Author | Robert Muchamore |
---|---|
Cover artist | David McDougal [1] |
Language | English |
Series | CHERUB |
Genre | |
Published |
|
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type | Print (paperback) |
Pages | 342 |
ISBN | 0-340-88153-4 |
OCLC | 61439287 |
Followed by | Class A |
The Recruit is the first novel in the CHERUB series, written by Robert Muchamore. It introduces most of the main characters, such as James Adams (formerly Choke), Lauren Adams (formerly Onions), Kyle Blueman, and Kerry Chang. It was released in the United Kingdom by Hodder Children's Books on 30 April 2004, and by Simon Pulse in the United States on 30 August 2005.
After the death of his mother Gwen from an accidental overdose of alcohol and pain medication, intelligent but rebellious eleven-year-old James Choke is sent to a children's home called Nebraska House; to his dismay, his half-sister Lauren Onions is sent to live with her neglectful father Ron. James' roommate Kyle Blueman is revealed to be an agent of CHERUB, a top-secret spy agency that uses children as its operatives, based on the principle that criminals do not suspect children of spying on them. James is drugged and taken to CHERUB's campus. Chairman Dr. Terrence "Mac" McAfferty introduces James to CHERUB and puts him through a series of entrance tests. James passes the tests and agrees to join CHERUB, changing his name to James Adams. However, before he can undergo basic training and become a CHERUB agent, James must learn how to swim. With the help of older cherub Amy Collins, James overcomes his fears and learns to swim.
James and seven other recruits begin basic training, a rigorous 100-day course designed to prepare CHERUB agents for missions. James is paired up with Kerry Chang, who was forced to quit her previous attempt at basic training due to a knee injury. Despite prolonged torment at the hands of head training instructor Norman Large, including being forced to spend Christmas night outside in their underwear and a grueling 3-day solo hike through the Malaysian rainforest, they both pass. James returns to campus to discover that Lauren has joined CHERUB as well after Ron was sentenced to prison for physically abusing her and selling contraband cigarettes.
Two months later, James is sent on a mission with Amy. Overseen by mission controller Ewart Asker, the two pose as the nephew and niece of a resident of Fort Harmony, a hippie commune in Wales. The commune is adjacent to a hotel that is hosting a conference of over 200 oil executives and politicians, and it is feared that eco-terrorist group Help Earth is planning an attack on the conference. James and Amy discover that Fort Harmony residents Fire and World Dunn and Brian "Bungle" Evans are Help Earth operatives, and are planning an anthrax attack on the conference. James is inadvertently exposed to anthrax during the investigation and is rushed to hospital, but is discharged after it is found he was only exposed to an attenuated strain that was being used to inoculate hotel staff. With the attack thwarted, Fire and World are arrested, but Brian manages to escape. For his exemplary job on the mission, James is awarded a navy CHERUB T-shirt.
Development for both The Recruit and the CHERUB series as a whole began in 1999 when Muchamore was visiting his sister in Australia and found his twelve-year-old nephew complaining about the lack of any good reading material. [2] In 2001, Muchamore began working on an unnamed novel, KN1 (Kids novel 1). This draft was more violent than the published version, with James slashing Samantha's face open with broken glass. [2] Robert Muchamore didn't approach a literary agent until Autumn 2002. By this time the novel was called CHERUB 1.0. He was rejected by the first agent but taken on by the second. Many different publishing companies disliked the novel and rejected Muchamore once again. In March 2003, Hodder Children's Books purchased CHERUB 1.0 and an unnamed sequel, both for release in 2004. [2]
The Recruit has been translated into 20 languages, including:
Author | Ian Edginton |
---|---|
Illustrator | John Aggs |
Published | 2012 (Hodder) |
Media type | Print (paper back) |
ISBN | 978-1444903188 |
A graphic novel adaption of the book, adapted by Ian Edginton and illustrated by John Aggs, was released on 4 August 2012 by Hodder Children's Books. [4]
A 3-CD audiobook was released in the UK on 21 September 2006, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt. [5] [6]
The Recruit received generally good reviews, and was nominated for eight awards, seven of which it won. [7] The Sunday Express described the book as "punchy, exciting, glamorous and, what's more, you'll completely wish it was true". [8]
Award | Category | Year | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Red House Children's Book Award | Older readers | 2005 | Winner [9] |
Bolton Children's Book Award | 2005 | Winner [10] | |
Medway Children's Book Award | 2005 | Winner [7] | |
Bishop Luffa Children's Book Award | 2005 | Winner [7] | |
Salford Children's Book Award | 2005 | Winner [11] | |
Doncaster Children's Book Award | 2005 | Runner up [7] | |
Sakura Medal | 2007 | Winner [12] | |
Richard and Judy Best Kids' Books | Fluent 12+ | 2007 | Winner[ citation needed ] |
Kingston Young Readers Award | 2007 | Winner [7] |
Robert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author of young adult fiction. He's best known for his CHERUB, Henderson's Boys and Rock War series.
