"After a tsunami causes massive devastation to a tropical island, its governor sends in the bulldozers to knock down villages, replacing them with luxury hotels.
Guarding the corrupt governor’s family isn’t James Adams’ idea of the perfect mission, especially as it’s going to be his last as a CHERUB agent. And then retired colleague Kyle Blueman comes up with an unofficial and highly dangerous plan of his own.
James must choose between loyalty to CHERUB, and loyalty to his oldest friend."
I don't like the ending of James Adam's long adventure. I really wanted him to die. I'm not kidding. I kind of don't like him, because of his cheating ways and dim-witted mind. All he can think about is his ding dong. I know, for one, that Kerry should had dumped him faster than ever, but oh well. I'm finally done with this series. Thank goodness.
Shadow Wave is nothing like James Bond or Alex Rider. This is the last one, and it is perhaps the weirdest of them all. Think of it as propaganda. Or somewhere close to it. Or think of it as Leverage and things like that (Burn Notice, and some episodes of White Collar totally count). I'm sure there are more examples. Helping the little people who are overrunned by the rich and powerful. These MI5 agents can help bring them "leverage."
As I said before, James Adam does not die. However, he does lie to his girlfriend (whose name I am not telling you for spoiler purposes) about his latest plans/schemes. And surprisingly (for once), it does not involve the skirt of some random woman/girl. To this, I have to say that I am impressed by James' will in resisting those "manly urges." (Mulan, if you didn't know). And I'm not talking about "fixing things, cook outdoors" or those other things.
(I think it is rather obvious that I'm referencing a lot of things. Please ignore them if you can. If you don't want to or you want to test your memory, go right ahead and guess where these things, these quotes come from).
Shadow Wave is shorter than the previous books of the same series. Honestly, it is an odd ending, and it proves little other than the fact that James is loyal to his friends (which is obvious from the very beginning) and that Zara (the chairwoman of CHERUB) isn't as strict as the previous chairman/chairwoman (like Dr. Mac).
Okay, I'm going to say that I am disappointed in the ending. I wish that James Adam died in the end. At least, Kerry and Bethany would be happy. I think Lauren would be happy to have double her inheritance. I think.
Finally, I just want to say that Robert Muchamore has a bunch of weird last names. Onion. Choke. There are a few others, but I'm wondering if that is his inside joke or something like that. I doubt anyone wants to be called "Lauren Choke." Or "James Choke." Can you imagine James Bond introducing himself as "Broccoli. James Broccoli"? Laugh all you like.
Overall, Shadow Wave is okay.
Rating: Three out of Five
"Every CHERUB agent comes from somewhere. Dante Scott still has nightmares about the death of his family, brutally murdered by a biker gang. Dante is given the chance to become a member of CHERUB, a trained professional with one essential advantage: adults never suspect that children are spying on them."
Why is James always sleeping around with anything that moves? Oh, wait. Because he is practically little James Bond. And now he is even worse.
Okay, I'm going to move on. I shall stop cursing this man... rake.
Brigands M.C. goes back into the past. This time it employs flashbacks, and other little plot devices to tell the story of a CHERUB agent by the name of Dante Scott. Dante Scott was young when his entire family, well not entirely (if I recall correctly, his young sister named Holly survived the ordeal), was killed by a man who loves Adolf Hitler. And I did you not. That guy really likes him. He has a bunch of history books and relics all about Hitler and the Third Reich. It seemed to me that Muchamore is trying to bring Hitler back from the past.
Does he do a good job of it? Eh... Hitler, like all other dictators and leaders, are complicated figures. Depending on whose perspective, all leaders seems to be having layers and layers of characteristics. And Hitler is no such exception. His doctor once declared him a sociopath. People of today deems him to be a violent, nasty, evil, vile, and insane man. I'm sure his wife, Eva, has other ideas. Okay... I have to stop now. Basically, I'm going to go with this. The man who distinctively reminds me of Hitler is somewhat loved by his family, greatly feared by his people, and hated by nearly all persons of enough wit and intelligence. So I think Muchamore did an okay job of it. Very okay job of it.
