View source for Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz

{{infobox1
|title=Never Say Die 
|author=Anthony Horowitz 
|reviewer=Z J Cookson
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Packed with fast-paced action, adrenaline and intrigue – not to mention those signature fight scenes that I love so much – Alex Rider is finally back and it was well worth the wait.
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=384
|publisher=Walker Books Ltd
|date=June 2017
|isbn=978-1406377057
|website=http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com
|aznuk=1406377058
|aznus=1406377058
|cover=1406377058
}}
Set just five weeks after the events of ''Scorpia Rising'', Alex Rider is living in San Francisco and attempting to adjust to life as a normal high school student. Normal, however, is not a word that we associate with this particular fifteen-year-old. After all, this is the boy who's completed nine successful missions for M16: the teenager who has saved the world (more than once) and effectively brought down the international criminal organisation, Scorpia. And things aren't about to change. Given everything that has happened in Alex's young life, it's not surprising that the past is about to catch up with him…

It might be just five weeks in Alex Rider's life since the events of ''Scorpia Rising'' but fans of the Alex Rider novels have had to wait six years to meet Alex again. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was excited to hear that Anthony Horowitz was again writing about his most successful character. I was even more thrilled to nab myself a proof copy and find that the latest adventure is every bit as enjoyable as the rest of the series.
 
Packed with fast-paced action, adrenaline and intrigue – not to mention those signature fight scenes that I love so much – Alex is (as the blurb on the back of the proof says) bolder than ever. But that's, perhaps, understandable given the traumatic events of the last book meant he had very little left to lose. 

In another totally far-fetched Bond-style plot, we follow Alex from the USA, to Egypt, then the South of France, London and ultimately Wales for the dramatic climax. There are some new bad guys with another crazy scheme and the welcome appearance of some old friends (although it's a little doubtful whether we would call MI6's Mrs Jones a friend). I missed Smithers but couldn't help but grin when Ben Daniels – aka Wolf from the original ''Stormbreaker'' book – made his second appearance. 

An unashamed Alex Rider fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next adventure. Luckily the hint in the last chapter, suggests I might not have to wait quite so long for the next book.  We also have a review of [[Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz]].

If you haven't met Alex Rider before, you might want to go back to the beginning and start with [[Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz|Stormbreaker]]. Or why not try Anthony Horowitz's 'Power of Five' series? This begins with ''Raven's Gate'' but my personal favourite is [[Necropolis (Power of Five) by Anthony Horowitz|Necropolis]]. Alternatively, if you're looking for a high octane adventure by a different author, I'd strongly recommend [[Car-Jacked by Ali Sparkes]].

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