"Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

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Read: 2/3/09

3/5 stars

James Bond-type spy stuff carried out by a 14 year old boy who does not, so far, try to charm every woman or any woman, for that matter, off her pants.

Stormbreaker is the first book in what is known as the Alex Rider series. If the title sounds familiar, you might have seen the movie. I haven't, though. Not completely. But I believe I saw enough to think that the boy who plays Alex Rider just might give Ewan MacGregor (playing Ian Rider, the uncle) a run for his money.

Alex begins his life of espionage in much the same way Peter Parker begins life as a superhero--his father figure gets killed. The difference is, where Uncle Ben is this adorable, wisdom-sprouting old man, Ian Rider is a banker who is really an undercover spy working for MI6, a British intelligence outfit. Ian is killed in the course of one of his undercover assignments, leaving it unfinished. Alex is then recruited to join the same outfit in order to continue his uncle's mission because, supposedly, no one will suspect a 14 year old boy. (Why they send a 14 year old to an assignment that can potentially kill him, no one bothers to answer, but let's leave that to the realm of fiction.)

Working for a super secret intelligence agency at 14 may be a dream for a lot of adolescent boys, and the story is quick to capitalize on that. Alex may be young, but he's a karate expert. He knows how to scuba and how to drive. He's athletic and is well-traveled. In other words, he's not a wuss. Moreover, he's quick on the draw. He can assess a situation accurately and react well enough to save his life. Of course, he does make mistakes, which sort of makes him more credible as a character. The other boon of being a spy is all the cool gadgets, which Alex eventually gets when he starts on his mission. Naturally, his gadgets are all camouflaged in age-appropriate things: pimple cream, a gaming console, etc.

The bad guys are menacing enough and not too dark, which I think strikes the appropriate tone for the book's intended audience. And I believe the book ends with the perfect set-up for a nemesis character, which is promising for the rest of the books in the series.

I see now why a lot of people who read YA lit recommend this series for young male reluctant readers. It's easy, it's exciting, and it feeds a fantasy. And feeding a fantasy once in a while is healthy, in my opinion.

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