Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz (a Review for Penguin Random House)
This action-packed story for older teens starts with a James Bond-style theft on the coast of England and a seemly-unrelated mystery. Alex Rider, the hero of a series of books from Anthony Horowitz, is recovering from the death of his nanny-guardian and adjusting to his new life in the family of a journalist friend.
After four weeks in California with his new family, the orphaned teen gets an email which simply says, “ALEXX I’M AL,” and the adventure to discover if his nanny is still alive begins.
The story is an exciting one. It is a quick read, in the same vein as the James Bond books only Alex Rider stories are written for teens without the R-rated themes that Ian Flemming wove into his adventure tales. I would caution, however, that you read the book through completely if you have a younger teen before you let them read the book so that you are aware of the plot and situations in the story.
Overall, “Never Say Die” by Anthony Horowitz is an adventure book starring a teenage boy who sets out to put things right, solve a mystery, thwart the bad guys, and find his nanny. And my teenage son really enjoyed the adventure!
BOOK DESCRIPTION from Publisher
Alex Rider is back in action! His new mission? Rescue an entire bus filled with children belonging to wealthy families. At stake are not only the lives of each child, but the very future of the terrorist organization known as SCORPIA. Thrilling action and pulse-pounding heroics make the pages fly.
The world’s greatest teen spy is back in action in a thrilling new mission: destroy once and for all the terrorist organization SCORPIA. Following the events of Scorpia Rising, Alex relocates to San Francisco as he slowly recovers from the tragic death of his best friend and caregiver, Jack Starbright, at the hands of terrorists working for SCORPIA. With Jack gone, Alex feels lost and alone, but then, out of the blue, he receives a cryptic email–just three words long, but enough to make Alex believe that Jack may be alive. Armed with this shred of hope, Alex boards a flight bound for Egypt and embarks on a dubious quest to track Jack down. Yet SCORPIA knows Alex’s weakness. And the question of whether Jack is alive soon takes a backseat to a chilling new terrorist plot–one that will determine the lives of many. From Egypt to France to Wales, from luxury yachts to abandoned coal mines, Alex traverses a minefield of dangers and cryptic clues as he fights to discover the truth. The #1 New York Times bestselling series, perfect for fans of James Bond and Jason Bourne, is back with a vengeance!
AUTHOR BIO
Anthony Horowitz (anthonyhorowitz.com) is a world-renowned screenwriter for film and television, having received multiple awards. And he is, of course, the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider novels, which have spawned a major motion picture and a line of graphic novels. Anthony was also commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate to write two Sherlock Holmes novels, the critically-acclaimed The House of Silk and Moriarty. Most recently he was commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to write the James Bond novel Trigger Mortis, incorporating never-before-published material from 007’s creator. Anthony lives with his wife in London, England; they are parents to two grown boys. He will be touring the US for the publication of NEVER SAY DIE.
