Ark Angel (Alex Rider)

Book Description

The sniperÂ's bullet nearly killed him. But Alex Rider managed to survive . . . just in time for more trouble to come his way. When kidnappers attempt to snatch a fellow patient from the exclusive hospital where Alex is recovering, he knows he has to stop him. But the boy he saves is no ordinary patient: He is the son of Nikolai Drevin, one of the richest men in the world. The eccentric billionaire has been targeted by Force Three, a group of eco-terrorists who claim his project Ark AngelÂ—the first luxury hotel in outer spaceÂ—is a danger to the environment. Soon Alex discovers that Force Three will stop at nothing to destroy Ark Angel, even if it means sending four hundred tons of molten glass and steel hurtling down to Earth and killing millions . . . unless Alex can stop them.

Customer Reviews:

Great series.......2007-10-07

Last year my son bought the first 5 books in this series from the school book order. This last month, I finally read the whole series. He bought this book this summer. I love the spy and all that stuff, I am a fan of the Bourne movies, I tried reading the books, but there were too many swear words. So now these books. I love them, they are action packed have you at the edge of your seat and I can say that it doesn't bother me that my ten year old son keeps reading them over and over. It is fun to read the same things that your kids love and love it so much your self. I am addicted to this series. This book was great on it's own, you don't need the whole series for back ground. But reading them all is so much fun.

As always..........2007-09-05

He's done it again!! Anthony Horowitz perfecty presents the next book in his series. I loved it.

** For people who have never read the books start in order with Stormbreaker. Make sure you read the book before you see the movie!!

Ark Angel Best in Series.......2007-08-11

Both my 15 and 11 year old sons read the Alex Rider book series and they loved Ark Angel the best out of all the books so far. They are already asking for me to pre-order the next book.

Ark Angel.......2007-08-02

Anything to get my young son to read is great. He loved the Alex Rider series of books.

English Paper.......2007-06-08

"He didn't even make it halfway down the corridor. The full force of a twenty-pound oxygen cylinder hit him right between the legs. His face went mauve and he dropped the knife... He crumpled, eyes bulging." Usually M16 and the CIA don't chose 14 year old to be a spy, but Alex is an exception. Alex almost is killed on every mission he goes on. Alex Rider has been in some bad situations, but nothing tops what is in this book. First, he was sent to the hospital because of a nearly fatal sniper bullet. Then he was "accidentally" kidnapped. He was almost killed in a burning building. Then he tries to get two weeks of R & R. but he has to try to spend it with one of the richest people in the world. Nikolie Drevin (the rich man) challenges Alex to a go-kart race. Sounds easy? Try racing against someone who will do whatever it takes to win (even killing), oh and did I mention their going over 80 MPH! The karts are open wheeled and have no roll cage. The last person to race Nikolie had a broken arm, broken ribs, and a fractured skull. Drevin finds out Alex works for M16 and the CIA. Drevin tried to kill him by locking him in a sunken ship when Alex went scuba diving. Alex gets back to the beach and hides. He tries to see if Drevin is going to run but is captured. He gets away then kite surfs about eight miles before the CIA rescues him. A rocket caring a bomb is taken to Ark Angel and Alex either has to defuse it of move it (the bomb that is). Alex succeeds and lands in the waters off Australia. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Alex Rider series or likes realistic fiction books.

I like this book because it isn't too far from what can happen today. Like when Alex is trapped in the sunken WW2 ship. And when he's trapped in the burning building.

I also like how he was able to get away (for a little bit) from the people that try to kidnap him. He got rid of "Silver Tooth" by using a defibrillator on his neck. He got rid of "Spectacles" with an air tank in between the legs. "Combat Jacket" was hit in the chest with a ten-pound medicine. And "Metal Watch" was "sucked" into a MRI machine.

When Alex went to space was cool and funny. Whenever he tried to push of a wall gently, he would launch himself. Then he saw Kasper (not the ghost!). He had a knife and tried to kill Alex. Alex wins (of course) and moves the bomb. Then he lands in the water on earth.

A. Snively

Average customer rating:

Best book I've ever read
Great book
best in the series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@@*****%%%
Eagle Strikes the best!!
Girls can even enjoy this series

Eagle Strike (Alex Rider)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406139

Amazon.com

Anthony Horowitz's enormously popular series about the world's premier teenage spy, returns for another round with secret agent Alex Rider fighting ingenious villains and charming every girl he meets. Eagle Strike, Horowitz's fourth fictional foray into the world of British spy agency MI6, starts out calmly enough as Alex and his lovely companion, Miss Sabina Pleasure, vacation with her family in the south of France. But before you can say Goldfinger, Alex spots his old nemesis, renowned assassin Yassen Gregorovich, on the beach. What Alex discovers is a plan so diabolical that it makes all of his previous adventures seem like a stroll in the Queen Mum's garden. Alex must fight to keep Gregorovich from executing the plans of a mysterious and murderous madman--an operation code named "Eagle Strike." He will just have to face down a few minor complications first: a virtual reality game that inflicts real pain; a fleet of Porche 911 GT3-driving hit men; and even a near fatal brush with death aboard the most famous aircraft in the world, Air Force One. But he'll persevere, or his name isn't Rider: Alex Rider. Eagle Strike, like all of the ridiculously fun Alex Rider adventures, is a pure guilty pleasure from start to finish. Even the most reluctant of readers won't be able to resist Alex's Bond-like ingenuity and charisma. Anthony Horowitz is a master of pacing, and as Alex swings from one cliff-hanging chapter to the next, Horowitz proves that you don't have to be Shakespeare to pen a crackerjack plot! --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Millions adore him. A philanthropist. Anti-drug crusader. Peace activist. And former pop star the likes of which the world has never seen. Sir Damian Cray even has the presidentÂ's ear. Yet the presidentÂ's ear is not enough for DamianÂ—he wants more. Such as the presidentÂ's fingerprints. So he can manipulate computer systems only the President of the United States has access to. So he can launch nuclear missiles. From aboard Air Force One. All in the name of peace.... So what if a few million lives are lost in the process?

