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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While this certainly shows some elements that date the story, the core elements still remain an enjoyable little adventure for younger readers. When you consider where the middle grade industry was at the time, it took a lot of gritty risks. It was also, for the time, pleasantly lacking some of the less generous cultural stereotypes I had feared when I saw that it dealt with issues of terrorism. (Though I'd like to note is not devoid of stereotypes in general and there are elements of physical appearance being used in ways that might be demeaning.)
A refreshing element is that while you are forced to take the entire plot with a grain of salt, it is actually the child character who is essentially going: Why would our government organization put a kid through all of this? while the adults pay it no heed, our protagonist is almost in the mind of any older reader. Unlike other adventure stories he doesn't get swept up in the magic and mystique. In fact, he just wants to go back to his old life! This is an interesting perspective for a character at the heart of an ongoing series.
While I won't be prioritizing continuing, I am glad I sampled this author's work for a younger audience.
A refreshing element is that while you are forced to take the entire plot with a grain of salt, it is actually the child character who is essentially going: Why would our government organization put a kid through all of this? while the adults pay it no heed, our protagonist is almost in the mind of any older reader. Unlike other adventure stories he doesn't get swept up in the magic and mystique. In fact, he just wants to go back to his old life! This is an interesting perspective for a character at the heart of an ongoing series.
While I won't be prioritizing continuing, I am glad I sampled this author's work for a younger audience.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Look it's just nostalgia ok
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Love this book - super easy to read and a lot of fun, but got some slightly problematic bits which show its age
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz is the first book in the Alex Rider teen spy series. The police said Alex’s uncle Ian Rider died in a car accident, but Alex doesn’t believe it. He finds his uncle’s car with bullet holes in it. Enlisted by Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency to complete find his uncle’s killers and complete Ian’s final mission, Alex goes undercover.
It turns out family vacations had been a training ground for Alex. Add in a couple of weeks of intense training and a few gadgets and readers find themselves rapidly turning the pages from beginning to end. While it’s somewhat over the top and unrealistic, it is entertaining and suspenseful. There’s some violence which may not appeal to some.
Overall, this was an action-filled and fast-paced teen espionage novel that was fun to read and had a few profound moments.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was September 4, 2000.
-----------------------------------------
My 3.79 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
It turns out family vacations had been a training ground for Alex. Add in a couple of weeks of intense training and a few gadgets and readers find themselves rapidly turning the pages from beginning to end. While it’s somewhat over the top and unrealistic, it is entertaining and suspenseful. There’s some violence which may not appeal to some.
Overall, this was an action-filled and fast-paced teen espionage novel that was fun to read and had a few profound moments.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was September 4, 2000.
-----------------------------------------
My 3.79 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A pretty decent kids' adventure story, with lots of action and intrigue. It bears a striking resemblance to James Bond films for both good and bad reasons. The spy stuff is fun but I felt a bit uncomfortable with the villains that conform to stereotypical ethnicities and the henchman with a grotesque physical injury. Not that these things are wrong as such but maybe a bit lazy to fall back on well worn tropes. (Though the Prime Minister being a mean bully that was educated in an expensive private school seemed oddly on the money.)