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Book Summary:
Orphan Alex Rider finds himself alone in the world after his uncle dies in a mysterious car accident. The intrepid Alex Rider doesn’t buy it, especially after he is visited by some of his father’s mysterious colleagues. After nearly being squished in a trash compactor, Alex discovers bullet holes in his uncle’s car and uncovers his secret spy career. Alex is then recruited by his uncle’s employers, Alan Blunt and Mrs. Jones, who blackmail him into service by threatening to deport his American nanny, Jackie Starbright, the only piece of a family Alex has left. After intense para-military training, Alex is sent off to the compound of Herod Sayle in Port Tallon, where is to investigate what Sayle is up to and to bring his uncle’s murders to justice. Alex thwarts death several times and uncovers breadcrumbs left by his late uncle that lead him to Sayle’s secret underground operation, where laptops for school children are being retrofitted with a delivery system designed to disperse bio-toxins when the system goes online. As soon as he finds the truth, Alex is caught by Sayle and his evil henchmen (and women) and dumped in a tank with deadly Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish. Believing he is leaving Alex to certain death, Sayle explains that this act of bio-terror is revenge against the prime minister and other former classmates who used to bully him in school. After Sayle smugly departs, Alex escapes the tank using a pimple cream that can eat through metal. Then, he hops on board Mr. Grin’s cargo plane to get to London. After a struggle, Mr. Grin crashes, and Alex parachutes into the public ceremony, where the prime minister is about to touch the button that will turn the system on and release the deadly disease. Just in time, Alex saves the day, and Sayle runs away. Later, the fugitive Sayle, posing as a cabby, kidnaps Alex, but just as he is about to execute Alex, Yassen Gregorovich, the hired gun who also killed Alex’s uncle, kills him first. Thus, Alex is saved by the man who murdered his uncle. Alex vows to kill Gregorovich one day and avenge his uncle. The book ends with an indifferent Gregorovich Alex that he should give up the attempt before flying away a helicopter.
APA Reference:
Horowitz, A. (2000). Stormbreaker. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Impressions:
I have mixed reactions to this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it, either. I think the key to liking this book is to measure your expectations. It is what it is: a page-turning spy thriller with a teenage protagonist. Fine literature it is not. I think young readers, particularly middle school and teenage boys will like the whirlwind plot, the short chapters, and the incredible action sequences. Horowitz is clearly writing in the tradition of James Bond with this audience in mind. One give away is in the exceptionally detailed descriptions of both weapons and vehicles. For example, at the beginning of Chapter #7, Horowitz (2000) describes the “silver gray Mercedes S600” by giving all its specs, including the “389 horsepower, 6-liter engine,” describing it as a prime example of the art of “German engineering” (p.86). Characters don’t just carry guns, they are specific weapons, such as the “9mm Browning High Power pistol” described on page 60 (Horowitz, 2000). The detailed descriptions of high-powered weaponry seems incongruous when you consider that Alex himself is denied a gun by his bosses, and Horowitz repeatedly stresses that Alex doesn’t want/need to kill anyone. It strikes me as odd that weapons would be described in glorified ways, yet Horowitz seems to try to communicate that such weapons are bad.
Horowitz limits unnecessary descriptions, but occasionally, he produces glimmers of beautiful imagery, especially in scenes that readers might have difficulty visualizing. For example, most readers probably haven’t jumped out of a plane, so they would have difficulty visualizing what that jump looks like. Horowitz (2000) compares the men jumping out of the plan to “photograph[s] crumpled and spun away by the wind” (p.75). He perfectly captures the essence and personality of the aforementioned Mercedes s600 as “a car that sneered at speed limits” (Horowitz, 2000, p.86). When the jelly fish tank collapses, Horowitz elegantly conveys the actions, writing that Alex’s “world spun, and he was thrown forward, as helpless as a cork in a waterfall” (Horowitz, 2000, p.198). I also loved his descriptions of London from the air, as well as the description of Dr. Grin’s plane crash as eliciting “a ball of flame and a fist of gray smoke” (p.206). Yet, for every glimmer of poetry, Horowitz blunders with a bad cliché. He describes the villain Naida Vole’s eyes as raking over him “like daggers,” and uses such tired expressions as “the tip of the iceberg” to describe what he witnessed at Sayle enterprises (p.111, 168).
