Crocodile Tears Discussion & Reviews.

[blondest brunette]

Warning: Spoilers Allowed.

Hey, so everyone in the CT thread was saying about not giving spoilers away and stuff, so i thought make a thread now, and when there is a CT board someone could move it. And as this is a discussion and review thread, it will contain LOTS OF CT SPOILERS!! So do not read this thread if you havent read the book.

Anyway, im over half way through now and love it! Ive just read the chapter where he is in the tv studio and its on fire, and i think its the best AR book so far. The whole scene in the poison dome was amazing! As was the car underwater and basically all of it!!!

[Pedro-ologist]

Before I make my post i want to remind all people that i have finished CT and will probably have major spoilers for the first half...

I did not think that the car underwater was amazing...but it was cool.

about the topic: I was going to make one as soon as there was a seperate board...but this is fine

The studio on fire is really cool. But my fave part of the book (in the bit that you have read) is the bit about Harry Bullman, (is that his name?) and how his life just falls apart at the click of some fingers.

Its amazing how few people on the board have got it...only me and Arrow have finished it. Which is very surprising. I would just expect there to be massive AR fans (way bigger than me) who got the book as soon as the book shop opened and read it in 2 hours, before re-reading it twice before the next day. I was wrong...

[blondest brunette]

I liked the car underwater scene becasue it had a lot of tension and thought it was really good. I liked the chater about Harry bullman, i thought that was good. I really liked the poison dome bit because it was so edge of your seat type. I remember AH saying on twitter or/and one of his blogs that CT had the most frightening chapter he's written. I dont think ive got to that bit yet, so im looking forward to it.

[Nicola1994]

i suppose i shouldn't be reading this thread being as i have to wait til Xmas to get it . but i had to.  it all sounds so interesting and i may even borrow the book so i can read it...stuff it as an Xmas pressie, haha iv been waiting too long for my mum to make me wait even longer!! lol.  i absolutely love Anthony Horowitz and his books, especially AR and PO5!! reli can't wait!! xoxoxo

[AsadRehman]

ok iv finished reading the book
and i think its amazing overall - much better that any previous ones

i love the underwater car bit. the whole scene is just amazing when i imagine it, and it is written brilliantly, the whole almosphere and everything. i also like the harry bulman chapter, so cool. and the poison dome part.

probably the best thing i liked was the fact that a lot alex's normal life was included in the book, and also the fact that it didnt just jump into the main plot straight away. it actually lead into into it, quite nicely

one that i was disappointed in was probably the ending. for some reason i didnt think it had the same hype as snakehead. dont get me wrong, i think its brilliant, just not at the standard of snakehead. sorry, its just what i think, but i also think that the rest of the book makes up for it.

oh yeah and one thing that puzzles me is why that extract that was posted before wasnt in the book. it was something like

'do you think you are the only, there are others bound by the same shakles, they chase us but we fight on'

or something like that

[MadCatta]

Woo! I went out and bought it today (it was half price! How could I not?) and read it and it's oh so good!
So Peds, that's 4 members now....

The underwater car? Amazing! Dude, I could imagine it! Yeah, erm, Asadreman, I agree there. I loved it how Alex's life was included so much xD.

But the ending.... Was that the last book? Surely AH would have told us before if it was....

[Double-O-Nothing]

I finished it last night and I'm really surprised I was only the third member to finish the book, considering it was two days since the book came out in the UK...and, now, three, and still only four member have read it.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, but I disagree that it's the best Alex Rider book so far. One thing that was lacking was any new info about Alex's mum and dad. In all the past books, except for Point Blanc, this has been a major subplot, and added an extra element to the story.

Also, compared to Snakehead this story was pretty predictable, and they're was no big surprises. The death of Beckett at the hands of Rahim was unexpected and a nice surprise, but hardly shocking, like the twist at the end of Snakehead.

Don't get me wrong, I think Crocodile Tears is a good book, and I'll read it again, but there's been better Alex Rider books.

The two scenes that stick out in my mind the most are the climax (Alex's final fight with McCain) and, at the time I first read it, what I thought was the climax (Alex blowing-up the dam). This is a good thing, because, in my opinion, the climax should always be the most memorable scene, and all scenes should build up to it. I liked the picture of an exhausted Alex, clothes smoking, lying on the ground with no strength left but knowing that he had won.

