The Recruit (Cherub, #1)

Nov 10, 2012 Lindsey Smiles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm finished and the ending was entertaining but very strange. I think it would have been a good story if it had ending before the 3/4th mark.

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Jun 08, 2011 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: disliked

EDIT:
The more I think about this book, the more I hate it. I keep on realizing things that I wasn't aware of when writing this review. Therefore, I've decided to bump the rating down to one. The original review is below.

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After debating whether to give this one or two stars, I decided on two. I didn't necessary enjoy the book, but I didn't not like it either.

The basic premises of this book is great. A secret spy organization that only employs kids to gather information. The beginning of the nove...more EDIT:
The more I think about this book, the more I hate it. I keep on realizing things that I wasn't aware of when writing this review. Therefore, I've decided to bump the rating down to one. The original review is below.

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After debating whether to give this one or two stars, I decided on two. I didn't necessary enjoy the book, but I didn't not like it either.

The basic premises of this book is great. A secret spy organization that only employs kids to gather information. The beginning of the novel also started out strong. I found myself liking the orphaned boy with the obese mom who runs a huge crime organization. However, as soon he entered the CHERUB, things started to go downhill.

The final mission was incredibly lame. The whole book spent time building up to these huge event that the main character would take part in. But, although the scenario unique, the author could have done A LOT more to make it more dangerous, more suspenseful, more incognito.
I found I couldn't like any of the characters, especially the main one. Their personalities were... erratic to say the least. In some points, they contained the maturity of a 30-year-old, and the next they were beyond stupid. However, don't think this as character development in showing weakness. I don't believe the author intended to have such an effect.
The whole Johanna crap was so entirely random that I still can't understand it. It didn't have ANYTHING to do with the main plot. Nothing at all. For some reason, I find a 12-year-old sneaking into a 13-year-old's room and sucking some serious face a day after meeting unrealistic. I know that happens in today's culture. However, when a professional spy is sent on a mission, I would think they would be above sucking face with any random idiot. And, even if he wasn't above such, his spy supervisor and his partner would forbid him from getting so emotionally attached to someone who could jeopardize the mission.
Anyway, the writing style was also bad. There were several errors and typos in the text. Some of the sentences required a second read, which greatly disrupted the ease of reading.
Finally, I hated how emotions were discarded in this novel. The main character had to go through extensive training to become a full-fledge member of CHERUB. These tasks would've required a huge amount of physical and emotional effort. Yet, the only emotional descriptions consisted of, "It was freezing," or "I was so mad." I wanted to get into his pain. I was some in-depth descriptions of his inner and outer turmoil. However, that was not the case. There was simply a shoddy attempt at development, but, in reality, his big conflict taught him nothing. This one-dimensional character was just no relatable.

However, I give this a two star because I did want to find out how it ended. But I was relived to get it over with. The beginning started out with much potential, but it was squandered in the end.
I'm not sure if I'll give the second book another chance.(less)

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Apr 27, 2008 Tigerbritt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a child named James Adams who's mother has just died. When his little sister got sent to live with her father, Uncle Ron, James had to move to the Nebraska House. James meets a boy named Kyle. But a while after James came to the Nebraska House, they sent him and Kyle to Cherub. It turned out that Kyle was already a part of Cherub. Cherub is a organization in the UK that takes kids and turns them into agents.They send them on top secret missions that M15 or the police don't kno...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Scottsdale Public Library added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, teen

One Amazon reviewer describes this book, the first in its series, as “fresh and grimy.” Somehow, that’s spot-on. James, newly orphaned and living in a home for young reprobates, is being watched. His particular talents and resourcefulness—even used unconstructively, peg him as the right material for CHERUB, a secret agency that trains children as spies for the British government. With tough urban teens who speak as crudely as you’d expect (in British street-speak), grueling boot-camp sequences,...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cherub

Hard to put down this one! I wish James would grow up. I really like Lauren but she can be a bit annoying

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Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 05-eltemplo, reseñas

"En los últimos meses han aparecido dos novedades en nuestras librerías; ambas exhiben en la portada un logo extraño (un puño partiendo una esfera en dos, en un caso; un angelito armado hasta los dientes en otro) y un título que incluye una palabra no menos extraña: HIVE, en uno de ellos, y CHERUB, en otro. Pero ahí se acaban las similitures externas: mientras que CHERUB tiene un formato de bolsillo y una portada de un naranja rabioso, HIVE se ha editado en tapa dura y en un serio color gris. ¿Q...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a bit torn on the stars. I kind of want to give a 2.5, but granted we can't give half points.