And I will stop debating about this Hitler wannabe, because this is going too far.
James Bond... I mean James Adam is still sleeping around. And it seems like he may or may not be trying to get back to a certain someone. But I'm not going to say who. Until James matures, I'm never rooting for him. I will, however, root for Hitler Wannabe as long as he manages to kill James. Unfortunately, no. James Adam never learns his little lessons.
I need more Lauren. She is awesome, and I like her much better than James. Unlike James, Lauren can be thought of as the good kid. With a few bad spots here and there. But she is really good. Unfortunately, James never liked his sister in the beginning.
James needs anger issue management. I forgot about that.
Overall, Brigands M.C. can be skipped over unless you don't want to miss Dante Scott's history. Dante Scott isn't a particularly a big character in the CHERUB series, but you can read it. It isn't necessary. Even if you don't read it, I bet you can understand the next book in the series.
Rating: Three out of Five
"Riots, robbery & the biggest ever training exercise.
The world's largest urban warfare training compound stands in the desert near Las Vegas. Forty British commandos are being hunted by an entire American batallion.
But their commander has an ace up his sleeve: he plans to smuggle in ten CHERUB agents and fight the best war game ever."
Hahaha. Okay, The General is probably the most humorous and serious ones of them all. This time, James Adam and company are up against American soldiers. I'm not kidding. American soldiers. Like fully grown soldiers. With paintballs. And paint grenades. It is still amusing, though. James almost got what he deserves, but unfortunately, he didn't.
Okay, I'm going to say it. His balls were almost blown off by paint grenades. Well, technically, it wouldn't be blown off but it would hurt a lot. And I think he totally deserves it. Right in the balls. He is an idjit.
(I got to stop watching Supernatural).
(Note to self: Supernatural is very awesome and Deanmon is amazing).
Okay, James Adam is his usual James Bond. Young James Bond. Like all swagger and trying to bang anything that moves. Or hit on anything that moves. Either way can do. All they need is to give him a gun (Bond's gun, of course), a suit (black or gray will do), a car (with a lot of gadgets, but a van would work too), and two women on his arms. There you have 007. He has everything but the accessories. This is why I like Lauren better. She never tried hitting on a girl.
Lauren Adam, on the other hand, has a better heart and a good cool head. I like her so much better than James. At least, she has more common sense than him. And what she did with the reporters is really amusing.
Not going to tell, though. Spoilers.
Overall, The General killed it. Especially at the end of the book. And I mean the book, not the person (oh, yeah, it is a person). I think the best parts are a few quotes ("I'm a Ukraine, not a Russian") and some great ending words. Dialogue. Loved it. Just loved it. Quotes and dialogue. They are so wonderful in this book.
And I definitely can't wait to read the next book.
Rating: Four of Five
"345 people are dead...
An airliner has exploded over the Atlantic leaving 345 people dead. Crash investigators suspect terrorism, but they're getting nowhere.
A distressed twelve year old calls a police hotline and blames his father for the explosion. It could be a breakthrough, but there's no hard evidence and the boy has a history of violence and emotional problems."
Ooo... A plane crash. Now doesn't that sound like recent events? A bunch of plane crashes. Malaysia? Yeah, it is still way too soon. It may had happened months and months ago, but you can't help but be reminded of all those terrible deaths. And that number in the synopsis... It just sounds so similar to both flights.
Anyway, The Sleepwalker surprisingly doesn't refer to anything but a character. Its relevance is pretty much close to nothing. Honestly, I have no idea why Robert Muchamore named it The Sleepwalker. Aren't there better names than that? Like maybe The Con Artist or The Possibly New Recruit for CHERUB. Honestly, there are much better names than The Sleepwalker. The title is just boring. And weird. Awkward. Irrelevant.
Great. I'm now a talking parrot.
