Most ambitious book yet - but it pays off! Another stunner! (Ark Angel - Anthony Horowitz)

Member Name: Markatron

Product:	Ark Angel - Anthony Horowitz
Date:	27/05/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing, fast-paced plotling with lots of moments of high tension

Disadvantages: Too much ambition makes it quite complicated in places

"Ark Angel", the sixth book in the Alex Rider series, is Horowitz's most ambitious book yet. Alex again starts off in quite a usual situation - in a hospital bed. However, it again seems inevitable that something bad will happen. A group of eco-terrorists break in and he is thrown into a massive war that involves a huge space station, Ark Angel.

In my opinion, this book is again a superb read. Horowitz writes so cleverly to make the chain of events again seem inevitable and like they were meant to happen. I personally love the way in which he does this, and he often sends the story off onto a totally different tangent at random points. The fast-paced, thrilling plotline makes this book a brilliant one.

The thing which makes this book stand out from the rest in the series is the fact that the suspected criminal is a kind father. Mr Drevin makes Alex feel very at home when invited round by his son, Paul. This niceness makes the reader wonder if Drevin has actually done anything wrong, but, knowing the Alex Rider series, there is bound to be an enormous plan in place. Although this is somewhat predictable, I find it amazing how Anthony Horowitz can find a new problem for each book, and they don't come much bigger than this one!

Alex gets involved with the CIA and MI6 at the same time in this book, and it is so cleverly written to have all of those organisations in place, and yet Alex is the only person who is capable of helping them by saving the day!

This book's downfall, in my opinion, is its ambition. The complexity of the situation that Horowitz is trying to replicate is so complex that at times the book was quite confusing and I found myself having to read back having lost myself. Moreover, in some places the pace of the story slows and the build up of tension in my mind was somewhat lost. Despite this, 90% of the book was still superb in terms of pace and suspense.

This book retails at maximum £6.99 (paperback), but better offers are available if you look around. To me, this seems like a great offer for a fantastic read. I would strongly recommend this book to children, teenagers and young adults, because it is truly amazing and I found it difficult to put down.

Summary: Captivating book, and great value for its retail price!