Stormbreaker

Product Description <br/>Nothing can prepare fourteen-year-old Alex for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6— Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle’s killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. This is the original novel that started it all, with 8 pages of movie stills from Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, and a new cover featuring stunning movie art!<br/> From Publishers Weekly <br/>Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vice-president he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. The company's head plans to donate one to every secondary school in England, but his dealings with unfriendly countries and Ian Rider's murder have brought him under suspicion. Posing as a teenage computer whiz who's won a Stormbreaker promotional contest, Alex enters the factory and immediately finds clues from his uncle. Satirical names abound (e.g., Mr. Grin, Mr. Sayle's brutish butler, is so named for the scars he received from a circus knife-throwing act gone wrong) and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous ("It was a soft gray night with a half-moon forming a perfect D in the sky. D for what, Alex wondered. Danger? Discovery? Or disaster?"). These exaggerations only add to the fun, as do the creative gadgets that Alex uses, including a metal-munching cream described as "Zit-Clean. For Healthier Skin." The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventures, from a high-speed bike chase to a death-defying dance with a Portuguese man-of-war. The audience will stay tuned for his next assignment, Point Blanc, due out spring 2002. Ages 10-up.<br/><br/>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.<br/> From School Library Journal <br/>Gr 5-8-British actor Nathaniel Parker does a smashing job of narrating this fast-paced thriller by Anthony Horowitz (Philomel, 2001). His voice is clear and consistent, lending dramatic flair to the overall tone of the novel. He successfully distinguishes among the story's various voices, and captures the excitement of the action and suspense. The tapes begin and end with appropriate James Bond-type music as 14-year-old Alex Rider, equipped with special training and gadgets from the government, takes over his mysteriously-killed uncle's dangerous mission. Alex encounters his share of villains and adventures as he uncovers the alarming secret behind Sayle Enterprises' new computer, Stormbreaker. First in a series, libraries will want to add this quality audiobook to their espionage collections.<br/><br/> Kathy Husband, Golden Library, Jefferson County Public Library, CO<br/>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.<br/> Review <br/>I enjoyed it a lot because I wanted to read on and see the methods he would use and the ways he thought of to escape. -- Stelios Gavrielides * Teen Titles * I loved this book because it is suspenseful and serious with a splash of humour. It has such a variety of character personalities and it's just as good as the other books in the Alex Rider series, which I'm really enjoying reading my way through. -- First News * First News * I loved this book because it is suspenseful and serious with a splash of humour. -- First News * First News * A fabulous story that crackles with suspense and daring and shows that a bit of cheek will take you a very long way [...] A great, pacy read. * Love Reading 4 Kids * Even though there are no illustrations, the brilliant descriptions really bring the story to life. When I read it I really feel into th