The plot isn't that bad actually. Lauren takes control of the plot (for like most of it, I guess), and she shows great potential as a character and a spy. She is already a wonderful CHERUB, and she would probably be the best of them all. Yes, she is pretty much that legendary. I like her better than James Adam, who still can't keep his wandering eyes off of some random girl's rack. And I'm not kidding about that.
The villain is interesting, too. He is a possible murderer along with the titles of a businessmen and possible killer of all those 345 passengers (including poor Dr. Mac's grandchildren and wife). Despite all those sad moments, Muchamore managed to keep it upbeat. Dr. Mac's grandchild managed to make part of the tragedy amusing yet also sorrowful. Very nice work.
Overall, The Sleepwalker is a great book. Because of Lauren's awesomeness (but not because of James' arrogance), you should probably read this book. After reading the first book, of course. It is great for fans of Alex Rider, and it is similarly written like Alex Rider and some other spy books I'd long forgotten.
I should also note that the writing is getting a bit more... Cussy? More cuss words. I don't think "cussy" is even a word, is it?
Last wish: James Adam, would you please stop trying to undress every girl who walks by? Oh, I mean, mentally undress. As a girl, I do not nor ever wish to hear whatever you are thinking in your fifteen year old mind.
Rating: Four out of Five
"The British underworld is controlled by gangs. When two of them start a turf war, violence explodes onto the streets.
The police need information fast and James Adam has the contacts to infiltrate the most dangerous gang of all."
James Adam goes back to a previous case. Keith Moore may still be in jail, but his son is still crazy and stupid. Yeah, Junior Moore is the way in to a new gang called Mad Dogs. It is one of the five major gangs controlling the area Keith Moore once controlled. I'm going to say that it is quite fascinating to see the effects James Adam caused by breaking in and working for the CHERUBS/MI5. He made a lot of changes. Some of them good. Some of them bad. But it is certainly progress in the war on gangs.
The new guys, Keith's former business partner, is controlling the Mad Dogs. I'm going to tell you that for once, I wish the bad guys know about the CHERUBS. Alex Rider certainly got caught a few times, and he manages to use his wits to get out of his troubles. Why can't James Adam? In my opinion, James Adam has been trained longer, (sees more women/girls than Alex Rider,) and went on many more missions than Mr. Rider. Why can't he be caught? It would make the book very interesting for once.
James Adam still has his wandering eyes. I have pretty much nothing else to say about him. Other than the fact that he is a few more steps closer to being Mr. James Bond. Someone seriously needs to give him a reality check. He is so arrogant. And conceited.
And Mr. Muchamore (the author) dropped some very interesting references to pop culture. I guess that is worth a mention, huh?
Lauren is far more interesting. It is such a pity that she is pretty much a secondary character (second class citizen). But Lauren is certainly a toughie. Especially for a twelve year old girl.
Mad Dogs is a somewhat okay book. It is actually better if you don't ignore it, because it explores the effects and consequences of James Adam's actions in a previous book (which means you can't skip that one either). But it is good. In plot, it is good. In conflict, it could had done a bit better, but it does explore the sides of secondary characters a bit more. Especially Gabrielle's boyfriend whose name, I believe, is Michael. I can't remember names very well. After a while, it all starts getting blurry and the letters merge together. Especially if they are of the same letter in the beginning.
Okay, I'll stop talking now.
Rating: Three out of Five
"When an MI5 mission goes disastrously wrong, James Adams needs all of his skills to get out of Russia alive.
Meanwhile, his sister Lauren is on her first solo mission trying to uncover a brutal human trafficking operation.
And when James does get home, he finds that his nightmare is just beginning."
Hmm... The Fall isn't where it gets particularly interesting. Human trafficking? Eh... It is more disturbing than exciting. Especially when it gets to those most disturbing parts, of course. That is when it gets weird...
The conflict isn't too interesting. James' problem is more of an assassination mystery than espionage while Lauren is more like espionage. She is covertly trying to dig information out of a suspected girl who was involved with a human trafficking operation. And then there are a few subplots like Kerry's relationship and Dana's flirtation with James.
