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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
One of my favourite series as a kid and the first book still holds up! I can’t wait to keep reading and hopefully finish the series this time around.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The most realistic spy-related form of entertainment I've ever enjoyed. Bond, that includes you.
Loved this book. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was Alex Rider. He seemed kind o off to me, I don't know what it was, it might have been that he just seemed kind of boring or something like that. Other than that little flaw I found this book to be a page turner.
This was OK. Slightly more than OK, actually - good. But not great, and definitely not fantastic.
I felt like the writing was a bit weak, Alex was always a bit of a hero, and there wasn't much of a mystery to be sucked into. Maybe I'm used to the more recent and (in my opinion) gripping children's novels out there, but this one just left me a little iffy. Alex was extraordinarily talented, and while I accepted and understood the reason for this, it still grated sometimes that he just had these amazing skills, and could use pure intuition without ever having learnt to.
He was also ridiculously lucky. All those times he was ALMOST killed, but something missed him by a second, or someone was foolish? Ridiculous. And the cliched 'villain revealing all' at the end bit just irritated me, as did the final scene. It made no sense. It was silly. I understand that it's a kid's book, but I'm used to higher-quality children's literature. Take Percy Jackson, for example, or The Hunger Games, or the CHERUB series. All of those are much better than this book. In fact, halfway through I was just thinking that Stormbreaker was a lame and weak version of The Recruit. Little, if anything, is explained - why him? Surely they had other child agents they could use? Why get one with no training, just because he's related to a past spy? So many loose ends, no tying in sight.
It was OK. Mildly gripping at times, no big shocks, a bit weak and soulless. Hopefully the sequels will be better.
I felt like the writing was a bit weak, Alex was always a bit of a hero, and there wasn't much of a mystery to be sucked into. Maybe I'm used to the more recent and (in my opinion) gripping children's novels out there, but this one just left me a little iffy. Alex was extraordinarily talented, and while I accepted and understood the reason for this, it still grated sometimes that he just had these amazing skills, and could use pure intuition without ever having learnt to.
He was also ridiculously lucky. All those times he was ALMOST killed, but something missed him by a second, or someone was foolish? Ridiculous. And the cliched 'villain revealing all' at the end bit just irritated me, as did the final scene. It made no sense. It was silly. I understand that it's a kid's book, but I'm used to higher-quality children's literature. Take Percy Jackson, for example, or The Hunger Games, or the CHERUB series. All of those are much better than this book. In fact, halfway through I was just thinking that Stormbreaker was a lame and weak version of The Recruit. Little, if anything, is explained - why him? Surely they had other child agents they could use? Why get one with no training, just because he's related to a past spy? So many loose ends, no tying in sight.
It was OK. Mildly gripping at times, no big shocks, a bit weak and soulless. Hopefully the sequels will be better.
I love Horowitz's fast-paced, action-filled style. It's a stretch to think a 14-year-old could do all of this, but not too much because of the setup - and hey Alex is older than Flavia De Luce!
I seem to remember really enjoying this book but i can't remember why I never read any more of them!
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The plot twists forced me to put the book down and just take a minute to breathe! The only reason this wasn’t quite a 5 star was because the motive of the main antagonist (not named to avoid spoilers) honestly wasn’t developed enough. I hope later in the series we will learn more about his past, and find the real reason he totally lost his mind. And I thought the ending was perfect.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Original Read = 4 Stars
Re-Read 2022 = 4.5 Stars CAWPILE = 8
Re-Read 2022 = 4.5 Stars CAWPILE = 8