Teen spy Alex Rider survives a bullfight, a high-speed bicycle chase through Amsterdam, and even being the target in a human video-game, only to face his most disturbing challenge yet: when the best of intentions are driven by insanity, how do you reason with a madman?

Customer Reviews:

Best book I've ever read.......2007-09-09

Bought this for my very active 12 year old (kiteboarding, surfing, skateboard, video game enthusiast, and musician) who has not been particularly enamored with reading--considers it "not fun" --like going to the dentist. He says he couldn't put it down. Read it in 4 days during the school week. Claims it's the best book he has ever read. Granted, hasn't read many, but getting him to enjoy a book this much is a major victory. He wants me to get all the books in this series.

Great book.......2007-08-23

Great book, non-stop action, hard to put down. The series gets better as it goes. Without a doubt, buy this book.

best in the series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@@*****%%%.......2007-08-22

I've read all of the Alex Rider books and i think Eagle Strike is the best. This book starts out where Alex is with Sabina on vacation in France. but then, he sees Yassen gregorovitch and 2 other men on a boat, and sees he cant go on with the vacation after Sabina's house house blows up. the policeman say it was a leak, but Alex Knows that Yassen was behind it all. alex gets really mad, and goes to the boat that he saw Yassen on. and when he's in there, he sees Yassen has Sir Damien Cray's privet phone # on it. he also sees a gun there, so he grabs the gun and goes to where Yassen is sleeping and almost pulls the trigger, but one of his men catches him. they deside what to do with him, and the desicion was make him go as a bullfighter. its either that or they shoot him. so alex goes to the bullfighting arena with Yassen's men pointing a pistol at him the whole time to make sure he doesn't leave. but of course alex finds a way out of it. he flies back to london and tries to persued them that he saw Sir Damien Cray's privet # on yassen's phone, and that they're up to no good, but they dont belive him. so alex desides to go alone.
Damien cray is launching a new Video game called the GAMESLAYER thats supposed to be the world's greatest new VG system. and he's laaunching it at hyde park. Alex goes there andDamien Cray asks if there is any teens there and someone pches him up face-to-face with DC. He maks alex trie the gameslayer and alex is pretty good, until DC Squezzed his arm and made him lose. you're gonna have to read it to figure out wahat happens next!!!!

Eagle Strikes the best!!.......2007-04-16

In the book Eagle Strike the setting takes place in England, at Damian Cray's factory for the GAME SLAYER, a new video game system.
In this book Damian Cray, who is a multi-million dollar singer, made a new high-tech video game system. The M16, or British intelligence, doesn't trust him because everyone who questions him seems to be killed in an accident sooner or later. HMMM? So Alex Rider, a M16 agent, is at the grand presentation of the GAME SLAYER. He is the only teenager there, so Cray calls him on the stage and wants him to try it. It was amazing. Later Alex finds out Cray uses the game system & factory as a cover-up for another plan. The plan is to blow up all illegal drugs in the world, but to do that he must use the U.S.A.'s nuclear bombs. So he steals the president's airplane that has all access to the 12 bombs. They are launched to blow up different parts of the world that make drugs. But this tactic would also take millions of innocent lives. So after a fierce battle in the plane Cray is pushed out and sucked in the engine & killed, Alex then self destructs the bombs in space. So Alex saves the world again.
I recommend this book to people who like suspenseful, action packed books that you just can't put down!

Rylie Williams

Girls can even enjoy this series.......2007-04-11

I am a girl tho i can not get into the gossip girl books and a-list i still enjoy meg cabot but when my friend lent me these books i immediatly fell in love with the action and suspense and basicly everything!! this series isnt only for boys girls can enjoy it too!!

Average customer rating:

This is a really good series for adolescent boys.
Skeleton Key
Skeleton Key
A Great Start to a Series
skeleton Key

Skeleton Key (Alex Rider)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406147

Book Description

Alex Rider has been through a lot for his fourteen years. He's been shot at by international terrorists, chased down a mountainside, and stood face-to-face with evil. Twice, young Alex has saved the world. And twice, he has almost been killed doing it. But now Alex faces something even more dangerous. The desperation of a man who has lost everything he cared for: his country and his only son. A man who just happens to have a nuclear weapon and a serious grudge against the free world. To see his beloved Russia once again be a dominant power, he will stop at nothing. Unless Alex can stop him first.

The phenomenon that is the Alex Rider series returns with pulse-quickening action as, for the first time, Britain's MI6 and America's CIA unite forces. Be glad Alex is on our side.

Customer Reviews:

This is a really good series for adolescent boys. .......2007-07-23

I am an English teacher reviewing this series for student consumption. I think it is an excellent series, especially for adolescent boys. The girls, however, enjoy it too.

