The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

A lot of my classmates have read The Recruit and I was looking forward to reading this book as all my friends who had read the book thoroughly enjoyed it and rated it highly!

It is a very fast-moving and cleverly written with an enthralling storyline. It is so fast-moving that throughout the 322 pages there is more than one major event happening.
The main character, James Choke, starts off the story as a rebellious schoolboy and soon gets expelled and sent to a children’s home where he has more than one meeting with the police! Soon CHERUB picks him up and he goes on training to become a top, young agent.

This book shows all the characters feelings very well and it also captures a lot about the way the author feels about modern school children, how they behave and how they feel about different occasions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just like my classmates, and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Fantastic! 10/10!!

By Charles Standen

The Recruit is the first in, what is currently, a nine volume series of books written by Robert Muchamore. The story follows the adventures of James Choke, a rather unfit and generally disinterested young man, who is performing indifferently at school and is in danger of sliding into a life of crime.

The tragic death of his mother sees James sent to a children’s home. This brings with it an unexpected opportunity to join a shadowy government organisation know as ‘Cherub’ that uses children as spies. The book follows James’ induction into the organisation and the very tough training that turns him from a teenage tearaway, to a responsible and focussed individual, capable of being a ‘teenage spy’.

The latter half of the book follows James on his first mission, in which he is required to team up with another member of ‘Cherub’ to join, and spy on, a commune of eco-protesters in the hope of identifying some eco-terrorists within the organisation. I will not spoil the story, suffice to say that James has a number of adventures and close calls before completing his mission.

The story is well written, realistic, fast paced, and an engaging tale. I know Charles enjoyed this book and has gone on to read other books in the series, and I can see why it appeals. It shows both the good and the bad aspects of a modern teenager’s life, as well as providing a good bit of adventure and escapism. I would recommend this to any teenage boy (or girl) particularly those who enjoy books of the same genre such as the Alex Rider series. Highly recommended 9/10.

Iain Standen

Antony Horowitz "Stormbreaker"

Stormbreaker is the first in series of books and I found it very interesting. It is about this boy who finds out his uncle had died in car crash because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. But his uncle always wore a seat belt. He then gets a letter from MI6 to meet them at a secret location. He is then made a secret agent and finds out that his uncle was also working as a secret agent and that he is going to be doing the case that his uncle was doing when he was shot. Not killed in a car crash. I give this book 8/10 because it is a really good book. I now want to read all the rest of the books in the series.

MB 8D

This is an interesting book to read especially as we have read some of the young James Bond series by Charlie Higgson. I found this to be a good yarn however I thought the style was a little basic and I did not enjoy the story as much as I expected. The premise of the story is classic adventure about a boy who is orphaned and lives with his uncle who mysteriously dies. It turns out his uncle was a secret agent and he is recruited and trained to work for the secret services. I found the book enjoyable but wished for more depth in the story. I would not go out of my way to read one of these books again. I recommend you look to Charlie Higgson if you want a good secret agent yarn. 6/10

JB

Siobhan Dowd "The London Eye Mystery"

I really enjoyed this book, I literally couldn't take my eyes away from it. It is about this boy who goes up in the London Eye whilst his cousins are watching him but doesn't come back down again. Then his cousins Ted and Kat have to find him. The police can't find anything so it's up to them. They do everything possible: go back on the eye, go around London but they can't find him. I give this book 9/10 because evertime I had the chance I read it.

MB 8D

This was a fascinating book. The story is written from the point of view of a child who is from the description given autistic. It gives a clear view of how the child thinks and behaves differently from those around him and the communication struggles that he has. The story revolves around the disappearance of the lead characters cousin whilst riding the London Eye. It goes through the experience of trying to work out how this child managed to go missing from a sealed capsule. It was a very good book and the style is excellent especially in the description of the interations between the lead character and those around him who do not know how to respond to this child who in his own words is 'hard wired in a different way'. 9/10

JB

Charlie Higson 'Hurricane Gold'

Hurricane Gold was an excellent book. It is fourth in the series of young Bond books. The book is about James Bond as a boy who goes to Mexico whilst he recovers from his last adventure. His Aunt leaves him with some American friends that live in Mexico so that she can go on an expedition into the rainforest. Suddenly a storm comes and rips the house to pieces. Whilst the storm is happening a gang of criminals get into the house and threaten them with their lives. What will James do? What can he do at gun point? I give this book 8/10 because I really enjoyed reading it and also found it hard to put down.