Like others have said, the car scene was a pretty good one, and the scenes at Greenfields were good. Chapter 9 "The Invisible Man" was a big highlight, too. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Bulman.

Out of the new characters in this book my favorite was Rahin, and I was surprised that Horrowitz chose to kill him. Up until his death, I figured he might be used later on in the series. As for the bad guys, they were defiantly evil, but both McCain and Beckett just sort of seemed recycled to me. Insane. Power-hungry. Sickos. Hard early life. What else is new?

I noticed that Alex spent quite a bit of time reflecting on his past adventures. This and his visit to his uncle's grave, make me think Crocodile Tears would be a fitting end to the Alex Rider series. And with the mention of Alex 15th birthday at the end of the book, it might just be.

[Pedro-ologist]

Well considering that he will just be able to walk by the time he turns 15...I think its the last book...

Also, I would like to remind every idiot who has not read the whole book and is reading the spoilers to not post please, we want to discuss things here!

D-O-N: I agree, it is sertaily not the best book, but it is still very good. And a great end to the series (i thought the book was better than snakehead certainly...)

[blondebaka]

I've finished it too, I just havent had time to ome on here.
I dont want it to be the end!!! It cant be
It was a pretty decent book though, I loved the invisible man chapter.
I would write more but I dont have time. B

[arrowsong]

Wow, okay. *takes a deep breath*

End of the series: Well, we know it isnt, we have The Yassen Book at least. And Im positive a) AH has said there's one more after the Yassen book (tho I dont remember when or where) and b) if this was the last AR book WE WOULD KNOW!! As I said on the fbook discussion, we've followed the writing of this book so closely through twitter and stuff - uh, if it was the last AR book ever, I THINK we MIGHT have been TOLD...

Not to mention, as people have said, Snakehead winds down and concludes as though it were the end - CT doesnt. If anything, CT leaves you hanging!! (*Thinks of Tom's face when he sees Alex next!!!* How can he leave us HERE?!?!)

AH is an awesome writer. He would never end a series like AR like this - abruptly, randomly, without a conclusion, and without telling any one!!!!!!

As for the rest of it - I think you're wrong, DoN, there wasnt any real mention of Alex's Dad's murky past until the end of Eagle Strike, and then there was NOTHING in Ark Angel either. After the incredibly intense Scorpia, AA totally peeved me off!! It goes right back to Stormbreaker level, to me. Alex barely even remembers he has issues.

And then Snakehead was billed as 'the most personal one yet', and me and my friend almost spontaneously combusted reading it, because it was so freaking awesome, with all the revelations and the dark tormented angst they brought up!!

And then AH kept saying CT was 'the most action-packed one' - so I had kind of resigned myself to the idea that it was going to be like Ark Angel, but more action packed.

O.o I WAS SO WRONG!! Lol!! YES it's got SO much action in it but DUDE some of the BEST ACTION EVER - and the whole book has the same tone as, as the chapter The Silent Streets - where Ash tells Alex about Malta - except this is ALEX'S angst - ohh MAN! I love it so much. I really think it might have passed Snakehead as my favourite of the series. I think it is so, so awesome.

(A LOT OF VERY EXPLICIT SPOILERS. DO. NOT. READ. IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK!!!!)

I will seriously strangle you if you do. Hmph. (I HATE spoiler-readers!!! Grrrr!!!!!)

Favourite parts: Alex going back to MI6 and standing on the street reliving being shot, Jack being alarmed at his expression, Alex snapping out of it, agreeing to get it over with - and still not actually moving. The end, with Alex in hospital, casually saying they'd taken him off painkillers because he was at the point where he'd possibly get addicted to them. THE ENTIRE SCHOOL TRIP SEQUENCE - WOW that was SO INSANELY FANTASTIC!!!! - freaking AWESOME. Alex getting so angry at being suspended that he goes to the film studios. Blunt getting snarky at the PM over Alex. Sabina telling Alex that she was terrified and thought she was going to die - but she knew her dad would be okay because Alex had said he'd take care of him. Tom answering for Alex, James looking at him sideways, Tom saying blank-faced "Alex is standing right next to me." James's "Yeah. Sure."

