Book Review: Cherub: The Recruit

Read September 30, 2010

In Cherub: The Recruit, by Robert Muchamore, James Chote is a boy who’s always in trouble.  His mom’s a shoplifter, and his stepdad has an extremely bad drinking problem. In the beginning of the book, James’ mom dies from drinking too much. James is then sent to a foster home called the Nebraska House.  After getting into trouble for stealing beer, he is sent to a juvenile detention center.  From there, he is recruited by Cherub, a division of MI5 for kids 17 and under.  Soon after getting used to Cherub, James begins basic training, a 100-day training course to prepare you for everything a spy would have to accomplish during a mission.  Next, James, Kerry, Connor, Mo, Shakeel, and Gabrielle all pass the final challenge of basic training, a week-long mission simulation in Malaysia.  As a result, they earn their gray shirts and their qualifications for missions.  After that, James Adams, formerly James Chote, is assigned to his first mission with his teacher Amy as his ‘sister’.  The mission is to locate and stop the environmentally friendly terrorist group ‘Help Earth’. ‘Help Earth’ is threatening to destroy Petrocon, a meeting of all the CEO’s of the major oil companies.  The MI5 thinks ‘Help Earth’ is based in Fort Harmony, a hippy camp located extremely close to the location where Petrocon will be held.  James helps uncover the members of ‘Help Earth’ in Fort Harmony and saves Petrocon.  James and Amy also uncover the would be plan of ‘Help Earth’.  The plan was to release a highly poisonous bacteria, anthrax, into the air at Green Brooke conference hall.  To do this, ‘Help Earth’ would use the air circulating vents to spread the disease around the complex.  When James returns, very successfully, from his first mission, he receives a navy shirt, a great honor. 

In my opinion this is an amazing book.  The beginning was dark and slow, but it really picked up the pace as it went along.  The Cherub series has quickly become one of my favorites and I hope to read the whole series.  I would recommend this book to grades seven and above boys, who love plain old adventure with NO VAMPIRES.  

Update- 10/4/10: I just read Mission 2: The Dealer, which takes place mostly in Miami, Florida.  In The Dealer, James has to take down Keith Moore’s Gang (KMG), from the inside out.  This is another good read.




Update- 10/25/10: I just read  Mission 3: Maximum Security, which takes place mostly in Arizona.  In Maximum Security, Cherub is working with the FBI to capture Jane Oxford, the second most wanted criminal in America.  James' mission is to bust Oxford's son, Curtis, out of the Arizona Max prison.  This will help the FBI set a trap for Jane Oxford.  The FBI hopes that she will try to visit her son, and there they will capture her.  This book was as good as the first, The Recruit, and even better than The Dealer.  I highly recommend it.