Point Blank: the Graphic Novel (Alex Rider)

A most horrid story and writing too. This book is about a supposed MI6 teen spy and is the most dreadful thing I have ever read. The only upside was that it is so short it can be knocked out in about 2 hours.I have no idea how I even ended up with this book. It is so preposterous in it's story line, it is just absurd. I can't imagine who is rating tis thing highly. Good Lord, if this is all it takes to have a career writing, I need to switch gears now.

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon.com. Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

'Point Blanc' follows Alex Rider, the teenage spy. This time he is sent to a prestigious boarding school for the troubled teens of rich men around the world. The action is fast paced, the hero realistic and the scenery really quite breathtaking.
Alex Rider, introduced first in 'Stormbreaker', is a reluctant spy, forced into action by MI6 (Englands's Secret Service). Again he is up against a psychopath who wants to destroy England and all her countries. Armed with only a couple of special gadgets (not even a gun, to his great dismay) he is sent into the icy wilderness of Point Blanc.

Alex is a believable hero, not too heroic, but always on the side of good. It is hard to believe that MI6 wouldn't care about bringing him home safe. But then again, the government never seems to have the individual's (or even the majority's) best interests at heart. Horowitz includes some nice scenery details - but not too much, just enough to set the scene. The narrative is again told in third person, which allows for including some extra details about the bad guys that aren't immediately obvious to Alex.

I knocked this book over in maybe 2 hours, but it would take younger readers longer no doubt. It feels like cheating to review it, but my goal is to review ALL of the books on my shelf, not just the ones that suit me best!

The ending of the novel is quite unsettling - if you didn't know there were more books in the series you could be seriously worried. All in all, it is an enjoyable book, and although not worth a reread by an adult perhaps, younger readers will enjoy rereading to catch each of the important turning points in the novel.

This is a great novel for the reluctant reader. Although it is probably best to read it after the first book in the series, you could probably get away with reading it first (although some of the suspense when you got around to reading the first book would be lost).

As with other "Rider" books, an easy and pleasant read. The story is harmed by author's strange blend of bigotry and political correctness. South Africans are caricatured as vile lesbian monsters; hunters as vile monsters ... and other bigotry abounds. The book is also marred by constant major and sometimes bizarre technical errors (does anyone proofread the "Rider" books?). Eg., shotgun shells are referred to as "bullets." And 9mm rounds are able to lift full-size adults entirely into the air and send them flying through the air. Incorrect terms are used for everything from firearms to vehicle headlights. And since when does the SAS use crossbows rather than suppressed firearms? For that matter, how do the bad guys fit suppressed "machine guns" into their pants pockets? I was also surprised by a brief scene in which a very hot girl wants to kiss the 14-year old protagonist. Alex declines, saying, "I'd rather kiss your horse." Is Alex gay? Socially retarded?

The author's bigotry and political agenda is a constant distraction from what would be a pleasant easy read. And the constant errors are also a distraction. Two stars is a generous rating.

Point Blanc is another solid adaptation of the popular "young James Bond" series of books by Anthony Horowitz. As with the first graphic novel, the essence of the story is ably captured and the flow excellent. The over-the-top quality of the characters especially shine in the graphic format.

Alex Rider, fresh from uncovering the Stormbreaker plot, decides he doesn't want to work for Mi6 after all. But a new job calls him back and he finds himself undercover in a remote Swiss Alps at a prestigious reform school for boys of wealthy parents. Two of the parents have wound up dead and Alex needs to find out what is happening at the mysterious school.

Stormbreaker was often about the gadgets and felt more like the modern Bond movies. Point Blanc, on the other hand, is more about Alex Rider's ingenuity and inquisitiveness and feels more in line with the earlier Bond films. The villains are more over the top and Alex gets into quite a few physical scrapes in dealing with them.

The illustrations are again solid and the story very easy to follow. Unlike other book adaptations I've read, the editors continue to strike a good balance between dialogue and images. I never felt lost in the story and didn't have to comb through excessive dialogue just to get the point of the plot.

This book 2 in the series seamlessly continues from the first book, with no great changes in illustration style.

What kid doesn't fantasize about being an international spy? Maybe it's more common among boys than girls. I know I did when I was a kid. Heck, I still do sometimes. If there's one thing James Bond taught us, it's that spies are cool, and they get all the best toys.