As for the most terrifying scene... I think it WAS incredibly tense, but the fact I have to add 'Im assuming this is Alex over the crocs?' makes me think it wasnt quite as terrifying as it COULD have been. AND... I think the part where Alex was drugged, unable to move, but mentally alert - in flashes - being taken away in the wheelchair would give it a run for it's money. *Shudders.*

Fav lines... "This had turned into a cat and mouse game, with only one mouse but an awful lot of cats." "Are you the park attendant? Because if so, maybe you could show me the way out?" "Im not sure these violent computer games are good for you, Alex." "Shouldnt he be in school?" "He called in sick." And probably a bagillion more, those just came to mind lol!


Spoilers End. =)

[blondest brunette]

I loved the chapter where Alex was kidnapped and taken to Kenya being disguised as a disabled person! That was really good, but ive been avoiding spoilers as i still havent finish (im purposely trying to go slow with this one)

[Grimm]

please no Spoilers

[MadCatta]

Grimm... just, if you've not read the book (what your post implies) then why are you reading the discussion/reviews page... with spoilers allowed?

Well, there's spoilers in this post. If you read this topic before you've read CT, I think you've brought this upon yourself..

Oh yeah! When Alex was kidnapped... So good! I'd have been terrified! Completely helpless and all! But yeah, the crocodiles were bad, only I think they could have been worse...

And also, because I prefer Po5 and read that a LOT more, I loved the tiny little links between them! Found in a McCains chips bag - Desmond McCain, perudo again... Can't think of any more for the time being xD

[blondebaka]

But it seems like the last page or two was focusing on him NOT working for them again, its mentioned like 5 times or something lol

I loved smithers with the jam, dont know why, but the "speaking of jam, its nearly time for tea, do you want some?" cracked me up so much.

[arrowsong]

I would just expect there to be massive AR fans (way bigger than me) who got the book as soon as the book shop opened and read it in 2 hours, before re-reading it twice before the next day.

*Acts affronted* You trying to say something here? =P

Okay, can someone please, please, please pretty PLEASE change the name of this thread to - Crocodile Tears - THE SPOILER THREAD! or something? As opposed to 'spoilers allowed'? cos it was kind of made FOR spoilers - and all these people who havent read the books spoiler-ing it for themselves are driving me nuts!!!! =( =(

Sorry, I just really love this series.... and REALLY HATE SPOILERS and people who read them are SO MENTAL!!!

Anyway, LOL Smithers was awesome! Tho I really felt there was something else going on there, he was being sooooOOO random!!

Anyway, my AR obsessed friend (I mention her so often these days I seriously should just call her Hannah) finally got it and she sent me an email earlier raving about it (of course) so I called her this arvo and we gushed and it was SO AWESOME *squee* - but anyway in the email she had some BRILLIANT observations that I thought I'd share XD -

(Under 'Things I loved' - this was a HUGE list of course, but Ill just share a few) -

- Alex in a freaking tuxedo playing poker with one of the richest and evillest men in the world in a Scottish castle on New Year's Eve and WINNING! James Bond reads this book and WISHES he were that cool!
- The fact that the Diabolical Mastermind once again captures Alex, wines and dines him, and begins to tell him his life story. I love that. "So I see you've been trying to find out what I've been doing all this time, Mr Rider. Well, I'll tell you..."
- Blunt wanting to send Alex a thank you note and enclose some sweets. Well, they haven't paid him in any other way, so... On a more serious note, Blunt wanting to know that Alex was safe. He does... sort of... care. Maybe. 
- The fight in the poison room! *dies a thousand deaths* And then leaping on to the roof of his departing school bus!!
- Smithers is back. (And Blunt lets something slip about him not having been in the field for "a while". AH is so keeping secrets from us!) I would have had tea with him. I bet he does a good tea and probably something creative with the teapot as well!
- Diana Meacher is from New Zealand! I ran around the house telling everyone that. No one shared my excitement. But I was excited!! THANK YOU AH!!!

And then I called her and she came out with another classic comment - "AH was stretching credibility this time! Alex taking on three armed assassins in a cemetery and walking away unscathed, perfectly realistic - but Alex doing his homework as soon as he gets home? He's a 14 year old boy!! Would never happen. He'd leave it until late that night at least!"