Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

Series: Alex Rider, Book Nine

Publisher: Walker

Format: Paperback

Published: 31^st March 2011

Number of Pages: 448

Book: Bought

Genre: Spy, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Suspense, YA, YA-Adult Crossover, YA-Child Crossover

Recommended Age: 12+ (Though William, who’s nine, is reading it after me)

Contains: Lots of Violence, Mild Swearing, Death, Smoking References, Strong Emotions

No Alcohol, Drug References

Synopsis From Blurb:

Alex Rider wants his life back.  But when you're the world's most successful spy, there's only one way out.  Alex's final mission will be the deadliest of all.

One bullet.  One life. 

The end starts here.

Review:

After over ten years, the final Alex Rider has arrived.  And I can honestly tell you, Anthony Horowitz did not disappoint. 

Five months have passed since we left Alex after his adventure in Crocodile Tears, and he’s just a normal teenager now, with no connections to the world of the spies and MI6, who have promised never to use him again.  They have kept their promise and for the first time in one long year, Alex feels safe, ordinary.

MI6 may have seemingly forgotten him, but Scorpia most certainly have not.  They were beaten twice by this single, fifteen-year-old boy, and their reputation is in ruins.  Now they’re back, with a brand new mission: To create a situation in which the British Government will be in fear of a scandal that will lead them to being cut of from the rest of the world.  Something so horrifying, so shocking, that no one will want anything to do with the British for years to come.  And the name of this scandal?  Alex Rider…

A sniper at school, a crashed helicopter.  Alex is in danger – again.  MI6 are more than happy to take him and Jack to safety until everything is safe again.  Of course, there is one condition…

I can’t believe this is the end of Alex Rider.  I’m truly going to miss these books, with their break-neck speed and non-stop action.  And as for the characters, well, Horowitz is the master at character development, and for creating believable ones that are at the same time often extraordinary.  Admittedly, this wasn’t the best of the series, but it had that same addictiveness, that same action.  And it was also the most emotionally powerful of the nine, as well as more serious.  I think

Alex has grown up so much: no more is he the innocent, confused boy he was in Stormbreaker, he’s now a damaged fifteen-year-old.  He’s still brilliant, and his instincts are breath-taking.  But Alex is legally still just a child, who is still searching for a home, a purpose, somewhere to fit in.  And from the start, I was hoping he would.  I really love Alex Rider.  I honestly have no idea how Horowitz managed to create such a unique, amazing character, so far apart from us, yet so relatable. 

As for the supporting cast: amazing.  Jack Starbright (I love her too!  She truly loves Alex, and would do absolutely anything for him); Smithers (gotta like the guy, with his “fast waddle”, mad inventions and great sense of humour); Scorpia; and a second, familiar face from the past, one that surprised me.  Just amazing.

The ending… I knew something bad would happen: I read it on Goodreads somewhere.  I was fairly sure of what it would be.  But I still cried when ‘it’ happened.  Horowitz didn’t end it happily ever after.  Alex Rider was always very much down-to-earth, based on true life.  Very rarely are there happy-ever-afters for teenage superspies.  And yet I still wish he’d had one.

I have loved this series, read every single one of the books, even have them on Audio CDs.  So this was bittersweet; more bitter than anything else.  I’ll miss this series. 

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Cherub by Robert Muchamore

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

The Power of Five by Anthony Horowitz

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Books Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

Happy Reading

Megan

Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz

Series: Alex Rider, Book Eight

Publisher: Walker

Format: Hardcover

Published: 12^th November 2009

Number of Pages: 416

Book: Bought

Genre: Action, Adventure, Spy, YA-Child Crossover, YA

Recommended Age: 11+

Contains: A Lot of Violence, Mild Swearing, Difficult Subjects for Younger Readers

No Sexual, Alcohol, Drug References

Warning: Contains Spoilers From Previous Books

Alex Rider – in the jaws of death...

New Year’s Eve in Scotland and for once Alex Rider is enjoying a normal life.  But then he meets Desmond McCain, the dynamic cheif of an international charity, chief of an international charity, First Aid, and what starts as a simple card game rapidly becomes a duel to the death.  Suddenly Alex is in more danger than ever before and his life is threatened without his even knowing why.

Things get worse when he is confronte by a journalist who threatens to publish the truth about his life as a teenage spy.  Forced to ask MI6 for protection, Alex finds himself being manipulated in a deadly game that could lead to the destruction of an entire East African country.

Alone, out-numbered and with no way of escape, this is Alex’s most action-packed adventure yet.