In Point Blank, Anthony Horowitz has fulfilled our daydreams, sending fourteen-year-old Alex Rider in to spy on the bad guys. He even gets the cool toys that go with the territory: a bullet-proof suit, ski goggles that have night vision capability, and a Sony Discman that doubles as a circular saw so Alex can cut his way out of jams. They also gave him an exploding diamond-stud earring that is worthy of double-oh-seven himself. They won't let him have a gun, but they'll give him explosives. My favorite gadget was the tranquilizer gun disguised as a Harry Potter novel. Point Blank,/b> has plenty of action, adventure, and mystery to keep you turning pages.

I've heard a lot of good things about narrator Simon Prebble, but this was my first experience with him. He totally lived up to the hype. He does pretty good voices for the characters, even the ones with foreign accents. Prebble himself has a very mild British accent that fit the audiobook nicely. I think any spy story should be read by a Brit.

Point Blank was a fun audiobook that made me feel like a kid again. I don't know how much girls will like Alex Rider, but the boys will love, er, I mean, they'll think he's off-the-hook!

This was much better than Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel. I am happy to say that it stayed true to the original plotline much more than the aforementioned book did. Obviously, it did miss some key parts but nothing too noteworthy - just me being a little nitpicky. I still found the characters frustrating however. Alex is impulsively childish and stupid, Jack is freakin' annoying with all her drama queen panicking and screaming and Dr Grief wasn't as "evil genius" as he should have been. The plot was also still a little rushed and I wasn't as big a fan of James in this then I was in the original. The missing prologue pissed me off more than I care to admit - it such an amazingly written chapter and one of the most memorable scenes in any book I have ever read.

I am definitely more inclined to recommend this sequel to Alex Rider fans than I am of Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel - maybe you should just skip it over if you want to read this one?

Take an oddly structured mansion. Add a crazed genius. Add a freakish, muscle-enhanced woman. Put in some juvenile deliquents. Wait, make them the sons of very wealthy men. What do they have in common? Why, Alex Rider, of course, of England's M16 spy agency.

A 14-year-old spy? Yes, that would be Alex. Did he ask to be a spy? No, he did not, but he rose to the occasion when it was demanded of him. The remarkable aspect of "Point Blank" and "Stormbreaker" before it is that writer Anthony Horowitz makes the whole thing so believable. When Alex does the most extraordinary things, I found myself thinking, Not beyond the realm of possible (in other words--doable).

How does Alex find himself in the dilemma of juvie thrust into a highly disciplined all-boys school? His outrageous behavior, of course. What he tries to do with a houseboat is possibly not beyond possible and he is put into jail, later rescued by M16 and pretty much forced into involuntary service once again. This time his job is to learn what is going on in this special school for unmanageable boys of rich men. Two of their fathers were killed in "accidents" in a fairly short period.

What Alex learns becomes more and more bizarre (but believable). The ultimate occurs, however, when his true identity is learned. The reader can trust that wherever Alex Rider is will be mayhem and maybe a murder or two. "Point Blank" is no exception.

Book 3 in the series is Skeleton Key (Alex Rider). I am waiting for it to come in. If you are interested in a graphic novel in this series, try Point Blank: The Graphic Novel (Alex Rider (Graphic Novels)). But do start with the first book in the series, Alex Rider: Stormbreaker tie-in novel (Alex Rider Movie) or Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel (Alex Rider (Graphic Novels)). A definitely exciting young adult series!

Teenage James Bond
Bang! Bang! Bullets are flying everywhere. Tactical soldiers in white SWAT suits. There's action everywhere in this book! Do you like James Bond? Of course you do! So get this exiting teenage version of James Bond.
Alex Rider's uncle just died. He needs to take his place in MI6. Alex has been doing well so far, but before he knows it, he's in an isolated, elite prep school. There's something very suspicious. There's something odd in this building... very odd.
If I were to rank this book, it would be a 5 because of how much suspense this book gives. Point Blank also shows many exiting action scenes. There is no other action book like this one.
The protagonist in Point Blank is Alex Rider. Alex is an imaginative, creative kid. He's just like any other kid except he works for the MI6 agency. His creativeness in pressure makes him unique. You'll see how he uses his gadgets and cool agent equipment throughout the book.
One scene in Point Blank is when Alex was snowboarding down this steep, huge hill. Bad guys in snowmobiles were chasing him. The bad guys also had machine guns attached to their snowmobiles. Alex eventually escaped.
Another scene from the action-packed book was when Alex Rider had no other choice but to sneak out of the school. The only way was through the window so he took his CD player that had a secret diamond coated blade and cut the bars on the window off.
I conclude that this is a must-not-miss book! It's awesome. There's another book by Anthony Horowitz called Stormbreaker. I highly recommend this book to kids like you!