CHERUB is a series of teenage spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore, focusing around a fictional division of the British Security Service called CHERUB, which employs children, predominantly orphans, 17 or younger as intelligence agents.
Class A, published as The Dealer in the United States, and as The Mission for 5000 prints, is the second book in the Robert Muchamore's novel series CHERUB. It continues the story of teenager James Adams and his fellow CHERUB agents as they try to bring down a drug gang led by Keith Moore. The book was originally to be called Drugs, Cars and Guns, but this was changed so as to sound more appropriate for children. It received generally good reviews although not as many awards as its predecessor, The Recruit. It is followed by Maximum Security.
Maximum Security is the third novel in the CHERUB series of books, written by Robert Muchamore. In this novel CHERUB agents James Adams and Dave Moss infiltrate a maximum security prison in Arizona to get to the son of an international arms dealer.
The Killing is the fourth novel of the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. The book chronicles the adventures of the CHERUB agents investigating a small-time crook who suddenly makes it big. Muchamore named the book after the film The Killing. The novel was generally well received, but, unlike its predecessor, received no awards.
Man vs Beast is the sixth novel of the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore.
Divine Madness is the fifth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. In this novel, CHERUB agents James, Lauren, and Dana go to Australia to investigate a religious cult called the Survivors.
Mad Dogs is the eighth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. In the novel, CHERUB agents infiltrate a violent street gang.
James Robert Anthony Adams is the main character in the first series of the acclaimed book series CHERUB by British author Robert Muchamore. Upon joining CHERUB he changed his surname to Adams. He ended his CHERUB career wearing a black T-shirt, which is the most elite colour granted. At the end of his CHERUB career, he returns to his "Choke" surname and switches his two forenames around, to become Robert James Choke. However, he is still referred to as James in later books. He made an appearance in the third book of the second CHERUB series, Black Friday and is a mission controller in the fourth book of the second CHERUB series, Lone Wolf. He also made an appearance in the last book, New Guard.
The Sleepwalker is the ninth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was released in February 2008. The book features Lauren Adams and Jake Parker in the lead roles, investigating an airline crash that a mentally disturbed boy called Fahim claims was caused by his father. Meanwhile, James Adams has a subplot doing work experience with Kerry Chang at a fast food restaurant. This is the first CHERUB book to feature Lauren in the lead role, with James' story as a subplot.
Dark Sun is a World Book Day novella in the popular CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It fits into the series between The Sleepwalker and The General.
The General is the tenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. The primary action of the novel is set in the Nevada desert during a joint training exercise of American and British troops.
Brigands M.C. is the eleventh novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was released on 4 October 2008. A blue-cover edition of which only 8,499 copies were made was also produced. The special editions were only sold in W.H.Smith in the United Kingdom. Of developing the plot Robert Muchamore said:
"I also like to mix the books up, so while The General was very much a story about CHERUB agents and training, Brigands is totally focused on the story of a boy called Dante and a huge mission to infiltrate and bring down a dangerous biker gang".
Henderson's Boys is a young adult series of spy novels by the English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation. The novels are set between 1940 and 1945, during the Nazi occupation of France in the Second World War. Throughout the novels, Henderson leads a series of war missions, aided by children.
Shadow Wave is the twelfth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder Children's Books (ISBN 9780340956472) on 26 August 2010, and features the final mission of the long-standing central character James Adams. A limited edition of Shadow Wave, with an orange cover, was made available exclusively at W.H.Smith. Details of Muchamore's plans to create a small three-book series called "Aramov" without James, were revealed via a secret website detailed on the back pages of all copies of the book.
Paul Clarke is a fictional character from the Henderson's Boys series by Robert Muchamore. His mother died before the Second World War and his father died whilst carrying valuable radio blueprints for the British Secret Service.
People's Republic is the thirteenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder Children's Books (ISBN 9780340999196) on 4 August 2011, and shows the beginning of the Aramov series. This carries on from the series featuring long-standing central character James Adams. The series has a new central character called Ryan Sharma. Ryan is twelve years old and is just about to be sent on his first big mission to Kyrgyzstan.
Lone Wolf is the sixteenth and penultimate novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the fourth book of the Aramov series. It was released on 1 August 2014.
New Guard is the eighteenth and final novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the fifth and final book in the Aramov series. It was published on 31 May 2016.