Review: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

Author: Robert Muchamore Website|Twitter
Published: 3rd April 2014 (Hodder Children's') new cover edition - orginially published 2004
Format: Kindle e-book (review copy)
Pages: 352
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Number 1 bestselling series, CHERUB celebrates its 10th Anniversary with brand new covers!

Now is your chance to start right back at the beginning with The Recruit.

A terrorist doesn't let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB.

CHERUB agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radar and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail.

For official purposes, these children do not exist.

My Review:
This is one of those series I've been reading to read for a while, and the tenth anniversary finally gave me the oppurtunity to dive into the first book in the Cherub series! The story follows James who is a bit rebellious, and after a string of unfortunate incidents finds himself on a journey from troublesome schoolboy to undercover agent for a secret government agency.

There's an awful lot to like about The Recruit. I think the gritty, British feel to it really helped. James is in a bit of a rubbish situation with a mum more worried about selling shoplifted goods than she is about him and a nightmare of a sort-of-step-dad. I think with the books being written a few years ago there was a bit of nostalgia for me (references to Playstations etc.) but I loved that, and so much of it was recognisable.  I liked that the author doesn't shy away from bad language as well, as the cast of kids in the book felt a lot more true to life that way.

James himself was a fantastic lead. He's a bit hopeless which I think will make a lot of people warm to him and possibly relate to him, but he really shines when it comes to his mathmatic ability so you can see the potential in him and it leaves you really rooting for him. I enjoyed seeing his relationships with the other characters, particularly his younger sister who you can tell her really cares about, and the developing friendships with fellow recruits. I liked that he's a bit younger than the majority of YA characters I usually read about, as there's still a bit of childlike innocence and naivete with him. With the series containing several books, I think it'll be great to see him grow up alongside all the other stuff.

I love books about spies, government plots and undercover detective work, so this really hit the spot in terms of genre. I loved the set up of Cherub, and I think it lets you escape into James' world to the point you end up being jealous of some of the cool stuff he does. There's a lot of build up which I think comes from this being the first book in the series. The real danger and main focus of the plot doesn't kick in until about two thirds of the way through, but I was never really bored. I was relieved when I got to that point, though, and things finally started to pick up pace.

I can see huge potential for this series, and I've actually already grabbed a copy of book two to read. I can't wait to get stuck in! If you love books like Insignia by S. J. Kincaid or the Harry Potter series, then I'd definitely recommend picking up these books. I loved getting swept along with James as he discovers his potential. I thought the writing style was fantastic and there's some great humour in there. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Class A by Robert Muchamore, book 2 in the Cherub series
Books like this: Insignia by S. J. Kincaid, Spy School by Stuart Gibbs, Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Review: Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls, #3) by Ally Carter

Spoiler warning! This is the third book in the Gallagher Girls series and this review may contain spoilers from previous books. You can read my review of I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You here or Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy here.

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

Author: Ally Carter Website|Twitter
Published: 6 January 2011 (Orchard)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Hive

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
When Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers' plot, with only their espionage skills to save them.

As her junior year begins, Cammie can't shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn't feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion's corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth....

My Review:
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and with the last book - United We Spy - having just been released, I've bumped the rest of the books up my to-read list in an attempt to catch up! Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover sees the Gallagher Girls deal with Macey's rise to fame and the need for extra protection to her dad running for vice president. But will all the publicity put their school at risk, or more importantly, Macey's life?

This wasn't my favourite book in the series, but it was still an enjoyable read. The book jumps into the plot quite quickly which meant for some great action packed scenes early on. As it had been a while since I read the second book, I did have to go away and look up some of the things from the previous books I'd forgotten because I have a memory like a sieve. Once I'd done that, I was able to lose myself in the story again.

I liked that the book focuses around Macey because she's one of my favourite characters and she's central to the plot in this one. I think one of the things that threw me off a bit about Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover was how bleak the beginning was. Cammie and Macey go through quite an intense traumatic experience, and they both seem to suffer from a bit of PTSD. It made it a bit harder to get into the swing of the book because it wasn't the fun adventure I was used to. I liked that it showed the consequences of what happened to them though. I think where it started to put me off was when the moping was about guys. Cammie spends a lot of the book bummed out about Zach and it was getting a bit annoying by the end.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the introduction of Cammie's Aunt Abby. She's a totally cool aunt and a breath of fresh air compared to her more uptight mother. I really enjoyed her as a character and seeing the influence she had on Cammie. As always with this series, the central friendship of Cammie, Liz, Bex and Macey is one of my favourite things, and it was no different in this book. I just love how they're so comfortable around each other and their personalities bounce of each other so well.