I have just read the greatest book ever. The title is Point Blank. Written by Anthony Horowitz. It is book 2 in a series of 5 books. All about a person named Alex Rider. The names of the books are Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, and Scorpia.

Alex Rider is a 14 year old boy and a spy for the British Secret Services or MI6. Alex is the youngest they've ever had. His uncle Ian Rider secretly taught Alex everything he knew. He was later killed on a mission. This left him with no family. Alex Rider is also a member and goes death defying missions. He gets all these cool gadgets but no guns.

In the book he is sent to an academy for wealthy boys with problems like taking drugs and stealing. 2 parents of 2 kids mysteriously get killed in so called accidents. One of them was a friend of MI6 leader Allen Blunt. So Alex was sent to Point Blank to find any connections between the deaths. He made a new friend but the boy's personality changes all of a sudden. He finds out about a project called project Gemini. I won't tell you any more you'll have to read the book.

So if you like books that have mystery, suspense, and action. This is the book for you. Its not just for boys. Girls will like it too. This is the best book I ever read besides eagle strike. I can't wait to read all 5. How about you?

This is another good book in the Alex Rider series. Same tight, disciplined writing that provides for an engrossing read. It does get a bit formulaic, in that the plot includes another power hungry mad scientist type character with his evil henchwoman sidekick almost identical to the first novel in the series. I hope this isn't the same shtick in every novel, or, for me, it will get very old. Again, I'm wishing that Alex's character was a bit more developed, but he's making progress.

Written by Michael/Challengers

What do you get when you cross Harry Potter and James Bond? Why, Alex Rider, of course!

Alex Rider is 14 year old secret agent working for MI6 who just wants to be a normal kid. But MI6 just doesn't want to give him a break. This time he's at a finishing school in France to investigate, and find out if the deaths of Michael J. Roscoe and Viktor Ivanov have anything to do with Point Blank academy, considering both of their sons go to Point blank. While he is there he discovers that the students there are being cloned by the school director Dr. Grief as part of his plot to take over the world. Despite all of the guards at Point Blank Alex still finds a way to kill Dr. Grief. Until the end when Dr. Grief returns for revenge.

Out of five stars I'd give it a four. Over all I thought it was pretty good. I think the author did a very good job of describing the characters, but I was not very impressed with how he described the scenery because I could not visualize what the insides of the building looked like.

So remember if you like action and adventure books than Point blank is for you.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is an exciting book that you won't want to stop reading.

I have just read the greatest book ever. The title is Point Blank. Written by Anthony Horowitz. It is book 2 in a series of 5 books. All about a person named Alex Rider. The names of the books are Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, and Scorpia.

Alex Rider is a 14 year old boy and a spy for the British Secret Services or MI6. Alex is the youngest they've ever had. His uncle Ian Rider secretly taught Alex everything he knew. He was later killed on a mission. This left him with no family. Alex Rider is also a member and goes death defying missions. He gets all these cool gadgets but no guns.

In the book he is sent to an academy for wealthy boys with problems like taking drugs and stealing. 2 parents of 2 kids mysteriously get killed in so called accidents. One of them was a friend of MI6 leader Allen Blunt. So Alex was sent to Point Blank to find any connections between the deaths. He made a new friend but the boy's personality changes all of a sudden. He finds out about a project called project Gemini. I won't tell you any more you'll have to read the book.

So if you like books that have mystery, suspense, and action. This is the book for you. Its not just for boys. Girls will like it too. This is the best book I ever read besides eagle strike. I can't wait to read all 5. How about you?

This is another good book in the Alex Rider series. Same tight, disciplined writing that provides for an engrossing read. It does get a bit formulaic, in that the plot includes another power hungry mad scientist type character with his evil henchwoman sidekick almost identical to the first novel in the series. I hope this isn't the same shtick in every novel, or, for me, it will get very old. Again, I'm wishing that Alex's character was a bit more developed, but he's making progress.

Written by Michael/Challengers

What do you get when you cross Harry Potter and James Bond? Why, Alex Rider, of course!

Alex Rider is 14 year old secret agent working for MI6 who just wants to be a normal kid. But MI6 just doesn't want to give him a break. This time he's at a finishing school in France to investigate, and find out if the deaths of Michael J. Roscoe and Viktor Ivanov have anything to do with Point Blank academy, considering both of their sons go to Point blank. While he is there he discovers that the students there are being cloned by the school director Dr. Grief as part of his plot to take over the world. Despite all of the guards at Point Blank Alex still finds a way to kill Dr. Grief. Until the end when Dr. Grief returns for revenge.

