Stormbreaker (An Alex Rider Adventure) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Anthony Horowitz (Author) "WHEN THE DOORBELL rings at three in the morning, it's never good news..." (more)
Key Phrases: assistant pilot, dry suit, Ian Rider, Herod Sayle, Sayle Enterprises (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vice-president he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. The company's head plans to donate one to every secondary school in England, but his dealings with unfriendly countries and Ian Rider's murder have brought him under suspicion. Posing as a teenage computer whiz who's won a Stormbreaker promotional contest, Alex enters the factory and immediately finds clues from his uncle. Satirical names abound (e.g., Mr. Grin, Mr. Sayle's brutish butler, is so named for the scars he received from a circus knife-throwing act gone wrong) and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous ("It was a soft gray night with a half-moon forming a perfect D in the sky. D for what, Alex wondered. Danger? Discovery? Or disaster?"). These exaggerations only add to the fun, as do the creative gadgets that Alex uses, including a metal-munching cream described as "Zit-Clean. For Healthier Skin." The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventures, from a high-speed bike chase to a death-defying dance with a Portuguese man-of-war. The audience will stay tuned for his next assignment, Point Blanc, due out spring 2002. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Alex Rider's world is turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle and guardian has been murdered. The 14-year-old makes one discovery after another until he is sucked into his uncle's undercover world. The Special Operations Division of M16, his uncle's real employer, blackmails the teen into serving England. After two short weeks of training, Alex is equipped with several special toys like a Game Boy with unique cartridges that allow it to scan, fax, and emit smoke bombs. Alex's mission is to complete his uncle's last assignment, to discover the secret that Herod Sayle is hiding behind his generous donation of one of his supercomputers to every school in the country. When Alex enters Sayle's compound in Port Tallon, he discovers a strange world of secrets and villains including Mr. Grin, an ex-circus knife catcher, and Yassen Gregorovich, professional hit man. The novel provides bang after bang as Alex experiences and survives unbelievably dangerous episodes and eventually crashes through the roof of the Science Museum to save the day. Alex is a strong, smart hero. If readers consider luck the ruling factor in his universe, they will love this James Bond-style adventure. With short cliff-hanger chapters and its breathless pace, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Warning: Suspend reality.

Lynn Bryant, formerly at Navarre High School, FL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Puffin Books (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698119347
• ISBN-13: 978-0698119345
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (286 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #617,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Alex Rider Adventure Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This isn't just another YA book!, April 28, 2004

By	H. S. Wedekind "Mr. Weekend" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't remember how I got hooked on the Alex Rider Adventure books, but I'm glad I did. Alex is an unusual fourteen-year-old with many skills: he is fluent in French, Spanish, and German...has the ability to drive a Quad...a Blackbelt in karate...can play snooker like Minnesota Fats plays pool...and has a nose for danger...AND a sense of humor! He usually finds himself up against the wealthiest, nastiest, cold-blooded villains this side of James Bond. Alex is also the youngest special agent MI6 (British Intelligence) has ever had. Put all that and more in a fast-paced, action-packed, page-turner of a novel and you can't lose. Mr. Horowitz has developed a likeable and interesting hero. I hope he continues writing more of these wonderful books. I think adults would enjoy reading about Alex, too.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A parent's review (contains spoilers), December 9, 2007

By	Julia Flyte - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Stormbreaker (Alex Rider Adventure) (Paperback)

I am coming late to the Alex Rider series as my oldest son is only seven. This is the second Alex Rider book that I've read, for the purpose of understanding when my spy-obsessed son might be old enough to start reading the series.

I enjoyed reading this book. It obviously lacks the complexity and depth of a book written for adults, but it is still a fast paced and enjoyable thriller that borrows heavily on the James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises. Alex Rider makes a likable hero who is brave, tenacious and resourceful.

I would feel comfortable giving it to my son to read when he's a little older - my gut feel is 9-10 years would be about right. He still needs to strengthen his reading skills (words like interrogation, hyperventilating, cloying, claustrophobic and exquisite are typical), but also to develop the maturity to cope with a plot that involves a fair amount of violence (the book opens with the death of Alex's uncle and bad guys get shot on a regular basis).

Here are some things that parents may like to know about this book:
- The storyline is reasonably simple and the bad guy/good guy lines are clearly drawn.
- Violence is not described in overly graphic detail, but it does occur throughout the book. Alex fires a gun twice and hits a bad guy on one occasion. He also causes the death of another villain by causing a plane crash.
- There is no swearing or bad language.
- There is a noticeable absence of positive female characters (unless you count the housekeeper who barely appears). There is a reference by the MI5 regarding female agents predominantly being of use if you need to slip someone in as a secretary or receptionist.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!, July 2, 2002

By	Jonathan Spungen (Mt. Airy, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Stormbreaker is one of my favorite books. I have read it through many times. It is about a 14 year old boy who lives with his housekeeper, and his uncle. One night, policemen come to the door and tell Alex that his uncle was killed out in a car crash. Alex does some research, and finds out that his uncle's car was riddled with bullets. Soon after, Alex discovers that his uncle was a spy. He decides to follow in uncle's footsteps. Alex goes on a mission to find out if a man donating computers to all the schools in London is really as nice as he seems. Armed with a tube of stuff that burns through metal, a yo-yo that can lift his weight when climing, and a Game-boy that really is a fax machine/scanner, a x-ray device that can see through walls, a bug finder, and a smoke bomb. Using these devices, he goes under cover. Thats all I'm going to tell you, read the book to experience the adventure of STORMBREAKER.