I swear, James Adams is becoming closer to James Bond with each book I read. He is already getting a lot of attention from girls. Seriously. He is arrogant. Smart. Conceited. Brilliant. And utterly fails when trying to keep a relationship without cheating with the closest girl he sees. This guy is as bad as James Bond. How many girls has he slept with? Eh... Not yet. He is still a virgin, but he might as well not be one. The guy is a rake. An immoral pleasure seeker. Sorry, I had been watching way too many reruns of Jeopardy!
Lauren, on the other hand, is the better sibling of the two. She, for one, actually has some self-control. Besides, she has much more common sense than James and doesn't sleep around with a bunch of guys. Then again, she is only twelve years old, so... That might be a fluke, but it is highly unlikely that Lauren would go roguish. She is nothing like James. In fact, she is a much better version, not to mention more mature, of a CHERUB agent. There are a lot of layers in her while James is just... Bond, James Bond.
And cue the music.
Overall, The Fall slows down the series. It isn't as fast, but it goes deep down into CHERUB and MI5's organization. Plus, it also reveals more of Muchamore's fictional world. And I'm deeply disappointed that there were some references to real life fake spies. Oh, does that sound complicated? Maybe I should had said this: subtle references.
Last word: The Fall could had been better, but it proved to be very interesting and relaxing compared to the rest of the series.
Rating: Four out of Five
"Animal rights, animal wrongs.
Every
day thousands of animals die in laboratory experiments. Some say these
experiments provide essential scientific knowledge, while others commit
violent acts in order to stop them.
James and Lauren Adams are stuck in the middle...."
Animal rights are always complicated little things. Well, they aren't that little. Monkeys are subjected to cosmetic experiments. (Castiel: "Is it really necessary to test cosmetics on them? I mean, how important is lipstick to you, Dean?" Dean: "Not very." -From Supernatural). And there are pigs and rats going under experiments for drug testing. Oh, monkeys! HIV experiment tests. But it is really necessary to do that? And then there is eating animals. That is why Lauren is now vegan. Officially. She can't stop thinking about those poor animals dying for her benefit. That is why she is also converting other people to a vegan's way of life. It isn't that bad, to tell you the truth.
Animal rights is a complicated debate that isn't all rainbows and ice cream, chocolate and gold glitter. There is a lot of layers, many rules, and a lot of heart (or lack of it, depending which side you are on). Man Vs. Beast doesn't focus much attention on the ceaseless animal debate, but it does shed some light on it. Lauren, who is on the animals' side, bickers with James, who prefers animals to used for some purposes but not experimental. And then there is that fight between AFM and the people/managers behind the experimental house of torture on innocent animals.
James Adams is sadly a jerk in the book. Overconfident, arrogant, conceited, arrogant, snobbish, and arrogant. Oh, sorry. I should also say that I'm not repeating myself. He is truly that arrogant. Just because Mr. James Bond is excellent on missions doesn't mean he can stick that up in other people's face. Let's take a look at his other traits. Hot-tempered, mean, arrogant, conceited, snobbish, and truly rude. Yes, arrogant is his trait. He practically stinks of it. And short-sighted. And insensitive to other people's feelings. In other words, he is just like the popular kids.
I like Lauren Adams though. And Kerry. They both have the sense to be sensitive, kind, and caring. And they aren't rude or arrogant like James. I vote for them. They should become president.
The conflict and plot goes right on by quite nicely. Man Vs. Beast may be a 200+ pages book, but it goes by faster than a rocket. I can't believe how quick and nicely-paced the book is. I could had finished it in one sitting. Unfortunately, there is this thing called lunch and job.
Overall, Man Vs. Beast. is a book that unfortunately doesn't spend much time as it should on animal rights. (They have a right to express themselves). On second thought, I do like the little jabs Robert Muchamore puts here and there. Needless to say, he has a gift for making things amusing like the guy who wrote Alex Rider. What was his name? Ah. I'll look it up. Some year. Some day.
