This was a clever book that turns reader expectations on their head as Sanderson weaves a story that combines the awkward experiences of being a teenager with a fantasy-scale struggle for the fate of the world. A world where almost everything we know is untrue due to the work a powerful cult of magical Librarians intent on world domination and oppression of the masses. 
 Told from Alcatraz's point of view, the reader is kept off-balance from both the unfamiliarity of the sinister schemes of the Librarians and from Alcatraz's own sense of mischief and misdirection. The adventures surrounding his 13th birthday and inheritance are thrilling, but they also provide a backdrop for deeper introspection into who Alcatraz is and why he is not the righteous paladin so many middle-grade fantasy heroes are. Alcatraz comes across as real and genuine, even to the point of directly telling the reader that he is not a nice guy. Sanderson constantly breaks the fourth wall, using the framework of a memoir to bring the reader in on asides, quirky thoughts, and the clear fact that Alcatraz does live through all of these events to write this in the first place. 
 This is written on a middle grade to junior high level, and Sanderson maintains his expectations for readers to keep up with the various details and clues throughout the book. We listened to this on audiobook as a a family, and it was a great joy to see the pieces click together in our children's minds before the reveal occurred in the story.