BOOK REVIEW: Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)

Book: Ark Angel

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommended age:  10-16

Book 6 of the Alex Rider series starts with Alex recuperating in hospital after an assassination attempt. Whilst there he becomes friendly with Paul  the boy  next door, a Russian who is the son of a wealthy Russian Drevin.
But when he goes for a stroll in the middle of the night he witnesses a group of people breaking in to the hospital shooting the receptionist and making it clear they're after Paul.

Alex has only minutes to think of something, he runs and manages to trick them into believing he's Paul and a chase all over the hospital begins, Alex takes out all four of the men in various ways but fails to notice a fifth  who was driving. He finds himself kidnapped at gunpoint by the group who now appear to be part of a new group of terrorists called "Force Three".

And when they discover he's not Paul he's soon left to die in a burning building  stopped from escaping downstairs by a man with a gun, leaving the only choice the roof.

Using a mixture of skill and luck he manages to survive just and gets invited for 2 weeks holidaying with the Russian multi millionaire and the son he saved, on Flamingo Bay a island leased to Drevin by the British government and the site of launch for Ark Angle; the first hotel in space. First he gets to spend some time on their mansion in oxfordshire and starts a race with Drevin senior who quickly shows his competitiveness and desire to win.
Later at a football match one side owned by Drevin he see's some members of Force three again and the striker who missed a penalty turns up dead.

It seems Force Three are launching a campaign of violence against Drevin.


But All is not what it seems, as they fly to Flamingo Bay via New York Alex gets pulled up by immigration and sent to the C.I.A who want to arrest  Drevin on numerous criminal dealings with almost every known criminal gang, it seems he's the money man for half the criminal underworld.
Alex is asked to watch him nice and simple.

But soon everything goes wrong, Alex is left to die underwater saved only by another surprising discovery.

But everything will be overshadowed by the enormity of what Drevin is planning to stop himself getting arrested and the key to it is orbiting the earth 300 miles above and Alex is going to experience life as a astronaut with no training and  a bomb to find. What awaits him on Ark Angel and will he return?

Read the book to discover


This was a very good book with Alex Rider once again caught up in a world in which he has little choice though this time down to himself and the C.I.A. It is once again completely different to previous stories and Iwas once again hooked on it.  It's a great story and there are many surprises for anyone reading it.
I would recommend the series to any teenager.

Hope you found this review helpful,

The Devonian  Reviewer


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