That aside. This book is... okay. The story line is really intriguing. I really like the idea of it, especially because it's smart. Having kids work as spys is an intriguing idea.

However, the writing is pretty bad. It's very rushed, and very distant. It's very difficult to get connected to the characters. They're just there. You don't feel bad for them when something bad happens, and you don't feel...more I am a bit torn on the stars. I kind of want to give a 2.5, but granted we can't give half points.

That aside. This book is... okay. The story line is really intriguing. I really like the idea of it, especially because it's smart. Having kids work as spys is an intriguing idea.

However, the writing is pretty bad. It's very rushed, and very distant. It's very difficult to get connected to the characters. They're just there. You don't feel bad for them when something bad happens, and you don't feel happy when good stuff happens. It just happened.

The characters are all over the place at best. One minute, James (the main character) is some bad boy, the next, he's sweet and sensitive. I did not believe that he was twelve. I thought he was fifteen, especially because it's written for older kids. It's not all that appropriate for younger ones, since there's a lot of references to his genitalia. As well as a lot of making out with a girl he met about an hour ago. (He crushes on basically every girl he meets.)

The dialogue is not very believable. It's not fluid at all, and instead it jumps around, making you wonder how they got on to the next subject. There really is no emotion to the story at all, and there's very little chemistry between characters, even when you know there should be.

It's a quick read, and for the most part painless once you stop caring about how bad the writing is.

I most likely will not pick up the second book, because I feel no need to. I'm not invested in James' story, and don't really care what happens to him.

My younger brother did enjoy it, but even he admitted that he didn't feel connected to any of the characters. He doesn't even remember if he read the third book or not.

This book is probably best for a young teen boy who doesn't read much so doesn't understand what bad writing is yet. That's when my brother read it. And then picked up a different series, learned what good writing should be like, and never picked this series up again. Still, it's a decent place to get a non-reader to start reading. (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Logan Sowter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a child named James Adams who's mother has just died. When his little sister got sent to live with her father, Uncle Ron, James had to move to the Nebraska House. James meets a boy named Kyle. But a while after James came to the Nebraska House, they sent him and Kyle to Cherub. It turned out that Kyle was already a part of Cherub. Cherub is a organization in the UK that takes kids and turns them into agents.They send them on top secret missions that M15 or the police don't kno...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Andrew Hislop rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The feeling I get when I read this book was one of fast paced action and adventure, which for me, is what I like. James, the main character in this series, is an ordinary boy, until the day day that his mother dies, and his life is thrown into a turmoil. Soon after that, he is recruited by an organisation called Cherub, which is like a special ops division of MI5, but for children from the ages of ten to eighteen.

The main point of the book is James getting recruited into Cherub, and his first m...more The feeling I get when I read this book was one of fast paced action and adventure, which for me, is what I like. James, the main character in this series, is an ordinary boy, until the day day that his mother dies, and his life is thrown into a turmoil. Soon after that, he is recruited by an organisation called Cherub, which is like a special ops division of MI5, but for children from the ages of ten to eighteen.

The main point of the book is James getting recruited into Cherub, and his first mission, which sets up the next books to be mainly on missions from Cherub. The purpose of Cherub is to get agents working for the government somewhere that adults couldn't usually get into. At Cherub, James is enjoying life as much as he ever has, and when his little sister turns up there as a trainee, he couldn't think of a better life. But soon James is going to have to face the dark prospect of 100 days of 'basic training' where Cherub trains all their agents in a vigorous method that allows them clearance to go on actual missions. There is a fight around every corner, trouble waiting on the next, and the storyline of the whole book is fresh and very interesting. It is one of those excellent books that is very hard to put down, gripping you with the fast paced storyline.

Some aspects of the book are, in my opinion, very good. These include the fact that all of this is set in modern times which means that Robert Muchamore doesn't have to explain whole foreign environment to the reader, and the person reading the book can go on what they already know about the world. Another good aspect of the book is that the book is not dull or boring, it is, as I have already said, a book that is capable of making you forget to eat and even at times breath!