Skeleton Key.......2007-05-21

Skeleton key

The book I just read was one out of five books of the series Alex Rider written by Anthony Horowitz. The book I read was called Skeleton key. Alex Rider saves the world again even though he is a young teenager. This book is a thrilling page turner and you will not want to stop reading! This book is all you will concentrate on while you read. Who ever likes spy and mystery books will love this story!

This great story starts off in a Cessna Skyhawk Sp coming in for a land at Cayo Esqueleto (Skeleton Key) I love how this book is always a mystery when you turn the pages. It is always very exciting as you read! The men in the plane were looking at a thermal intensifier. Things were going just the way they planed.

Unfortunately it was going to be kind of hard to land on the runway. But luckily there were two lights at the beginning of the runway. That was a little about the beginning of the book. But here is where the book gets exciting! Alex Rider is spying on a man named Alexei Sarav (bad guy). As Alex is spying in Sarav's mansion he gets caught. Alex Rider is held in Sarav's old horse shed, but manages to escape. (Man Alex is good!)

Now Alex has run into a big obstacle, to stop a nuclear bomb in England. All right I'm not going to tell anymore details about the book because I don't want to ruin the ending to the book. I really encourage people to read this great book and even the rest of the series because it's great too! So if you get the chance read the book Skeleton Key!

Skeleton Key.......2007-03-16

Skeleton Key by Anthony horowitz is an ultra-fast paced thrill. The book centers around the teenage superhero, Alex Rider, and how he yet again saves the world. This time Alex is sent to spy on a bomb smuggler named Alexi Sarav on the remote island of Skeleton Key. Alex gains a lot of information spying in his mansion, until he is found out. Alex is hled captive in Sarav's old horse shed, but somehow finds a way out through another MI6 gaurd undercover working for Sarav. Alex gets out with just enough time to stop the nucular bomb from exploding back in England.
I would give this book a four out of five becuase The detail is exceptional and I really love Anthony Horowitz and the way he writes. I would reccomend this book to any action seeking fan.

A Great Start to a Series.......2007-03-02

"I'm a spy in England. My uncle died on a mission. So they called for me. My problem is that I don't want to be a spy. The agency keeps on sucking me into this. I hate it, every time I almost kill myself." These are the words of Alex Rider. He's a spy in England, he has done other missions. He is talented at saving the world I would say.
He's more than just a spy, he has saved the world two other times. This is an action/adventure story. Skeleton Key is part of a series. It's called The Alex Rider series. The author is Anthony Howoritz. I think that boys 11-13 would enjoy this book. This book is definitely fiction, maybe a little to fake in parts. The story takes place in Wimbledon and then changes to two other settings. You will want to read the other books in the series in order. Read this book!

- Connor Mitchell

skeleton Key.......2007-02-28

The world saving teen Alex Rider. The book skeleton Key is about a teenager spy that saves the world. He went with the C.I.A to spy on sarov on the island called skeleton Key. Sarov capures him and holds him at his house. The two C.I.A agent he went with where never seen again. The theme of the book is when alex saved Russia from getting blown up. The reason why Anthony Horowitz might have wrote the book is for intertainment. The book was exiting and intence always because he was trying to escape from Sarov to save the world. In part of the book it said, The grind stones were getting closer with every second that passed. He could feel the vibration trensmited down the conveyor belt.This part was important because Alex Rider could have ben killed right their. I recomend all ages to reead this because it is intence, exiting, and all around fun to read.

Average customer rating:

Action From The First Chapter! Review by YMP, age 12
point blanc is not a blanc book!
Alex Rider is an awsome spy adventure for preteens
Point Blank Review
Point Blank Review

Point Blank (Alex Rider Adventures)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406120

Book Description

When an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths leads agents to an elite prep school for rebellious kids, MI6 assigns Alex Rider to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is hanging out with the sons of the rich and powerful, and something feels wrong. These former juvenile delinquents have turned well-behaved, studiousÂ—and identicalÂ—overnight. ItÂ's up to Alex to find out who is masterminding this nefarious plot, before they find him.

Customer Reviews:

Action From The First Chapter! Review by YMP, age 12.......2007-09-07

Point Blank is one of the first books in the Alex Rider series, and it is by far my favourite of the lot. It has tons of action, which by itself is quite ordinary, but how Horowitz manages to work in an excellent plot that is absolutely not formulaic no matter how many Alex Rider books he writes, that's extraordinary.

The book starts off with action in the first chapter, not making you read two or three boring chapters before the action starts like some other books. As soon as I read the first chapter, about the assassination of a multimillionaire, I knew it was just as good as the others, if not better. There are now six books in the series: Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Ark Angel. I encourage you to read them all! - Y.M.P.

point blanc is not a blanc book!.......2007-05-27

I read this book 2 times and each time it seems to get more exciting! It has to be he most action packed alex rider book out there. This time alex is asigned to look into a case at point blanc academy, the finishing school for the crime comiting sons of rich people. But the head teachers not just in it for the money and fun.....

Alex Rider is an awsome spy adventure for preteens.......2007-04-02

I recommend this book to anyone who likes nonstop action. This book is a non-stop, non-fiction thriller. The plot is very believable because Anthony Horowitz explains anything that is confusing. I loved this book and have read the whole series. This book was a page-turner because you are yearning to find out what happens to Alex. You can't put it down. You keep saying 5 more minutes but don't put it down until your done. Anthony Horowitz has been long deprived of a well-deserved medal. Horowitz has created a world of action, spies, and evil lunatics that try to take over the world. With more publicity, this could be the next Harry Potter.

