The Recruit

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. Plot 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.