Book Review (Canon): The Recruit

The Recruit (CHERUB Series, #1)

Written by Robert Muchamore in 2004

The Raccoon: Recently orphaned twelve-year-old James Choke expects nothing more than disaster for the rest of his troubled childhood.  Suddenly, all of that changes when he is recruited by a secretive branch of British Intelligence that trains children as spies.

UNMASKED: Muchamore’s CHERUB series contains twelve main books, an accompanying novella, and a sequel series.  The author has spent at least ten years writing about the adventures of James and his friends as they travel the world and repeatedly save the day.  While I trust that books 2-12 have their merits, Muchamore seems so enthusiastic about developing the series that the first novel failed to provide any noteworthy events or satisfy me.

The Recruit paints itself as realistic fiction; the protagonists neither wield enviable gadgets nor become wrapped up in a plot for world domination/destruction.  This style undoubtedly allows the book to stand above other spy novels, as it provides a glimpse into the subtler domestic concerns that real intelligence agencies solve.  Furthermore, the characters are much more concerned with gathering information than engaging in deadly fights.  Although I would have enjoyed more action, the puzzles of diplomacy and intrigue provided a welcome, and even exciting, change.

The Recruit is a character-driven story.  Consequently, the well-rounded foundation and backdrop of the novel are overshadowed by the unrealistic motivations and behaviors of its cast, which ultimately wrecks the book’s potential.  The titular CHERUB agency was founded to enlist elite children in situations where further adult interference would rouse too much suspicion.  Disappointingly (to the reader, not the protagonists), the extensive training that James must complete before officially joining CHERUB provides absolutely none of the skills he must utilize on his first mission.  Lastly, the agency’s recruitment system seems to be based more on pity than potential.

Strengths:

• The villain’s goal is complex and justified to the extent that James questions whether he is making the right decision by attempting to sabotage it.

Weaknesses:

• None of the characters are relatable, and very few are entirely likable.
• While CHERUB agents’ daily routines seems invaluable in preparing the children for any situation, the “basic training” all members must pass seems to be nothing more than a glorified boot camp.
• None of the characters know what the acronym CHERUB stands for (this is not revealed in any later book either).

Rating: 13/20 hippies

Ideal Setting: Read this if you ever feel that you are too young to accomplish a goal.  Only, do not read it so closely that you realize that some children have reached greater heights than you ever will.