Rating: Four out of Five
"When religion goes bad...
When
CHERUB uncovers a link between eco-terrorist group Help Earth and a
wealthy religious cult known as The Survivors, James Adams is sent to
Australia on an infiltration mission.
It's his toughest job so
far. The Survivors' outback headquarters are completely isolated and the
cult's brainwashing techniques put James under massive pressure to
confirm.
This time, James isn't just fighting terrorists. He's got to battle to keep control of his own mind."
I'm sorry, but The Survivors (the religious group) reminds me of Scientology. There is something about those Scientology articles (all made famous thanks to Holmes-Cruise split) that makes the group sound so much like The Survivors. Thanks to all those critics talking about brainwashing, I wonder if the author intended to... I should stop right here. (Bad girl!)
Divine Madness is really good though. They might have little brainwashing here and there, but it is mostly interesting, not terrible. (Happy zombies. Think of that). I love how the author introduces little topics that are so open to further research! I'm so looking up brainwashing on Wikipedia. (Okay, that is a bit weird, too. I'll stop talking about that). The book is good. There are some really good parts, but I'm not going into them. (Spoilers, remember?)
This time, the target is Help Earth, which has relationships to The Survivors (a crazy religious cult that shamelessly uses brainwashing as a tool to convert assets). James Adams must find the ties that bind those two lunatic groups together. Oh, and the author now labeled Adams, James Adams as a pervert, a peeping Tom. Truthfully, that bothers me very much. Guy could be a future serial killer for all I know. At least, he doesn't have violent tendencies. Oh, wait. He might be a future serial killer. Hmm... But he didn't get off when he killed that guy in the previous books, so maybe not.
The conflict is more exciting than previous books (prequels). In some ways, it is like the Criminal Minds' episode of that crazy religious cult. They do blow themselves up in the end. I don't need to tell you any more than that. Spoilers. Blowing themselves up is already a bit portion of the ending (endgame). And just from my hint about the Criminal Minds' episode, you can probably guess the ending and the fate of The Survivor's children and adults.
The way Muchamore wrote this book just reminds me of James Bond. No further ways can I explain this. It just James Bond-ish. Teenage James Bond.
Overall, Divine Madness is better than the previous books. It is something that hasn't appeared in a long time (of the series). There is more action, the characters are more thought-out, and I enjoyed the book very much. Other than the pervert (Peeping Tom) part.
I definitely did not enjoy that part. Too weird. And makes me think twice about using public bathrooms, showers, restrooms, etc. (Even the hotel room!)
Rating: Four out of Five
"Leon is a small time
crook who's ridden his luck for three decades. When he starts splashing
big money around, the cops are desperate to know where it came from.
James' latest mission looks routine: make friends with Leon's kids, infiltrate his home and dig up some leads.
But
the plot James begins to unravel isn't what anyone expected. And the
only person who might know the truth is an eighteen-year-old boy.
There's just one problem. The boy fell to his death thirteen months earlier."
First of all, I'm going to tell you that the synopsis tells you more than what the plot tells you. And that is the truth. I didn't know about Will (the eighteen year old boy who is also dead) until Will was brought up somewhere in 1/3 or 1/2 mark of The Killing.
James is an angry kid. He has anger issues. Truthfully, I didn't really care about that even though he is immature, overconfident, arrogant, and swag fourteen year old. Well, he is almost fourteen years old. Anyway, his "anger issues" were pulled overboard when he hit an eleven year old child (who is a CHERUB, too) because the kid was making fun of his relationship. Muchamore is officially making this series disturbing. You don't hit little boys. Even if they do deserve a good spanking!
The Killing is as interesting. However, I'm getting bored of all that "villain doesn't know who the MI5 agents are." When will these villains be good enough to find out the true identities of the CHERUB agents? In history of CHERUB, only four children died. So when will the villains finally find out who these children really are? They are said to be brilliant masterminds with clever plans and little ploys, yet they still believe that children are dumber than rocks. Or easily manipulated.
