May 6, 2013
The first book in Muchamore's CHERUB series, a bestselling line in the U.K. since 2004, offers an enjoyable mix of action and teen drama, while avoiding some of the wackiness that can plague teen spy novels. When 11-year-old James is orphaned after his petty criminal mother dies, he comes to the attention of CHERUB, a spy agency that only uses minors as agents, because kids make such unlikely suspects. Much of the novel is standard spy training stuff, including a grueling boot camp (complete with a relentlessly tough and sadistic instructor), bonding sequences with his fellow recruits, and a first mission that goes awry. In this case, that mission involves infiltrating a camp of ex-hippies who are planning to attack oil company executives. If the plot is predictable, Muchamore presents both the spies and the dangers they face realistically, avoiding over-the-top gadgets sand slapstick. Well-fleshed out minor charactersâincluding James's training partner/crush, as well as his sisterâhelp elevate the story above the standard fare. Ages 12âup.
May 13, 2013
The first book in Muchamore's popular, long-running CHERUB series gets the graphic novel treatment. With a short temper, broken home life, and knack for getting into trouble, 11-year-old James Choke is on the fast track to delinquency. But just before becoming one of society's lost causes, he's recruited by CHERUB, a clandestine organization that trains and deploys kids (who naturally elicit less suspicion) for covert operations around the world. After a few weeks of basic training, he's sent on his first missionâto infiltrate an eco-friendly commune whose members are suspected of a plot to bomb an upcoming global oil summit and prevent the attack. Edginton crams a great deal of dialogue into a relatively tight space, and the plot tends to drag through the initial setup and training, then rush through the action of James's mission. While Aggs's artwork, buried under muddy digital coloring, keeps the story's action at the fore, it offers a fairly literal visual interpretation. Ages 12âup.