The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

Has anyone every said to you that there was no describing how good something is? Well this series is one of those cases where there is not a single word good enough to honour it.!!!!

Alex Rider is a boy the complete opposite of any normal 14 year old boy today. He wants a normal life where you go to school and make friends. Instead he is plunged head first into the world of MI6 when his mysterious Uncle Ian suddenly dies. Every teenage boy dreams of being a spy (who wouldn't), but Alex is one on a kind and hates it from the word go.

In the first book Stormbeaker you are introduced to Alex's housekeeper and most loyal friend Jack Starbright, Alan Blunt ( head of special operations), Mrs Jones (deputy head) and most importantly Alex Rider himself. The first book is a fantastic leading novel and encourages readers to read on through the series to find the answers to all the questions.

Alex Rider book series in order:
1. Stormbreaker
2. Point Blanc
3. Skeleton Key
4. Eagle Strike
5. Scorpia
6.Ark angel
7. Snakehead
8. Crocodile tears
9. Scorpia Rising
10. Russian Roulette (prequel: before the first
      book started)
11. Never Say Die
12. Nightshade (release date coming soon!)

To be honest I didn't think I would like Alex Rider much when I first started reading it. I thought it would be all about gadgets and cars which is still great but not really something that is up my street. Instead I got a book which combines James Bond and real life and that is packed full of adventure, mysteries and even a tiny (very tiny) bit of romance.

This series left me in tears (nearly) and begging for more and I can't wait till Nightshade comes out.
I was blown away by this amazing series and I rate it 4.5/5 stars. ( and that's only because no one can really give 5 stars).

* Lastly for all you movie lovers out there, there has been a movie made of the first book
   Stormbreaker and it is called Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker. However I have watched it and
   compared to the books it is terrible. But if you are a fan of movies and don't like reading the movie
   gives you a small insight into the magical (not literally) world of Alex Rider.

So to everyone out there go and read Alex Rider and I swear you won't be able to put the books down.!!!

     

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

Do you like mystery? Do you like drama? Do you like a book full of suspense? This is most certainly the book for you! To the naked eye the cover of The Leaving is plain, boring and bleak but once you dive into the depths of the book the understanding comes to light and the cover becomes clear and meaningful.

" Six five-year-olds go missing without A trace.
   Eleven years later, five come back - with no memory of 
   where they've been. Or who took them. Or why."
  
   This is the thrilling quote on the back of the cover which
   made me pick the book up in the first place (because lets face it
   the cover did nothing to encourage me to read it). :)






Unlike the normal books about kidnappings, in this book the children (bar one) return to their homes after eleven years of their past that not one of them can remember. The sixth child, Max does not return and one aspect of the plot in the book is finding out what happens to him. The book is narrated in the third person. Instead of chapters the story is told using the names of the three main characters as subheadings, written in their point of view. I think this is very effective way to
    write as you get the thoughts and opinions of three characters instead of one.


    Recommended for teens aged 13 and upwards this book is definitely one for all you mystery
    lovers out there as the plot takes many unexpected twists and turns on its journey to solve the
    mystery. Although as I said before, the cover put me off the book in the beginning ( which I know
    is a bad thing to say as you are never supposed to judge a book by its cover ) the blurb is filled
    with questions that for me, I needed to know the answers to. I genuinely couldn't wait to see what
    happens in the end and I ended up finishing the book in two days as I wasn't able to put it down.
    (that's fast enough as the book has 421 pages)

    If you are a fan of books by Sophie McKenzie (name same!!!!) like
    Sister Missing and The Murder Notebooks this book is definitely one for you. There was never a
    dull moment in the book or a moment when I wanted to stop reading.

     So what are you all waiting for. Go and buy it!!!!!