CHERUB: The Recruit: Bk. 1
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Review
'An excellent start to a promising series. It is every boy's wish to be a spy, and this book will enthrall every single one of them.' (The Bookseller 20110715)
'Punchy, exciting, glamorous and, what's more, you'll completely wish it was true.' (The Sunday Express )
'An exciting, swiftly moving tale' (School Librarian )
'I loved this book.' (Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries )
'A fast-paced action thriller, which should turn into a fantastic series - if James manages to live that long.' (Young Post )
'It's action all the way as we follow the new recruit's rapid development and no doubt Muchamore's nephews will, like me, be cheering him every step of the way.' (Ireland on Sunday )
'Punchy, exciting, glamorous and, what's more, you'll completely wish it was true.' (The Sunday Express )
'An exciting, swiftly moving tale' (School Librarian )
'I loved this book.' (Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries )
'A fast-paced action thriller, which should turn into a fantastic series - if James manages to live that long.' (Young Post )
'It's action all the way as we follow the new recruit's rapid development and no doubt Muchamore's nephews will, like me, be cheering him every step of the way.' (Ireland on Sunday )
Cherub is an absolute must for everyone who enjoys a thrilling book which keeps you interested at all times.
(Guardian )Young Post
'A fast-paced action thriller, which should turn into a fantastic series - if James manages to live that long.'
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
James Choke hated Combined Science. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
James Choke hated Combined Science. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
92 of 97 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cannot wait for a sequel!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Recruit: Bk. 1 (CHERUB) (Paperback)
Cherub: The Recruit is an excellent book based on a secret organization that uses children as spies. The plot is not a James Bond fiction. There are no super-villains, no high-tech gadgets, and no impossible missions that are miraculously completed. It is this realism that is the main attraction of this fantastic book.In Cherub: The Recruit, a normal boy called James is enrolled in the secret organisation Cherub. In the book he is put through basic training and sent on his first mission. You'll find many interesting characters, including instructors, friends, and terrorists. Every character has a personality that is shown to the highest degree which could not be done by some of the best authors I know. The plot is a superb. It doesn't just show James going there, taking part in a mission, and returning home. It includes the ethics and emotions of James, the friendships he has with other characters, all with their own personalities being excellently shown. There are different twists that happen every time you think you know what is coming next. This book is the most unique spy story I have ever read, and shows nothing other than truly pure talent from the author. I recommend it to everyone. Even those who don't enjoy spy genres will take pleasure in reading this book. I cannot wait for a sequel! And I'm sure that those that have read it will know what I mean. Peter(13)
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally gripping - I wish this had been around when I was a child,
By Redwood the Younger (Somerset, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Recruit: Bk. 1 (CHERUB) (Paperback)
I have been reading a lot of older children's fiction lately, much of it excellent, but this series is in a class of it's own. I would have given it 10 stars if it was an option. I read the first book and then immediately ordered the other nine in the series and read them back to back and my husband, who is not such a voracious reader, did the same - they are that good. It is worth starting with The Recruit as the characters and the back stories do develop through the series, although the plots stand alone in each book. Any child over the age of 10 ought to love them - I bought them for all my nieces and nephews and even the ones who don't normally read, were totally engrossed by them. I also read some Alex Rider to compare and have to say they are not a patch on Cherub - possibly a good start for the younger readers but Alex Rider felt very one dimensional after reading Robert Muchamore.
The basic premise of the books is that children who are orphaned or abandoned are recruited to a secret service (Cherub)that uses children as spies (because no-one suspects children). They have to be clever with potential but the main characters, James and Lauren, definitely comes from the wrong side of the tracks so not quite so snobby as some novels in a similar vein. However, unlike most orphans in fiction, these children are not to be pitied; they are an elite force and get the best education, the best computers, great bedrooms with en-suite facilities and stuff that all kids aspire to. The plots are gripping and deal with contemporary issues such as drugs, child prostitution, animal rights, religious cults and terrorism in a way that younger readers can understand without ever patronising them. The plots are interwoven with the challenges of day to day teenage life, relationships, exams, homework and bullying teachers and the main characters develop throughout the series. As with all the best fiction, the author manages to weave a strong vein of humour through the books, they made me laugh out loud at times. If you are worried about teenage girls fictional and media influences, you will love these books. Lauren, the little sister, takes a lead role in later books and is a great role model for young girls in terms of being fit and strong (rather than slim), studying hard to achieve results and beating the boys. I am the wrong side of 40 and well aware of all the healthy eating messages etc but still felt inspired to get to the gym after reading these books! None of this is done in a preachy way - the strongest message about healthy eating came in the novel about religious cults, Divine Madness, showing how you can control people with blood sugar rushes to create hysteria and to keep them physically and mentally weak with poor nutrition (this was probably my favourite in the whole series). The moral ambiguities are not skimmed here, Muchamore does not offer any trite right/wrong solutions and I think the books are better for it. All the main characters are fully rounded, both James and Lauren behave in ways which are morally suspect on occasions because they are human and insecure, but they have to address the consequences of their behaviour and the impact on their friends and on each other. This is adult fiction for young readers which all adults and older children will enjoy. Just buy the whole series now because you will really will wish it was true!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much better than Alex Rider,
By Ruth Gladwin (York, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Recruit: Bk. 1 (CHERUB) (Paperback)
It almost seems redundant to add yet more praise for this book, but I have to agree with all the other reviews. If you want safe, escapist teenage spies then by all means read Alex Rider. But if you've got a stronger stomach and can accept the real world - with the spice of one element of fantasy - then this is it. The plot, characters and prose style beat most of the books aimed at adults which I've read for quite a while. I would reccomend it to adults who like things like Ian Rankin or Minette Walters as well as to all mature teens and pre-teens. But not for those who are not yet ready to read about drugs, muggings, unhappy childhoods, teenage drinking, violence etc.
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