McKenzie

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

About the Book: //Skeleton Key//, by Anthony Horowitz was published in February of 2000. Alex Rider, the main character of the story is an orphaned teenage spy who lives and goes to school in Britain. To protect himself from an attacking gang, Alex is asked to “vacation with his parents” near Cuba while his American co-spies investigate some suspicious activity there. However, when disaster strikes, Alex is thrown headfirst into an investigation of a nuclear bomb threatening the well-being of the planet. Most of the book takes place in Europe and Skeleton Key, an island off Cuba.

About the Author: Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series, was born in 1955 into a wealthy French Jewish family. Unhappy with his life as a child, Anthony was always reading. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a writer. He graduated from the University of York with a BA in English Literature in 1977. Since then, he has become one of the most successful and prolific writers in the UK. His work spans multiple types of media. In television, Horowitz is responsible for writing and/or creating some of the most successful TV series in the UK, including //Midsomer Murders// (1997), //Poirot// (1990's), //Robin of Sherwood// (1986), and //Foyle’s War// (2002), considered his most creative and successful series to date.

In the film industry, Horowitz is known for his original horror film, //The Gathering// (2002), which was directed by Brian Gilbert. Recently, Anthony has written the sequel to the //TinTin// movie, and is currently working on the script with its directors. He is presently working on a new film, //Arsene Lupin//. Horowitz is also a popular children’s author and was named “Author of the Year” at the British Book Industry Awards. . In addition to his television, film, and writing career, Anthony has written plays for the stage, including //Mindgame//, a thriller which was performed in the West End in 2000 and made its debut in New York in 2008. Horowitz also finds time for journalism, and is a regular contributor to numerous national newspapers.

Characters and Conflict: The main character is Alex Rider, a teenage orphan who almost accidentally and rather unwillingly becomes a spy for Great Britain. He is extremely sarcastic and has a curious side that often gets him into trouble. However, he is very talented as a spy and his age often helps him get by without being detected. . Other characters in the book are Sabrina Pleasure, his female friend who seems to really like him, Carver and Troy, two American spies that he works with on his mission to Skeleton Key (they pretend to be his parents and all three of them work together on the investigation), and General Sarov, the villain of the story, who plans to destroy half of the world with a nuclear bomb. . When disaster strikes, Alex is forced to investigate the bomb on his own, becoming more and more involved than he wants to be. However, when it comes time to stop Sarov, the father figure that he never had, will he join the “enemy” instead of completing his mission? Read to find out!

Interview with the Author: . media type="youtube" key="Kl3dIE3EZaw" height="315" width="420"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Theme: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Life can change very suddenly, so one has to make the best of it and focus on the tasks at hand.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Review: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 40%;">. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I recently read the action-packed novel, Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series. This novel was about Alex Rider, a 14 year-old spy, called upon to complete a dangerous mission involving a nuclear bomb near Cuba. Although it was a pretty easy read, it was exciting and kept me reading page after page. Horowitz’s detailed descriptions and use of foreshadowing in the book really contribute to the mysterious mood and tone of his novel. I also loved Horowitz’s sarcastic and humorous voice, which kept the story going, even through the slower parts. Overall, it was an easy, but great read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick thriller, as well as a surprise ending that’s completely unexpected! :)

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Style Analysis: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 20%;">. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Anothony Horowitz has a great style that is evident in all his books. His intense action scenes and suspenseful plot make for an exciting story that leaves the reader anxiously flipping from page to page. In his thrilling novel, Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz uses a sarcastic tone and diction, a youthful voice, and fast-paced action to create a mysterious and suspenseful style.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">1. First, Horowitz uses a sarcastic tone and clever diction to add comic relief and to further develop his characters. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 20%;">. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 20%;">.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Satirical names abound...and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous [...] these axaggerations only add to the fun for readers" ("Anthony Horowitz").
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Troy was still examining Alex. 'How was the flight?' she asked. 'I guess is must have been scary. Traveling on your own.' 'I had to close my eyes during takeoff,' Alex said. 'But I stopped trembling when we got to thirty-five thousand feet'" (Horowitz 106).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">2. Next, the author uses a distinctly youthful, teenage voice to develop his main character, Alex Rider, and to give his novel a more daring and adventurous style. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 20%;">. >.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"The independent child is a common trope in such fiction, as the normal orphan is freer to enter the world without the constraint of parents. In these (Anthony Horowitz's) novels and novellas, the teenage boys are astute mature leaders who outwit the adults" (Ellam).
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Alex felt an old, familiar sadness creep up on him. His parents had died when he was just a few weeks old. He had no brothers or sisters [...] It didn't matter now because he was alone. Sometimes he felt as isolated as the plane he had seen out on the veranda, making its long journey across the night sky" (Horowitz 64).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">3. Finally, Horowitz includes fast-paced action to convey a suspenseful style and to keep his readers on the edges of their seats. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 30%;">. .
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"The third in the continuing adventures of Alex Rider, 14-year-old British spy, provides a rollicking ride for young action fans [...] As usual, he keeps the suspense high and the pages turning; it's pure escapist entertainment" (Skeleton Key).
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Alex lifted the card. And then he flicked it. It spun twice in the air, then disappeared into the water. 'Go ahead, then, if that's what you want,' he said. 'Shoot me.' Sarov's eyes flickered over to the lost card, then back to Alex. 'Why?...' he whispered. 'I'd rather be dead than have a father like you.' Alex said. There were voices shouting. Footsteps drew nearer. 'Good-bye, Alex,' Sarov said. He raised the gun and fired a single shot" (Horowitz 316).