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Henderson's Boys #1
The Escape
Summer, 1940.
Hitler's army is advancing towards Paris, and millions of French civilians are on the run.
Amidst the chaos, two British children are being hunted by German agents.
British spy Charles Henderson tries to reach them first, but he can only do it with the help of a twelve-year-old French orphan.
The British secret service is about to discover that kids working undercover will help to win the war.
For official purposes, these children do not exist.
Hitler's army is advancing towards Paris, and millions of French civilians are on the run.
Amidst the chaos, two British children are being hunted by German agents.
British spy Charles Henderson tries to reach them first, but he can only do it with the help of a twelve-year-old French orphan.
The British secret service is about to discover that kids working undercover will help to win the war.
For official purposes, these children do not exist.
298 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2009
272 people are currently reading
2538 people want to read
About the author
Robert Muchamore
148 books1,910 followersRobert Muchamore was born in Islington, London in 1972. He still lives there, and worked as a private investigator up until 2005 and the critically-accepted release of Maximum Security.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
February 27, 2009
This was simply amazing!
It begins with Marc. 12 years old, in a French orphanage, forced to work the worst jobs in a farm while the men of the village fight the Germans who are rapidly taking over the country.
Meanwhile there's Paul, the British boy who, along with his sister Rosie, has just been pulled out of his French school.
As Marc escapes the horror of his life, and Paul and his family run for theirs, they come to the notice of the British spy, Charles Henderson.
This is the first book in the new series by CHERUB author, Robert Muchamore. I have been a CHERUB fan for ages, so I've been looking forward to this one for a while. There's definately some similarities between the two series - Marc has some James-like qualities (though a very different background), there's the sense of risque adventure that runs through the CHERUB books (and appeals to 12 year old boys) and there's real human-ness throughout the book.
But there's differences too. I'm not sure how correct the history is, but it is there, and I know kids will soak it up. It ends on a cliff hanger, rather than wrapping up neatly. And there's a sense that it's part of something bigger.
When I heard that there was a new series called Henderson's Boys, I was a little worried. CHERUB has given great female characters like Lauren, Kerry, Dana and Zara. How would this compare. Luckily, I found plenty of good female characters - the nun who refuses to allow the Orphanage director beat Marc to death; Rosie, Paul's sister; the cafe waitress who helps Marc out; the phone operator who risks all to help out; and the surprising Yvette.
I highly recommend this book for around 11 years up - time to buy another copy for my classroom!!
It begins with Marc. 12 years old, in a French orphanage, forced to work the worst jobs in a farm while the men of the village fight the Germans who are rapidly taking over the country.
Meanwhile there's Paul, the British boy who, along with his sister Rosie, has just been pulled out of his French school.
As Marc escapes the horror of his life, and Paul and his family run for theirs, they come to the notice of the British spy, Charles Henderson.
This is the first book in the new series by CHERUB author, Robert Muchamore. I have been a CHERUB fan for ages, so I've been looking forward to this one for a while. There's definately some similarities between the two series - Marc has some James-like qualities (though a very different background), there's the sense of risque adventure that runs through the CHERUB books (and appeals to 12 year old boys) and there's real human-ness throughout the book.
But there's differences too. I'm not sure how correct the history is, but it is there, and I know kids will soak it up. It ends on a cliff hanger, rather than wrapping up neatly. And there's a sense that it's part of something bigger.
When I heard that there was a new series called Henderson's Boys, I was a little worried. CHERUB has given great female characters like Lauren, Kerry, Dana and Zara. How would this compare. Luckily, I found plenty of good female characters - the nun who refuses to allow the Orphanage director beat Marc to death; Rosie, Paul's sister; the cafe waitress who helps Marc out; the phone operator who risks all to help out; and the surprising Yvette.
I highly recommend this book for around 11 years up - time to buy another copy for my classroom!!
December 24, 2019
Loved it. I fell in love with WW2 Young adult books, after reading the Edelweiss Pirates series, this series if Hendersons Boys looks to be as good. I will now read the rest.
I really recommend. Interesting facts on history and what people or children went through.
I really recommend. Interesting facts on history and what people or children went through.
July 19, 2023
3.75 ✰
CHERUB podobał mi się jednak bardziej, ale miło jest wrócić do książek Muchamore'a. Jako nastolatka zakochałam się w tym piórze i typowo "chłopięcych" książkach - napakowanej akcją serii o młodzieżowych szpiegach i kiedy wróciłam do tej serii po latach, wciąż kochałam ją równie mocno. Przy Uciekinierach nie jestem do końca zachwycona, ale też nie mogę powiedzieć, że się zawiodłam, bo książka wchodziłam naprawdę gładko i szybko się ją czytało. Jest też pierwszą książka od wieków, która przeczytałam na czytniku, więc radość podwójna.
Nie do końca jest to mój klimat - nie przepadam za akcją osadzoną w czasach wojny, a końcówka wybrzmiała jak żywcem ściągnięta z Titanica ale bez góry lodowej. Mam też więcej pytań, niż odpowiedzi i pierwszy tom absolutnie niczego mi nie wyjaśnił. Może i nie jest to minus, ale chciałabym poznać chociaż zarys, kim są ci tytułowi agenci Hendersona. Mam swoje podejrzenia, ale też poczucie, że tu nic nie zostało wyjaśnione. Ogólnie było bardzo dobrze, ale oczekiwałam więcej i widzimy się w drugim tomie.
CHERUB podobał mi się jednak bardziej, ale miło jest wrócić do książek Muchamore'a. Jako nastolatka zakochałam się w tym piórze i typowo "chłopięcych" książkach - napakowanej akcją serii o młodzieżowych szpiegach i kiedy wróciłam do tej serii po latach, wciąż kochałam ją równie mocno. Przy Uciekinierach nie jestem do końca zachwycona, ale też nie mogę powiedzieć, że się zawiodłam, bo książka wchodziłam naprawdę gładko i szybko się ją czytało. Jest też pierwszą książka od wieków, która przeczytałam na czytniku, więc radość podwójna.
Nie do końca jest to mój klimat - nie przepadam za akcją osadzoną w czasach wojny, a końcówka wybrzmiała jak żywcem ściągnięta z Titanica ale bez góry lodowej. Mam też więcej pytań, niż odpowiedzi i pierwszy tom absolutnie niczego mi nie wyjaśnił. Może i nie jest to minus, ale chciałabym poznać chociaż zarys, kim są ci tytułowi agenci Hendersona. Mam swoje podejrzenia, ale też poczucie, że tu nic nie zostało wyjaśnione. Ogólnie było bardzo dobrze, ale oczekiwałam więcej i widzimy się w drugim tomie.
December 12, 2017
For those of you who don’t know, I absolutely LOVED Robert Muchamore’s ‘Cherub’ series and read all of them super quickly. So I really wanted to love this just as much...and I just didn’t.
I can still confidently say that I still love Muchamore’s writing style and that definitely got me excited when I started reading. But it was mainly the story that was lacking for me.
Told in a dual third-person narrative, we follow Marc - an orphan who escapes his lifelong orphanage home - and Rosie and Paul Clarke - siblings who are thrown into their father’s secret world as German’s advance into France. The story is set in France during early World War 2 and I thought this aspect actually helped the narrative whilst not boring me with facts and dates etc. I’m really not a history fan so I would’ve been put off if the war element had been overdone (which it wasn’t, so I was happy).
But although the initial story focus seemed promising, it didn’t deliver much. I was expecting something similar to the first Cherub book - an introduction into the spy world and getting our protagonists involved in it. This felt like even more of an introduction than anticipated though, with little excitement and action. I understand that this was the first book in the series so to an extent things needed to be ‘set up’, but the Cherub series had the same challenge yet the first book was much more interesting whilst being shorter. So the amount of action was disappointing.