The plot and conflicts of The Killing is quite interesting. But the action isn't as crazy as the previous books. Think of The Killing as a more "Who dun it?" mystery than a mission trying to find evidence on a certain person. The murder of the boy (Will) can be done by anyone. From the original target (Leon) to the surrounding neighbors or witnesses. Or maybe, it isn't even a murder. Perhaps, it is simply a suicide or Dead Will was too drunk to realize he could fall to his death.
The secondary characters take little amounts of involvement. Dave is back (That sixteen year old who isn't ashamed of hooking up with a girl in front of James). John Jones (who seriously reminds me of the Justice League's Martian Manhunter, whose name is J'onn J'onzz) plays as Mission Controller. Temporarily. Despite all of those moving and shifting characters, their appearances are great and their roles are important. However, it sort of annoys me how James always gets the credit. They deserve a little fame to their names. James is not James Bond (the thirteen year old version).
Overall, The Killing could use a bit more intrigue and mystery. Plus, can we please stop letting James Bond wannabe from taking all the credit?
Rating: Four out of Five
"CHERUB is an elite
intelligence organization that employs agents under the age of
seventeen. Because of their age, CHERUB agents have an unparalleled
advantage in the realm of espionage. No one would ever suspect teenagers
to be agents. Rigorously trained and exceptionally talented, CHERUB
agents will stop at nothing to accomplish their missions.
In Maximum Security,
280 child criminals live in the sun-baked desert prison Arizona Max.
One of them is the son of a weapons dealer who has been selling U.S.
missiles to terrorists. If CHERUB can get the kid, they have a chance to
stop his father. Getting into the prison is easy. Breaking out is the
hard part."
Maximum Security is even better than the previous books. It may star a thirteen year old main character, but it doesn't bother me at all. It is like Harry Potter. Even though the main character is much younger than you, he touches you in more ways than one. There is a sense of familiarity. And that is what draws you into the book. As always.
Espionage again. It is like Ally Carter's Gallagher without the romance though. Sure, James has a girlfriend named Kerry, but he is thirteen years old. Thirteen years old. That does not count. Does not. I repeat, does not. Maybe these days, kids have girlfriends and boyfriends at ten, but they truly don't count. Because... That is way too weird. Think about it. You and your son (or daughter) comparing who has the better girlfriend (or boyfriend). Or mentally comparing? Okay, now I'm getting weirder and weirder.
This time, the CHERUBs are being punished for being too rowdy. Or too obvious? Not camouflaged? Anyway, it is only James and Lauren and Dave this time. However, there are some special characters from Class A like John Jones who used to work for MI5. Together (along with the FBI and CIA), they are attempting to find a woman named Jane Oxford who smuggles weapons. Sort of like an arms dealer. But she is one who likes to play little mind games.
James is still cocky as usual. (He is thirteen years old, so I will not blame him too much). He plays around, acts like a normal teenager, and doesn't care about rules. Well, he is a bit free with the rules. And he is always so lucky, because he somehow worms his way out of punishments. And he is exactly like Michael Western. He is able to think quick on his feet. But in this book, Maximum Security, it is indeed interesting to see him grow a bit more. They say that prison changes people.
The conflict and the challenge in the book is really interesting. I liked it even better than Class A (the previous book). The plot goes around and around, and Robert Muchamore pulls great twists at some parts of the book. And yes, James does get in a lot of trouble (heaps of trouble).
Overall, Maximum Security is a great book for those crazy kids who also love Alex Rider, the Gallagher Girls, and the Specialists.
Rating: Four out of Five
"Drugs, cars and guns!
Keith
Moore is Europe's biggest cocaine dealer. The police have been trying
to get enough evidence to nail him for more than twenty years.
Now,
four CHERUB agents are joining the hunt. Can a group of kids
successfully infiltrate Keith Moore's organisation when dozens of
attempts by undercover police officers have failed?
