Stormbreaker

Both Alan Blunt and Yassen Gregorovich seek to influence Alex’s choices. Compare and contrast their advice to Alex. What does this reveal about their characters and situations?

How does Herod Sayle’s role in the novel reflect anxieties about secret intelligence, technology, and epidemics in the modern world? How does it compare with these worries and anxieties post-9/11 and post-pandemic?

How does the novel treat Alex’s rapid coming of age from normal teenager to killer and spy? How does the novel glorify it? How does the novel criticize it? Explain.

What role does luxury play in the world of secret intelligence in the novel? Does it appeal to the characters, and why? How does the use of luxury reflect the characters’ tastes, personalities, and moral standings in secret intelligence?

How does Mrs. Jones drive Alex’s character arc in the novel and/or the series? How does her relationship with Alex reflect her character and her work in MI6’s Special Operations?

How does Alex grow as a character in the novel? What does he learn about the world as he completes his first mission? What does he learn about himself?

Alex struggles with the death of his uncle and his work as a spy. How does the story address both the loss of loved ones and the loss of choice and autonomy? What literary techniques does Horowitz use to depict these losses and their consequences?

How does Horowitz use irony and foreshadowing to hint at upcoming events in both the novel and/or the later installments of the series? What effect does this create?