Language isn’t the only cliché that Horowitz is guilty of. In fact, many of the characters, both villain and protagonist, are little more than somewhat shallow stereotypes that lack complex human personalities and motivations. All the bad guys are “pale,” ugly, or deformed in some way. Sayle’s hapless sidekick, Mr. Grin, is hideously deformed and has had his tongue cut out, which, I must admit, smacked a little of Ivan in the classic short-story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Also, even if Sayle were bullied, why in the world would he want to get back at the Prime Minister by killing thousands of British school children? It just didn’t make sense to me, and, in fact, it comes across as limp, pedantic, anti-bullying theme that doesn’t really jibe with the rest of the book. Even Alex is little more than a caricature. We don’t really see him grieve his uncle’s death, so it is unclear why avenging it is so important. We know Jackie must mean something to him, but we aren’t given any action or dialogue that suggests he loves her. He is the reluctant hero “forced into this by MI6,” but yet, we don’t see him struggling morally over scruples as a spy (p.160). Alex at the end of the book is the same he was at the beginning--- except he is now a world-class spy.
One of the reasons why I didn’t really enjoy this book was that it was simply unbelievable. When Grin crashes, it is conveniently in an abandoned industrial section of London so no innocent civilians are hurt (Horowitz, 2000, p.214). Alex can’t get through the mine, so he conveniently dons a wetsuit his dead uncle left him (Horowitz, 2000, p.159). Alex is almost killed by cheese-wire wielding ninjas on 4 x 4’s. This last one was the point at which I wanted to stop reading. Why would two assassins attempt to kill a teenager by slicing him in half with a wire when they could simply shoot him? Really? Overall, there were just so many coincidences that the plot was not only predictable, but preposterous. I did read the next two books in the series, Point Blank and Skeleton Key, and they were really just more of the same banalities.
Although I think it is clear this book does not get high marks for literary quality, many readers, especially those who are younger and less critical, will enjoy the action and simplicity of the characters. This book might be a good stepping stone to better quality works in the thriller genre, such as those by author John le Carre. I think the books can be fun if you go into them expecting them to be ridiculous, kind of like watching the Transformers movies or Sharknado. They are so bad that they are good. They are nice, easy, mindless reads that would be perfect for a beach read, or for a student who doesn’t really like to read in the first place.
Professional Review:
Gr 5-9-Alex Rider's world is turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle and guardian has been murdered. The 14-yearold makes one discovery after another until he is sucked into his uncle's undercover world. The Special Operations Division of M16, his uncle's real employer, blackmails the teen into serving England. After two short weeks of training, Alex is equipped with several special toys like a Game Boy with unique cartridges that allow it to scan, fax, and emit smoke bombs. Alex's mission is to complete his uncle's last assignment, to discover the secret that Herod Sayle is hiding behind his generous donation of one of his supercomputers to every school in the country. When Alex enters Sayle's compound in Port Tallon, he discovers a strange world of secrets and villains including Mr. Grin, an ex-circus knife catcher, and Yassen Gregorovich, professional hit man. The novel provides bang after bang as Alex experiences and survives unbelievably dangerous episodes and eventually crashes through the roof of the Science Museum to save the day. Alex is a strong, smart hero. If readers consider luck the ruling factor in his universe, they will love this James Bond-style adventure. With short cliff-hanger chapters and its breathless pace, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Warning: Suspend reality.-Lynn Bryant, formerly at Navarre High School, FL
Bryant, L. (2001). [Review of the book Stormbreaker, by A. Horowitz]. School Library Journal, 47(6), 150. Retrieved from ProQuest database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211733252?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
Because of the whole spy mystery shtick, I think the Alex Rider series could easily be used to promote some type of fun geo-tagging treasure hunt. The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. does similar programs where families or small groups get a batch of clues and geo-tagging device and set off on an educational mystery hunt. You could even geo-tag other books in the series or tag other books in the library to build the mystery or promote other books in this genre. A way to lighten the burden on library staff might be to partner with a local community college. Then, college students could come up with and design the actual games in conjunction with library staff. With a good PR campaign, this would then be a win for both institutions as a promotion.