Personally I think the dual narrative could be to blame for this. I appreciate the author trying something different and I know that both Marc and the Clarke’s stories were important, but it meant I couldn’t get immersed in the action. I would’ve preferred to stay in Marc’s perspective (as I found his narrative more exciting) and consequently I would’ve had a chance to get to know his character more.
I ought to say some good things now...well I already mentioned the writing style and, although I wanted to know him better, I thought Marc’s character was pretty good. And besides everything I’ve said, I have high hopes for the next book in the series. I think Muchamore has set up what seems like a promising adventure.
Having said that, I thought the ending was a little rushed and the epilogue was a massive disappointment. I used to love the Cherub epilogues so much but this one actually made me quite frustrated if I’m honest. But we’ll leave it at that...I’m going to read the next one soon...
P.S. Sorry for comparing to the Cherub books so much, they are just one of my favourite series and it was hard not to.
I can still confidently say that I still love Muchamore’s writing style and that definitely got me excited when I started reading. But it was mainly the story that was lacking for me.
Told in a dual third-person narrative, we follow Marc - an orphan who escapes his lifelong orphanage home - and Rosie and Paul Clarke - siblings who are thrown into their father’s secret world as German’s advance into France. The story is set in France during early World War 2 and I thought this aspect actually helped the narrative whilst not boring me with facts and dates etc. I’m really not a history fan so I would’ve been put off if the war element had been overdone (which it wasn’t, so I was happy).
But although the initial story focus seemed promising, it didn’t deliver much. I was expecting something similar to the first Cherub book - an introduction into the spy world and getting our protagonists involved in it. This felt like even more of an introduction than anticipated though, with little excitement and action. I understand that this was the first book in the series so to an extent things needed to be ‘set up’, but the Cherub series had the same challenge yet the first book was much more interesting whilst being shorter. So the amount of action was disappointing.
Personally I think the dual narrative could be to blame for this. I appreciate the author trying something different and I know that both Marc and the Clarke’s stories were important, but it meant I couldn’t get immersed in the action. I would’ve preferred to stay in Marc’s perspective (as I found his narrative more exciting) and consequently I would’ve had a chance to get to know his character more.
I ought to say some good things now...well I already mentioned the writing style and, although I wanted to know him better, I thought Marc’s character was pretty good. And besides everything I’ve said, I have high hopes for the next book in the series. I think Muchamore has set up what seems like a promising adventure.
Having said that, I thought the ending was a little rushed and the epilogue was a massive disappointment. I used to love the Cherub epilogues so much but this one actually made me quite frustrated if I’m honest. But we’ll leave it at that...I’m going to read the next one soon...
P.S. Sorry for comparing to the Cherub books so much, they are just one of my favourite series and it was hard not to.
January 10, 2016
This book was really engaging and interesting and you can really connect to the characters.
May 8, 2018
I loved this book it was action packed and very realistic to the time period with the things that happen to the characters as the story progresses. I liked the characters very much the ones I liked best were Marc, Rosie and Paul they were well developed and so very like how children of the time period and their situations made them so very compelling to read about. I liked the story it was well written and a pretty realistic WW2 story with a great action-packed story. So overall I really enjoyed this book an will be reading more of this series soon.
November 2, 2015
Book report
Basic details:
Title:The Escape
Series:Henderson's Boys
Author:Robert Muchamore
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
No. of pages:320 pages
Published in: February 5th, 2009
Introduction:
This series is about how Cherub was formed, and its wartime history. This series sets up the Cherub series, which is the sequel to this series.
Summary:
It begins with Marc. 12 years old, in a French orphanage, forced to work the worst jobs in a farm while the men of the village fight the Germans who are rapidly taking over the country.
Meanwhile there's Paul, the British boy who, along with his sister Rosie, has just been pulled out of his school in Paris.
As Marc escapes the horror of his life, and Paul and his family run for theirs, they come to the notice of Paul's dad’s friend, and British spy, Charles Henderson.
After Paul's dad is shot dead by the germans, they go on the run, trying to escape the germans, because they have an important document, that the germans are trying to get their hands on.
Marc manages to go to Paris, and when he arrives, he breaks into the house of none other than the very last foreign spy in France, Charles Henderson.
As Charles Henderson tries to find Paul and Rosie, the germans, thinking that Charles Henderson is still in Paris, breaks into Charles Henderson's house and finds Marc, and painfully interrogates him. After that, Charles Henderson goes back to his house and finds Marc
With the help of Marc, Charles Henderson goes out to find Paul and Rosie.
This book takes place in the year 1940, June 5 to 15, in France, during world war two.This is the first book in the new fiction book series by Cherub author Robert Muchamore, and is the prequel to the Cherub series.
Analysis of book:
This book is in the first person. The author used different techniques, such as slow pace,, because the story only covers 10 days, and he also uses a very attention grabbing opening scene, and he uses a few metaphors. I think that the author has really used effective language and he made the story really interesting and he makes the characters feel real. I think the main problem with this book is that sometimes, it feels like Paul’s dad is not given enough time to get to know his character, because i think that he would have made the story a little bit more interesting. The characters have different values. Marc is brave, Paul is intelligent, Rosie is sympathetic, and henderson is ruthless.
Opinion:
I think that this is a great book, and this book is the first book that I have read from cover to cover. I recommend this book to someone between the ages of twelve to eighteen.
Conclusion:
In conclusion i think that this book is really interesting and a pleasure to read, with an interesting plot, a cliff hanger at the end and characters that almost feel like you have a personal connection to. This book is my favourite book in the henderson's boys series. I hope you enjoy reading this book.
Robert MuchamoreThe Escape
Basic details:
Title:The Escape
Series:Henderson's Boys
Author:Robert Muchamore
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
No. of pages:320 pages
Published in: February 5th, 2009
Introduction:
This series is about how Cherub was formed, and its wartime history. This series sets up the Cherub series, which is the sequel to this series.
Summary:
It begins with Marc. 12 years old, in a French orphanage, forced to work the worst jobs in a farm while the men of the village fight the Germans who are rapidly taking over the country.
Meanwhile there's Paul, the British boy who, along with his sister Rosie, has just been pulled out of his school in Paris.
As Marc escapes the horror of his life, and Paul and his family run for theirs, they come to the notice of Paul's dad’s friend, and British spy, Charles Henderson.
After Paul's dad is shot dead by the germans, they go on the run, trying to escape the germans, because they have an important document, that the germans are trying to get their hands on.
Marc manages to go to Paris, and when he arrives, he breaks into the house of none other than the very last foreign spy in France, Charles Henderson.
As Charles Henderson tries to find Paul and Rosie, the germans, thinking that Charles Henderson is still in Paris, breaks into Charles Henderson's house and finds Marc, and painfully interrogates him. After that, Charles Henderson goes back to his house and finds Marc
With the help of Marc, Charles Henderson goes out to find Paul and Rosie.
This book takes place in the year 1940, June 5 to 15, in France, during world war two.This is the first book in the new fiction book series by Cherub author Robert Muchamore, and is the prequel to the Cherub series.
Analysis of book:
This book is in the first person. The author used different techniques, such as slow pace,, because the story only covers 10 days, and he also uses a very attention grabbing opening scene, and he uses a few metaphors. I think that the author has really used effective language and he made the story really interesting and he makes the characters feel real. I think the main problem with this book is that sometimes, it feels like Paul’s dad is not given enough time to get to know his character, because i think that he would have made the story a little bit more interesting. The characters have different values. Marc is brave, Paul is intelligent, Rosie is sympathetic, and henderson is ruthless.
Opinion:
I think that this is a great book, and this book is the first book that I have read from cover to cover. I recommend this book to someone between the ages of twelve to eighteen.
Conclusion:
In conclusion i think that this book is really interesting and a pleasure to read, with an interesting plot, a cliff hanger at the end and characters that almost feel like you have a personal connection to. This book is my favourite book in the henderson's boys series. I hope you enjoy reading this book.
Robert MuchamoreThe Escape
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2012
Robert Muchamore is the author of the very popular CHERUB series. These are series books about the orphaned minors who are members of CHERUB, which stands for Charles Henderson’s Espionage Research Unit B, and modern day spies working with British Security Service.
The Henderson’s Boys series is a prequel to the CHERUB series and takes place during World War II. It begins as people all over Paris are fleeing south before the arrival of Hitler’s Army, with one exception. Marc Kilgour, 12, is an orphan who has just run away from the abusive orphanage he has lived his entire life in. He arrives in Paris and finds what looked to be a very comfortable, abandoned house to live in. That is until the Nazis show up and torture him for information about the real occupant of the house - Charles Henderson
At the same time, Paul, 11, and Rosie Clarke, 13, are pulled out of school by their father, Digby Clarke, a traveling salesman for the Imperial Wireless Company. They are loaded into his Citroën along with stacks of papers and head south to Bordeaux to try to return to England. On the way, the town they stop in is bombed by Nazi planes and just before he dies, Clarke tells the kids they must find Charles Henderson.
After the Nazis leave, Henderson returns home, finds Marc and after some very exciting adventures in Paris, these two also hit the road looking for Clarke and his children before the Nazis can find them and the papers Clarke has in his car.
The papers at the center of this story are the blueprints for a miniature transceiver designed by a French Jew named Luc Mannstein. France and Britain were both a little wishy-washy about acquiring the plans even though the transceiver would have been a real boon in the war because of it portability. The Nazis had a great deal of interest in it and promised safety in Poland if Mannstein would supply the blueprints to them. But, Clarke now has the blueprints, so there is a pressing need for him to get out of France.
Henderson’s Boys: The Escape takes place over a short but crucial period of time during the fall of France. Part One covers June 5, 1940 to June 6, 1940 and Part Two covers June 14, 1940 to June 15, 1940. And France has been turned into a large, chaotic country for everyone, but especially for people who don’t know each other to find each other - Will the Clark kids and Henderson meet up? And what becomes of Marc?
Henderson’s Boys: The Escape is a brilliantly written, graphically depicted, gritty, action-packed novel and no one is more surprised that I liked than I am. I don’t usually like these kinds of stories, and yet, Muchamore’s novel held me spellbound. It truly spares no punches, is at time brutal, has mild language and sexual references, and lots of violence. It is not for the fainthearted, yet it really is no worst than many of the other popular YA novels kids read.
Curious? You can read the first two chapters and find out more about the Henderson Boys series here.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was purchased for my personal library
The Henderson’s Boys series is a prequel to the CHERUB series and takes place during World War II. It begins as people all over Paris are fleeing south before the arrival of Hitler’s Army, with one exception. Marc Kilgour, 12, is an orphan who has just run away from the abusive orphanage he has lived his entire life in. He arrives in Paris and finds what looked to be a very comfortable, abandoned house to live in. That is until the Nazis show up and torture him for information about the real occupant of the house - Charles Henderson
At the same time, Paul, 11, and Rosie Clarke, 13, are pulled out of school by their father, Digby Clarke, a traveling salesman for the Imperial Wireless Company. They are loaded into his Citroën along with stacks of papers and head south to Bordeaux to try to return to England. On the way, the town they stop in is bombed by Nazi planes and just before he dies, Clarke tells the kids they must find Charles Henderson.
After the Nazis leave, Henderson returns home, finds Marc and after some very exciting adventures in Paris, these two also hit the road looking for Clarke and his children before the Nazis can find them and the papers Clarke has in his car.
The papers at the center of this story are the blueprints for a miniature transceiver designed by a French Jew named Luc Mannstein. France and Britain were both a little wishy-washy about acquiring the plans even though the transceiver would have been a real boon in the war because of it portability. The Nazis had a great deal of interest in it and promised safety in Poland if Mannstein would supply the blueprints to them. But, Clarke now has the blueprints, so there is a pressing need for him to get out of France.
Henderson’s Boys: The Escape takes place over a short but crucial period of time during the fall of France. Part One covers June 5, 1940 to June 6, 1940 and Part Two covers June 14, 1940 to June 15, 1940. And France has been turned into a large, chaotic country for everyone, but especially for people who don’t know each other to find each other - Will the Clark kids and Henderson meet up? And what becomes of Marc?
Henderson’s Boys: The Escape is a brilliantly written, graphically depicted, gritty, action-packed novel and no one is more surprised that I liked than I am. I don’t usually like these kinds of stories, and yet, Muchamore’s novel held me spellbound. It truly spares no punches, is at time brutal, has mild language and sexual references, and lots of violence. It is not for the fainthearted, yet it really is no worst than many of the other popular YA novels kids read.
Curious? You can read the first two chapters and find out more about the Henderson Boys series here.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was purchased for my personal library
April 12, 2013
In the novel The Escape by Robert Muchamore Hitler army has invaded France and millions of French civilians are leaving the country. Amidst the chaos, two British children are being hunted by German agents. A British spy Charles Henderson tries to reach the children before the Germans do with the help of a French orphan. This novel was a well written and never had a dull moment. It left you in suspension and had many twist in the plot. The chapters were not predictable and it had you guessing what will happen next in the next chapter which every novel should have you doing. Mainly the novel put you in the shoes of whoever the main character was at the time.
The Escape was such a well written novel because it left you in suspension of what was going to happen in the next chapter. Every paragraph you read left you wondering what the outcome was going to be such as when Marc the 12 year old orphan was beaten so badly by the director of the orphanage, and sister Madeline the nun who help out at the orphanage step in and told the director “Marc has had enough “then the director threaten her that if she did not leave the room and mind her own business she would be fired (pg31). This event made you think would she leave the poor orphan to get beaten to death or step up and do something. The novel was not predictable in anyway because most novel that you read you already know what will happen later on in the book.
In every chapter that you read it puts you in the shoes of the character that was the focus point at the time. In The Escape there was never a moment where you did not stop to think about what that person may be feeling about the situation that they were in. One moment where you was put in the eyes of the character was when a German agent had a barrel of a pistol against the bridge of Paul nose and told him ‘‘Be silent, or die’’ (pg. 38). If anyone was put in that situation what would they do and how would they reaction. This novel left you thinking of different scenarios if you were put the characters shoes. In all this has been one of the most exciting novels I have read in months.
One down side of this novel was that it had many cut scenes, such as there would be and event going on there it would go to other character that was in the same position similar to the character it was being based on, but at the time it was also irrelevant at the time an event was happening. The chapters ended to quick with one event that was happening at time. In doing this it made you upset, because you get so into that chapter and then all of a sudden it switches to a different character in the story. Many chapters should’ve continued with multiple chapters instead of switching every chapter.
In all The Escape was a well written novel that left you in suspension and had many twist in the plot. The chapters were not predictable and it had you guessing what will happen next in the next chapter which every novel should have you doing. Mainly the novel put you in the shoes of whoever the main character was at the time.
The Escape was such a well written novel because it left you in suspension of what was going to happen in the next chapter. Every paragraph you read left you wondering what the outcome was going to be such as when Marc the 12 year old orphan was beaten so badly by the director of the orphanage, and sister Madeline the nun who help out at the orphanage step in and told the director “Marc has had enough “then the director threaten her that if she did not leave the room and mind her own business she would be fired (pg31). This event made you think would she leave the poor orphan to get beaten to death or step up and do something. The novel was not predictable in anyway because most novel that you read you already know what will happen later on in the book.
In every chapter that you read it puts you in the shoes of the character that was the focus point at the time. In The Escape there was never a moment where you did not stop to think about what that person may be feeling about the situation that they were in. One moment where you was put in the eyes of the character was when a German agent had a barrel of a pistol against the bridge of Paul nose and told him ‘‘Be silent, or die’’ (pg. 38). If anyone was put in that situation what would they do and how would they reaction. This novel left you thinking of different scenarios if you were put the characters shoes. In all this has been one of the most exciting novels I have read in months.
One down side of this novel was that it had many cut scenes, such as there would be and event going on there it would go to other character that was in the same position similar to the character it was being based on, but at the time it was also irrelevant at the time an event was happening. The chapters ended to quick with one event that was happening at time. In doing this it made you upset, because you get so into that chapter and then all of a sudden it switches to a different character in the story. Many chapters should’ve continued with multiple chapters instead of switching every chapter.
In all The Escape was a well written novel that left you in suspension and had many twist in the plot. The chapters were not predictable and it had you guessing what will happen next in the next chapter which every novel should have you doing. Mainly the novel put you in the shoes of whoever the main character was at the time.
September 22, 2017
This book is about a guy finding a couple of kids and fighting nazis with them. I would rate this book five stars, and I did. I rate this book five stars because at some points I was so immersed I completely forgot about the world around me and I got a little startled when someone would talk to me. Also, it had it's fair bits of funny moments. I liked it so much because the book had a great plot.
When I got so immersed in the book, there really is no evidence for a specific part. Everytime I would go back to reading it, I would just leave mentally. I guess a really good part would be when one of the characters was getting tortured by the Germans. I felt like I was right there next to the guy, just watching it go down. I'm glad I didn't have to feel his pain though.
This book was pretty funny too. I wouldn't call it a purposely funny book, I just have a dark sense of humor. Again, not really any examples because I don't sticky note, but when the two groups of people met, I thought it was a pretty funny meeting. They all just seemed so awkward. Also, just every once in awhile Henderson would just say something so stupid that I would start laughing. They sometimes cracked jokes, but they were all pretty dumb jokes.
The plot was great, because at first it started off just Marc all alone on a farm, then the action starts building up. He gets caught, and some random guy named Henderson comes along and they get along fine. Then these two kids contact Henderson because something happened to their dad, so Henderson and Marc go down and get these two kids. The most action packed part is right after Marc meets Henderson. That or maybe right before they get down to the other two kids.
All in all, I loved this book because it was so well written. It was amazingly immersive, pretty darn funny, and the plot just kept me reading throughout the entire book. I would definitely recommend this book to any action lover out there.
When I got so immersed in the book, there really is no evidence for a specific part. Everytime I would go back to reading it, I would just leave mentally. I guess a really good part would be when one of the characters was getting tortured by the Germans. I felt like I was right there next to the guy, just watching it go down. I'm glad I didn't have to feel his pain though.
This book was pretty funny too. I wouldn't call it a purposely funny book, I just have a dark sense of humor. Again, not really any examples because I don't sticky note, but when the two groups of people met, I thought it was a pretty funny meeting. They all just seemed so awkward. Also, just every once in awhile Henderson would just say something so stupid that I would start laughing. They sometimes cracked jokes, but they were all pretty dumb jokes.
The plot was great, because at first it started off just Marc all alone on a farm, then the action starts building up. He gets caught, and some random guy named Henderson comes along and they get along fine. Then these two kids contact Henderson because something happened to their dad, so Henderson and Marc go down and get these two kids. The most action packed part is right after Marc meets Henderson. That or maybe right before they get down to the other two kids.
All in all, I loved this book because it was so well written. It was amazingly immersive, pretty darn funny, and the plot just kept me reading throughout the entire book. I would definitely recommend this book to any action lover out there.
May 19, 2015
The escape was an interesting decision for me when deciding as it was the prequal series to a series ive read before, cherub. I looked at the blurb, the cover and gained advice from the person at the bookstore. In the end I just couldnt get enough of the book and had to purchase it.
The book has a strange setting of two peoples view with a french boy in an orphanage and two children and there father. In the time it is set during WW2 and the german bombers are causing distruction all over the land. The two children and their father have plans to secret german warfare. The dad dies and then the children are left alone. All the dad said before he died was "contact Henderson." The children then work really hard and get in contact with henderson. All while this is happening, Marc (the boy in the orphanage) is escaping. He just so happens to go to a small town where henderson lives. Then Marc meets henderson and gets a phone call from the two children. The germans track the call and are coming for the plans off the children and henderson and marc dont have much time. then henderson and the three children all meet up and head for england with the plans to stop hitler in his campaign.
My favourite character was Marc. I liked him for his cheeky character and good street skills to get him to southern france without getting killed. Even though he acts all tough deep inside i think its a bit different as hes got a bit of a soft spot.
One thing I learned from this book is how ruthless the times of war and the fact that real humans like my self would go through these horrible things.
The book has a strange setting of two peoples view with a french boy in an orphanage and two children and there father. In the time it is set during WW2 and the german bombers are causing distruction all over the land. The two children and their father have plans to secret german warfare. The dad dies and then the children are left alone. All the dad said before he died was "contact Henderson." The children then work really hard and get in contact with henderson. All while this is happening, Marc (the boy in the orphanage) is escaping. He just so happens to go to a small town where henderson lives. Then Marc meets henderson and gets a phone call from the two children. The germans track the call and are coming for the plans off the children and henderson and marc dont have much time. then henderson and the three children all meet up and head for england with the plans to stop hitler in his campaign.
My favourite character was Marc. I liked him for his cheeky character and good street skills to get him to southern france without getting killed. Even though he acts all tough deep inside i think its a bit different as hes got a bit of a soft spot.
One thing I learned from this book is how ruthless the times of war and the fact that real humans like my self would go through these horrible things.
February 27, 2010
The Escape is set during WWII and starts off in a French orphanage where a boy called Marc desires to flee his dull life. As soon as Marc gets a (risky) opportunity he takes it. Somewhere else Rosie and Paul are escaping from the German police after their father, Digby Clark, steals some significant blueprints from a Jewish watchmaker who is determined to sell them to the Germans.
But then their father is injured, and doesn’t have a big chance of staying alive - his final wish is for the papers to reach a man named Charles Henderson, a British spy.
With nowhere else to go, Marc finds a house belonging to Charles and takes refuge there. But Henderson comes back, being a part of the fewest British spies left in France, and with the help of Marc, he needs to find Rosie and Paul before the Germans agents do.
Most people are thinking that this book is just for boys, which I think is very wrong because I am a girl and I can proudly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! Looking at the accuracy and dramatic (and very graphic!) descriptions used, I think that Muchamore has done his research and made this book very successful!
But then their father is injured, and doesn’t have a big chance of staying alive - his final wish is for the papers to reach a man named Charles Henderson, a British spy.
With nowhere else to go, Marc finds a house belonging to Charles and takes refuge there. But Henderson comes back, being a part of the fewest British spies left in France, and with the help of Marc, he needs to find Rosie and Paul before the Germans agents do.
Most people are thinking that this book is just for boys, which I think is very wrong because I am a girl and I can proudly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! Looking at the accuracy and dramatic (and very graphic!) descriptions used, I think that Muchamore has done his research and made this book very successful!
May 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book a lot. I am new to the series and i like the adventure and theme of war fits well. I recommend this book and i am currently reading more in the series.
July 1, 2019
good start to series and also very interseting
September 17, 2025
A nostalgic read. Some nice heart warming scenes in the chaos
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December 17, 2018This was book one in the hendersons boys series
I really enjoyed this book, although I read it a while ago I remember that I didn't want to put it down and always wanted to read more
I really enjoyed this book, although I read it a while ago I remember that I didn't want to put it down and always wanted to read more
April 26, 2019
I have read the Cherub seires by Robert Muchamore and I really enjoyed it so i decided to start reading the Henderson’s Boys series. It is set during world war two when the German army were invading France. I enjoyed this book however it is not as good as the Cherub series
May 18, 2018
(I switched my 3rd book because I could not find a copy of original book)This was one of my favorite books that I have read so far this year. It took place during world war 2. There was 2 different perspectives. One of an orphan named mark who runs away from his terrible orphanage. The other is a perspective of siblings named Paul and Rosie Clark. They also have their father Digby Clark but he is killed in a bombing. They are all caught up in this when Mark breaks into Henderson’s house. Henderson finds Mark living in his house and Mark volunteers to help Henderson who is a spy for the British. They then proceed to break into the German gestapo and kill a man who can build a portable radio that could immensely help the Germans advance across Europe. They then leave Paris to find the Clark kids who are also being hunted by the SS. Once Henderson finds the kids (who are carrying vital plans for the special radio) he takes them to a port to evacuate France. Henderson and Mark stay back because Mark doesn’t have a passport. As the kids are sailing through the English Channel their boat is hit by a German Stuka dive bomber and sink. At the end of the book we are left wondering what will happen to the kids and the plans to the radio that could change the course of the war. The character what changed the most was Mark. He went from a boy in the orphanage shoveling cow poop to exciting car chases and killing evil Nazis. I think the theme of this book was never give up hope because you never know what is going to happen. This is because after the Clark’s father is killed they don’t know what to do a retired priest takes them in and cares for him. Same with Mark when he is running out of food and supplies in the city Henderson; finds him and helps him and stays with him. Overall, this was a very good book and I will definitely be reading more books in this series.
October 22, 2017
I really love the Cherub series but for whatever reason I've not quite gotten around to reading Henderson's Boys. Maybe the historical aspect put me off a bit. I never really seemed in the mood for it. In any case, I picked it up and this is great. Marc and Paul and Rosie are strong characters with both strengths and weaknesses. In other words, they're real kids thrown into extraordinary situations. Things don't always go well and they're not always nice or kind or brave or right. But they make the best of the situation and battle on. Much like James, I found them unlikeable at certain points but overall I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It's been awhile since I've read Cherub but I will say I can't quite remember it being so mature or so immature. The Escape focuses on more mature situations and realistically portrays the reality of war. That being said, the characters themselves were relatively childish and immature. It was odd but it may just be due to my own advancing age.
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July 10, 2019I thought that this book was a thought provoking read on recognizing what life could really be like for people in the war and it gave a good in site to the war. it was very exciting and left the read on a good cliffhanger, perfectly setting the book up for a sequel.
February 26, 2019
My Book Review
In the book The Escape by Robert Muchamore, it starts in the summer of 1940 featuring two viewpoints as a dual third person narrative, one of a French runaway orphan named Marc and another of two British children, Paul and Rosie. As tension rises between the Axis and the Allies, Hitler's army starts to move in towards Paris, leaving nearby cities in chaos while civilians are on the run. Meanwhile, Paul and Rosie rush to escape the Germans because their dad has important documents for a radio that can be used against the Germans. When their dad dies and Marc gets caught by Germans the 3 children will have to unify and work together to overcome their problems and escape the Germans. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 due to the major theme and excellent characters.
The first reason this book should be rated 5 out of 5 is because of its major theme; never give up. An example of major theme comes from this quote, “But suddenly there was no resistance and Mr. Clarke’s head flopped backwards. Unmoving eyes stared at her, glazed and still, like a pair of marbles”(Muchamore 120). This quote is showing when Paul and Rosie's dad dies. This is an important turning point in the story because now they are alone against the Germans. The reason this shows major theme is because now the kids have to push through and escape the Germans without help of their dad. They can’t give up because the Germans will kill them if they do. Also the kids have to deal with the insufferable conditions of constant bombardment from the Axis army invading. For that reason, this shows how this book should be rated a 5 out of 5 related to theme.
The final reason that this book should be rated 5 out of 5 is because of the excellent characters.“A porter found him lying inside a fruit box and rushed him into the warmth of the stationmaster's office. There he discovered the only clue to the boy’s identity- a scrap of paper with four handwritten words: Allergic to cow's milk”(Muchamore 5). This quote is introducing Marc as a main character. It is showing how he was an orphan found abandoned by a station master with nothing but a note with him. This proves excellent characters because an abandoned orphan is a very unusual and hard to find character in any book. It also makes for more twists and turns when you live in a orphanage because it is an environment not many people are used to. Also, as mentioned before this book has a dual third person narrative, with a very cool and interesting twist. This proves that in this book there is excellent charters that help make the story more interesting and improve the book overall.
The book The Escape by Robert Muchamore should be rated a 5 out of 5 due to its very diverse and excellent characters and its major theme; never give up.
In the book The Escape by Robert Muchamore, it starts in the summer of 1940 featuring two viewpoints as a dual third person narrative, one of a French runaway orphan named Marc and another of two British children, Paul and Rosie. As tension rises between the Axis and the Allies, Hitler's army starts to move in towards Paris, leaving nearby cities in chaos while civilians are on the run. Meanwhile, Paul and Rosie rush to escape the Germans because their dad has important documents for a radio that can be used against the Germans. When their dad dies and Marc gets caught by Germans the 3 children will have to unify and work together to overcome their problems and escape the Germans. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 due to the major theme and excellent characters.
The first reason this book should be rated 5 out of 5 is because of its major theme; never give up. An example of major theme comes from this quote, “But suddenly there was no resistance and Mr. Clarke’s head flopped backwards. Unmoving eyes stared at her, glazed and still, like a pair of marbles”(Muchamore 120). This quote is showing when Paul and Rosie's dad dies. This is an important turning point in the story because now they are alone against the Germans. The reason this shows major theme is because now the kids have to push through and escape the Germans without help of their dad. They can’t give up because the Germans will kill them if they do. Also the kids have to deal with the insufferable conditions of constant bombardment from the Axis army invading. For that reason, this shows how this book should be rated a 5 out of 5 related to theme.
The final reason that this book should be rated 5 out of 5 is because of the excellent characters.“A porter found him lying inside a fruit box and rushed him into the warmth of the stationmaster's office. There he discovered the only clue to the boy’s identity- a scrap of paper with four handwritten words: Allergic to cow's milk”(Muchamore 5). This quote is introducing Marc as a main character. It is showing how he was an orphan found abandoned by a station master with nothing but a note with him. This proves excellent characters because an abandoned orphan is a very unusual and hard to find character in any book. It also makes for more twists and turns when you live in a orphanage because it is an environment not many people are used to. Also, as mentioned before this book has a dual third person narrative, with a very cool and interesting twist. This proves that in this book there is excellent charters that help make the story more interesting and improve the book overall.
The book The Escape by Robert Muchamore should be rated a 5 out of 5 due to its very diverse and excellent characters and its major theme; never give up.
June 3, 2018
Not even a full star, more like 0.2 stars.
And only because I managed to finish the bloody thing.
I was expecting to like this book based on the premise, but I was just disappointed.
First of all the events talked about in the blurb (of heading off to find kids who don't exist to save the world) doesn't happen until the last five chapters. And it's all over so quick.
The rest of the book I had to drag my feet through unnecessary violence, sexism, and heavy descriptions of nothing of importance.
Seriously, the supposed 'best spy' guy went into a stealth mission with a machine gun, A MACHINE GUN. To a STEALTH mission. He ended up in some glitch where he forgot he had a silenced pistol and just machine gunned the fuck out of the place.
Not only that but there's so much violence towards the kids, like Marc gets beaten so bad from the orphanage director he can barely walk. He's a CHILD. And everyone can already gather that growing up in an orphanage sucks but there was no need to have a very visceral description of his beating in the first chapter we meet him. I just thought it a tad overtop to prove this kids 'toughness' through severe child abuse.
Everything with a vagina was sized up by Marc. He's internalising some heavy misogyny and honestly, I'd feel sorry for him if I wasn't forced to read how he judges a woman's value solely on her breast size or prettiness. Because other than the sister (Rosie) of the other main character (Paul) there are no woman that hold lead roles. And Rosie's only descriptors are 'buffalo's shoulders' and 'a precocious set of breasts'. Y'know, aside from the fact that she's 'annoying, cold, and bossy' for simply trying to keep it together in the middle of war whilst taking care of her little brother. And while I can personally see that there are strong women in this book, I am enraged that none of them are treated with any respect or even a modicum of the awe they deserve. Instead this respect and awe is handed of to two preteen boys who do nothing but get carried by side characters the whole book.
The plot was slow moving for a middle-grade/early YA. Like seriously, who spends the whole first book setting up the characters. It wasn't the greatest writing decision. It made for a really tedious beginning, and a mind-boggling jumble of an ending. In fact I would've given this book 0.1 stars but added another 0.1 because the last five chapters actually had plot development that wasn't tainted in horrendous pre-2010 sexism because it was too busy scrambling after all the loose ends.
I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
And only because I managed to finish the bloody thing.
I was expecting to like this book based on the premise, but I was just disappointed.
First of all the events talked about in the blurb (of heading off to find kids who don't exist to save the world) doesn't happen until the last five chapters. And it's all over so quick.
The rest of the book I had to drag my feet through unnecessary violence, sexism, and heavy descriptions of nothing of importance.
Seriously, the supposed 'best spy' guy went into a stealth mission with a machine gun, A MACHINE GUN. To a STEALTH mission. He ended up in some glitch where he forgot he had a silenced pistol and just machine gunned the fuck out of the place.
Not only that but there's so much violence towards the kids, like Marc gets beaten so bad from the orphanage director he can barely walk. He's a CHILD. And everyone can already gather that growing up in an orphanage sucks but there was no need to have a very visceral description of his beating in the first chapter we meet him. I just thought it a tad overtop to prove this kids 'toughness' through severe child abuse.
Everything with a vagina was sized up by Marc. He's internalising some heavy misogyny and honestly, I'd feel sorry for him if I wasn't forced to read how he judges a woman's value solely on her breast size or prettiness. Because other than the sister (Rosie) of the other main character (Paul) there are no woman that hold lead roles. And Rosie's only descriptors are 'buffalo's shoulders' and 'a precocious set of breasts'. Y'know, aside from the fact that she's 'annoying, cold, and bossy' for simply trying to keep it together in the middle of war whilst taking care of her little brother. And while I can personally see that there are strong women in this book, I am enraged that none of them are treated with any respect or even a modicum of the awe they deserve. Instead this respect and awe is handed of to two preteen boys who do nothing but get carried by side characters the whole book.
The plot was slow moving for a middle-grade/early YA. Like seriously, who spends the whole first book setting up the characters. It wasn't the greatest writing decision. It made for a really tedious beginning, and a mind-boggling jumble of an ending. In fact I would've given this book 0.1 stars but added another 0.1 because the last five chapters actually had plot development that wasn't tainted in horrendous pre-2010 sexism because it was too busy scrambling after all the loose ends.
I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
February 26, 2019
The Escape, by Robert Muchamore, is a spy fiction book that takes place throughout much of France. The book has 2 different viewpoints, 1 of which is Marc Kilgour’s, a boy who lives in an abusive orphanage and of Paul and Rosie Clarke’s, 2 siblings who attend a large English school in Paris. The problem is that the Nazis are launching an invasion of France and have already occupied a large section. As the invasion progresses, Mr. Clarke, a common businessman who is really a British spy, picks up his children because of the invasion and has a lot of important German documents. As he’s dying from a bullet, he tells his kids to find a man named Charles Henderson. Meanwhile, Marc found an evacuated home to stay in which belonged to Charles Henderson. He stayed there, but some Nazis found him and insufferably tortured him for information about Henderson, who is a British spy. After the Nazis leave, Henderson comes to his home and sees Marc in bad condition. He also finds out about Mr. Clarke dying and a phone call from Paul and Rosie Clarke. Paul and Rosie, who tried to find shelter after their Father’s death, found an old, sympathetic couple to stay with and tried calling Henderson but a Nazi officer picked up. Eventually, Henderson finds them and they try to get to Britain. I give this book a rating of 5/5 due to the character development and the way the author portrayed the different viewpoints.
The first reason I gave this book a 5/5 rating was the way the author portrayed the different viewpoints throughout the story. “Paul Clarke was a slightly-built eleven year old” (Muchamore 15) and “As a baby, Marc Kilgour had been abandoned between two stone flower pots” (Muchamore 5). The 2 quotes show the different viewpoints of Marc and Paul and how they are in different situations. I liked this because it showed what life was like for different people when Hitler was at power.
The next reason I thought this book was great is because of the character development of Marc. “Give me a gun and I’ll blow their bastard heads off.” This explains why there was conspicuous character development because he is willing to fight against the Nazis compared to when he lived at the orphanage and stayed very scared. Many men would not be able to fight against the Nazis but Marc wants to which shows how strong he is. He is one of the other reasons I liked this book so much.
I give this book a rating 5/5 due to the character development and the way the author portrayed the distinguishable viewpoints because it really helps the reader understand the setting and time period a lot better.
The first reason I gave this book a 5/5 rating was the way the author portrayed the different viewpoints throughout the story. “Paul Clarke was a slightly-built eleven year old” (Muchamore 15) and “As a baby, Marc Kilgour had been abandoned between two stone flower pots” (Muchamore 5). The 2 quotes show the different viewpoints of Marc and Paul and how they are in different situations. I liked this because it showed what life was like for different people when Hitler was at power.
The next reason I thought this book was great is because of the character development of Marc. “Give me a gun and I’ll blow their bastard heads off.” This explains why there was conspicuous character development because he is willing to fight against the Nazis compared to when he lived at the orphanage and stayed very scared. Many men would not be able to fight against the Nazis but Marc wants to which shows how strong he is. He is one of the other reasons I liked this book so much.
I give this book a rating 5/5 due to the character development and the way the author portrayed the distinguishable viewpoints because it really helps the reader understand the setting and time period a lot better.
March 19, 2018
Cherub est une célèbre série de livres d’espionnage pour adolescents, écrite par l’écrivain anglais Robert Muchamore et qui met en scène des agents secrets mineurs de dix à dix-sept ans au sein d’une agence gouvernementale fictive au Royaume-Uni. Suite au succès de cette première série, l’auteur s’est lancé entre 2009 et 2013 dans une série dérivée de la première, Henderson’s Boys, qui décrit les origines de ce service très secret. L’évasion en est le premier tome.
Nous sommes à l’été 1940, les nazis fondent sur la capitale, incitant des millions de civils à fuir Paris en direction du Sud. Au milieu de cet épouvantable chaos, trois enfants : Marc, Paul et sa sœur aînée Rosie. Le premier fuit un orphelinat où il est maltraité sur une bicyclette volée, bien décidé à gagner Paris où il espère passer inaperçu ; les deux autres quittent Paris en compagnie de leur père, ressortissant britannique en possession de documents compromettants. Tous trois vont croiser le chemin de Charles Henderson, agent secret.
Destinée à un public pré-adolescent, cette saga se présente comme un pur divertissement. Il y a de l’action à revendre et c’est tellement plein de pep’s que même les passages les plus prévisibles passent très très bien. L’auteur manie avec brio un contexte difficile, dur, parfois brutal et refuse de ménager ses héros. Les nazis et la Gestapo sont aussi atroces qu’ils l’ont été dans notre réalité et ces pauvres orphelins qui n’ont rien demandé se retrouvent seuls au cœur d’un conflit qui les dépasse complètement.
Le point fort de ce roman, c’est la crédibilité des enfants. Ils sont d’une naïveté tout enfantine et font malgré tout preuve d’une exceptionnelle débrouillardise. Marc par exemple, lorsqu’il voit les Allemands défiler dans Paris, ne peut s’empêcher d’être impressionné par leur prestance et leur équipement, il va même jusqu’à s’imaginer rejoindre leurs rangs dès qu’il en aura l’âge ! Il va bien sûr très vite déchanter en étant confronté à eux mais c’est ainsi, par petites touches, que l’auteur construit ses personnages et les fait grandir.
Au final, un roman jeunesse avec de belles qualités. Si le style n’a rien d’exceptionnel et si Robert Muchamore se contente d’aller à l’essentiel, il est efficace et maîtrise parfaitement son intrigue. Il sait ménager le suspens et réussit plutôt bien à retranscrire l’ambiance de l’époque. Accrocheur, ce livre offre un aspect historique particulièrement intéressant. A découvrir et faire découvrir.
Nous sommes à l’été 1940, les nazis fondent sur la capitale, incitant des millions de civils à fuir Paris en direction du Sud. Au milieu de cet épouvantable chaos, trois enfants : Marc, Paul et sa sœur aînée Rosie. Le premier fuit un orphelinat où il est maltraité sur une bicyclette volée, bien décidé à gagner Paris où il espère passer inaperçu ; les deux autres quittent Paris en compagnie de leur père, ressortissant britannique en possession de documents compromettants. Tous trois vont croiser le chemin de Charles Henderson, agent secret.
Destinée à un public pré-adolescent, cette saga se présente comme un pur divertissement. Il y a de l’action à revendre et c’est tellement plein de pep’s que même les passages les plus prévisibles passent très très bien. L’auteur manie avec brio un contexte difficile, dur, parfois brutal et refuse de ménager ses héros. Les nazis et la Gestapo sont aussi atroces qu’ils l’ont été dans notre réalité et ces pauvres orphelins qui n’ont rien demandé se retrouvent seuls au cœur d’un conflit qui les dépasse complètement.
Le point fort de ce roman, c’est la crédibilité des enfants. Ils sont d’une naïveté tout enfantine et font malgré tout preuve d’une exceptionnelle débrouillardise. Marc par exemple, lorsqu’il voit les Allemands défiler dans Paris, ne peut s’empêcher d’être impressionné par leur prestance et leur équipement, il va même jusqu’à s’imaginer rejoindre leurs rangs dès qu’il en aura l’âge ! Il va bien sûr très vite déchanter en étant confronté à eux mais c’est ainsi, par petites touches, que l’auteur construit ses personnages et les fait grandir.
Au final, un roman jeunesse avec de belles qualités. Si le style n’a rien d’exceptionnel et si Robert Muchamore se contente d’aller à l’essentiel, il est efficace et maîtrise parfaitement son intrigue. Il sait ménager le suspens et réussit plutôt bien à retranscrire l’ambiance de l’époque. Accrocheur, ce livre offre un aspect historique particulièrement intéressant. A découvrir et faire découvrir.
October 19, 2018
The Escape is in a series called Henderson’s Boys which is the prequel series to bestselling CHERUB series. The book is written in third person but has two sides of the story, overlooking Marc Kilgour as well as Paul and Rosie Clarke. The Escape is set in summer,1940. Marc Kilgour runs away from his orphanage as he sees the war as his best chance to escape. During the story Marc meets British Secret Service agent Mr. Charles Henderson and together they have kill some important people and also get some plans off Rosie and Paul Clarke (Digby Clarke’s children - also British Secret Service and friend of Henderson) and get them and the plans safely to England before the Germans reach them and kill them.
When Digby Clarke died in the Paris bombings/shootings it made me think about how lucky I am to have my family and how lucky I am to not have to be in those situations. This issue is important to me because my great, great grandfather fought and died in the war and it makes me think how privileged I am to live a life where I’m not in war, and cared and loved by my family and live a very nice lifestyle. Back in the war it was carnage and hell, which although I truly dislike school, I’m truly very lucky that I am able to walk to school without fearing if I was going to get bombed by a foreign country. I’m very thankful for everyone who served in the war so I don’t have to go to war and can live a truly great lifestyle with my friends and family.
Another important thing was how Rosie and Paul Clarke as well as Marc Kilgour had to ran away to safety and both got put through hell. This was important to me because they’re about the same age as me and that could’ve been me running back in those years. Sadly our generation takes our freedom for granted. Kids back then were running from their home just to live, and some kids in this work has to work 24 hours to feed their family while us kids in New Zealand are complaining about not getting enough time on Fortnite and having to go to school to get an education so we can make a living later on in life. Marc was put through hell by Director Tomas at the orphanage which makes me sad because although it doesn’t happen as often nowadays, child abuse still happens whether it is in an orphanage or it’s parents or caregivers or teachers or coaches abusing children.
I recommend this book ages 12+. I liked this book because it had a good storyline and gave me a bit of education about ww2.
When Digby Clarke died in the Paris bombings/shootings it made me think about how lucky I am to have my family and how lucky I am to not have to be in those situations. This issue is important to me because my great, great grandfather fought and died in the war and it makes me think how privileged I am to live a life where I’m not in war, and cared and loved by my family and live a very nice lifestyle. Back in the war it was carnage and hell, which although I truly dislike school, I’m truly very lucky that I am able to walk to school without fearing if I was going to get bombed by a foreign country. I’m very thankful for everyone who served in the war so I don’t have to go to war and can live a truly great lifestyle with my friends and family.
Another important thing was how Rosie and Paul Clarke as well as Marc Kilgour had to ran away to safety and both got put through hell. This was important to me because they’re about the same age as me and that could’ve been me running back in those years. Sadly our generation takes our freedom for granted. Kids back then were running from their home just to live, and some kids in this work has to work 24 hours to feed their family while us kids in New Zealand are complaining about not getting enough time on Fortnite and having to go to school to get an education so we can make a living later on in life. Marc was put through hell by Director Tomas at the orphanage which makes me sad because although it doesn’t happen as often nowadays, child abuse still happens whether it is in an orphanage or it’s parents or caregivers or teachers or coaches abusing children.
I recommend this book ages 12+. I liked this book because it had a good storyline and gave me a bit of education about ww2.
February 26, 2019
In The Escape by Robert Muchamore, two very different families are both trying to get away from Nazi capture and execution during the Holocaust. The book starts in Mark Kilgour’s point of view and switches off with the Clarke family’s point of view. Mark is an orphan who has run away from his orphanage and is trying to escape to freedom. While Rosie and Paul have a motive to help there dead father get papers to a man named Charles Henderson. When Marc gets caught by the Nazis and the Nazis put Rosie and Paul Clarke in a death trap they will have to overcome adversity and work together to escape. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 due to my favorite character and the way the author wrote the book by switching point of views each chapter.
The first reason i gave this book a 5 out of 5 is because of the interesting character Marc Kilgour that Robert Muchamore included in this book. I say this because as a young child Marc was abandoned. “As a baby Marc Kilgour had been abandoned between two stone flower pots on the platform at Beauvais station, sixty kilometres north of Paris” (Muchamore 5). Using this quote you can conclude that Marc was a common orphan and never knew his parents or anyone in his family. This could affect a person so much as they do not get the average parenting most of us take for granted. Things like how to be a gentleman and manners are never taught to a boy like Marc which could affect his future life. This is one reason I gave the book a 5 out of 5.
The second reason I gave this book a 5 out of 5 is because of the interesting way that the book was written. There are two point of views in this book and each chapter they switch. “Paul never spoke much, but that only made his words count for more when he did” (Muchamore 75). “Marc wheeled the directors bike away from the cottage and kept low as he rushed through the field of wheat behind the orphanage” (Muchamore 76). These quotes explain that there was two different point of views. Using this technique of writing we were able to put ourselves in different peoples shoes and view the war from a different point of view. This is the second reason that i gave this book a 5 out 5.
In conclusion, I give The Escape by Robert Muchamore, a 5 out of 5 because of the different character and the way he wrote the book.
The first reason i gave this book a 5 out of 5 is because of the interesting character Marc Kilgour that Robert Muchamore included in this book. I say this because as a young child Marc was abandoned. “As a baby Marc Kilgour had been abandoned between two stone flower pots on the platform at Beauvais station, sixty kilometres north of Paris” (Muchamore 5). Using this quote you can conclude that Marc was a common orphan and never knew his parents or anyone in his family. This could affect a person so much as they do not get the average parenting most of us take for granted. Things like how to be a gentleman and manners are never taught to a boy like Marc which could affect his future life. This is one reason I gave the book a 5 out of 5.
The second reason I gave this book a 5 out of 5 is because of the interesting way that the book was written. There are two point of views in this book and each chapter they switch. “Paul never spoke much, but that only made his words count for more when he did” (Muchamore 75). “Marc wheeled the directors bike away from the cottage and kept low as he rushed through the field of wheat behind the orphanage” (Muchamore 76). These quotes explain that there was two different point of views. Using this technique of writing we were able to put ourselves in different peoples shoes and view the war from a different point of view. This is the second reason that i gave this book a 5 out 5.
In conclusion, I give The Escape by Robert Muchamore, a 5 out of 5 because of the different character and the way he wrote the book.
May 2, 2021
It was alright, but nothing incredible, and not as good as the main CHERUB series - or at least, as good I remember them being.
I am starting to think that re-reading books you loved as a kid isn't always the best idea. I never read this spin-off series, but I always intended to, and when one of my friends mentioned he had a couple of the books I asked if I could borrow them. It wasn't quite what I remembered. There were things I recognised: gritty violence and more brutality than is usual, a couple of swear words here and there, and the sort of hormonal observances you'd expect from a teenager.
I remember thinking that they were some of the most realistic books I'd read in that regard, particularly, which I think helped sell me on the series' premise, which is slightly more unbelievable. The premise of this book was much more realistic, but reading it now as an adult, the actual decision of the spy to have a child accompany him does seem rather peculiar. I was expecting some sort of subterfuge or forced circumstances, and I didn't think it was very believable in the manner in which it happened.
The what I didn't remember was that the author isn't the greatest of writers. The pacing was inconsistent, and even during the action sequences it was sometimes hard to tell how long had elapsed between sentences. It wasn't easy to follow what has happening because of this, and felt like the literary equivalent to shaky handcam in modern action films. The characters were okay, but it's hard to really explore four different characters in less than 300 pages, and the author didn't seem to be trying too hard to do so anyway.
It was okay. I suppose I'll read the second one, as I've been loaned it, but I'm not holding out much hope. I'm definitely not going to re-read the main series, as I think it's better through the rose-tinted glasses of memory than it is in reality. They were great back on the day, though.
I am starting to think that re-reading books you loved as a kid isn't always the best idea. I never read this spin-off series, but I always intended to, and when one of my friends mentioned he had a couple of the books I asked if I could borrow them. It wasn't quite what I remembered. There were things I recognised: gritty violence and more brutality than is usual, a couple of swear words here and there, and the sort of hormonal observances you'd expect from a teenager.
I remember thinking that they were some of the most realistic books I'd read in that regard, particularly, which I think helped sell me on the series' premise, which is slightly more unbelievable. The premise of this book was much more realistic, but reading it now as an adult, the actual decision of the spy to have a child accompany him does seem rather peculiar. I was expecting some sort of subterfuge or forced circumstances, and I didn't think it was very believable in the manner in which it happened.
The what I didn't remember was that the author isn't the greatest of writers. The pacing was inconsistent, and even during the action sequences it was sometimes hard to tell how long had elapsed between sentences. It wasn't easy to follow what has happening because of this, and felt like the literary equivalent to shaky handcam in modern action films. The characters were okay, but it's hard to really explore four different characters in less than 300 pages, and the author didn't seem to be trying too hard to do so anyway.
It was okay. I suppose I'll read the second one, as I've been loaned it, but I'm not holding out much hope. I'm definitely not going to re-read the main series, as I think it's better through the rose-tinted glasses of memory than it is in reality. They were great back on the day, though.
March 18, 2020
The Henderson's Boys series by Robert Muchamore is almost a spinoff of his other book series, CHERUB. They both have kid undercover agents working for the government, of a sort. The Escape has a setting of France during WW2, and Hitler's armies are advancing towards Paris while innocent French civilians are on the run. British spy Charles Henderson is searching for two English children, while they're already being hunted by the Nazi government. Henderson can't do this alone- he can only do it with the help of a 12 year old French orphan named Marc. This book had a lot of complicated (and sometimes long) origin-based German words which I often had to look up. I would recommend this book to ages 12+ simply because of mature content, swearing, and those weird German words (Kubelwagen, Obergruppenfuher, Oberst, ect). When the author used show don't tell, some parts were a little frightening when someone got brutally murdered or stabbed. He was very descriptive with all the blood spilling, I noticed. Even on the back of the book it says: NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS (which I completely agree with, I don't want anyone to get scarred for life). So note to future readers, if you really want to read it: Be mentally prepared. It's a pretty intense book. This book is like his last series, called CHERUB, is what it reminded me of. Since Henderson's Boys is a spinoff of CHERUB, the books are similar in a way that there are children or teenage spies working for the government. It is very entertaining. This is why I recommend these books to kids, but not young kids, because it's like a PG-13 movie that everyone wants to see. This book touches on some pretty deep topics. Although, where was Marc's mom? I wanted to know some more about her, because he's an orphan. Also, where's the villain? The main, obvious villain? Yes, there were bad guys, but not enough villain. I'm excited to read the next novel, though.
February 2, 2023
I got these books a few christmases ago as I've loved the Robert muchamore cherub series I didn't quite know what to expect them this series so I went in sort of blind but this book was only 3 hours long to listen to on on Audible so quick and easy read so the book starts off with two sets of boys one who was an orphan (Marc) and was in this sort of group home where he was getting beaten up bye my Paul I think his name was
So on the night of the explosion at the orphanage / group home Marc found some money and decided to escape he also found a bike what Paul had bought by making the boys work for the local farmer
He was trying to make his way to Paris
the other boy and his sister was from Britain
And they were trying to get in touch with Henderson after their father had died in Paris
Usually I don't go for these sort of book I don't like books what are set back in time and this one is back in the 1940s also I know this actually happened to Paris back then June 3rd I think it says in the book this book was ok but I feel like it was slow paced and hoping the second one is a bit more faster
So on the night of the explosion at the orphanage / group home Marc found some money and decided to escape he also found a bike what Paul had bought by making the boys work for the local farmer
He was trying to make his way to Paris
the other boy and his sister was from Britain
And they were trying to get in touch with Henderson after their father had died in Paris
Usually I don't go for these sort of book I don't like books what are set back in time and this one is back in the 1940s also I know this actually happened to Paris back then June 3rd I think it says in the book this book was ok but I feel like it was slow paced and hoping the second one is a bit more faster
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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