Stormbreaker
The Alex Rider Series
Anthony Horowitz

Puffin (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-14-240611-2 (0142406112)
ISBN-13: 978-0-14-240611-3 (9780142406113)
Publication Date: February 2006
List Price: $7.99

Review: At the beginning of Stormbreaker, Alex Rider wakes up to voices from downstairs. They are men who have come to tell him his uncle is dead. All seems to be normal- for a funeral- until a man named Alan Blunt talks with Alex about his future and his uncle’s job. His natural curiosity aroused by Blunt, he is determined to find out how his uncle died. While investigating his office he finds out that Ian Rider was not a banker- he was a spy. Alex is then recruited by M16, the spy agency Ian worked for. In a short while, Alex is sent to investigate Sayle Enterprises, a computer company with seemingly beneficial intentions to the world. While investigating he meets such personalities as Harold Sayle, the eccentric head of the company, Mr. Grin, an aide to Sayle, and Yassen Gregorovich, a Russian assassin who may or may not be connected to Ian Rider’s death.

This story as a whole was enjoyable, comparable to a more kid friendly Hunt for Red October or a James Bond spy thriller. Alex’s personality is very enveloping, and right after you’ve digested it, the rest of the book’s characters are introduced. The scenery is very detailed, containing such locations as a country town, a network of underground tunnels and a giant fish tank. This series is one of my favorites, and the first book is still the best in my mind. If you enjoy action books, this one is for you. If you like thrillers, this one is for you. If you like mysteries, this one is for you. I do recommend a 10+ age for reading this since it does have violence in it.

This book has been made into a movie and won the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award in 2004.

Review written by Andrew, Age 13, Grade 7. Date of review: April 2009.

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