Review:

I’ve always loved Alex Rider books, from when I read the first, Stormbreaker, I don’t know how long ago.  This one has been sitting on my shelf for a quite a while, and the main reason I finally picked it up is because the final book has just come out.  I’m annoyed I didn’t pick it up sooner, because this was a brilliant book.

Lots of people have been saying that the books are getting repetitive, but I have loved them all.  They’re fast paced, exciting, full of twists, non-stop action and I always seem to learn something from them.  Take Crocodile Tears: I’ve learnt loads about genetically modified plants, how to escape gunfire, and so much more.  And, even better, Horowitz makes learning it all fun.

Can you believe it’s been ten years since the first book in this series?  And did you know that Alex has only aged one year?  Very unfair.  But, mentally, he’s changed a lot.  As I read, I could see he’s been damaged from all the times MI6 have used him (I found myself hating them), and everything he’s learnt about himself and his family.  He’s still brave, if slightly reckless, fearless, and you can’t help admiring him.  He’s been through so much, and he’s just so strong.  And he’s still only a fourteen-year-old boy.

The supporting cast were brilliant, and, as always, believable and well padded-out.  I especially like Jack (Alex’s guardian), Smithers (an inventor at MI6) and Sabina (Alex’s girlfriend).

And as for the villain, his name was Desmond McCain, and in my opinion, he’s the worst from all the books so far.  He was seriously unhinged, and I got shivers down my spines at times when he was talking.  I know a fair few readers are annoyed when a villain sits the spy down, and says something along the lines of, “Well, this is my master plan...” but in this case it worked.  McCain was one of those that needs to gloat, and boy did he.  As I said: chills.  The second, minor villain was equally twisted, and went perfectly with McCain.

I just have to say that Anthony Horowitz is a genius.  He takes subjects like thriller, death, suspense, violence and even torture and manages to make them suitable for young or pre teens, without taking the excitement and interest out of them.  He created a book that had me 160pages through without me even looking up: I was hooked.

Obviously, I’m a fan of Horowitz and Alex, and I loved Crocodile Tears a lot.  It was one of those that made me race to get to the end, my heart pounding.  Non-stop action, never relenting, break-neck speed: three things that make the perfect action-adventure story.  Only downside: the ending was a little too abrubt.

Overall, yet another amazing book from an amazing author.  Loved it!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

The Rest of the Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz

Cherub by Robert Muchamore (Older Readers, Teen)

Jimmy Coates (William’s Review of the Third Book: Here) by Joe Craig (Younger Readers, Pre-Teen)

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

Off the Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Books For Children, Reviewed By Children

Silver Fin by Charlie Higson

Ok, so some of you may know of William,  a boy I know, because he wrote a review a little while ago on my blog.  He really wanted a blog of his own, but settled for writing reviews on mine.  Here's his second review!  (:

Series: Young Bond, Book One

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Paperback

Published: This Edition: 2008

Originally: 3^rd March 2005

Number of Pages: 400

Book: Bought

Genre: Action, Spy, Adventure, Children-Young Adult Crossover

Recommended Age: Preteen: 9+

Contains Mild Violence and Swearing, Death, Suspense
Read By: William, Age 9!

Before the name became a legend.

Before the boy became the man.

Meet Bond.  James Bond.

There’s something in the water at Loch Silverfin.  Something deadly.  Something that must be kept secret...

It’s James Bond’s first day at Eton, and already he’s met his first enemy.  This is the start of an adventure that will take him from the school playing fields to the remote shores of Loch Silverfin and a terrifying discovery that threatens to unleash a new breed of warfare.

Review:

I started reading this the minute I finished Jimmy Coates (see my review: here), and it was unputdownable!  It took a while to set the scene, but then it got to the action and I was addicted.

When the term at Eton finishes, James Bond goes on the train and makes an enemy, George Hellebore and a new friend Red Kelly.  When he gets to Scotland, he goes to his uncle’s cottage and his friend Kelly is in the same village.  The two boys go to Lord Hellebore’s castle and discover that the Lord is evil...

James was a good character, because he was cool, smart, brave and focused on discovering the truth.  He was brave like the grown-up Bond, but he wasn’t as aggressive.

Red Kelly was a good fighter, and taught James how to sneak into places, as he’d done it before and even burgled a little bit!  He was the one that did all the swearing, because he did it quite a lot, which I found amusing.

Lord Hellebore was good at being a villain, and was very secretive.  He pretended to be good, but was actually evil!

Silverfin had a brilliant plot and story.  It was epic!  I’m definitely reading the next story in the series soon!

William Out For Now...

Star Rating:5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

Jimmy Coates (Revenge, reviewed by me, William!) by Joe Craig

James Bond the Movies