Divine Madness

In the fifth book in the series we get a more high-profile mission than in book 4. The cult plot was quite interesting. Of course, these books are fast and to the point, which doesn't allow Muchamore to explore this setting as much as I would have liked. Nevertheless, it is another fast, very entertaining read.

All the virtues that I have praised in my reviews of previous books in the series are present here, but I have to admit that at this point the stories do not seem as fresh, simply because the formula remains the same.

I liked that a character they met in this story
was rescued from the cult and became a Cherub agent. I'm looking forward to reading more about Rat in the following books. He seems another little troublemaker like show more James.

I had a couple of problems with the story:

Not that it's that important, but I found it bizarre that Lauren would be given the black shirt at the end of this mission and James wouldn't. Lauren is an excellent agent, and James' is not the best behaved one, but when it comes to missions his track record is incredible, clearly better than Lauren's. He always tackles the most dangerous roles and he usually makes the most important breakthroughs. When this mission seemed to be failing, he was the one who made the breakthrough of getting sent to the Ark, and managed to get Lauren sent too. It's ridiculous that Lauren has been awarded the black shirt and he hasn't.

Dana's subplot in this book seemed rather forced. I liked seeing her shine, she deserves it, but it strains my suspension of disbelief that the terrorists would choose two random inexperienced teenage girls from a cult to perform such a delicate and high-pressure job, and that Dana would be one of them, since she had joined the cult very recently. show less

In a lot of ways I think this may actually be my favourite of the series. I love Lauren and I adore Rat. The little team they form is awesome. James isn't as annoying as he can be in some of the other books as well. And I love seeing Dana get the chance to shine.

When CHERUB uncovers a link between eco-terrorist group Help Earth and a wealthy religious cult known as The Survivors, James is sent to their isolated outback headquarters on an infiltration mission. It's a thousand kilometers to the closest town, and James is under massive pressure from the cult's brainwashing techniques. This time he's not just fighting terrorists.... He's got to battle for his own mind.

My favourite new Young Adult series, and this time they come to Australia.

It's always a little strange when a series you enjoy visits your home town, which is what happens here. I enjoyed the portrayal of Brisbane, I found it pretty accurate, though there were a few things only a local would pick up. The story was good too, following James and Lauren as they enter a cult, and end up in a school in the middle of the Australian outback.

Another 'cannot put it down' book from the series

In this fifth instalment James is sent to Australia to infiltrate a mad cult known as the survivors. This is a hard mission though, because the cults brainwashing techniques mean James is under a lot of pressure to conform. He is not just battling terrorists but also battling to keep control of his own mind.

Divine Madness, is up there with the best of the series so far, Muchamore does a fine job of mixing, action, adventure, and intelligent intrigue, into this book aimed at the young adult audience, but readers either side of this age group, will find much to enjoy, although parents of younger readers might want to read through the book first.

Read my full review here:
http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/2008/02/19/divine-madness/

This book didn't disappoint me. Like the books before it, it kept me on my toes wondering if they will get through the mission. I like how the author ended the book.