Point Blank Review.......2007-03-23

Point Blank was a never ending action book. Alex Rider is sent to Point Blank Acadamy to discover what is going on inside. The reason the British agency MI6 sends Alex to Point Blank is because after two unsloved murders of parents who's children attend Point Blank. You will just have to read to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. This book was all about action which I was really into. Anthony Horowitz really got me into the book and I didn't want to put it down. I really loved how Anthony Horowitz kept you guessing the whole time, and you didn't know what would happen next. I was impressed by Point Blank and I sugest this book to all young readers who like action.

Point Blank Review.......2007-03-23

Point Blank was a never ending action book. Alex Rider is sent to Point Blank Acadamy to discover what is going on inside. The British agency MI6 sends Alex to Point Blank after two unsloved murders of two parents who's children attend Point Blank. You will just have to read to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. This book was all about action which I was really into. Anthony Horowitz really got me into the book and I didn't want to put it down. I really loved how Anthony Horowitz kept you guessing the whole time what would happen next. I was impressed by Point Blank and I sugest this book to all young readers who like action.

Alex Rider: The Gadgets (Alex Rider Adventure)

Average customer rating:

Alex Rider: The Gadgets (Alex Rider Adventure)
Alex Rider : The Gadgets

Alex Rider: The Gadgets (Alex Rider Adventure)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399244867

Book Description

As fans of teen spy Alex Rider know, nothing is more fun or mind-boggling than the gadgets that time and again help free him from tight spots, such as the Game Boy that doubled as a Geiger counter in Skeleton Key. Or the CD player with the fast-spinning saw blade in Point Blank that helped free Alex from a steel-barred window. Now, for the first time, readers everywhere can glimpse the secret files and blueprints that detail each gadget. It's almost as much fun as actually owning these techno-toys. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Alex Rider: The Gadgets (Alex Rider Adventure) .......2007-02-02

It's great book, I' got it for my son he read it in one day. The service was great, we' ve got the books in no time.

Alex Rider : The Gadgets.......2007-01-19

At first I didn't think I would like this book. I got it as a present. but it was neat to see the different gadgets Alex gets to use in each story. It made me want to read the next book (point blank) right away! I really love this series. (as told by my 8 year old son)

Average customer rating:

Plodding Period Pulp
More Character, Less Action Than A Typical Elmore Leonard
Attitude
Octogenarian Marvel
Uneven

Up in Honey's Room: A Novel
Elmore Leonard
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060724242
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

The odd thing about Walter Schoen, German born but now running a butcher shop in Detroit, he's a dead ringer for Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and the Gestapo. They even share the same birthday.

Honey Deal, Walter's American wife, doesn't know that Walter is a member of a spy ring that sends U.S. war production data to Germany and gives shelter to escaped German prisoners of war. But she's tired of telling him jokes he doesn't understand—it's time to get a divorce.

Along comes Carl Webster, the hot kid of the Marshals Service. He's looking for Jurgen Schrenk, a former Afrika Korps officer who escaped from a POW camp in Oklahoma. Carl's pretty sure Walter's involved with keeping Schrenk hidden, so Carl gets to know Honey, hoping she'll take him to Walter. Carl then meets Vera Mezwa, the nifty Ukrainian head of the spy ring who's better looking than Mata Hari, and her tricky lover Bohdan with the Buster Brown haircut and a sly way of killing.

Honey's a free spirit; she likes the hot kid marshal and doesn't much care that he's married. But all Carl wants is to get Jurgen Schrenk without getting shot. And then there's Otto—the Waffen-SS major who runs away with a nice Jewish girl. It's Elmore Leonard's world—gritty, funny, and full of surprises.

Customer Reviews:

Plodding Period Pulp.......2007-10-12

Even though I thought "The Hot Kid" was one of the worst of the fifteen or so Leonard books I've read, I picked this sequel up, hoping for an improvement. Unfortunately, it's pretty much more of the same -- a period pulper with few of the twists and turns that make much of Leonard's other works so engaging. Once again, his dexterity with dialogue is mostly held in check by the desire to recreate period speech and slang. Set about a decade after the events in "The Hot Kid", we are reintroduced to U.S. Marshall Carl Franklin, here on the trail of a pair of escaped German POWs who've made their way to Detroit during the waning days of WWII. One of the problems with the book is that since Carl became friendly with one of the two POWs down in Oklahoma, he seems largely ambivalent about actually catching them. Instead, he becomes entangled with the titular Honey, a gorgeous and sharp young woman who used to be married to a butcher who may be helping to hide the two escapees.

From here, the story just keeps wandering, as we meet other members of a pro-German underground cadre, including a Ukrainian spy and her cross-dressing houseboy/lover, a local doctor, and a southern tycoon. Aside from Honey, none of these characters have the snap or bite of Leonard's typical supporting casts. He relies on flashy superficialities rather than building interesting characters. For example, the butcher's remarkable resemblance to Heinrich Himmler more or less drives everything else about him. One of the the escapees has a yen to become a professional bull rider on the rodeo circuit. (Meanwhile, the other is kind of an inside joke. Named Otto Penzler -- in honor of the legendary mystery genre editor, bookstore owner, and publisher -- the character dreams of opening a bookshop selling only mysteries.... Wink, wink.) And underneath his cross-dressing, even the villain of the story is basically a straightforward sociopath.

