The Recruit

The CHERUB series consists of 12 books that track James’s career from his recruitment in Book 1 through his retirement in the final installment. Cemented firmly in the spy-adventure genre, CHERUB follows a similar format to other spy series (such as City Spies by James Ponti, I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, and Spy School by Stuart Gibbs) in which the organizations and characters involved in events expand. In book 2 (The Dealer, titled Class A in the UK), Kerry and Kyle return alongside a new girl as James’s team investigates a drug cartel. Book 3 (Maximum Security) introduces Dave, who becomes a recurring partner for James) as the two infiltrate a prison. James’s sister Lauren (now a full CHERUB agent) is active in book 4, Divine Madness, where the kids investigate a religious group believed to have connections to Help Earth. Book seven, The Fall, sees James’s future with CHERUB questioned when he is suspected of betraying the organization to Russian oligarchs. With the characters getting older, this installment also introduces romantic tension between James, Kerry, and another girl, which continues to unfold in subsequent books.

In addition to repeat characters and groups (such as Help Earth), the CHERUB series continues to explore the challenges faced by kid spies, as well as the difficult decisions spies must make on missions. In particular, the latter portion of the series introduces tensions within CHERUB and among James’s group of friends, and these tensions necessitate choices James would never have made before, such as breaking into the control room to read classified CHERUB files in The Fall. In Shadow Wave, the final installment of the series, James goes so far as to defy orders and quit a mission to help Kyle take down a politician the CHERUB agents are supposed to be monitoring. Throughout the series, James also learns what it truly means to be loyal, even in awkward situations. James is paired with various CHERUB agents on his missions, and he typically acts in the best interest of the mission, which helps to promote group unity and trust. As the series progresses and James becomes romantically involved with Kerry and others, James realizes that his agent life will not take his personal life into account. Awkward breakups and past relationships follow James through his missions, and James learns he must put aside his emotions for the good of the mission.