Unreal Spy

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed by Samson

Stormbreaker is a novel packed to the brim with action. It is a great introduction to a series that will keep you reading for hours longer than you planned.

This story centers around a 14-year old London teenager named Alex Rider, who is suddenly whisked away from his schoolboy life by the death of his supposedly normal uncle Ian. He is dropped in the secret-filled world of MI6, Britain's top intelligence agency. Recruited to complete his uncle's last mission, Alex is sent to the manufacturing plant of Stormbreakers, revolutionary new computers invented by a successful man named Herod Sayle. While searching for clues undercover, Alex discovers the true intent behind Sayle's massive Stormbreaker donations to schools; a smallpox virus that will kill masses of British schoolchildren when released. However, in true spy hero fashion, Alex escapes from the plant and captures a jet, flying to London's Science Museum and saving the country seconds before the virus is released.

Reading this book, I was amazed by the amount of action and suspenseful plot that Anthony Horowitz had put into this novel. It is mostly targeted at a teenage audience due to its size and general reading level, but I think it can be enjoyed by most age groups due to its great quality. In my opinion, this book may also be slightly more enjoyable for boys because of its action/spy theme, but is still a novel worth reading for anyone. Horowitz does a great job of telling this story, using many literary tools that flow well with the story and enhance its quality. Throughout this story and other in the series, there are several plot twists that can completely turn the situation upside down and back in a matter of pages. Like almost every story, there are a few moments where action may slow down, but you will always want to see the story advance and keep reading. Some events in the stories that Alex gets in may also seem slightly unrealistic, especially for a teenager like him, but do contribute to the non-stop action of the plot. Overall, I think that Stormbreaker is a novel that is well worth reading, and will probably get you hooked on the rest of the series. When you pick up Stormbreaker, you will instantly be enveloped in a fast-paced story filled with cliffhangers, action, and quality writing.

Jackson's Horowitz reviews:
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and other Extreme Sports
Horowitz Horror