In conclusion, I would highly recommend tho book to someone who likes a action/ adventure book like me. The book is just the start of what should be a great series, and it is an extremely good book to start it off with. It is a good book for anyone, with lots of excitement, interesting storyline, and a cool range of characters.(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Alec Velasco added it · review of another edition

Cherub the recruit is an amazing book. It takes place in London England. The beginning starts off with the main character James at school. A girl starts teasing him about his "mum." From here, everything goes down hill. After it is all said and done James is running away from his school and will probably be expelled. He comes home to his mom and step dad who are not sober. They tell him to go and get his sister from school. When James gets home his mum is dead in her sleep. From here James his m...more Cherub the recruit is an amazing book. It takes place in London England. The beginning starts off with the main character James at school. A girl starts teasing him about his "mum." From here, everything goes down hill. After it is all said and done James is running away from his school and will probably be expelled. He comes home to his mom and step dad who are not sober. They tell him to go and get his sister from school. When James gets home his mum is dead in her sleep. From here James his moved to a Foster house and his sister is forced to stay with their nasty step dad Ron. At the Foster house James becomes part of a gang. He bashes a few cars and a few vandalism. Then on his 11th birthday it goes too far. He is asked to steel a pack of beer from a store. It looks so easy because the clerk is fat and before he realized what was going on it would be too late. James walks in and the man asks him what he is doing James bends over and picks up the beer, he turns to run out the door, and runs straight into the glass. James realizes he is being set up. One of his fellow gang members is holding the door shut and James has no chance of escaping. By now the clerk is on top of him. James is in trouble. Next thing he knows he is at what looks like a camp. Later he would find out that this is an agency known as CHERUB. CHERUB is a federal agency that is made up entirely of kids. The group trains them, educates them, and gives them a place to stay. It sends its the kids on missions because the kids are least likely to be spies. James is perfect for this except he can not swim, therefore he cant start basic training, which means he cant go on any missions. Basic training starts for him in two weeks. By then he has to be able to swim 50 metres. James barely passes the swimming test in time. He is practically forced to swim the meters, but he makes it. Basic is training that lasts 100 days and is basically torture. You have to take different classes about guns, knives, explosives, and survival skills. They have to also do the assault course every few hours. James partner is Kerry. She attempted it the year before but broke her kneecap on the 64th day and had to quit. She knows all the tricks but they still have trouble getting passed, but they do pass. Shortly after James is asked to go on a mission. He has to make friends with kids that are related to mass weapons dealer along with find out who the arms dealers are. James goes to school gets a girlfriend and accomplishes the mission. There is a close call though. The mission leader thought James had the deadly disease Arthrax. Ends up he does not and everything is all good. I really liked this book and i would highly recommend it to anyone of any age. It is the first of four and i am currently reading the rest of the series. Overall this book was amazing and i liked it alot. They set up the plot of the book really well, it wasnt boring and it kept me wondering what would happen next. It is probably my favorite book. (less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Caitlin Winter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book outlines the humble beginings of James Chokes and Lauren Onions. With their criminal mastermind mother they have everything they wanted or do they. Laurens dead beat of a father causes more problems when he is within the household than when he is not. After the death of their mother James ends up in Nebraska House a childrens home. Unable to take a large number of items james has to choose what to leave behind in which he decides to leave a small present for Laurens dead beat dad. Mean...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Logan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is Cherub it is about a kid named James whose mother just died ,he is now forced to live in an orphanage. Where his roommate is a part of a secret child spy group this is when he is forced into this amazing organization where he is forced to be in training sessions that are extremely dangerous. This is an extremely good book that I would recommend to people that are in middle school because it does have some mature subjects in it. I believe that people in high school would not like it a...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Valerie Reaza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Choke has a troubled life. He was recently expelled and lost his mother. He also lost his sister, Lauren as she went into the custody of her dad. Uncle Ben, Lauren's dad, refuses to take James into his custody as James is not his son. James then has to fend for himself in an orphanage where he gets mixed up in a gang. Then one morning, James wakes up to find that he is elsewhere. Not in the usual orphanage with its filthiness and messiness, but with a clean and tidy room. This room belongs...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore is an amazing read. The main character of this mystery and action filled novel is Jack, a boy who always gets into trouble. He's always the odd kid out. Why? His mother is a thief. Or rather, she was before she became ginormous and started owning her own thief business. Kids at school are constantly making fun of his mother, when finally one girl takes it too far. He pushes her against a wall of his classroom, accidentally cutting her cheek on a nail. He then rush...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Jacob Marsh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my favorite books, so much that i read it twice. This book is about a teenager called James Choke. Him and his sister live with their mum. James sister Lauren has a different father than James. His name is Ron. Ron and james Mum are actually married but not living together. James mum is much overweight, so one day when Samantha Jennings starts bulling him about his mum he retaliates by pushing her into the wall requiring 8 stitches. From then on his life goes down hill, he gets be...more This is one of my favorite books, so much that i read it twice. This book is about a teenager called James Choke. Him and his sister live with their mum. James sister Lauren has a different father than James. His name is Ron. Ron and james Mum are actually married but not living together. James mum is much overweight, so one day when Samantha Jennings starts bulling him about his mum he retaliates by pushing her into the wall requiring 8 stitches. From then on his life goes down hill, he gets beaten up by her brother and his mother dies after Ron encouraged her to drink even though she wasn't allowed to because of pills she was taking. James is put in a foster home called Nebraska House and his sister has gone live with Ron.

