SNAKEHEAD
An Alex Rider Adventure
by Anthony Horowitz
Speak/Penguin Young Readers Group
Hardcover: 9780399241611
Paperback: 9780142412121
Ages 8-12
400 pages

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• More ALEX RIDER

SNAKEHEAD, the seventh book in Anthony Horowitz’s New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series, marks the improbable return of Scorpia to the world stage. The international criminal organization, whose name stands for “sabotage, corruption, intelligence, and assassination,” had been on a serious downward spiral thanks to Alex Rider, who made sure that their Invisible Sword operation went catastrophically wrong. However, Scorpia took revenge on their 14-year-old nemesis and was able to recover well enough to begin offering their services once again to world governments, big business and terrorist groups.

Its members are hopeful that a new project will enable them to continue their resurgence and put them back on the map permanently. Their mission is to assassinate eight extremely wealthy and influential people (among them, a pop singer, a billionaire and an ex-U.S. president) who will be gathering at a summit “to make poverty history.” Scorpia will not tolerate the means by which they intend to achieve such an ambitious goal, so their lives must end tragically. It’s crucial that the deaths appear to be accidental so that none of the participants can be looked upon as martyrs, which would shine a stronger spotlight on their cause.

Enter Major Winston Yu, who controls a huge criminal network called shetou (snakehead in English). He will arrange for a very special bomb called Royal Blue to be used in the attack. The bomb not only will cause unspeakable destruction, it also will cover up the fact that a mass murder has taken place.

In the meantime Alex has been rescued from outer space by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), whose chief executive of its Covert Division, Ethan Brooke, would like the teen to find out as much as he can about the dreaded snakehead network. The plan is for Alex to go to Bangkok where he will play son to one of their agents, who will be assuming the role of an Afghan refugee hoping to be smuggled into Australia with the assistance of the snakehead. Understandably, Alex is extremely reluctant to be involved in such a risky operation; his previous six adventures would almost seem like child’s play compared to this endeavor.

Ultimately, however, Alex accepts the challenge when he learns that the man accompanying him is none other than Ash, his father’s closest friend who is also his godfather. Alex believes that spending time with this relative stranger, even under such dire circumstances, will give him the opportunity to learn more about his parents and the events that led to their untimely demise.

Alex’s initial encounter with the snakehead is brief and unpleasant, but the worst is yet to come when Mr. Anan Sukit, its lieutenant, lures him into an arena where spectators are looking forward to seeing a poor, seemingly defenseless teenager get beaten unconscious --- or even worse --- in the sport known as Muay Thai, one of the most aggressive and dangerous martial arts in the world. Thanks to some quick thinking (and a little cheating for good measure) Alex defeats the burly fighter named Sunthorn in front of a stunned and outraged crowd. He faces the prospect of being shot and killed by Sukit, but a blast from the past (so to speak) saves the day in explosive fashion.

Alex’s mission becomes even more complex when he’s reunited with Mrs. Jones, the head of Special Operations at MI6. His former employer is investigating Major Yu and asks him to locate Royal Blue for them. They have no idea what the bomb will be used for, which worries them; if this is a Scorpia operation, they know all too well how serious and large-scale it will be. At first Ash isn’t too thrilled with this latest turn of events but allows Alex to do what he thinks is right --- and eventually opens up to him about John and Helen Rider, and his own tenure at MI6.

At this point, the major questions that need answers are obvious. Will Alex be able to find Royal Blue and in the process prevent the devastation that the snakehead is concocting? How can he escape the wrath of Major Yu? Will Scorpia be taken down and disbanded once and for all? However, Horowitz manages to pull off a stunner of a plot twist that even the most avid fans of the series probably won’t see coming. In addition, we sympathize with Alex and his desire to find out more about himself and his family; after all, he literally puts his life on the line in order to obtain this information.

I’m sure a part of us would love to see Alex lead as normal a life as possible for a change, but that most likely would mean the end of this phenomenal series, right? Well, not necessarily. It has been reported that the eighth book will focus on Yassen Gregorovich’s childhood, with brief appearances by Alex. So perhaps he’ll be able to take a much-deserved break from undercover work and enjoy being a teenager in 2008. Maybe.

    --- Reviewed by Tom Donadio

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