MB 8D

I leapt into this fourth instalment with great relish and was not disappointed. Having read the three previous instalments it is obvious that Charlie Higson is getting more comfortable with this character and this style as the action certainly is described well and the cliff hangers that come along through the book are well structured and well thought out. There is of course a little bit of the fantastical about this story and some of the challenges that James and his friends and companions come up against are a little bit unbelievable however that does not detract and in one way makes it more enjoyable as it reminds you that this is just fantasy. I give this a 10/10.

JB

Joshua Doder "Grk and the Hot dog trail"

Grk is the name of a dog who manages to get himself and his owners into a lot of trouble. This is the second book in the grk series. I have to admit that I did quite enjoy this story. It is an easy read and does not take itself too seriously. The story is easy to follow although a bit far fetched at times. It is written for a childrens audience however it does not patronise and makes you think by questioning the reader on their knowledge from time to time. I would recommend this for kids who like a bit of action and adventure in theri lives especially when the story could have happened to anyone. I give this book a 7/10
JB

Grk and the hot dog trail is the second book in the series. I thought this book was really fun to read because it was for people a bit lower than my age group but still a really good book. It was about his boy called Tim and a dog called Grk that are in New York for a holiday. Suddenly a priceless golden statue of a Daschund is stolen from a museum they had gone to the day before. Tim has the vital clue to the whole case and jumps into action cycling from the Big Apple to Brooklyn just to follow a van that he knew would be the suspect. He finds out that the van is going to a sausage factory that is guarded like a fort. But why would a sausage factory be guarded like a fort? I give this book 7/10 because it was a book that kept you on your toes.
MB 8D

Charlie Higson 'Blood Fever'

Charlie Higson Blood Fever Young James Bond Book 2

I was looking forward to this story having read the first book and really enjoyed it. Charlie Higson did not disappoint and in the second book we meet the young James Bond again this time coming to the aid of a damsel in distress. The action centers around Eton where James is in his second term and then later moves to Sardinia when they go on a school holiday trip to do some archeology. The story again has an evil villain in true James Bond style who will stop at nothing to get his way. I have to admit that this was not as gripping as the first story and I did find the story was not as well constructed however it remains a good read and will not stop me moving on to the third and fourth books. I thoroughly recommend this book for all those budding James Bonds. This is how stories should be. 7 out of 10

JB

I thought Blood Fever was a really good book. It is the second book in the series of Young Bond books. It is about James Bond as a boy who goes to Italy on a school trip but then goes to cousins to stay. His cousin is around 21 and has some servants. There he finds a sinister count who has a mountain fortress and close to his own army. This book is good because the way the story goes along is brilliant: something amazing happens then it quietens down and then suddenly something else amazing happens. I give this book 7/10 because I have read better books but at the same time it is really good.

MB

Dick Francis "To The Hilt"

Dick Francis - To The Hilt

I enjoyed this book. Dick Francis delivers his usual blend of a mystery with connections to horse racing. This time the connection is not as strong as usual however the story goes along at a fair pace to keep you entertained. The main premise of the story is the relationship of the hero of the story and his step father who owns a brewery which on the face of it is doing well but has serious financial issues caused by an employee who manages to clear the firms bank account and disappear with all the money. There is however a deeper plot which involves people close to the hero and his family, and there is a twisting interrelated tale regarding a famous sword hilt in Scotland One does not read Dick Francis for a literary experience but for the simple escapism the story weaves. I give this story a 6 out of 10.

JB

I liked his book even though it took me over a month to get through. It was about this man who lived up in the Scottish mountains until he has to go down to London to help his step dad save his race horse, Goldenmalt, from being taken by his daughter, Patsy. He is then buffeted to and from London sometimes managing to get back to Scotland but only for few days. He is beaten up in this book twice and put on a barbecue but he survives and he keeps Goldenmalt and the hilt safe from prying eyes. I give this book about 5/10 because it was quite boring at the beginning but got better and better at the end.

MB (7D-8D)