James is roommates with Kyle an undercover CHERUB agent working to recruit new agents. CHERUB is an organization set up to help with the take down of illegal happenings, the main reason why CHERUB is so successful is because an adult would never suspect a kid to be spying on them. From there James is offered a place at CHERUB, he first undergoes a series of test which test his physical and mental skills. James is excepted into CHERUB but is sad because he wont be able to see his sister who is living with Ron, Ron hates James guts. James is scheduled to under go physical training, Karate and swimming. James has a phobia of swimming but must be able to swim 50 meters before going into basic training. James it then set up with Amy to help him with his swimming. Basic training is used to push CHERUB agents to their limit, it is said to be the most grueling 100 days of their life. James is paired up with Kerry, a young girl who is skilled at karate. This was Kerry's seconded time starting basic training so she new all the tricks. After James passes basic training he is assigned to his first mission and is acting as his Amy's younger brother. This mission is located in Whales on a site called Fort Harmony. James job is to gather information about a environmental terrorist group called Help Earth. Help Earth a suspected to be in the process of planing an attack on oil company members meeting in a building near by.

James successfully finds out the information he needs, but during the process of taking photos in a underground tunnel James is exposed to what is thought to be a bacteria called Anthrax. He is put in care for a couple of days before finding out the the bacteria he was exposed to is harmless. James mission was a success and he earns his navy shirt. He is overwhelmed when he finds outLauren joined CHERUB t after Ron punched Lauren in the face. Overall i think that this was a brilliant book. (less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Bel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be frank, this was not a good book. There were awesome moments, when the writing became really engaging, and the character really progressed. Then... there was the rest of the book. The beginning was creepy. I get it, but I didn't like the way James handled things. And same with the Nebraska House. Some intense moments, but mainly disappointment in the character. The training camp, the final test, those were great! (except they came in last... what did they do WRONG?)

