When his guardian dies in suspicious circumstances, Alex Rider goes from schoolboy to superspy within days as his world is turned upside down. Forcibly recruited into MI6, Alex must discover the truth about the Stormbreaker computer.
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Amazon Review
Spies are great currency for exciting storylines, but few authors manage to successfully concoct realistic scenarios for a willing readership expecting chases, gunshots and thrills aplenty. In the first of what could easily become his most memorable series of novels to date, Anthony Horowitz has added a tongue-in-cheek quality to Stormbreaker that lifts it above several others in the same genre.
Horowitz knows that his main character, 14-year-old Alex Rider, is a normal teenager and he never forgets this when he thrusts his young hero into the thick of several truly edge-of-seat scenarios. There is humour alongside the action too--some great characters and cutting one-liners--that helps to ensure that entertainment is high on the agenda throughout.
Orphan Alex thought he knew his Uncle Ian Rider--until the elusive banker is killed in a tragic car accident. Immediately, Alex's life starts to get stranger by the day as his guardian's friends and colleagues start showing up and contradicting everything Alex thought he knew about the man he'd called Dad for so long. Maybe Ian Rider was not a banker after all? Surely the bullet holes in his Uncle's totalled car reveal that he had not died in an accident, but was murdered? Everything is explained when Alex decides to track down Ian Rider's real employers, but Alex is in for a surprise when they decide to contact him. The truth is hard to take, but maybe by following in his uncle's secret footsteps he might get the chance for revenge.
Apart from a slightly over-the-top finale involving a helicopter and the roof of London's Science Museum, Stormbreaker is a refreshingly energetic yarn that is required reading for fans of the contemporary thriller. --John McLay --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Is there anyone in Britain who will not enjoy this fabulous junior James Bond adventure?' Daily Mail"
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
189 of 196 people found the following review helpful
By Julia Flyte
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
I am coming late to the Alex Rider series as my oldest son is only seven. This is the second Alex Rider book that I've read, for the purpose of understanding when my spy-obsessed son might be old enough to start reading the series.
I enjoyed reading this book. It obviously lacks the complexity and depth of a book written for adults, but it is still a fast paced and enjoyable thriller that borrows heavily on the James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises. Alex Rider makes a likeable hero who is brave, tenacious and resourceful.
I would feel comfortable giving it to my son to read when he's a little older - my gut feel is 9-10 years would be about right. He still needs to strengthen his reading skills (words like interrogation, hyperventilating, cloying, claustrophobic and exquisite are typical), but also to develop the maturity to cope with a plot that involves a fair amount of violence (the book opens with the death of Alex's uncle and bad guys get shot on a regular basis).
Here are some things that parents may like to know about this book:
- The storyline is reasonably simple and the bad guy/good guy lines are clearly drawn.
- Violence is not described in overly graphic detail, but it does occur throughout the book. Alex fires a gun twice and hits a bad guy on one occasion. He also causes the death of another villain by causing a plane crash.
- There is no swearing or bad language.
- There is a noticeable absence of positive female characters (unless you count the housekeeper who barely appears). There is a reference by the MI5 into female agents being of use if you need someone to slip in as a secretary or receptionist.
I enjoyed reading this book. It obviously lacks the complexity and depth of a book written for adults, but it is still a fast paced and enjoyable thriller that borrows heavily on the James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises. Alex Rider makes a likeable hero who is brave, tenacious and resourceful.
I would feel comfortable giving it to my son to read when he's a little older - my gut feel is 9-10 years would be about right. He still needs to strengthen his reading skills (words like interrogation, hyperventilating, cloying, claustrophobic and exquisite are typical), but also to develop the maturity to cope with a plot that involves a fair amount of violence (the book opens with the death of Alex's uncle and bad guys get shot on a regular basis).
Here are some things that parents may like to know about this book:
- The storyline is reasonably simple and the bad guy/good guy lines are clearly drawn.
- Violence is not described in overly graphic detail, but it does occur throughout the book. Alex fires a gun twice and hits a bad guy on one occasion. He also causes the death of another villain by causing a plane crash.
- There is no swearing or bad language.
- There is a noticeable absence of positive female characters (unless you count the housekeeper who barely appears). There is a reference by the MI5 into female agents being of use if you need someone to slip in as a secretary or receptionist.
36 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Stormbreaker is about a 14 year old boy, Alex Rider, who doesn't have any parents. He lives with an uncle who works for a "bank." One day is uncle dies in a car crash. The cause was he was not wearing his seat belt. Alex Rider thought that was unusual as his uncle always wore his seat belt. Then a few days later he is called in by the MI6. He finds out that his uncle didn't use to work in a bank, he used to work for the MI6 and that his uncle did not die because of his seat belt undone, he was shot. Alex doesn't have time to think about this, the MI6 have a case for him, STORMBREAKER, and what's more he only has two weeks to prepare for it.
This book is cracking book, I loved it and I have also read the sequel to STORMBREAKER, POINT BLANC and that is cracking too! I would recommend this book for all ages espacially to children around the of 10-14.
