Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: January 1st, 2000
Publisher: Puffin Books
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Action, Spies, Adventure

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BLURB:

They said his uncle Ian died in a car accident. Alex Rider knows that’s a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle’s car confirm the truth. But nothing can prepare him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency.

Enlisted to find his uncle’s killers and complete Ian’s final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no way out.

I could read this book over and over again. I grew up with a fascination with spies, most likely triggered by the amazingly entertaining TV show “Totally Spies” I used to watch repeatedly with my brother.

I still remember asking my mother, with hearts in the place of eyes, “Do spies really exist?” You see, I thought being a spy was the coolest profession one could have. I shouldn’t have been discouraged by my mom’s reply, but because I am who I am, my heart immediately deflated when she said, “They certainly do, but it’s very dangerous to be a spy.”

If she hadn’t known me so well, she would have lied and told me they do not, in fact, exist, because who really encourages their children to choose secrets, violence and murder instead of the quiet office job? But she knew I was reasonable, even at the age of eight.

Maybe this is why I love Alex Rider so much. He knows the danger he is in. Actually, he refuses the mission at first. He wants to live a tranquil, normal life. Why should he put himself at risk and end up killed like his uncle? Of course, in the end, he doesn’t really have a choice anymore. In the book world, we would totally match.

But he’s also daring. He is a reasonable person, but one who does not hesitate to put himself in danger if it means saving lives in the process. He is smart and quick on his feet, qualities necessary to face unpredictable events.

I love this book (and Alex) partly because my fascination with spies is still awake somewhere inside me and partly because it is so damn fun. I mean, not quite realistic, but who cares? Spies belong to the fictional world more than they do to the real world anyway. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know as many real spies as I do fictional ones.

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