Orphan Alex Rider finds himself alone in the world after his uncle dies in a mysterious car accident. The intrepid Alex Rider doesn’t buy it, especially after he is visited by some of his father’s mysterious colleagues. After nearly being squished in a trash compactor, Alex discovers bullet holes in his uncle’s car and uncovers his secret spy career. Alex is then recruited by his uncle’s employers, Alan Blunt and Mrs. Jones, who blackmail him into service by threatening to deport his American nanny, Jackie Starbright, the only piece of a family Alex has left. After intense para-military training, Alex is sent off to the compound of Herod Sayle in Port Tallon, where is to investigate what Sayle is up to and to bring his uncle’s murders to justice. Alex thwarts death several times and uncovers breadcrumbs left by his late uncle that lead him to Sayle’s secret underground operation, where laptops for school children are being retrofitted with a delivery system designed to disperse bio-toxins when the system goes online. As soon as he finds the truth, Alex is caught by Sayle and his evil henchmen (and women) and dumped in a tank with deadly Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish. Believing he is leaving Alex to certain death, Sayle explains that this act of bio-terror is revenge against the prime minister and other former classmates who used to bully him in school. After Sayle smugly departs, Alex escapes the tank using a pimple cream that can eat through metal. Then, he hops on board Mr. Grin’s cargo plane to get to London. After a struggle, Mr. Grin crashes, and Alex parachutes into the public ceremony, where the prime minister is about to touch the button that will turn the system on and release the deadly disease. Just in time, Alex saves the day, and Sayle runs away. Later, the fugitive Sayle, posing as a cabby, kidnaps Alex, but just as he is about to execute Alex, Yassen Gregorovich, the hired gun who also killed Alex’s uncle, kills him first. Thus, Alex is saved by the man who murdered his uncle. Alex vows to kill Gregorovich one day and avenge his uncle. The book ends with an indifferent Gregorovich Alex that he should give up the attempt before flying away a helicopter.
APA Reference:
Horowitz, A. (2000). Stormbreaker. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Impressions:
I have mixed reactions to this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it, either. I think the key to liking this book is to measure your expectations. It is what it is: a page-turning spy thriller with a teenage protagonist. Fine literature it is not. I think young readers, particularly middle school and teenage boys will like the whirlwind plot, the short chapters, and the incredible action sequences. Horowitz is clearly writing in the tradition of James Bond with this audience in mind. One give away is in the exceptionally detailed descriptions of both weapons and vehicles. For example, at the beginning of Chapter #7, Horowitz (2000) describes the “silver gray Mercedes S600” by giving all its specs, including the “389 horsepower, 6-liter engine,” describing it as a prime example of the art of “German engineering” (p.86). Characters don’t just carry guns, they are specific weapons, such as the “9mm Browning High Power pistol” described on page 60 (Horowitz, 2000). The detailed descriptions of high-powered weaponry seems incongruous when you consider that Alex himself is denied a gun by his bosses, and Horowitz repeatedly stresses that Alex doesn’t want/need to kill anyone. It strikes me as odd that weapons would be described in glorified ways, yet Horowitz seems to try to communicate that such weapons are bad.
Horowitz limits unnecessary descriptions, but occasionally, he produces glimmers of beautiful imagery, especially in scenes that readers might have difficulty visualizing. For example, most readers probably haven’t jumped out of a plane, so they would have difficulty visualizing what that jump looks like. Horowitz (2000) compares the men jumping out of the plan to “photograph[s] crumpled and spun away by the wind” (p.75). He perfectly captures the essence and personality of the aforementioned Mercedes s600 as “a car that sneered at speed limits” (Horowitz, 2000, p.86). When the jelly fish tank collapses, Horowitz elegantly conveys the actions, writing that Alex’s “world spun, and he was thrown forward, as helpless as a cork in a waterfall” (Horowitz, 2000, p.198). I also loved his descriptions of London from the air, as well as the description of Dr. Grin’s plane crash as eliciting “a ball of flame and a fist of gray smoke” (p.206). Yet, for every glimmer of poetry, Horowitz blunders with a bad cliché. He describes the villain Naida Vole’s eyes as raking over him “like daggers,” and uses such tired expressions as “the tip of the iceberg” to describe what he witnessed at Sayle enterprises (p.111, 168).
