Horowitz, A. (2004). Stormbreaker (p. 256). Puffin.
ISBN : 014240165X
$17.99 hardback
Reader's Annotation: Alex Rider attempts to avenge his murdered uncle by helping a British spy agency stop a terrorist from unleashing a deadly virus.
Summary: Alex Rider knows something is suspicious about the car accident that killed his uncle, and only living relative. But he is surprised to discover his uncle, whom he always knew as a banker, is actually a spy for Britan's top spy agency, MI6. Even more surprising, the MI6 folks want Alex's help. He's given a bit of training, and sent in to finish the mission his uncle started. Herod Sayle is an entrepreneur who has developed a new supercomputer, the Stormbreaker. He's offered to give one to every school in Britain, and a ceremony has been planned to commemorate the occasion, with the Prime Minister flicking the switch to activate all the computers at once. The MI6 officers think there is more to Sayle than generosity, and it's up to Alex to find out what the computer are really supposed to do.
Genre: adventure, series, action
Series : Seven Alex Rider novels have been published to date:
- Stormbreaker
- Point Blank
- Skeleton Key
- Eagle Strike
- Scorpia
- Arkangel
- Snakehead
Evaluation: This was certainly a non-stop action sort of book. While it's not exactly my favorite sort of book, I would certainly have no trouble recommending it to readers in search of action adventure stories.
Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This would be a great pick for a reluctant reader who craves action stories. There is no extraneous descriptions, the writing is tight and focused. Alex is a great hero, well trained and rarely complaining, smart and strong. Additionally, there are six more books to read after this one, plus graphic novel adapations and a movie tie in. With all the slick publicity surrounding these books, a tween collection without them would be unthinkable.
Readalikes :
- Young James Bond books (Silverfin, etc) by Charlie Higson
- Maxium Ride series by James Patterson
- Among the Hidden series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Reviews:
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
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