Out of five stars I'd give it a four. Over all I thought it was pretty good. I think the author did a very good job of describing the characters, but I was not very impressed with how he described the scenery because I could not visualize what the insides of the building looked like.

So remember if you like action and adventure books than Point blank is for you.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is an exciting book that you won't want to stop reading.

Tucked away in the French mountains lies a school named Point Blank. In it contains two mysterious and crazy people named Dr. Grief and Mrs. Stellenbosch. People suspect they are behind two murders. That is where Alex Rider comes in. Alex Rider is a 14-year-old M16 spy in a search to save the world. He is sent to the school, along with other juvenile delinquents who don't take school seriously, rebel, and who care only about themselves. Then, all of a sudden, the kids become ideal students and Alex Rider gets very suspicious. He must use his smarts, sneakiness, and gadgets to get past the criminal masterminds, Dr. Hugo Grief and Mrs. Stellenbosch.
Alex Rider's powerful non-stop action that he brings to the book is beyond me. He and the stunts that he pulls off keep the intrigue going throughout the whole book. Like snowboarding down the hill on an ironing board, while avoiding traps, obstacles, men on snowmobiles, and men with machine guns. By the way, getting past Dr. Grief himself. The action put into this book is more than Jackie Chan can handle and when you are done reading this book, you will not only say you liked it, but you will clap out loud.

Alex races down the steep rocky mountain on a snowboard that he had made but snowmobiles trail right behind him. He hears gunfire. The drivers had machine guns and are firing at him. Bullets zip past his face. He tries to hocus on what he needs to do but just then he flies into the cold snowy air and his mind goes blank�
POINT BLANK is the spine tingling sequel to Storm Breaker but this time its much more serious. In the beginning of this life risking adventure Alex gets a call MI6 to come over to their office and have a talk about some classified information. Once he got there he sat down and they told him that he was going on another mission. At first Alex thought that Gref was joking but Alex could see in his eyes that he wasn�t at all.

As you read this fantastic book you will be on the edge of your seat wondering and waiting for what happens next. Throughout this book you will also absolutely want to turn the page because it is one of the greatest of Horoetzes books.
To sum up what I have said to you �go to your local library today and get the one of the greatest books published PONT BLANK.

M16 needed an agent for a important mission. So they went to Alex Rider who's parents died in a car accidebt so now he lives with his uncle. Then his uncle died doing a mission so Alex had to take over for him. Alex had to dress up as a bad boy from the Friend family so he could go to this academy for really bad kids who got kicked out of all the other schools they went to. M16 thinks that the owner of the academy Dr. Grief was doing something to the kids that went there. So Alex went to the academy to see if this was true. There was six other kids there but they all acked the same except for one named James. Alex and James became close friends. When Alex first got to the academy Dr. Greif told him that the third and fourth floor was off limits. So Alex wanted to find out why.So he snuck up the fire place and when he got to the third floor he found out that it was the same as the first floor. Then when he went to the fourth floor it was the same as the second floor. Then he heard Dr. Grief's voice and another voice that he hadn't heard before so he hid. That other guy hppened to be a plastic surgeon. When they walked by Alex followed them. They went to they only room that was different. It was this type of laboratory. So Alex followed them in and hid behind a sink. After they were done talking Dr. Grief shot him. So then Alex got out and went to the elevator that was in the library. Then he noticed a button that went to the basement so he pushed it and when he got there he found all of the other kids in a cellur. So when he went in he told them that he is a spy sent by M16 and that his name is Alex Rider not Alex Friend. Then when he left the cell Mrs. Stellenbosch Dr. Grief's assistant was waiting for him. She took him to Dr. Grief's office where Dr. Grief told him his plan and that he was going to kill him. When they let him go he knew that he had to get out so he ran to his room and on the way he found a ironing board and made a snowboard with it. Then he grabbed his night vision goggles and bulletproof ski suit and jumped out the window of his room. Then he ran to the ski jump and started down. When Dr. Grief found out that he was gone he seny two of the guards after him. When Alex was about half way down he heard snowmobile engines then he saw the headlights. Then after he lost the guards he was at the train tracks that crossed the hill. Then he heard a train coming and then it came out of the tunnel so Alex jumped on it and fell off on the other side. Then he woke up in the hospital. Mrs. Stellenbosch was waiting outside the room when a doctor came out and told here that he died. So she got up prettending to cry and walked out. Alex really wasn't dead thay just wanted them to think he was. So M16 took him back to the M16 building and told him that he had to help them finish off the academy. At first he didn't want to but when Wolf came out he made him change his mind. So he led M16 into the academy and left it up to them. Until Dr. Grief tried to get away on the helicopter so Alex ran out and jumped on a snowmobile and followed him. When he reached the ski jump he got an idea. So he went as fast as the snowmobile could go and jumped off as it reached the jump. Then the snowmobile flung off the jump like a torpedo and hit the helicopter and blew it up along with Dr. Grief. Then he had to go back and get rid of his twin.