the best parts: the train...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Leonie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ein sehr gutes Buch in dem es um einen jungen geht der erst seine Mutter und dann noch seine Schwester verliert. Da er keine Verwandten hat, muss er ins Heim. Nach dem er ein paar Tage im Heim verbracht hat, wacht er irgend wann in einem unglaublich gut ausgeschmücktem Raum auf. Als er schließlich zum Chef des "Spionen Heims " will,,er klärt dieser ihm was ihn erwarten würde wenn er tatsächlich in diesem Heim bleiben will. Er muss auch ein paar Test bestehen die er laut dem Chef mit Bravur meist...more Ein sehr gutes Buch in dem es um einen jungen geht der erst seine Mutter und dann noch seine Schwester verliert. Da er keine Verwandten hat, muss er ins Heim. Nach dem er ein paar Tage im Heim verbracht hat, wacht er irgend wann in einem unglaublich gut ausgeschmücktem Raum auf. Als er schließlich zum Chef des "Spionen Heims " will,,er klärt dieser ihm was ihn erwarten würde wenn er tatsächlich in diesem Heim bleiben will. Er muss auch ein paar Test bestehen die er laut dem Chef mit Bravur meistert. Er bekommt also die Wahl in dieses "Spionen Heim" zu gehen. Er entscheidet sich natürlich für das Heim da es viel seriöser auf ihn wirkt und die Zimmer mit einem eigenen Bad ,eigenem Fernseher und einem eigenen Computer ausgestattet sind.
Als er sich etwas eingelebt hat erfährt er das er in drei Monaten seine Grundausbildung zum Agenten /Spion antreten muss. Da er schon ein paar Freunde gefunden hat, hat er sehr viel schlechtes von der Grundausbildung und auch von den grundausbildern gehört. Da der Chef des Heims weiß das James nicht schwimmen kann, muss er in drei Monaten die schreckliche Angst vor dem Wasser verdrücken aber gleichzeitig auch das schwimmen zulernen.
Die Grundausbildung ist tatsächlich sehr hart für die angehenden Agenten /Spione da sie sich kalt Duschen müssen nichts richtiges zu essen bekommen und auch ,was das schlimmste für den Teamgeist in der Gruppe ist, sie müssen für die Fehler ihrer Kameraden Grade stehen. Das bekommt James am ersten Tag sehr genau mit.
An den letzten 3 Tagen der Ausbildung werden die Schüler immer zu zweit an verschiedenen Orten im Dschungel abgeworfen und müssen in drei Tagen. Vier Checkpoints erreichen. Das scheint recht schwer aber für James und seine Partnerin ist das kein Problem.
Nachdem die Grundausbildung geschafft ist, haben fast alle von james freunden mehrere Aufträge bekommen. James ist verzweifelt da er noch keinen einzigen Auftrag hatte. Als er aber an einem Tag beim schwimmunterricht von seiner Lehrerin einen Umschlag bekommt, ist er überglücklich da das sein erster Auftrag ist. Er muss mit seiner Schwimmlehrerin in ein Dorf fahren und über viele Personen viele Dinge herausfinden und sie seinem Aufpasser in diesem fall immer recht zügig mitteilen. James meistert dies und bekommt dafür eine bessere Tshirt Farbe. (less)

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Nov 23, 2012 7706augie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, favorites

This book is amazing! It is a book about a young boy named James. His mother has recently died, orphaning him. He wakes up on cherub campus, a top-secret organization where children under 17 work for the government as highly-trained agents. In this specific book, James goes through the cherub 100-day training session. Once he survives this, James is sent on his first mission- to uncover evidence on a terrorist group called "Help Earth".

I loved this book and suggest it for anyone looking for a sl...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Owen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Spoilers

I wasn't planning on reading this book today but since I didn't feel like doing homework I decided to read it. It is somewhat long but it only took me a few hours to read it.

I didn't realize this book was first published in 2004 because the cover doesn't seem that old. I actually really like the cover. It was first released in England. The Recruit is about a boy named James who has to go to a children's home after his mother dies. He has a nasty stepfather who doesn't take him in. After...more Spoilers

I wasn't planning on reading this book today but since I didn't feel like doing homework I decided to read it. It is somewhat long but it only took me a few hours to read it.

I didn't realize this book was first published in 2004 because the cover doesn't seem that old. I actually really like the cover. It was first released in England. The Recruit is about a boy named James who has to go to a children's home after his mother dies. He has a nasty stepfather who doesn't take him in. After staying a little bit at the home for children, he is recruited to a secret program run by the government called CHERUB. CHERUB is a division that uses only young people, because adults will not suspect they are being spies. James soon comes to enjoy CHERUB, even if it is very different. He meets some really cool people and does interesting things. After a few weeks he has to start the 100-day training program required by Cherub {it's easier to type it that way}. A few people drop out because it is very difficult. Along with physical requirements, the recruits must study languages and other aspects that will help them with espionage. At the end of the training program, the recruits travel to Malaysia where they must survive in the wilderness. James and his partner, Kerry, pool their talents and pass the test. Upon returning, James is surprised to find his sister has been recruited as well, but she is too young to start doing missions. Finally, James is sent on a mission. He is to infiltrate a settlement created by hippies. The government believes there are eco-terrorists hiding in the settlement. James and his crush Amy (they are pretending to be brother and sister) successfully prevent an anthrax attack.