James Adams
must start at the bottom, making deliveries for small time drug dealers
and getting to know the dangerous underworld they inhabit. He needs to
make a big splash if he's going to win the confidence of the man at the
top."
Espionage again. I guess I do go on a wild reading spree sometimes. Let's see. Oh, just look into my reading logs and research the genres. Recently, it was with the angels. Before that was... Finishing my to-read list/killing the numbers. Before that was... Fairy tale retelling. Before that was.... Greek Mythology, Persephone and Hades. And look at that! Espionage again. Perhaps, it is a strange cycle of reading sprees. Next thing, you'll know, I'm reading Greek Mythology (books based on Greek Mythology, which is totally huge as a genre).
Class A is the second book of the CHERUB series. Think of it as the little James Bond, especially with all these twelve years old and other little guys. Lauren is nine, ten? Something like that. Heck, even the main character's name starts with James. Why hasn't there been a James Bond joke by now? Oh, perhaps James Bond is in MI6, not MI5. Still, I kind of expected Bond, James Bond to appear at any second. Perhaps Jones will make the cut?
Oh, sorry guys. No spoilers. I'm kind of forgetting that.
James is charming and smart. He is the lazy guy, but he is smart. Not smart like Jason Bourne or Michael Western (he is an ex-spy, same thing). But smart enough to not get caught. Plus, his background and gift with numbers (calculator guy) helps him with some works. I'm surprised he doesn't work hard to be the best he can be. Then again, he is one of those cool kids who always fit anywhere. He can be dropped in a house of cannibals, and they would come out with him as their beloved leader. (Why does that sound so familiar? Oh, Shadow and Bone's Mel).
The plot is awesome. There are always moments when I feel like James is going to caught. Like that part when his phone died or when Keith Moore looked at him in a weird way. (Like a predator kind of way. Creeped me out). The author is really good at little things here and there like prejudice and sexual orientation.
And relationships. I can't forget that.
Overall, Class A is awesome. I can't wait to read its sequel.
Rating: Four out of Five
"CHERUB spies, 17 and under, hack into computers, bug houses, download crucial documents, and Do Not Exist. James, recently orphaned, is their newest recruit, and brilliant in math. After 100 days grueling training, his mission begins."
Wow, The Recruit is...interesting. The first thing I noticed about it is how screenplay-ish it looks. I mean that everything is like a perfect screenplay. Directors can make a straight movie out of this without hiring a screenwriter!
I'm pretty sure that after 100 days, James can not possibly become as strong as the book suggest. Three months isn't exactly a reasonable amount of time to become fit. I say there's a good error in logic for this book.
There's really no words I can use singularly to describe this book. The Recruit is truly a mixture of feelings, a mixture of words and thoughts. There is no simple way of describing The Recruit. I could say that The Recruit is similar to Alex Rider, yet also different. A hefty explanation will soon follow. I can say The Recruit is like James Bond. Another long and boring explanation will quickly follow.
Needless to say, The Recruit is an espionage novel that targets teens and James Bond wannabes. (Oh, I'm not a wannabe. I can't be James Bond; I'm a girl.)
The characters in The Recruit are eh... I don't really care about them (Great, I'm going to screw up this review). Some of them are wonderfully amazing, but others are so minor that I could barely pay attention to them. All characters are difficult to remember. They have such plain names that I can't remember their names. I remember a few memorable ones, like James' partner named Terry or something like that, who is a young girl who can defend herself from a young age. She's a young Nikita.
The writing of The Recruit is bland and dull. I can't help but occasionally zone out because of how annoying the font is (not the author's fault) and how boring the words are (that's the author's fault). I hate how most of the book is about James' training at Cherub; it's only about half-way when things get a little bit more interesting.
The last words/epilogue of The Recruit is in the similar style of the Septimus Heap series. Remember the hilarious epilogues of all the characters at the end? Well, there's a similar one in the back of the book, without the humor. (It's a tad disappointing. But Robert Muchamore is not Angie Sage.)
Rating: Two out of Five
