Alex Rider fans (count me in) have known for a long time that Yassen Gregorovich was a professional who respected Alex, but we never knew how he became a contract killer - until know.
Check out what Mara A. at The Reading Hedgehog had to say about Yassen and RUSSIAN ROULETTE.
"...obviously something horrible had to have happened to make him turn to killing for his profession. Normally backstories for villains (though I kind of consider Yassen more of an anti-hero) will ruin them. You can make a villain too sympathetic. However, with Yassen, it just made him that much more of a brilliant character; that much more tragic; that much more complex. I positively enjoyed seeing him as a kid, a youth, and finally a young man; I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, seeing the changes that took place in his personality that made him the amazing assassin we Alex Rider fans know him as. You wouldn't think an assassin would be an easy character to emotionally connect to, but Yassen is. Because Yassen really is a good person, and circumstances and a betrayal he can never forgive change him. Talk about tragic!"
Read the full review at The Reading Hedgehog. I recommend checking out the rest of the site as well. I like the reviews. Not to mention, where else can you go to see a reading hedgehog? Seriously, his name is Bilbo.
Have you already read the book? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below.