In any event, the main drama comes from the will-they-or-won't-they banter between Carl and Honey. Carl's pledged to stay truth to his Marine gunny wife, while Honey is trying to pick between Carl and the wannabe cowboy POW. Sure, there's some shooting and killing along the way, but none of it seems all that important to Carl (or the reader).

More Character, Less Action Than A Typical Elmore Leonard.......2007-10-05

The characters in this novel are vivid and large, with the good guys and bad guys mingling as if they're all at the same high school dance. Much less a crime novel than a talky character study, it is a compelling book, but not one for someone looking for suspense or thrills. Elmore Leonard is one of our best working novelists, and I did very much enjoy this book, but I found myself wishing there was a bit more gunplay, murder, or other typical crime novel devices.

Attitude.......2007-09-21

Not much action, but plenty of characters posing. Could have been a stage play with the twist at the end. People not wanting to do the jobs they are assigned, waitng for the war to end. It does make me want to research Otto Penzler.

Octogenarian Marvel.......2007-09-04

I remember reading an interview with Elmore Leonard in which he said that if a writer is constantly casting about for different ways to express the verb "said" he's wasting his time. The key is the dialogue itself, not how one describes its utterance.

As I marveled at Up in Honey's Room's succinct, unexpected, witty dialogue, I was reminded of Leonard's statement again and again. Sure, this novel features characters that are a bit too outrageous, and sure, a few of the plot developments are worthy of an eye roll or two. Is it his best work? No, but please, make no mistake: This is a lean, funny book.

I hope that I can appreciate good writing like this when I'm 82... which is how old Leonard was when he wrote this novel!

Uneven.......2007-08-24

This book is great when Honey is in the scene, but the scene's she's not a part of, which are many, tend to drag. The characters are strange, but rarely amusing. It's an OK book, but there are much better out there.

Average customer rating:

Scorpia
Great Book Overall
Its What for Diner Tonight
pce student review
A Great Addition to a Great Series!

Scorpia (Alex Rider Adventure)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142405787

Amazon.com

Fans of the Alex Rider Adventures will not be disappointed by the slam-bang action in this fifth book in the spy thriller series, although the ending may leave them feeling a bit dismayed. A parachute jump onto the roof of a super-secure pharmaceutical complex, a desperate escape from a water-filled cellar under the canals of Venice, elegant and witty encounters with mega-criminals bent on death -- it's all here, and Alex, still 14-years old, comes out ahead every time in spite of the heavy odds against him. "Go to Venice. Find Scorpia. And you will find your destiny," Alex was told by a dying man at the end of the previous book, Eagle Strike. And so we find him; in Venice, with his friend Tom, looking for clues to his father's identity and death. Was he an agent of M16, the secret world organization that has used Alex before? Or was he a tool of Scorpia, the powerful international criminal agency that specializes in sabotage, corruption, intelligence, and assassination? And which are the bad guys? Alex loses track as he is recruited by the beautiful and deadly Julia Rothman, one of the nine executives of Scorpia, to be trained at their Venetian island school for assassins and to take part in a plot to kill thousands of 12 and 13-year-olds in England. Caught between shifting allegiances and different versions of his father's life and death, Alex outwits and outfights everybody as the plot rockets along to a smash finish that will leave readers breathless and shocked. (Ages 10-14) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Alex Rider, teen spy, has always been told he is the spitting image of the father he never knew. But when Alex learns that his father may have been an assassin for the most lethal and powerful terrorist organization in the world, Scorpia, his world shatters. Now Scorpia wants Alex on their side, and Alex no longer has the strength to fight them. That is, until he learns of Scorpia's latest plot: an operation known only as "Invisible Sword" that will result in the death of thousands of people. Can Alex prevent the slaughter, or will Scorpia prove once and for all that the terror will not be stopped?

Customer Reviews:

Scorpia.......2007-06-13

Scorpia Scholastic Inc., 2004,p.p.312, $5.99
Anthony Horowitz ISBN:0-439-87922-1

Scorpia is about a teenage boy whose parents are killed in a plane crash. Alex then turns into an orphan owned by MI6.
Since Alex's dad worked for MI6, and was against a large criminal organization called Scorpia, Alex gets caught between the two.
Scorpia captures Alex and secretly plans to kill him and thousands of other children after Alex kills the boss of MI6. Scorpia names this plan The Invisible Sword.
They only do this for money from the government. This book was adventurous and interesting.
An exciting part was when Alex escapes from a chamber that fills with water killing any victim contained.
I would recommend this book to advanced readers. My opinion of this book is that it's exciting and thrilling. Some things to expect from this book are dangerous acts committed by Alex Rider.
Read this book to find out if Alex stops this madness.

Great Book Overall.......2007-06-07

I thought that this was a very great book. Anthony Horowitz used great plot twists to really bring out a sense of adventure in the book. Also, the charqctes were really realistic, with great description. The clifhangger ending could have been improved, but overall it was very good. The Alex Rider character was like a normal boy, just as he would seem in real life. This was a very good book. I wuld recomend it for ages 10-16.

