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A review by karen_k77
Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
4.0
I have the distinct feeling that I'm burning myself out on these books. I didn't feel the same spark of joy when rereading this book. Or maybe I just don't like this book quite as much as the first two. Whatever it is, and beyond my own mental block, this book was still amazing.
Alex is getting pretty damn worldly, I have to say. And it keeps getting more and more condensed so that he's going more places in a shorter time span. It's a lot for the reader to take in, and I like that. He's all over the world, and meets all sorts of people from all sorts of organizations. It's getting more complex. The only thing I DON'T like about that is the fact that it makes the book seem a bit hurried. But that's probably a necessity, considering he didn't want to write a 500-page book.
The plot itself, though, even with it being jam-packed, was great. It took a while to get going, but build-up isn't bad, and the stakes are definitely getting higher with each book. The whole...crazy...family aspect was...interesting. The other two books have been pretty clinical. The mission, and then Alex's reactions to it. 70% action, 30% Alex's emotions. Not a bad mix. But this time, emotion was fixed INTO the plot with the whole Sarov-father-son thing. It was a different approach. Horowitz will never be known for writing incredibly deep emotional revelations, but he did a decent job.
Speaking of emotion, and the good job Horowitz did, the little thing at the end broke my heart. I can only imagine how isolated he must have felt, the poor boy. And that's why I appreciated the whole Sabina thing. It was tasteful. It wasn't specifically about romance, it was about Alex having a friend his own age who can get him out of his head, who can cheer him up, etc etc sappy etc. This friend just happens to be an attractive girl. That's a bonus. No big deal.
Overall, I still loved this book the second time around. It's quick, it's easy, and I can always got back to it. A childhood favorite.
Alex is getting pretty damn worldly, I have to say. And it keeps getting more and more condensed so that he's going more places in a shorter time span. It's a lot for the reader to take in, and I like that. He's all over the world, and meets all sorts of people from all sorts of organizations. It's getting more complex. The only thing I DON'T like about that is the fact that it makes the book seem a bit hurried. But that's probably a necessity, considering he didn't want to write a 500-page book.
The plot itself, though, even with it being jam-packed, was great. It took a while to get going, but build-up isn't bad, and the stakes are definitely getting higher with each book. The whole...crazy...family aspect was...interesting. The other two books have been pretty clinical. The mission, and then Alex's reactions to it. 70% action, 30% Alex's emotions. Not a bad mix. But this time, emotion was fixed INTO the plot with the whole Sarov-father-son thing. It was a different approach. Horowitz will never be known for writing incredibly deep emotional revelations, but he did a decent job.
Speaking of emotion, and the good job Horowitz did, the little thing at the end broke my heart. I can only imagine how isolated he must have felt, the poor boy. And that's why I appreciated the whole Sabina thing. It was tasteful. It wasn't specifically about romance, it was about Alex having a friend his own age who can get him out of his head, who can cheer him up, etc etc sappy etc. This friend just happens to be an attractive girl. That's a bonus. No big deal.
Overall, I still loved this book the second time around. It's quick, it's easy, and I can always got back to it. A childhood favorite.