared by a movie in a long time. In fact, after we got home, the both of us didn't get to bed until very early the next morning. Loki was just hopped up on adrenaline and I was up filling in all the details that weren't explained in the movie.

Now, keep in mind that despite the abrupt ending and the very shaky camera work (it's all filmed from the viewpoint of one camera...a hand held camera) that this isn't really a movie about monsters (though it is really terrifying when you see the monsters) it's more a movie about how people react in survival situations. Loki tells me that it is much like how Night of the Living Dead is about survival against zombies.

I can see what he means.

He tells me that there are a lot of mixed opinions regarding this movie: how it is an allegory about 9-11; that it plays on their fears about it; that it's not a movie for people over 30. I don't know. I guess it could be an allegory about 9-11. But I didn't see it that way. Would I go back and see it? No. But that doesn't mean that I didn't dislike the movie.

*sigh*

I guess I'm about as mixed up as all those other reviews floating around on Rotten Tomatoes.

:)

Anyway, things to remember when going in: hand held camera work, people that you don't know who star in a movie, very stressful and the most important thing to remember? Have no expectations. Keep an open mind.

And that's all I'm going to say about it.

Eight out of ten stars.