I'm not hating on this book, there are just some things I want to discuss first. One, the author often confuses the reader about James' age. I know he is only twelve and gets into fights and alcohol, but along with that, the author seems to have James bouncing around a lot. Do you get what I'm saying, about the age and maturity? I think the story would work a lot better if he was older (fourteen to sixteen). An example : one time the boys are showing off for the girls by peeing on flowers, and later James is making out with a girl near the settlement. Throw in the school and drugs, it really gets confusing. The plot of this book was okay. Not excellent or completely original, but I liked some aspects of it. The characters were also only so-so. Many were very stereotypical and did not do much. At Cherub, they are supposed to learn to protect themselves and their country, but later they are almost sympathizing with the terrorists and people paid by Cherub to help that later bail. It doesn't make sense. Definitely this book has similarities to the Alex Rider series, also the show Nikita. Have you seen that? You really need to watch it. The topic or theme of this series is in no way original, unless you consider the fact that James is younger than most book characters in this type of situation. This book is not my favorite, but I will probably read more to see if it gets better. And it only took me about three hours to read the 342 pages. I would recommend reading it, but not buying it, because you might be a little disappointed. Unfortunately, my hopes may have been to high for this book. I'm hoping the next one will be better.
(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was surprised at how many there are in this series when I searched by series title. I'm really into books like I, Q; Alex Rider; and, of course, Cherub Missions. They are all so awesome, I just love the whole teenage spy thing! It sounds so cool! If you like that sort of thing, go for it! The Cherub Missions are absolutely amazing, the first one, Mission: The Recruit, was a good way to introduce some back story to how the kids become agents. It had a good and thorough backstory, his characters...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Colleen added it · review of another edition

I'm torn on what to write about this book. I really enjoyed it. I find Muchamore's writing style really easy to rad and really enjoyable. Most of the books I've read of his have kept me turning the pages because his words are fluid and simple - that even goes for the slow starters. I would have read this book in one sitting if not for work commitments, but I did read it as often as I could and finished it in about 5 hours over the course of two days.
At the same time as saying that, I felt like t...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Rohan Jain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore, is a surprising start, too a very controversial sereis. Controversial, is a very good word to describe the CHERUB series. I mean the idea, of using kids as spys in real life would be looked down very hard by others, and is something that I don't think would be accepted. But Robert decides, to make a series out of this concept, and my oh my does he succeed. The Recruit, is an exciting and fast paced start to this series. I really enjoyed the way it was structured...more The Recruit by Robert Muchamore, is a surprising start, too a very controversial sereis. Controversial, is a very good word to describe the CHERUB series. I mean the idea, of using kids as spys in real life would be looked down very hard by others, and is something that I don't think would be accepted. But Robert decides, to make a series out of this concept, and my oh my does he succeed. The Recruit, is an exciting and fast paced start to this series. I really enjoyed the way it was structured into 3 parts. First was an introduction to James and all the main characters. Then the training and getting used to CHERUB and then a mission.

Firstly, I am really interesting in how Robert, decides who to pick to put into Cherub. It is an interesting concept, as he decides, that in the Cherub Campus, only kids who have a spark to have a fight or are incredibly smart, and who's parents are dead, are mainly picked. Its like a contradiction to what school normally is. If you have a tendency to fight, or if the child who is being assessed to get into the school is very naughty, you would normally not be picked to be in the school. Here Robert has contradicted that, and picked those type of students. I found this to be a very interesting part of Cherub and a key part of the book, as we as readers, love to read something different, and this is quite different. A good example of this, is when James, goes out with a gang, and starts vandalizing cars. James, rather than feeling ashamed of himself, says, " That was so Cool," James laughed.

Secondly, I think in this book, in terms of the mission, it was a bit disappointing. I mean, I enjoyed reading about it but occasionally I found myself wandering off, as I got a bit bored. I don't think that the plot was gripping enough, and that was a bit of a letdown in this book, which is the reason I gave it a 4 star not a 5 star. I mean, reading about a old hippie village, that is suspected of suspicious activities is a nice concept, but they could of easily built upon it, and given James a more action packed role, rather than just constantly casually interrogating villagers about the people there. I wish that right from the start James, found out the action plan, and then most of the mission was him trying to stop it, rather than him finding out, and then a shock of his life happened( spoiler so won't say) and then the book being over. I mean it was quite boring to read about.

Thirdly, I think reading about Basic Training and the relationships he makes is a very good part of the book. It gives us a basic understanding of how hard CHERUB really is. The reason for Basic Training is to tough you up to the limit, for example, when James is late on the first morning, the notorious Mr Large( the training instructor) dishes out a severe punishment. "James would you be sweet enough to stand on one leg." James stood on one leg, trying to keep his balance. Smoke handed Large a metal bucket. Large stuck the bucket over James' head, and then said " The rule is every time you foot touches the floor you get another crack with the baton,"" This is an example of how severe the punishment is, as when his leg touches the floor, the baton bangs against the bucket, and a very loud noise occurs.