Its What for Diner Tonight.......2007-05-26

Alex is boy the age of 14, but he is not an ordinary boy. He has done many missions for MI6. MI6 is a secret organization that protects the U.K. After the death of Yassen Gregorovich he followed his last words, "Go to Venice. Find Scorpia and find you destiny." Alex doesn't know anything about them only that when he finds them he will find his destiny. When he finds the he is put into there group and sent on a mission to kill the one who killed his father. His former boss. After this happens he must save the world from something he doesn't know anything about.
Scorpia was written by Anthony Horowitz. I liked the pace of the book. It didn't drag on. It was full of action and thrill. I personally would have wanted him to stay on the dark side longer, maybe for a book then switch back.

pce student review.......2007-04-27

I like the book Scorpia because it has action and sadness. I think Alex is really cool because he does all the action, is a spy, and does all the stunts so I think he is my favorite character. I think this book should be for people ten and up because it has a little violence. My favorite part is when Alex gets chased by Scorpia agents and jumps on the prarie. This book is about Alex wanting to find out about his father because he doesn't know if he's good or bad. But while doing that he has to stop agents for a group called Scorpia that does bad stuff to people. But I'm not going to spoil anything else because you might want to read it. Well that's pretty much it.

A Great Addition to a Great Series!.......2007-03-23

Anthony Horowitz once again writes an incredible story and adds another chapter to the Alex Rider series. In this addition, our hero Alex must fight against the world's most powerful criminal organization to stop the murder of thousand of London's children, and himself. The book has many pages of intense action and suspense that makes every reader lose themselves in the book. It is definitely a page turner!

The story is mostly directed at teenage boys, but girls will like it too. The only people who would not like it is kids under the age of 10, since there are some parts that get a little too intense for that age group. If you like action and suspense, this book is just right for you. However, I do recommend reading the books before Scorpia in the series (Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, and Eagle Strike). If you don't feel like reading all of the others, you wouldn't be too confused. But I highly recommend reading at least Eagle Strike, since a lot of the book is based off things that happen in it.

Overall I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The whole series (and Scorpia) are full of page turning action and wide-eyed suspense that will make readers beg for more!

Average customer rating:

Stormbreaker
Bookmom's Review - Stormbreaker
I know James Bond, and you're no James Bond
Audiobook Review
Action, Adventure, and Cool Gadgets

Stormbreaker (Alex Rider Adventure)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406112

Book Description

They told him his uncle died in a car accident. But fourteen-year-old Alex knows that's a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing could prepare him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6-Britain's top secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

"What if James Bond had started spying as a teenager? Non-stop action keeps the intrigue boiling." (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews:

Stormbreaker.......2007-10-09

Stormbraker is a captivating book. It has you guessing all the way through. This book is about a young boy named Alex Rider. He was living in England with his uncle. He was living with his uncle ever since his parents died. One day the police came and gave him the news that his uncle had gotten in a car crash and had died. He didn't believe it. So he went to a junkyard where he found his uncle's car. After close examination he realized it was no accident. While at the junkyard he was captured by some people. Later he found out that they were from a spy group, and that his uncle was one of them.
When he was with the head of the spy group he had some questions to ask. The head told him about his uncle's job and the mission that he was on. Stormbraker. He was told that there was a man. Heron Sayle. Who was making computers that were some sort of trap. and he was going to give them to every school in England. Alex's job was to take over from where his uncle left of.
He went through weeks of training to get prepared for his mission. During training every one was given animal names like fox and wolf, they called him Cub. At first no one liked him. But as the weeks went on they grew more and more fond of him. It was a constant challenge for him to keep up with them. They were older and stronger than him but he muscled through it. After his training was complete, he was told that a boy had been chosen to come and test out the stormbraker. The agency sent him to an island so that Alex could take his place. A few days later he went to the head courtiers of the stormbraker factory where found some interesting clues into his uncles murder.

Bookmom's Review - Stormbreaker.......2007-10-05

[Fun: 5/5] [Learning: 3/5] [Suitable: 4/5]

For a great action-packed James Bond-esque novel for kids, this has to be the winner. Full of action and adventure, the story follows a reluctant boy-spy for MI6 through his mission to gather information, which inevitably turns out to be a much bigger assignment than anyone would have guessed. Though the book dates itself (several of his gadgets are made from already outdated technology), it does a good job of pulling off the spy-thriller feel. Predictable in points, and a bit violent, Horowitz does do a good job of keeping the gore to a minimum. Though rather cliche (what spy book isn't anymore), it is a fun action read.

Audience:
* Teen Readers (Grades 8-12)

Positive Themes:
* Ingenuity
* Good vs. Evil

Objectionable Content:
* Violence
* Some graphic scenes

My Recommendations:
* Readers may also enjoy the Young James Bond series by Charlie Higson, as well as other teen books by Anthony Horowitz.

Bookmom - Get involved in your child's reading!

I know James Bond, and you're no James Bond.......2007-10-03

I can see why this book and series are so popular-- full of action, cliff-hanger, real danger, technology, and a big story. I don't fault any of this. And I don't mind the similarities with Bond, even down to the characatured cast of villians. But where Stormbreaker lost stars for me was that Alex himself was not enough like Bond. Alex isn't too perfect; he just isn't heroic enough. Take the playboy out of Bond and he's still a patriot. Alex is too post-modern I suppose for that. But then why go through with the whole mess in the first place? It's not revenge. It's not love of country. Then what? Alex needs more than fear of eviction to drive him to fight evil.

