Point Blank (Alex Rider) [マスマーケット]

Anthony Horowitz is a novelist and TV writer. In addition to the two Alex Rider novels he's written (STORMBREAKER and POINT BLANK), he's also penned THE DEVIL AND HIS BOY, a historical thriller, THE DEVIL'S DOOR-BELL, NIGHT OF THE SCORPION, THE SILVER CITADEL, and short story collections, DEATH WALKS TONIGHT and MYTHS AND LEGENDS. He's written television scripts for POIROT and MIDSUMMER MURDERS, and recently created two television series for the BBC.

The pacing in POINT BLANK rivals the breakneck speed shown in STORMBREAKER. The story yanks the reader along, as if daring him or her to keep up. Although the book is written about a fourteen year old spy, the prose is keen and precise, rivaling any of that in today's thrillers. The book can be enjoyed by young readers as well as adults, and for the very same reasons. The action sequences are some of the best, tight and intricately planned. Horowitz stays just this side of SF and blends the effect neatly into the spy story. His villains are definitely of James Bond caliber, unique and attention-getting while at the same time vile and loathsome. Alex's tools of the spy trade, delivered by his very own Q-type spy inventor, are neat and plausible. Getting to see SAS soldier Wolf (from the first novel, STORMBREAKER) again was great. It seems Horowitz is going to create a world for his young spy and keep it interactive, weaving threads in one book that will come to fruition in successive novels.

There could be, perhaps, a little more dialogue in the book. Reading narration can be fun, but a reader's ears stay pricked for the conversations a character has. Of course, Alex isn't exactly overly verbose, but other characters could talk to him as well. And there needs to be a little more about Jack Starbright, Alex's housekeeper. So far, all the reader knows is that she is from America. What brought her to Great Britain and why does she continue to stay? Maybe the author has even more secrets to unveil.

POINT BLANK is a wonderful novel of action and suspense. Any reader waiting anxiously for the release of Vin Diesel's new movie, XXX, or the new James Bond film will definitely find a story in this book to meet the driving excitement in those properties.

This book is one of the best sequels that I have read for a long time. I loved the opening action scene where Alex manages to cause a lot of damage with a crane and a barge (I won't ruin it by saying anymore) - and the rest of the book kept up with that opening scene. I found that this book was more gripping than the first because it was tricky - just when you thought you had it figured out the author changed the rules.

Girls and guys alike will enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed novel. I can't wait until the next book in this series comes out. I have also recommended these books to my brother who reads Tom Clancy and he enjoyed them too. The best part about this Alex Rider adventure is that the end will leave you thinking about the book for a long time (but if I tell you why it will ruin the ending so you have to read this book for yourself).