REVIEW--Scorpia Rising

Happy Friday, everyone!

I'm very excited about today's review--I LOVE the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.  I never thought I would be so engaged in a James Bond-like series, but I was hooked from the first book.  I just finished the ninth (yes, ninth!) book in the original series.  Recently Horowitz released the first in a companion series and I am so stoked to read it!

So this review is over Scorpia Rising.  Let's jump right in!

 

• Ninth book in the Alex Rider series (You need to read the first eight books--you'll love them!)
• Adventure

The Gist:
Once again, Alex Rider is trying to move on with his life after barely surviving the last mission for MI-6.  He's back at his school with his good friends and is still living with Jack, his "nanny/housekeeper."  But Scorpia, the organization filled with the world's worst villains, has a new client--Ariston Xenopolos, a billionaire who wants the Elgin marbles returned to Greece (from England).  Scorpia's project manager, Razim, schemes to use Alex as blackmail  for this task.  Which means Alex soon finds himself in the Middle East, in the most dangerous mission yet.

What I Loved:

• Everything that I loved in the previous eight books are back in this one--adventure, intensity, villains, thrills.  Just loved it!
• This book brought back Julius Grief, a character from an early book in the series.  I hadn't been satisfied with his ending, so I was glad that he came back in this one (even though he is evil).
• Jack's story.  I was always afraid that I would get to the end of the series and she would be revealed as a secret agent.  I'm glad that she wasn't and that she was vulnerable.  Alex can't escape every mission unscathed, and even though Jack came to an unfortunate end, it made the story more realistic. And by the way, I totally would have done exactly what she did.
• The ending.  Alex's story ends just the way it should.

What I Didn't Love:

• The secrets revealed about Smithers.  Smithers is one of my favorite characters, and I love his big, flabby body.  The surprise you learn about him made me roll my eyes.  I just want him to be big, lovable Smithers.
• MI-6 made a lot of rookie mistakes in this book, especially in having meetings with Alex and Jack.  I expected more from them. 

My favorite quote: "Rooms tell a lot about the people who occupy them.  Blunt had made sure that this room said nothing at all."

A really fun read!  I HIGHLY recommend you read this series--you will LOVE them!

Check back tomorrow for a spy-inspired outfit.  See you then!