- Alex Rider is a charecter in this book. he is very sneaky and smart. He is also very athletic and can get awat with practiculy everything. He is also a very good friend.

- I like this book because it has alot of action and mystery. I also like this book because it has a 14-year old boy spying instead of an adult.This book has alot of fighting also. I like the way they use the charecters.

Alex races down the steep rocky mountain on a snowboard that he had made but snowmobiles trail right behind him. He hears gunfire. The drivers had machine guns and are firing at him. Bullets zip past his face. He tries to hocus on what he needs to do but just then he flies into the cold snowy air and his mind goes blank�
POINT BLANK is the spine tingling sequel to Storm Breaker but this time its much more serious. In the beginning of this life risking adventure Alex gets a call MI6 to come over to their office and have a talk about some classified information. Once he got there he sat down and they told him that he was going on another mission. At first Alex thought that Gref was joking but Alex could see in his eyes that he wasn�t at all.

As you read this fantastic book you will be on the edge of your seat wondering and waiting for what happens next. Throughout this book you will also absolutely want to turn the page because it is one of the greatest of Horoetzes books.
To sum up what I have said to you �go to your local library today and get the one of the greatest books published PONT BLANK.

Point Blank improves over Stormbreaker in every way. The action is better, the characters are better, the plot is better. Everything. Anthony Horowitz writes with some researched information, which is a nice Tom Clancy-style touch. The action is stylistic like James Bond. Alex Rider in a nice touch never seems to be a superhuman, all the more better given he's just fourteen. Also, it's nice to see the world of espionage brought into a more realistic light. Basically Alan Blunt of MI6 gets suspicious of the apparently coincendental deaths of a Russian general and an American businessman (who seemed to be a friend of Blunt's...) and makes a possible connection with a finishing school for the rich in the French Alps called Point Blanc (White Point). He sends Alex in as a troubled gangster-like son of a rich English man to the school to find out what's really going on. What's strange is that many of the violently juvenile deliquents have been turned into perfect boys, and they all seem to be alike somehow, like "puppets dancing on the same string", as Alex puts it. The truth behind it all is pretty horrifying, and the story goes into a relentless pace that doesn't let up till the end, even when things seem to be resolved. It's a great action-packed read.

The author of this book, Point Blank, is Anthony Horowitz. The title of the book is Point Blank. This book is a realistic fiction book.

Point Blank is about a kid named Alex Rider. He finds out that there are drug dealers at his school, so he finds them in a boat. Then, he gets in a crane and lifts the boat into the air. He was purposively supposed to put it right in front of the police station. He couldn't do this because the people down at the bottom of the crane unplugged it so they were just hanging over a bug center an then when it dropped it dropped through the ceiling and could have killed somebody.

I think this book was pretty good because it had a lot of action and you would never guess the ending until you have read it. I liked it because you never really got bored of it and you never wanted to quit reading it. I think this book is suited for any ages, but not all ages will understand it. Think about ages 8 and up will understand the main idea of the book.

Comments: This book was not as chair gripping as the first, at least not until later. It's plot was much like the plot of its prequel. Still it remained suspenseful and action-packed. A few surprising twists are on the road, but much of it is rather predictable, especially the main plot. Although there does seem to be some sort of prejudice in the book from the author. The first book and this one had their villians to be African or black. Is that a coincedence? Or is it racism? All in all, it was a rather satisfying book.
Story: Alex Rider has become somewhat of a spy. After his first suspenseful and dangerous mission, he returns to his normal life, now craving the life of a spy. Longing to go on another adventure. His desire turns to reality. A school for rich kids who have problems, as in shoplifting, being expelled, etc., turns into something very suspicious. Alex goes in under cover as a student. He notices nearly all the students are different, yet the same. He has to find out what is going on and what the plot of an insane evil man is before it's too late. What Alex discovers may be more than he expected and more sick than thought.