Audiobook Review.......2007-09-22

I found the audiobook version of "Stormbreaker" at my local library. It looked like a good story, so I checked it out and listened to it. I was amazed. Anthony Horowitz writes a superb story, and Nathaniel Parker is a wonderful narrator. All of the foreign accents sound great, and the story moves along quickly, especially toward the end. I suggest this if you like well-performed audiobooks.

Action, Adventure, and Cool Gadgets.......2007-09-20

Alex Rider was a pretty normal English schoolboy. At 14, he had a rich uncle who was an "international banker" but, as his uncle dies in a mysterious crash, the even doesn't fit. Ian Rider was too careful. He wasn't careless enough to die in a car crash. As Alex inspects his uncle's car, he discovers bullet holes. Bullet holes in a car crash? What's happening? As Alex is almost crushed, then cut, then pulverized in a compacter, he also notices a label, Royal & General Bank, supposedly the bank Ian Rider works for. It seems unlikely, but what other clue does Alex have? He finds Royal & General, and discovers that his Uncle's whole life was a lie. He takes a job for them, but it's far from banking as you can get. As the book unfolds, Alex in whisked away on a crazy adventure for Britain's best, and most secretive, intelligence agency that he, and readers, will never forget. The nonstop action and adventure in this series will leave you wanting more Rider. It did for me. I thought these books were amazing; so what did I do? I read the next one. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes action, adventure, or cool gadgets.

Matthew H.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

Average customer rating:

Doubt There Are Many Better Spy Novels
Not Free SF Reader
I feel cold
cross the line->fade to gray
Stigma of treachery

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
John le Carre
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743442539

Amazon.com

It would be an international crime to reveal too much of the jeweled clockwork plot of Le Carré's first masterpiece, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. But we are at liberty to disclose that Graham Greene called it the "finest spy story ever written," and that the taut tale concerns Alec Leamas, a British agent in early Cold War Berlin. Leamas is responsible for keeping the double agents under his care undercover and alive, but East Germans start killing them, so he gets called back to London by Control, his spy master. Yet instead of giving Leamas the boot, Control gives him a scary assignment: play the part of a disgraced agent, a sodden failure everybody whispers about. Control sends him back out into the cold--deep into Communist territory to checkmate the bad-guy spies on the other side. The political chessboard is black and white, but in human terms the vicinity of the Berlin Wall is a moral no-man's land, a gray abyss patrolled by pawns.

Le Carré beats most spy writers for two reasons. First, he knows what he's talking about, since he raced around working for British Intelligence while the Wall went up. He's familiar with spycraft's fascinations, but also with the fact that it leaves ideals shaken and emotions stirred. Second, his literary tone has deep autobiographical roots. Spying is about betrayal, and Le Carré was abandoned by his mother and betrayed by his father, a notorious con man. (They figure heavily in his novels Single & Single and A Perfect Spy.) In a world of lies, Le Carré writes the bitter truth: it's every man for himself. And may the best mask win. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

In this classic, John le Carré's third novel and the first to earn him international acclaim, he created a world unlike any previously experienced in suspense fiction. With unsurpassed knowledge culled from his years in British Intelligence, le Carré brings to light the shadowy dealings of international espionage in the tale of a British agent who longs to end his career but undertakes one final, bone-chilling assignment.

When the last agent under his command is killed and Alec Leamas is called back to London, he hopes to come in from the cold for good. His spymaster, Control, however, has other plans. Determined to bring down the head of East German Intelligence and topple his organization, Control once more sends Leamas into the fray -- this time to play the part of the dishonored spy and lure the enemy to his ultimate defeat.

Customer Reviews:

Doubt There Are Many Better Spy Novels.......2007-09-24

I'm not a seasoned connoisseur of spy fiction, but had the feeling nonetheless upon finishing this book that I was not likely to find many (if any) of its type that I liked as well. The suspense was there, the 'never-certain-what's-what' quality was there, the serpentine plot, etc. But for me perhaps most impressive was the overall atmosphere that permeated the story. I would say a 'dreary realism' -- but in a good sense! The reader is authentically submerged in the gray, secret world of espionage. Nothing glamorized or oversimplified. If anything, it is a tad too morally ambiguous to my mind. Others would disagree. The title of the book fits the contents to perfection.

The story builds effectively, and its climax-conclusion comes off as fitting. I enjoyed it, and found it seamlessly written, reflecting considerable knowledge on the part of the author of the shadowy existence about which he writes.

For me (I'm a hard grader) it didn't rise quite high enough to attain a 5 star rating, but it's a near-miss. TSWCIFTC is a slick and skillful novel that readers who like this sort of thing are apt to enjoy very much.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-04

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the story of a British Secret Service agent who leaves that organisation and basically defects to East Germany.

What he does not realise for a while is that he is actually being manipulated by his former masters as they play a complicated game of espionage with other assets in place in his new home.

I feel cold.......2007-08-15

The cold in the title is spot on, this story left my cold (purposefully, I'm sure). The characters were either too cynical or had motivations I was unable to sympathize with, like the girl, who was a member of the communist party but in truth just wanted to get a husband. The book was very clear on that, she was as ordinary as it gets. Communists just recited typical communist propaganda, with a touch of nazism once in a while, and were hardly fascinating as the opponents. The ending was unsurprising, because it was obvious that one of two alternatives was true, and it wasn't even possible to admire the cold cleverness of the story. I don't know how it would puzzle anyone, even though the reviews say otherwise. If it had been a true story, at least I would know how espionage was really like. As a work of fiction I couldn't find anything in it to love, the characters or the plot.

cross the line->fade to gray.......2007-08-02

The point is about who is the good guy and who is the bad? The Soviet success with atomic secrets started the cold war spy wars.
In Mad Magazine there is spy versus spy; one wearing white and the other wearing black: in this case
it appears both are wearing gray.
This plot is much better than the other novels I've read by this author ( and they were very good).
Twist within turn within twist and the ultimate victim is an innocent!
We are given a graphic picture of the cold war as an acultural waste land without conscience or ethics.