At the end you can tell that James' character has changed. " You must of been frightened but you handled yourself tremendously.". This is what was said to him after the mission. It tells us that James has changed. It's always a nice touch at the end of the book, when this kind of thing happens, and it happened within reason, because a lot had happened to him, during the course of this book, so you could tell that Robert hadn't put this in just because he wanted a happy ending, but he wanted to put this in to show how tough life is like a spy.

So read this book, and go in with good expectations, and hopefully you can enjoy most of the parts as much as I did.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Kristina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own-a-copy

James Choke was always getting into fights. He is always being teased about his Mom and retaliates in this violent way. When tragedy strikes his mother, he is off to Nebraska House with his sister. This home for children does not set well with James, as he struggles to deal with the other kids and his Uncle Ron. While dealing with all of this, he becomes recruited by Cherub. In Cherub, the highly skilled secret agents are all children. Officially, they do not even exist, but that obviously does...more James Choke was always getting into fights. He is always being teased about his Mom and retaliates in this violent way. When tragedy strikes his mother, he is off to Nebraska House with his sister. This home for children does not set well with James, as he struggles to deal with the other kids and his Uncle Ron. While dealing with all of this, he becomes recruited by Cherub. In Cherub, the highly skilled secret agents are all children. Officially, they do not even exist, but that obviously does not stop them from constantly recruiting. In order to rise through the ranks in Cherub, James must first survive 100 days of trying and vigorous boot camp. Only after this can he go undercover on his first official case. As an agent for Cherub, James has acquired a multitude of new and useful skills and even manages to find a little love, all at the age of twelve.

The book began in a somewhat enticing way, as I found myself genuinely wanting to know what would happen to him and his sister. As I continued to read, he started to sound a bit like a little snot with anger management problems. Yes, I understand his situation, but even before this happened to him, he was assaulting teachers. Not only teachers, but other kids, and he didn't seem to face any kind of major punishment. Another thing that bothered me were some of the mature events happening to said twelve year old. Now, perhaps times are different or I am just seeing twelve as a really young age, but some things made me feel incredulous. The drinking for one thing, and the make-out sessions as another. I kept picturing them as older people in my mind as these events were occurring. Again, this could probably only be my mindset, but it was one of the main things that stuck in my mind after I finished the book.
For the most part, I found James to be an alright main character. He was intelligent and genuinely seemed to care for his sister. I like that about him. I also like how Cherub helped him. However, by the end, he was not nearly my favorite character. As far as favorite parts go, I did enjoy the boot camp stint in all of its brutality. It was interesting to read and imagine the younger kids putting up with the pain. I mean that in the least sadistically way possible.
Overall, I did enjoy bits of the book. However, it read a tad too slow for me and I felt that the transitions were really jumpy. While, this book had its moments, I'm not sure if I will pick up the rest of the Cherub series.

☆☆☆/5
Favorite character: Kerry
Recommend?: If you're a child spy enthusiast or boot camp critic. (less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review contains minor spoilers:

I just finished reading 'The Recruit' after being reccommended it by a mum while on holiday and said her 10 year son absolutely loved it - she then lent me the book.

I began reading it towards the end of the holiday and throughout the entire flight back, and I have to say I loved it too. Despite it being aimed at younger teens I found both the writing, characters and plot very fast paced and interesting, not once did it get tedious or boring.

The protaganist is...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

James Choke doesn’t really fit in anywhere. His mom is probably the fattest woman around and to top it off, she's a black market dealer. He’s got a half-sister, whose father is a piece of work and doesn’t care of anything except money and his next beer. Today, his luck has turned for the worse: he's kicked out of school for injuring a girl, gets his beat up by the girl's brother, has to deal with his sister's dad who's around for another handout, and his mother dies from drinking while on medica...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Xander Amiel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book for third quarter

I think the book I read, the recruit, was a great book for many reasons. First, There was a lot of action. It also gave a lot of training tips and survival. It reminded me of my cousin who is awesome. He is going to the army, and he could use the tips that I got in the book. This book also makes me sad because it reminds me of my cousin, and i dont want him to get hurt.