This book is cracking book, I loved it and I have also read the sequel to STORMBREAKER, POINT BLANC and that is cracking too! I would recommend this book for all ages espacially to children around the of 10-14.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Very Very good. Really exciting and very tense even though it gets ideas from Bond its still very tense and addictive. I love it. I'm going to buy the sequel point blanc right now.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
14 year old Alex Rider's life turns upside down when he finds out his guardian died in a accident. He's stuck living with his house- keeper Jack, but then he starts to wonder was there more to the death? Forced to work for a spy team, MI6, he's on the case of multi-millionaire Herod Sayle. Sayle is giving away a free stormbreaker computer to every school in the country but MI6 think there's more to it. Can Alex overcome the challenges ahead or could his first mission be his last.
This book is utterly brilliant, I would recommend this book to people of all ages
Reviewed by holly. Age 9.
This book is utterly brilliant, I would recommend this book to people of all ages
Reviewed by holly. Age 9.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By R. Harrison
Format:Paperback
I have enjoyed all the books in the alex rider series and i like this book very much. I find the humor fuuny and unlike some of the sences in some of the cherub books it is sutiabal for all ages. My main critisisum of the Alex Rider series is that he does things that are unrealisic of a 14 year old kid with a BMX. Overall a good series but if above the age of 12 i would strongly recommend the cherub books instead as i find they are much more realisic.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By "markurpen"
Format:Paperback
This was a really fun book that I will recommend on to many readers, young and old alike. I had heard many good things about Anthony Horowitz and I was not to be disappointed. His pace of storyline is excellent and his characters are wonderfully developed. The villains are as colourful as any created by Ian Fleming and the background for the evil plot was well thought out. The actual diabolic plan and described results were in fact highly unrealistic, but that did not matter one iota to this gold nugget of a story. I read the entire book in about three and a half hours and will be quick to go and find the subsequent volumes in the series.
Where the story of Alex Rider differs hugely from the run of the mill James Bond stories is the distinct lack of female characters. Given Alex's tender age, this is not a criticism, more of an observation and keeping the book to the boy hero conquering adult villains against all odds storyline was an excellent path to tread. The story was undoubtedly aimed at the young male audience, but I have a feeling that there will be a lot of Tom boys out there amongst the girls who will enjoy this every bit as much.
25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Stormbreaker
Alex Rider is a teenage spy. Something many of us would love to be I know. Not that he really wants to be (what an idiot). But he needs to find out the mystery of his Uncles death, who he finds out was a spy (big shocker). But quickly equipped with high tech gadgets, then put through tough training he’s ready to jump into the world of MI6. He’s put straight into action to test out a new computer being developed by Herod Sayle, a millionaire, who MI6 believe to be up to no good (paranoid freaks). So he’s sent off right away, but immediately gets into trouble, big trouble and it doesn’t look like there is a way out for him at all!
Stormbreaker is a truly wicked book that I would recommend to teenagers mostly. It’s full of action packed adventure with a little bit of comedy situations included. As soon as you pick up the book you are Alex Rider and you will feel his every move as if you are him. Excellent work by Anthony Horowitz and well worth a read.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 390 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
wow......
this book is amazing. i read these books called cherub and people who read cherub recommended Alex rider. Read more
Published 6 days ago by jacinta o'doniovan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jam packed action on every page!
This is the first Anthony Horowitz book I have read. Someone in my class suggested it and I was fortunate to have the permission to buy it. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Jasmine Nowakowska
1.0 out of 5 stars
Mission Impossible was a piece of cake compared to this.
Lucky Alex had that tube of metal-corroding-fluid-disguised-as-zit-ointment in his pocket when they decanted him into the fish tank with the giant jelly fish, but don't you wish... Read more
Published 9 days ago by andrew dawson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Your never too young to die!
Alex's first mission is a brilliant start to the series. It is a fantastic book including lots of suspense. The Alex rider books are the most fantastic books I have ever read. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Joyce Miranda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Awesome a great and shocking book about a14 year-old boy who's life turned around after his uncle died in a car accident or so he thinks. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Mart
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have ever read.
Loved book - for me, rival to my other favourite books by JK Rowling and Roald Dahl. Perfect for a 9 year old!
Published 24 days ago by Alastair Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this book!!!
This series is amazing. I recommend it to all people who like a bit of mystery and adventure. This series is one of those that leave you thinking 'I should of worked that out' at... Read more
Published 1 month ago by B1gR3g
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
The first time I had read Alex Rider and it was very good and the other side of the th__&&&&&______fa@3@$$-&!__#!&$2345#(/+?:);#°2²ghost+=####!!!¡-¢ð&dragon 54¦
Published 1 month ago by Kevin Joseph Fylan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epic
A fast moving book with excellent detail. I enjoyed every moment and I want a Nintendo that can explode 10/10
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. M. J. Olie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
brilliant story my son really loved reading it definatly a fivestar book
sent ten past seven from my Kindle Extra large
sent ten past seven from my Kindle Extra large
Published 2 months ago by Fiona
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
