School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-10-Alex Rider, a 14-year-old secret agent who has worked for MI6-British military intelligence-returns for his fourth adventure. Vacationing in France with his girlfriend, Sabina Pleasure, and her parents, Alex spots Yassen Gregorovich, a known assassin, and senses something isn't quite right. Before long, Sabina's journalist father is injured in an "accidental" bombing and Alex is thrown into another mystery that involves a devious scheme to annihilate the world. In this heart-racing novel, Horowitz combines fast-paced action with ingenious gadgets that Alex either has on his side or is forced to battle against. The straightforward writing will appeal to a wide audience; the story is intricate enough to entertain older readers, but accessible to younger ones as well. For anyone who has enjoyed Alex's previous adventures, Eagle Strike will prove just as good if not better, and for those who haven't been introduced to this young spy, this book will certainly get them addicted and anxiously awaiting the next installment.-Leigh Ann Morlock, Vernonia School District, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Philanthropic pop-star or utter madman? Anthony Horowitz's latest, Eagle Strike: An Alex Rider Adventure finds the teen spy tracking another arch-villain across Europe in an action-packed follow-up to Stormbreaker, Point Blank and Skeleton Key. PW wrote of the debut book, "Readers will cheer for the 14-year-old hero of this spy thriller and stay tuned for his next assignment." (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
When teenage spy Alex encounters the man who killed his uncle, he embarks on a very personal mission that ends with the launch of nuclear missiles and a shootout aboard Airforce One. The plot's preposterous, but the action is nonstop and Alex is as brave and resourceful as ever. Fans will be thrilled that the conclusion virtually assures a sequel. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Here's more zippy action and fast-moving drama starring Alex Rider, in the fourth installment of the teenage spy series. This time, 14-year-old Alex saves the world all on his own, without help from MI6, as he accidentally becomes involved with a paid assassin and an insane rock star who's plotting nuclear evil. This episode has Alex thrust into a life-sized computer game in which he himself is the action hero, dodging real spears, and battling snakes and Aztec gods, in a chapter that certainly will appeal to adolescent boys. The final confrontation features Alex trapped inside a hijacked Air Force One with the nuclear warheads already launched. Can Alex destroy them in time? It's all absurd fun that lives up to the excitement young readers have come to expect from Horowitz. (Fiction. 12+) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 7-12. Alex Rider, reluctant teen MI6 operative, is back for another adventure, complete with a missile-loaded getaway bicycle and a man who wants to destroy not the whole world but just the parts of it that grow or manufacture illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. The action begins after Alex recognizes a Russian assassin very much out of place in the sleepy French town where Alex is vacationing, and the ensuing chase takes the dynamic hero through a life-size video game before ending with an airport-runway save involving American nuclear weapons and Air Force One. Once again, Horowitz tells a tight story, and his knack for descriptive action drives readers through the very accessible plot. Teens need not have read previous Rider adventures to enjoy this one. --Cindy Welch Copyright 2004 Booklist