Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #635 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
When his guardian dies in suspicious circumstances, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider finds his world turned upside down. Forcibly recruited into MI6, Alex has to take part in gruelling SAS training exercises. Then, armed with his own special set of secret gadgets, he's off on his first mission to Cornwall, where Middle-Eastern multi-billionaire Herod Sayle is producing his state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers. Sayle has offered to give one free to every school in the country - but there's more to the gift than meets the eye.

Customer Reviews

Very enjoyable but could of been longer.
I really enjoyed this book but found that it could of been fleshed out more as the premise was good and all the characters were interesting. As an adult reading it I could be missing out on the fact that its aimed at children and therefore a perfect length but Harry Potter is also meant for children and was much more detailed. I think as a whole the book was good and I would probably read another in the series but would hope for a more detailed story in the next one otherwise I would give up reading any more.

Very cool book
I picked up this book as an impulse, having heard about the series here and there. Am I glad I did! The Alex Rider series has that rare trait of making you itch to get your hands on the next book the second you've put one down.
The story starts pretty much from the word go, and within a chapter you're onto your first tense action scene. Whilst this is great in many ways (no messing around, direct and fast), I felt as though I barely got to know Alex through the book, as there was a massive focus on what he goes through rather who Alex is, which is a bit sad, as I feel that if Horowitz spent just a few pages exploring Alex's personality, we'd have really felt for him more during his darker moments.
As a spy book, the mystery and clues all fit together nicely, and Alex is hardly invincible (he makes a lot of mistakes on the way, and is beat around a lot). Sometimes, though, it felt a bit annoying that Alex conveniently had all these skills he'd learned as a kid and with a few days training. He comes across as a bit talented for his own good now and then, and he is suprisingly hardened and indifferent to the horrors he goes through; he's only 14 after all!
So, with all of these negative comments, why have I given it 4/5 I hear you cry (or not)? Because of Horowitz's fantastic writing style. He keeps everything crystal clear and uncluttered, but still manages to be imaginative and descriptive. Not since Harry Potter have I read a book that so clearly makes you see all the characters and places in your head.

I could recommend this book to practically anyone. It is one of those classic breeds of books that will leave you with only one hand to use for a few days whilst the other one holds this book up to your face. It has a wide appeal, and although it's classed as a book for teenagers, don't let this put off the older reader; it all gets quite serious later on. Gripping, exciting and addictive. I'm off to read the second one right NOW!

You get what you pay for
If you buy this book you are probably looking for a teenage James Bond-type adventure. This book delivers pretty close to the mark, apart from the lack of any romantic interest. The style of writing is fairly mediocre (but you're not looking for great literature, are you?) and it is the same in structure as a typical Bond adventure - spies, English goodies, power crazed international baddies, fast paced action, fights, gruesome yet amusing deaths, loads of "I want one of those!" gadgets and plenty of "escape from certain death" situations for our hero, Alex Rider.

One note of caution; the character of Bond and his exploits are as far-fetched and fantastical as books like Harry Potter, but for some reason the Alex Rider books are treated as though they are somehow more "realistic" than Harry Potter. In fact, once you step into a world like Harry Potter's the excellent writing blots out reality and you find yourself "believing" all the things he does. Unfortunately the quality of writing and the plotting in this Alex Rider book is nowhere near capable of carrying you away in the same way as a well written fantasy novel. Therefore, an intelligent reader who is not even looking for plot-holes will still find them a-plenty in these pages and might be slightly disappointed. But don't let that put you off - if you're looking for a teenage "Bond" style adventure this book gives you what you pay for and you won't find much better in the bookshops.