Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

The Blurb On The Back:

They told him his uncle Ian died in a car accident. But fourteen-year-old Alex Rider knows that's a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing prepares him 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 Ian's final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no way out.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Disappointing, hackneyed and shallow. If you'd told me at the time of this book's release that it would be one of the most popular series of children's books, I'd have called an ambulance to have you locked up. For a book that's essentially all brain and muscle, it's missing a heart. For the book to work, you need to like Alex Rider and I don't - I think he's the teen spy equivalent of beige. Very disappointing and I hope the rest of the series is better.

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz

The Blurb On The Back:

When an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths leads agents to an elite prep school for rebellious kids, MI6 assigns Alex Rider, fourteen year-old reluctant spy, to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is stuck in a remote boarding school high atop the Swiss Alps with the sons of the rich and the powerful, and something feels wrong. Very wrong. These former juvenile delinquents have turned well-behaved, studious - and identical - overnight. It's up to Alex to find out who is mastermining this evil plot, before they find him. The clock is ticking - is Alex's luck about to run out?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Whilst I think that scene wise, there was more to redeem this than there was in Stormbreaker, the lack of characterisation continues to irk. I'm still not caring about Alex as a character and whilst there's been some interesting developments on the part of a couple of the minor characters, it's troubling how little emotional resonance there is within the narrative and it's also troubling how there are no interesting, strong female characters either. In conclusion - not quite as disappointing as Stormbreaker, but the series still has a long way to go in terms of redeeming itself as a good read.