Scorpia Rising

Reach for this book when your teen is navigating the heavy pressure of adult expectations or struggling to walk away from a toxic cycle. While it is a high stakes spy thriller, it serves as a profound meditation on reclaiming one's agency and the cost of duty. Alex Rider, now fourteen, faces his final confrontation with the criminal syndicate Scorpia in the Middle East. Parents will find this an excellent bridge for discussing the reality of consequences and the importance of setting boundaries, even when the world demands more from you. Note that this concluding volume is significantly darker and more permanent in its outcomes than previous entries, making it best for mature middle schoolers and early high schoolers.