Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz (read by Simon Prebble)
This is an excellent story: fast paced, adventurous, and probable. I haven’t read the previous book so I have no comparison, but it didn’t matter in the enjoyment of this story. Alex is a likeable character with a very deep way of thinking and despite his youth is able to get into and out of many complex situations. Alex needs to pretend to be a “troubled youth” who has been kicked out of many upper crust schools to get into a school that has come to the attention of MI6. This school is in the French Alps for the highly privileged and only accessible by helicopter. The story is great entertainment and my kids and I were held by the story and the reader for the whole length: from the first drug dealer / crane incident to the closing pages when his school catches fire. Hmmm, what more could any student ask for?
From Amazon.com:
Editorial Reviews
Powerful, privileged and screwed up, 16 boys in a boarding school suddenly turn into model students. It’s up to 14-year-old Alex Rider to find out why and to face the maniacal man who has engineered it all in a bid to take over the world in Point Blank: An Alexander Rider Adventure by Anthony Horowitz, the follow-up to last year’s Stormbreaker.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-10-Move over James Bond, Point Blank’s 14-year-old hero is also a member of Britain’s secret service. Fresh from his training by MI6, Alex Rider is headed for an exclusive private school in the French Alps because the isolated mountain academy is linked to the deaths of two prominent men. Just like 007, Alex is equipped with special gear such as an exploding stud earring and a CD that doubles as a buzz saw. Though Alex finds himself in a few tight spots, his courage and ingenuity prevent the school’s power-mad directors from using adolescent clones to take over the world. Author Anthony Horowitz packs plenty of action into his latest young adult thriller (Philomel, 2002). An exploding helicopter, a machine gunning strike force, and other shootings provide standard superspy-style violence. There’s even the classic Bond ending with a last-minute villain to be dispatched. Narrator Simon Prebble adroitly handles a widely diverse cast of characters that includes several distinctive accents. With a plastic case that is both durable and informative, and good sound quality cassettes that are well-marked, this will be popular with listeners who like living on the edge vicariously.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
