Classified Information (Class A - Robert Muchamore)

Member Name: tiger645

Product:	Class A - Robert Muchamore
Date:	24/04/09 (336 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great, fun and adventerous

Disadvantages: None

Cherub: Class A
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THE CHERUB SERIES
A few years back now I started reading the Cherub books when they were fairly new and there were only two books out. They soon became a huge success and from what I can tell are hugely popular amongst children today. The books have proved so popular that the author, Robert Kilgore Muchamore, has even written a spin off series. The BBC has agreed to make a film of the first book which I previously reviewed back in 2006. Already the author has written quite a few books in the series. As soon as I had read the first one I was desperate to read the next, fortunately for me at that time there was one more out.
1. The recruit (April 2004)
2. Class A (October 2004)


CHERUB - THE ESSENTIALS
Cherub is a branch of the British intelligence which uses children between the ages of 10 and 17 as spies for small operations but also to capture some of the worlds worst criminals. Cherub agents can only be recruited if they have no parents or if their parents are not available to care for them. The books focus on siblings James and Lauren Adams whose mother passed away. James' father is unknown whilst Lauren's father is in jail. In the first book they were recruited by Cherub to become agents. To be selected the child must show ability in several different areas including intelligence as well as determination and skill. Every Cherub has to go through 100 days of basic training before they can go on missions. These 100 days put the agents through ridiculously tough training to prepare them for almost anything. The children live on the Cherub campus which has the best equipment for them to train, however they also must continue with their education. No child under the age of 10 can undergo basic training thus can not go on missions, however they can live on campus and begin to learn vital skills which they need to know before basic training and after.


CLASS A
In each book there is a major mission which James undertakes in order to bring down high profile criminals. In this book the mission is focused on Keith Moore who is the biggest drug dealer in cocaine in Europe. The police can not get enough evidence to arrest and charge him and so after many years Cherub are asked to help infiltrate his cocaine business in order to bring him down. It is decided to use four cherub agents Kerry, Nicole, Kyle and James. James has to make friends with Keith Moore's son, Keith junior in order to begin to infiltrate the gang. James has to start with small jobs such as deliveries. However just as the mission is beginning to find new evidence, two of the Cherub agents are accused of taking drugs and taking Class A drugs results in immediate expulsion. This leaves the whole mission in a critical situation.


CHARACTERS
There are several characters in the cherub series which develop not only throughout the book but also the series. The whole series mainly focuses on James Adams who joined Cherub after the death of his mother along with his younger sister Lauren Adams. Although the books are not focused on Lauren we still follow her story as she embarks on basic training during the course of this book. Both these characters can be easily associated to with for children making the story seem more realistic. There are several other characters that develop throughout this book such as the other agents and the criminals. Robert Muchamore describes and develops each character very well and makes everything feel very realistic and there is always a character that one can associate with. Muchamore describes how the agents experience normal childhood problems which make the characters so much more realistic and interesting.


OPINION
I enjoyed reading this book a lot and thought it was possibly even better than the first one. The plot itself is simple, easy to understand and yet can not be guessed leaving the reader desperate to read to the end in order to find out what happens. I think what makes this book so exciting for children is the storyline of children being secret agents and being able to do such amazing tasks. I believe the success of these books lies with the fact children enjoy reading what they wish was true and what they would like to be able to do, certainly for me this was the case. The book is also well written and evokes empathy in the reader who feels the emotions of the characters. I think this book is great fun to read and certainly is suitable for girls and boys alike, because even though the main character is a boy, there are so many other characters that you can relate to and Muchamore describes the problems faced by several agents not just James alone.

I think this book is suitable for children aged eleven or twelve up. The reason I would be hesitant to say below this is partly due to the ability of the reading skills of younger children but more importantly to the issues in the books. This book is about drugs and does contain violence. For children under this age, I personally would recommend for a parent to read the book first and decide whether it is suitable for their child. I advise reading the first book before reading the second


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Publisher - Hodder Children's Books
Released in October 2004
RRP - £6.99
www.cherubcampus.com


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