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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I started listening to this audio book in the car with my son. He doesn't like listening to books much, and a previous attempt (a Batman novel) fizzled out when he didn't like the format and I didn't like the book. But the two of us really looked forward to car rides with Alex Rider! I must confess I finished this at 1 a.m. on my own, while playing a video game. Great book, although the structure is perhaps a bit too predictably pat--there is little room for random events as all dangers hinted at early in the novel get employed later.
Original Rating: 5 / 5
Reread Rating: 3 / 5
I need to stop rereading books from my childhood
When I first read Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, I was totally enamoured by the world of Alex Rider. I loved it and read avidly up to [b:Snakehead|1821571|Snakehead (Alex Rider, #7)|Anthony Horowitz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349007138s/1821571.jpg|2066979] before my interest became more about adult crime books. Finding this in my shed, I wanted to reread it and give my childhood another visit.
It’s alright.
The plot is thought out well, the characters are pretty fleshed out and the writing is complex enough to hold my attention, but a bit too simple to be enjoyed fully.
Horowitz has a thing for describing bad guys as very bland people, and it just doesn’t fuel the imagination. I found all the villains very boring, I didn’t really think any more of them other than just that. They were boring. It’s very trivial to have the good guys as good looking, and the villains as bland looking. It does nothing for the imagination.
This is very rushed, it’s very fast paced, and there’s a lot going on. It’s hard to follow everything – for example, Alex discovers something is happening at 2am, and then there’s another couple of pages on intelligence on the villain. He wakes up at 1.30am in the next chapter and I was really confused as to why until it was clarified again. It moves just too quickly to keep up 100% and that really bugged me. Aren’t we meant to be able to remember the information given to us, when it’s given to us?
These things are the two reasons I have knocked off two stars. It was extremely infuriating to have to keep reading over some things to get the information in.
This all being said, I still really enjoyed it. The suspense and drama was all still there from when I first read it, and I had forgotten enough for there to still be a lot of plot twists for me and to make my mouth drop open as I read. Alex is a fleshed out enough character for me to really enjoy him and smile and to like him. The story is really good, it’s pretty gripping and it’s really fun and exciting to read.
Albeit, there are qualms that really bugged me, and because of that, I have to rate it low.Sorry childhood
Reread Rating: 3 / 5
When I first read Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, I was totally enamoured by the world of Alex Rider. I loved it and read avidly up to [b:Snakehead|1821571|Snakehead (Alex Rider, #7)|Anthony Horowitz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349007138s/1821571.jpg|2066979] before my interest became more about adult crime books. Finding this in my shed, I wanted to reread it and give my childhood another visit.
It’s alright.
The plot is thought out well, the characters are pretty fleshed out and the writing is complex enough to hold my attention, but a bit too simple to be enjoyed fully.
Horowitz has a thing for describing bad guys as very bland people, and it just doesn’t fuel the imagination. I found all the villains very boring, I didn’t really think any more of them other than just that. They were boring. It’s very trivial to have the good guys as good looking, and the villains as bland looking. It does nothing for the imagination.
This is very rushed, it’s very fast paced, and there’s a lot going on. It’s hard to follow everything – for example, Alex discovers something is happening at 2am, and then there’s another couple of pages on intelligence on the villain. He wakes up at 1.30am in the next chapter and I was really confused as to why until it was clarified again. It moves just too quickly to keep up 100% and that really bugged me. Aren’t we meant to be able to remember the information given to us, when it’s given to us?
These things are the two reasons I have knocked off two stars. It was extremely infuriating to have to keep reading over some things to get the information in.
This all being said, I still really enjoyed it. The suspense and drama was all still there from when I first read it, and I had forgotten enough for there to still be a lot of plot twists for me and to make my mouth drop open as I read. Alex is a fleshed out enough character for me to really enjoy him and smile and to like him. The story is really good, it’s pretty gripping and it’s really fun and exciting to read.
Albeit, there are qualms that really bugged me, and because of that, I have to rate it low.
Child abuse: the book
He didn’t even get paid
Villains were foreign
He should’ve hated mi6/britain more. The villain was mentally ill which is a tired trope tbh. The book was really obvious in some parts, I know it’s for children but you need to give nine year olds some credit.
Really awful compared to Percy Jackson
He didn’t even get paid
Villains were foreign
He should’ve hated mi6/britain more. The villain was mentally ill which is a tired trope tbh. The book was really obvious in some parts, I know it’s for children but you need to give nine year olds some credit.
Really awful compared to Percy Jackson
This Alex Rider story was not my favorite but glad to finally read the origin book of this series.
I am definitely too old to enjoy this book. Alex Rider is a very annoying and not at all believable character. Everything felt set up and childish.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
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 just finished re-reading this classic, and it was just as great as I remembered! It’s the perfect book for a quick, fun read.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Anthony Horowitz mentions the Alex Rider series (aimed at young readers) in all his other novels (aimed at adults), so I thought of check it out. This first of the series was entertaining and has lots of action. Horowitz achieved his stated objective: presenting a teenage James Bond.
There seems to be excessively gruesome death and violence, but compared to video games it is probably mild, and at least kids are reading.
There seems to be excessively gruesome death and violence, but compared to video games it is probably mild, and at least kids are reading.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes