Jack Ducie - Maximum security

[Jack]

The excellent novel of Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore is the third book in the CHERUB series. It continues, in third person limited, the fictional story of James Adams who is a child spy working for the British government. Due to his lifestyle, the CHERUB books are full of action with sections of the novel being dedicated to James’ love life with fellow CHERUBS. This makes the Novels tie together very well as there are always relevant links between the novels. In Maximum Security, James’ sister completes her training to become a CHERUB and joins James and fellow CHERUB, Dave, in completing the elaborate plan to bring down the illusive Jane Oxford (who was second on the FBI’s most wanted list for dealing illegal weapons, technology and drugs) through breaking her son Curtis Oxford out of prison.


I have read all of the books in the CHERUB series and it definitely isn’t the best novel in the collection. However I did enjoy reading it and read it in two days flat because I always wanted to keep on reading. One of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much Is that the novel seemed like it was written for me. It played to all of my tastes with action being the main feature but having something else such as the romance to make it interesting as there was more depth to the story. Michael also creates intricate character profiles which are all introduced in a natural way so they didn’t seem forced and unnecessary. This enabled me to enjoy the book because I enjoyed what the content was trying to portray.


Something that damaged my experience of the story was a decision made right at the end which would be counted as a spoiler if I put it in this review. What I will say is that after such a good book this one single detail has left a bad imprint on this book for me, almost like a sour aftertaste. However, I would count myself as a major CHERUB fan and I believe it wouldn’t bother many others.


Another reason why I enjoyed the novel is that it was comprised of so many different elements which added to the already complex storyline. All of the characters had a role in the story to play and always slotted into the storyline perfectly, always seeming to be a necessary element to the plot rather then just filling in pages. For example, when James enters the Dormitory cell, there is a clear divide between the skinheads and the latino boys. Later James accepts food from a latino causing friction between him and the rest of the skinheads which seems like it’s just meant to be an obstacle for James to overcome but in fact it is the only reason why he is approached by the gang that protects Curtis Oxford. This means that it was vital that the confrontation occurred. This made the story more immersible for me as i wasn’t being pulled out of the story in thinking about how unnecessary it was. This meant that I enjoyed the story significantly more then other novels that i’ve read.


I enjoyed this book very much. It ties in very well with the rest of the series but gives enough detail for it to be just as good as a standalone. However i’m glad it’s part of the series as it meant that I was emotionally invested in some of the characters already allowing me to deepen my connection to the story faster. With this connection the thrills featured in the novel were highlighted and given more meaning resulting in me dodging and weaving as if I was in the story. there were some drawbacks stopping me from connecting with the story such as the blah blah blah. This means that it isn’t my ideal book but it is still one of my good reads ;) that I would certainly recommend to others my age (around 14) especially for those who enjoy action novels. I rate this book a 7.5 out of 10 stars which is significantly better then the Harry Potter series scores combined for me.