In the beginning of the book, James, the main character, is set off to a training ground to b...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Peter Henrichsen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://kulturforunge.dk/2012/02/05/il...

11-årige James har masser af materielle ting, men lever et socialt sølle og forsømt liv. Moren er voldsomt overvægtig og alkoholiker og tager sig sjældent af James og halv-lillesøsteren Lauren, og James kommer ofte op at slås med de lokale baggårdsdrenge eller med de andre elever i klassen. Helt pludselig for Jamens dør moren. Han føler, han står alene med Lauren, for hans kriminelle papfar Ron har altid været ligeglad med James.

Da James’ liv er ved at kog...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Damonte Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Cherub, Robert muchanmore writes as a James the latest Cherub recruit. He's a bit of a troublemaker, but hes also very brilliant. and CHERUB needs him. But before he can start in the field, he must survive one hundred grueling days of basic training, where even some of the toughest recruits don't make it to the end. Throughout the book James is faced with lots of family problems. although he has lots of family problems i think that helps him to push harder during his basic training. while Jam...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book, but it's not for everyone.
FIRST off please note there will be typos. My library book doesn't look like a first run (it has a book #2 preview) and the titles are in a weird typeface. (Though this would probably be blamed on the Simon Pulse (read:american publishers) people, judging from the little copyright etc. page in front)
The book is actually slow paced and if you don't find yourself identifying yourself with any of the characters it will be a tough sell as a good book. So...more I loved this book, but it's not for everyone.
FIRST off please note there will be typos. My library book doesn't look like a first run (it has a book #2 preview) and the titles are in a weird typeface. (Though this would probably be blamed on the Simon Pulse (read:american publishers) people, judging from the little copyright etc. page in front)
The book is actually slow paced and if you don't find yourself identifying yourself with any of the characters it will be a tough sell as a good book. So just go in knowing it's aimed at 13-16 year olds.
Another issue is the age of characters. I get having to fit within reasonable time limits and such (because kids grow up) but the ages were ridiculous. The author portrays 10 year olds like 13 year olds, and 12 year olds like 15 year olds, but then you have real 16 and 17 year olds acting their age. The entire thing is odd and I generally threw out the provided ages except for the fact that they were wrong.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the book. I thought the characters were well developed, if shallow as people; the writing strong, albeit the serious need to run spellcheck again or read the book before shipping out the ten-thousandth copy; and the plot, though slow, developed well and cohesively, which is what a spy story needs. I thought the intro was the most realistic of YA-spy novels I've read: there's a lot of training, pain, testing, and ultimately the character is faced with their incompetency in some areas but excels in others. The book also actually took into account it's thickness; until you're about 50 pages out you have no clue what's left over. The book still felt on big part, but maybe that's hindsight and rose-tinted glasses. I read this in two days; I miss Alex Rider. (Stormbreaker) but this book is different enough while maintaining some similar themes that it's a must for Alex fans.

Most importantly, I strongly recommend it to the target audience. It caters to an age group for sure. I doubt anyone over even 17 would really love this book.
So, read it. It's awesome. I loved it. Just don't get your hopes up.

One last thing: The ending is a short-story-esque bit that may feel compact and rushed after a couple hundred pages of training. But it's interesting and has good characters going for it, but it wouldn't make for a good book, but is excellent for a resolution to an otherwise slow, but GOOD book. (less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Badgerlord rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who hate storylines

Recommended to Badgerlord by: A friend/enemy

It is books like this that makes me wish that Goodreads gave you the choice to put your stars in negative. It's that bad. Seriously, I have cousins between 5 and 10 years old who could write a more enthralling story. I read this book on the insistance of a friend. I had to read the first to cherub books and he had to read Eragon. I got the worse deal. By far.

The setting of this book is alright; It is about a boy who is adopted into a community of child spys, where he undergoes training a goes o...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Should they make the movie about CHERUB and should it be realesed this year in 2012?	23	81	May 15, 2013 11:56pm
Cherub: Kiss, Slap or Kill?	1	6	May 15, 2013 11:54pm
Kerry or Dana?	7	16	May 11, 2013 04:10pm
Alex Rider V Cherub	1	9	Feb 05, 2013 08:55am

title link	preview: The Recruit
avg rating	preview: The Recruit Goodreads rating: 4.20 (7738 ratings)
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The Recruit (Cherub #1)

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