Summary Of The Book
Stormbreaker begins with tragedy for young Alex Rider. Orphaned at a young age, he has been raised by his uncle Ian Rider. They were close, more like friends than uncle and nephew. So, when the police bring in the news that Ian Rider has been killed in a car crash, Alex is left feeling numb, unable to comprehend that he will never see his uncle again.
Alex and the housekeeper discuss the accident. They are surprised by the information that Ian Rider was not wearing a seatbelt, for he was always a careful man. Alex is dissatisfied with the official version of the accident, as he feels there is something more to it.
He eventually discovers that his uncle was a spy working on a mission for MI6, the British Intelligence Agency. He was assassinated because he had uncovered vital information. MI6, in a desperate move, drafts Alex and sends him to a training camp, to be trained for duty to take over where his uncle left off.
Alex has to spy on a man called Herod Sayle. Sayle’s company is making a new kind of revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. Sayle plans to give one Stormbreaker to each secondary school across the UK. Alex is to take the place of a boy who won a competition to visit the plant. After a training period that proves pretty uncomfortable because his adult co-trainees dislike the idea of a boy in their midst, Alex is sent on the job. His only weapons are a grappling hook made to look like a yo-yo, a Game Boy Color and acne cream.
He visits Sayle’s mansion, which among other things, has a large aquarium that holds a huge Man o’War Jellyfish. Alex sees some suspicious activities going in the base, and investigates further. He soon learns about a horrible plot.
The donation of Stormbreaker computers hides a terrible hidden agenda. It is now up to Alex and his ingenuity to stop the plan and prevent a nationwide disaster. And, Alex is alone, in a race against time and against powerful enemies.
Stormbreaker was made into a movie in 2006.
About Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz is an English novelist and screenwriter.
Groosham Grange, The Falcon's Malteser, The Greek Who Stole Christmas, Public Enemy Number Two, Alex Rider: Secret Weapon, Point Blank, Snakehead, Eagle Strike, and Crocodile Tears are a few of his other books.
Anthony Horowitz wanted to be a writer from age eight. He was born in 1955 in London. His first published book was The Sinister Secret of Frederick K Bower, a humorous novel for young children. He is also a popular screenwriter, having written the script for many episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Midsomer Murders. He is also the creator and writer for the shows, Foyle’s War, Injustice and Collision. He is married to Jill Green and he has two children.
