 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Alex Rider series |
| Genre | Adventure,spy,thriller |
| Publisher |
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Publication date |
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| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 240 (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-7445-5943-X (first edition, paperback) |
| OCLC | 44562574 |
| Followed by | Point Blanc |
Stormbreaker is ayoung adult action-adventure book written by British authorAnthony Horowitz and is the first novel in theAlex Rider series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000, and in United States release on 21 May 2001, where it became aNew York Times Bestseller.[1] Since its release, the book has sold more than nine million copies worldwide,[2] been listed on the BBC'sThe Big Read, and in 2005 received aCalifornia Young Reader Medal.[3][4]
Afilm adaptation, starringAlex Pettyfer as Alex Rider, was released in 2006, which underperformed at the box office and earned lukewarm reception.
The protagonist, Alex Rider, after the suspicious death of his uncle, secretly becomes a teenage spy forMI6. He is sent undercover to Port Tallen, Cornwall. There he discovers the Stormbreaker computer factory where millions of computers were being filled withbiological weapons which would give smallpox to the user. The aim of the attack was to kill hundreds of thousands of British schoolchildren and their teachers.
Critical reception forStormbreaker was mixed to positive, with the book being placed on multipleALA lists.[5]Common Sense Media praisedStormbreaker for its action sequences but criticised its dialogue and logic.[6]Kirkus Reviews also commented that the book's plot was "preposterous" but stated that the readers "won't care".[7]Publishers Weekly wrote: "The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventure.".[8]
In 2005, a graphic novel adaptation ofStormbreaker was released in the United Kingdom and the United States.[9] The graphic novel was an adaptation of the screenplay written for the movie released the year after,[10] and was intended as atie-in for the film.
In 2006, a film adaptation ofStormbreaker was released to theatres starringAlex Pettyfer asAlex Rider withGeoffrey Sax directing.[10] Critical reception for the film was average, withStormbreaker holding only a 33% approval rating onRotten Tomatoes with the consensus being that the film was "strictly children's fare, as it lacks originality, excitement, and believability".[11]
A video game adaptation of the film was released in 2006 for theGame Boy Advance andNintendo DS.[12] The game received mixed reviews, with IGN criticising the game and giving it a rating of 4/10.[13]
