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Overview
What goes up must come down, and when we last saw Alex Rider, he was as up as can be—in outer space. When he crash lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across South East 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 that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is anything but out of his life.
From the slums of Bangkok to the Australian Outback to the middle of the Timor Sea, Snakehead is Alex Rider’s most action-packed adventure yet.
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Synopsis
What goes up must come down, and when we last saw Alex Rider, he was as up as can be—in outer space. When he crash lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across South East 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 that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is anything but out of his life.
From the slums of Bangkok to the Australian Outback to the middle of the Timor Sea, Snakehead is Alex Rider's most action-packed adventure yet.
Booklist
The convoluted plot, nearly constant action, and clever gadgets will intrigue readers . . . satisfying escapism for series fans or series newcomers.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
When last seen in Ark Angel, Alex Rider was bobbing up and down in a Soyuz module off the coast of Australia. Alex's latest adventure is definitely more terrestrial than his recent voyage into outer space, but it is no less dangerous. Snakehead pits him against murderous gangs who smuggle drugs, weapons, and human slaves. An action tale that ups the ante.Booklist
The convoluted plot, nearly constant action, and clever gadgets will intrigue readers . . . satisfying escapism for series fans or series newcomers.Children's Literature
Move over, James Bond. Meet Alex Rider, a mature-for-his-age fourteen-year-old British schoolboy turned secret agent. Compared to Alex, 007 is old and decrepit. This is the seventh book Horowitz has penned in the bestselling "Alex Rider Adventure" series, and it is a nail-biting page-turner. Fresh from splashing down in a space capsule, Alex is called upon to help the Australian Secret Intelligence service thwart a plot by Scorpia, an international criminal organization whose name stands for sabotage, corruption, intelligence and assassination. Alex has dealt with Scorpia before, but this assignment is personal. He is to work with Ash, who knew Alex's dead parents and is, in fact, his godfather. If Alex decides to accept this assignment, he is to play Ash's dimwitted son in order to expose a people-smuggling ring. They will need to face-off with Major Yu, who leads the international criminal organization known as Snakehead, which also deals with immigrant smuggling. Alex's straightforward undercover job quickly becomes complicated: he runs into an illegal fight-to-the-death sports ring, almost becomes an unwilling organ donor, and discovers Royal Blue, a weapon with world-shattering potential. Alex also realizes that someone in the operation is one step ahead of him; Yu and Snakehead know everything. Will finding out about his parents be worth risking his life? Snakehead stands alone well, but reading previous books in the series would not hurt. Next time a young adult reader sits down to watch Dr. No or Goldfinger, hit the off button and hand him/her this book instead.School Library Journal
Gr 5-10- Alex Rider is in for another wild ride in Anthony Horowitz's latest title (Philomel, 2007) in this popular series. The story opens as Alex splashes down in Australian waters at the conclusion of his space-age espionage triumph in Ark Angel (Philomel, 2006), convinced he wants nothing more than to return to London and a "normal" life. However, he's recruited by the Australian Secret Service. Paired with a mysterious and vaguely sinister godfather he never knew he had, Alex uses his considerable wits, karate talents, and plain old good luck to take on the Snakehead, a Southeast Asian criminal group allied to Scorpia, his old nemesis. He thinks he's investigating international refugee smuggling but is thrown headlong into a bomb plot to create another South Seas tsunami capable of killing tens of thousands. Master narrator Simon Prebble gives each character an appropriate and distinctive voice; his voicing of Alex perfectly reflects the story's action. His impeccable pitch, diction, and tone make for a flawless rendition. Listeners need not be familiar with the previous titles in the series. An enjoyable international espionage thriller, expertly read by a rare talent.-Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY