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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Alex Rider is so sassy and sarcastic, I have to wonder whether this is where I got it from originally...
I love this book. It's much better than the movie, though it's written for kids (10+) so if you no longer fit in the 'kid' category, make sure you adjust your expectations before reading.
This was a re-read. I initially read it... maybe 10 years ago?? The whole series wasn't out yet (I think it was up to Ark Angel or Snakehead) but as the new books were released, I read them all and now I have the complete series on my shelf (including the special 10th book about Yassen).
Um? I love Alex Rider. I always wanted to be a spy because of these books. This is less a review and more a nostalgic ramble so I apologise, but...
When could your fave ever??:
"...when I saw this specimen of Physalia physalis, I knew I had to capture it and keep it. You see, it reminds me of myself."
"It's ninety-nine per cent water. It has no brains, no guts and no anus."
I love this book. It's much better than the movie, though it's written for kids (10+) so if you no longer fit in the 'kid' category, make sure you adjust your expectations before reading.
This was a re-read. I initially read it... maybe 10 years ago?? The whole series wasn't out yet (I think it was up to Ark Angel or Snakehead) but as the new books were released, I read them all and now I have the complete series on my shelf (including the special 10th book about Yassen).
Um? I love Alex Rider. I always wanted to be a spy because of these books. This is less a review and more a nostalgic ramble so I apologise, but...
When could your fave ever??:
"...when I saw this specimen of Physalia physalis, I knew I had to capture it and keep it. You see, it reminds me of myself."
"It's ninety-nine per cent water. It has no brains, no guts and no anus."
I listened to an older (2000) YA book written for teenaged boys, and since I am no longer 14, I cannot evaluate this as a teen. However, if I were, I would have loved it. First, there are no parental figures; that’s always key. And, there’s a twenty-something woman from America who goes by the name of Jack who has moved from nanny to housekeeper and Alex’s best friend. (Hum!). Next, he gets to leave school for weeks to train as a spy and wins the admiration of men at least a decade older. Did I mention he’s a black belt and polyglot who knows how to drive, scuba dive, parachute, and who knows what else? There are tons of action scenes, adults he outmaneuvers and outsmarts, improbable to impossible situations and escapes, all of which allow him to defeat the nation’s biggest archenemy leading to him saving the entire nation of England’s school children. So there’s that! Yeah…I would have eaten this up as a kid.
My review ratings are based upon the following:
1 Star, “I did not like it and wasted my time or couldn’t finish it”;
2 Stars, “I think it is just Ok, but I’ll never think about it again”;
3 Stars, “I think it is an entertaining, enjoyable book, and I’ll think about it again”;
4 Stars, “I really love this book, and I may read it again”;
5 Stars, “I think this book is excellent, I will read it again, and it will likely stand the test of time.”
My review ratings are based upon the following:
1 Star, “I did not like it and wasted my time or couldn’t finish it”;
2 Stars, “I think it is just Ok, but I’ll never think about it again”;
3 Stars, “I think it is an entertaining, enjoyable book, and I’ll think about it again”;
4 Stars, “I really love this book, and I may read it again”;
5 Stars, “I think this book is excellent, I will read it again, and it will likely stand the test of time.”
This was a very quick read which felt more like an action story than a detective story. Alex's uncle Ian, who raised him, has just died, and Alex is convinced that it was not a car accident that killed him. He quickly realizes that his uncle was murdered, and that he was not a banker but a spy with MI6. MI6 basically blackmails Alex into coming to work for them to finish the work his uncle had begun, and Alex is trained for two weeks before being sent to Sayle Enterprises, where Herod Sayle is preparing to ship out thousands of Stormbreaker computers -- one for every student in England. Alex discovers that the seemingly generous and philanthropic gesture is not what it appears, and he has to try to make it back to London in time to share what he knows with MI6 so they can stop him. Cool gadgets (though already outdated - who plays with a GameBoy anymore?) and some pretty crazy action, but flat characters. Will definitely appeal to reluctant middle school boys.
Alex Rider is James Bond, Jr.
If I were a kid I would love this book (and probably the entire series). It has all the things I enjoyed about Bond - action, gizmos, evil villains with an inexplicable number of people loyal to them, and a hero who uses his wits to get out of impossible situations. As an adult, do I want to read more of these? Probably not. I’d rather reread the Ian Fleming novels, or Horowitz’ three Bond novels (actually, I intend to read those!) But this is fun for what it is.
Note to parents: there is a significant amount of violence in this book. At least compared to the books I read as a kid. The Three Investigators never got in this deep!
If I were a kid I would love this book (and probably the entire series). It has all the things I enjoyed about Bond - action, gizmos, evil villains with an inexplicable number of people loyal to them, and a hero who uses his wits to get out of impossible situations. As an adult, do I want to read more of these? Probably not. I’d rather reread the Ian Fleming novels, or Horowitz’ three Bond novels (actually, I intend to read those!) But this is fun for what it is.
Note to parents: there is a significant amount of violence in this book. At least compared to the books I read as a kid. The Three Investigators never got in this deep!
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I gave this 5 stars last time I read it (which according to the log here is 2017 but I think I read it in 2020). It's funny reading it now and thinking about my experience reading it in middle school, at random times since then, and today. This doesn't quite hold up the way that (I remember) others in the series do but it is still an enjoyable read and I know why I enjoyed it so much growing up.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No