Weekly Round-up: Alcatraz Series and Cyberia Series
Posted by panaura on January 27th, 2010
This week I read four books: Alcatraz versus the Scrivener’s Bone (book 2) and Alcatraz versus the Knights of Crystallia (book 3) by Brandon Sanderson, as well as Cyberia (book 1) and Cyberia: Monkey See, Monkey Don’t by Chris Lynch. What can I say? Both authors are amazing.
The Cyberia series follows Zane, a boy who lives in a world of techonology, high-tech computers and talking animals. But you see, Zane is the only one who can hear the animals, courtesy of his trusty ear-noodle. He discovers that the evil Vetrinarian, Dr. Gristle, is developing chips that, when inserted into animals, allow him to control them. Zane can hear the animals’ pleads for help. But how can a boy match up against a powerful, influential pet doctor?
Alcatraz took my breath away. The cover wasn’t appealing, and I naturally judge books based on that. But once again, I was wrong. Alcatraz Smedry is a 13-year-old boy who has recently discovered that the world we call home is actually run by evil Librarians. He’s part of a famous family, whose home is located in a place called Nalhalla. The story claims to be a memoir of Alcratraz’s real life experinces. He begins almost every chapter with funny, random topics that have absolutely nothing to do with the story. They 
let you see how quirky 
and hilarious Alcatraz really is. And he’ll have you laughing your pants off.
The thing that makes both these series’ so special is that they’re hilarious. The narrators are quirky and clever, and they actually make you laugh out loud. They both look and sound a little sci-fi-ish, but don’t worry. The characters are completely normal, except that they have a better sense of humor than just about anyone you’ve ever met. Please give these books a read, especially Alcatraz.