Stigma of treachery.......2007-06-29

Leamas is waiting for an agent. His cover has been blown. Alec Leamas and the agent, Karl, have already had a row over a woman. The white searchlight goes on as Karl is crossing on his bike. Leamas wants operational assignments. He knows now he has been written off. Leamas's counterpart is Mundt. Leamas has been losing agents, Control reminds him. Under him there has been a heavy rate of expenditure, a lot of dead agents. Control believes the Circus should try to get rid of Mundt. Leamas is to ferret out George Smiley. He knows the case well. Within a few months Leamas becomes a resentful drunken wreck. Killing Mundt is to be Leamas's last act; afterwards he can come in from the cold.

In terms of quality this is not ordinary popular fiction, this is extraordinary. The author writes in a subdued and steely fashion, powerfully. Subsequently Leamas becomes a defector. Peters is to question him at a location in Holland. Leamas learns he is wanted in London for an offense under the Official Secrets Act. Liz Gold is a friend of Alec. She is visited by Special Branch. There is a connection between Alec Leamas and George Smiley, a card. Peters, a Russian, delivers Leamas to East Germany.

Layers of deception, not surprisingly, constitute the story. Journalists and lawyers are inquisitive. Questions become ends in themselves. Leamas is asked about his philosophy. Having completed his first stage as a defector he is to be put on ice.
Much of the appeal of mystery stories is psychological description. LeCarre, former member of the secret service and son of a confidence man, is in a premier position to create a full range of psychological types and permutations generated by acts.

Average customer rating:

First rate characterization
Highly satisfying yarn
Just not my cup of tea
Reginald Hill is always fun
The Spy's Wife

The Spy's Wife
Reginald Hill
Manufacturer: Felony & Mayhem
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1933397330

Product Description

Molly Keatley is deeply contented with her life, her loving husband, her comfortable home in an attractive London suburb. Things are so pleasant, in fact, that theyre ever so slightly boring, but that changes abruptly one bright September morning, when her husband comes rushing home, mutters a hasty, unexplained apology . . . and disappears. Minutes later, two strange men arrive with news that her husband is in fact a Soviet spy, and that the sleepy joys of her marriage have acted as a cover for years of personal and public betrayal. Her husband, it appears, has spent nearly a decade using her for his own purposes, and now the British intelligence service want to use her for theirs. It would be so easy to give in, to back away from the conspiracies and intrigues that suddenly loom in front of her. But the shock of Sams betrayal has woken Molly out of her long, complacent dream, and she is no longer prepared to be anybodys pawn.

Customer Reviews:

First rate characterization.......2007-09-11

Hill got me immediately into the head of Molly, and I stayed there for the three days it took me to read this book. From complacent housewife to liberated woman, but always the spy's wife, Molly is a pleasure. When confronted with her journalist husband's treachery, she falls apart, goes into denial but not completely. There's a down-to-earth, unflappable even unemotional North English core that copes in the face of adversity. She goes home to her parents, but that isn't what it seems, either. She confronts, accepts, rejects, abandons her ex-fiance and stands in for her mother while her mother and father confront the mother's life-threatening illness. All at the same time, she's watched and even hounded by a British Secret Service agent whom she comes to respect, if not love. Molly is her mother's daughter, and her forcefulness and her resolution come through as she is confronted again and again with her husband's betrayals, both personal and political.

While Molly's story is wonderful, there is a glitch. The obnoxious reporter and the American woman don't quite ring true. They seem to have no other purpose than to goad Molly--and they do that--but, as characters, they appear flat. They lack believable motivation, and they created annoyance, not tension. Beyond this weakness, however, the book is an excellent, enjoyable read, and Molly has resonance even after the finish.

Highly satisfying yarn.......2007-08-14

"The Spy's Wife" is ostensibly a mystery story, but it turns out to be more of a character study--with the subject of the title front and center throughout. This turns the piece into something more than a typical Cold War espionage potboiler. The novel's focus is on Molly Keatley, the badly betrayed wife of an alleged British turncoat, who evolves from a relatively passive soul at the moment of her betrayal into an angry, anything-but-passive woman by the end of the book. The story moves to a surprising and highly creative ending.
There is much humor and wisdom in this very enjoyable book. Highly recommended.

Just not my cup of tea.......2007-07-27

I'm a huge fan of the Dalziel & Pascoe series, so this just didn't do it for me. But it was light and fun and very surprising at the end! And, as always, wonderfully written---he is such a great writer! I did enjoy it---just not overmuch.

Reginald Hill is always fun.......2007-05-13

This is an older mystery by Reginald Hill, set in the days of the Cold War. Highly readable with good characters and an enjoyable plot.

The Spy's Wife.......2007-03-24

I just rebought and reread this book and enjoyed it even more the second time in some years. Reginald Hill is a fine writer and this is great English suspense as opposed to the other mystery's blood and gore.

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