Language isn’t the only cliché that Horowitz is guilty of. In fact, many of the characters, both villain and protagonist, are little more than somewhat shallow stereotypes that lack complex human personalities and motivations. All the bad guys are “pale,” ugly, or deformed in some way. Sayle’s hapless sidekick, Mr. Grin, is hideously deformed and has had his tongue cut out, which, I must admit, smacked a little of Ivan in the classic short-story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Also, even if Sayle were bullied, why in the world would he want to get back at the Prime Minister by killing thousands of British school children? It just didn’t make sense to me, and, in fact, it comes across as limp, pedantic, anti-bullying theme that doesn’t really jibe with the rest of the book. Even Alex is little more than a caricature. We don’t really see him grieve his uncle’s death, so it is unclear why avenging it is so important. We know Jackie must mean something to him, but we aren’t given any action or dialogue that suggests he loves her. He is the reluctant hero “forced into this by MI6,” but yet, we don’t see him struggling morally over scruples as a spy (p.160). Alex at the end of the book is the same he was at the beginning--- except he is now a world-class spy.
One of the reasons why I didn’t really enjoy this book was that it was simply unbelievable. When Grin crashes, it is conveniently in an abandoned industrial section of London so no innocent civilians are hurt (Horowitz, 2000, p.214). Alex can’t get through the mine, so he conveniently dons a wetsuit his dead uncle left him (Horowitz, 2000, p.159). Alex is almost killed by cheese-wire wielding ninjas on 4 x 4’s. This last one was the point at which I wanted to stop reading. Why would two assassins attempt to kill a teenager by slicing him in half with a wire when they could simply shoot him? Really? Overall, there were just so many coincidences that the plot was not only predictable, but preposterous. I did read the next two books in the series, Point Blank and Skeleton Key, and they were really just more of the same banalities.
Although I think it is clear this book does not get high marks for literary quality, many readers, especially those who are younger and less critical, will enjoy the action and simplicity of the characters. This book might be a good stepping stone to better quality works in the thriller genre, such as those by author John le Carre. I think the books can be fun if you go into them expecting them to be ridiculous, kind of like watching the Transformers movies or Sharknado. They are so bad that they are good. They are nice, easy, mindless reads that would be perfect for a beach read, or for a student who doesn’t really like to read in the first place.
Professional Review:
Gr 5-9-Alex Rider's world is turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle and guardian has been murdered. The 14-yearold makes one discovery after another until he is sucked into his uncle's undercover world. The Special Operations Division of M16, his uncle's real employer, blackmails the teen into serving England. After two short weeks of training, Alex is equipped with several special toys like a Game Boy with unique cartridges that allow it to scan, fax, and emit smoke bombs. Alex's mission is to complete his uncle's last assignment, to discover the secret that Herod Sayle is hiding behind his generous donation of one of his supercomputers to every school in the country. When Alex enters Sayle's compound in Port Tallon, he discovers a strange world of secrets and villains including Mr. Grin, an ex-circus knife catcher, and Yassen Gregorovich, professional hit man. The novel provides bang after bang as Alex experiences and survives unbelievably dangerous episodes and eventually crashes through the roof of the Science Museum to save the day. Alex is a strong, smart hero. If readers consider luck the ruling factor in his universe, they will love this James Bond-style adventure. With short cliff-hanger chapters and its breathless pace, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Warning: Suspend reality.-Lynn Bryant, formerly at Navarre High School, FL
Bryant, L. (2001). [Review of the book Stormbreaker, by A. Horowitz]. School Library Journal, 47(6), 150. Retrieved from ProQuest database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211733252?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
Because of the whole spy mystery shtick, I think the Alex Rider series could easily be used to promote some type of fun geo-tagging treasure hunt. The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. does similar programs where families or small groups get a batch of clues and geo-tagging device and set off on an educational mystery hunt. You could even geo-tag other books in the series or tag other books in the library to build the mystery or promote other books in this genre. A way to lighten the burden on library staff might be to partner with a local community college. Then, college students could come up with and design the actual games in conjunction with library staff. With a good PR campaign, this would then be a win for both institutions as a promotion.