The ending of Don't Judge a Girl was a real page turner. I enjoyed the dramatic climax and I was taken aback by how much I feared for the characters. It was quite emotional! I read this book mainly over the space of an afternoon, and it was an exciting quick read. It didn't quite live up to the other books for me and I had a few niggles, but I'm still looking forward to reading the next book. I've already put a hold on it from the library!

Rating: 3*
What to read next: Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter, the fourth Gallagher Girls book
Books like this: Insignia by S. J. Kincaid, Heist Society by Ally Carter

Review: Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

[Goodreads page]

Author: Stuart Gibbs Website
Published: 7 March 2013 (Hodder Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 321
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Can a normal, average kid become a superstar secret agent? Maybe not, but it’ll be fun to watch him try!

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate math skills, Ben isn't surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy. Could the C.I.A. really want him?

Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!

My Review:
I was standing in the queue for the checkout machine at the library when the cover of this book caught my eye from the "quick choice" shelf. "Spy School? That's sounds so cool!" - were pretty much my thoughts upon seeing it. I scanned tagline ("Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent?") and read the first few pages and knew I had to take it out there and then. Spy School tells the story of thirteen year old Ben Ripley who arrives home one day to find a CIA agent sitting in his living room, who offers him a place at the CIA Academy of Espionage.

The book jumps straight into the action with Ben taking his place at the school. As soon as he arrives there's a massive shoot out which was a pretty awesome way to start! I was hooked on the whole spy thing straight away. The school itself is totally cool with hidden doors and secret below ground bunkers. Early on Ben meets Erica who's one of the most gifted students and she's pretty badass - not a word I use often. I loved the secret missions and tasks they had to do and the fact that Ben was completely out of his depth made it even more entertaining.

What was fantastic about this book was the writing and how it managed to get the humour absolutely nailed. I never really put quotes in my review but I wanted to give an example from this book that really got it spot on. "Although, in his defence, he's had a bit of a tortured past." "What happened to him?" I asked. "He was tortured", Erica said. I just love the little moments like that littered throughout the story. The writing was fantastic and the characters would have these brilliant quirks that made them hilarious. It meant I was always engaged in the story and able to enjoy every single bit of it.

There's some really strong characters in Spy School. Ben himself is pretty cool -  a maths geek who finds himself totally out of his comfort zone when he ends up on the middle of "Operation Creeping Badger". Then there's the people he meets at school such as the previously mentioned Erica ('nuff said), his new friend Murray and older student Chip and his cronies. I really enjoyed his friendship with Mike who went to his old school. They're such typical boys trying to make each other jealous by making out they're closer to the prettiest girl in school which made me laugh.

There's definitely an element of Ben going on a bit of a journey and battling to prove himself which made you really root for him. He's the underdog being at a spy school and not having one bit of natural spy ability but when it comes down to it he's willing to give everything a go and adapt to his weird situation pretty well. And I like that he's clever and a bit of a geek!

I think the best bit of this book was that I went in not knowing anything about it and came out loving it and wanting to recommend it to everyone! Fans of the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter should definitely check this out. I loved reading a spy school story from a male perspective! It's a really nice light read as well because it's aimed at younger readers, but I think the writing style will appeal to everyone from middle-grade fans, to YA fans to people who rarely venture into younger age groups. Spy School has everything - action, adventure, friendship and all that school drama that comes with being thirteen. This is going to be a book I recommend to a lot of people in future so go and check it out now!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs
Books like this: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon, I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2) by Ally Carter

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Gallagher Girls series and this review will feature spoilers from the first book, I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You. You can read my review of that book here. You have been warned!

 

 

 

 

 

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

[Goodreads page]

Author: Ally Carter. Website|Twitter
Published: 5 August 2010 (Orchard)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Cammie Morgan may have a genius IQ and attend the best school in the country, but as she starts the spring semester of her sophomore year there are a lot of things she doesn't know. Like will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble did she really get in last semester? And, most of all, exactly why is her mother acting so strangely?

