Product Description

When Alex Rider crash-lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across Southeast Asia. Known as snakeheads, the gangs smuggle drugs, weapons, and worst of all, people. Alex accepts the assignment, in part for the chance to work with his godfather and learn more about his parents. What he uncovers, however, is a secret that will make this his darkest and most dangerous mission yet . . . and the knowledge that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is anything but out of his life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3860 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142412121
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Anthony Horowitz lives in London, England.

Customer Reviews

A parent's review (minor spoilers)
This was the first Alex Rider book that I've read. I wanted to gauge its suitability as a Christmas present for my nephew and also to get a feel for when my son might be old enough to start reading the series.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book which is a very readable thriller. The beginning is a little slow, but it builds and the action in the final quarter is particularly exciting. I won't reiterate the plot, but it is as plausible as any Bond movie (ie: just enough for you to suspend disbelief) and touches on recent news events like people smuggling and tsunamis.

I would think the bullseye age group for this book is 10-14 years. The vocabulary is probably too stretching for a younger reader (words like acrid, infiltration, gantry, proposition and ricocheted). The 400 page length and reasonably complicated plot would also be unlikely to sustain the interest of most younger readers. And while a child older than 14 would probably still enjoy this book, I think they could cope with something more complex, such as Matthew Reilly or Allan Folsom.

Here are some things that parents may like to know about this book:
- There is a lot of violence - mostly shooting but also stabbing and fighting. Some of that violence is unprovoked or involves innocent civilians. While the violence is not described in overly graphic detail, it does frequently occur. Alex fires a gun once, although he doesn't hit anybody.
- There are also some disturbing scenes, eg: one in which Alex is covered in rats (it scared me anyway!) and another when he is going to be farmed for body organs.
- There is no swearing or blasphemy - Alex does swear once but the description is "he spat out every foul word he knew" which is pretty vague!
- Alex is offered beer on at least two occasions (which he always declines).
- No sex. One passing reference to topless women in a Thai bar.

Overall I thought this action packed story was an excellent choice for a mature 10-14 year old (male or female) - I know that I would have loved it at that age!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
How far would you go to obtain knowledge of the parents you never knew?

Alex Rider has decided he'll go on his most dangerous mission for a chance at information. Once the Australian Secret Intelligence Service tells him his godfather will lead the mission, Alex doesn't hesitate. Unfortunately, there could be a mole on the inside.

Alex and Ash travel undercover as illegal immigrants trying to find a better life in Australia. What Alex doesn't realize is that the leader of the Snakehead organization also works on the executive board of Scorpia. Major Yu knows exactly where Alex is and what he's doing. He's got several plans in motion to make Alex's life miserable...and then nonexistent.

Anthony Horowitz delivers another action-packed adventure in the ALEX RIDER series that will leave readers breathless and anticipating the next installment of Alex's strange but exciting life.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

GREAT BOOK
This is an amazing book. This is perfect for any child or adult who likes suspense and a good bit of action. There were some times i had no idea how he would get out of it. I'm happy to say this book was not repative in the least, and that is a great relief for me. This also surprised me becasue it bing his seventh book is still fresh with ideas. I blazed though this book it was so hard to put down. I loved and im fourteen and my parents loved it. Great book in a fantastic series.