All Cammie wants is a nice, normal semester, but she's about to learn her greatest lesson yet—that when you go to a school for spies, nothing is ever as it seems.

My Review:
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this book picks up not long after. Cammie has been summoned to the CIA and is under scrutiny for her actions with Josh last term. On top of that, something mysterious is happening at Gallagher Academy and Cammie and her friends try their best to get to the bottom of it.

There's a bit of recapping at the beginning of the book which I liked, and straight away I fell in love with Cammie's narration of the story all over again! As with all series like this, I was worried that the plot may become a bit repetitive. After all, the story is taking place in the same building with the same characters. Pretty quickly there's some mystery to the story though which had me hooked and put my fears to bed! And on top of that there's some new characters, including a few guys who become central to the plot. I felt the story felt just as interesting and fresh as the first.

Where the book was similar was the focus on CoveOps - Covert Operations class. The missions Cammie and her classmates must do have been stepped up a little which meant there was plenty of actions (love a good helicopter flight!) and I adored all the cool spy stuff. We get to see the wider spy world away from the school as well which I thought made everything a bit more exciting!

As well as the issue of Josh being raised throughout the book, I really liked Cammie's interactions with the new guy on the block, Zach. They bounced off each other quite well and it made for some interesting twists and turns. I felt like this book touched a bit more on Cammie's past as well when it comes to things like her dad. I love that there's that depth to her character and it feels like something that can be explored more in the future.

As always, the humour and the way the book's written are two of the reasons I really liked it. The inclusion of things like mission reports really mix it up when you're reading. Something I felt let the book down was maybe a slight lack of focus on Cammie's friendship group. I really like it when the girls are all together and they seemed to take more of a backseat this time. I had the same feelings about Josh who I was maybe expecting to see more of. Some of the plot points felt a little convenient as well.

The climax of the story had me hooked, and all the action and suspense throughout the book was fantastic. Overall I really liked this book, and would put it pretty much level with the first, so if you liked that then definitely keep reading the series!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter, book 3 in the Gallagher Girls series
Books like this: Finding Cassie Crazy by Jaclyn Moriarty

Review: I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

[Goodreads page]

Author: Ally Carter. Website|Twitter
Published: 6 May 2010 (Orchard)
Format: paperback
Pages: 309
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women--a seemingly typical all-girls' school--is actually a school for spies. Capable of killing a man, sophomore Cammie Morgan soon discovers that her most dangerous mission turns out to be falling in love.

My Review:
I've heard of this series and it's always sort of been at the back of my mind as one I should check out. When I went into the library one day and the first book was right in front of me (they usually only had later books in the series) so I took my chance and picked it up! Cammie goes to Gallagher Academy, a school for gifted girls, who are using their intelligence to train to be spies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, any kind of boarding school novel totally gets my attention and this was no different. Most importantly, I loved the fact it was a school for spies. I haven't read that much YA focusing on spies so it was something new and fresh to sink my teeth into! I adored all the little quirks that made spy school, from the cool lessons like covert operations, to the school itself with secret passageways and lunchtimes that must be held in different languages. Throw in some cool spy gadgets and I was hooked!

The main plot shows Cammie and her friends embark on their new class for that school year; covert operations. This meant they were thrown into the practical world of spying which meant some cool action and adventure to be have. When Cammie meets a boy on one of their assignments, he suddenly becomes the victim of their schemes. It made for a great plot because these girls are all so intelligent, but when it comes to dealing with real world experience, their sheltered lives in Gallagher Academy start to show what they've been missing out on. Cammie is totally useless when it comes to guys which made for funny reading.

As well as that, there's a new student joined their midst, something which doesn't happen often at Gallagher Academy. Cammie, Liz and Bex must get used to the presence of Macey, the new girl. I really liked the friendship between the trio of girls and Macey made for a really interesting, feisty character who mixes things up a bit! Cammie herself was a really great main character. The story is told from her point of view as she explains what has happened over the school year, and her voice was a really witty and entertaining thread throughout the story.

I didn't always like the romance elements of the story, and I found some bits a bit cringeworthy in places, but overall there was enough to really keep me engaged with this story. Spying, action, emotional family drama - it had a bit of everything! I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter, book 2 in the Gallagher Girls series.
Books like this: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Evernight by Claudia Gray