Maximum Security

I liked that Lauren got to be a part of this mission. Although pretty unrealistic - the whole story was intense and the action was riveting. Curtis is in need of some serious help. I don't have an opinion on the cheating but I do have strong opinions on how James treats women in general. His attitude to women is fairly disgusting and it makes me hate him very much at times. I think it sends the wrong message to readers - that this sort of treatment of women is okay - and frankly it's not.

The most thrilling and dangerous mission in James' career so far. An excellent read.

I liked everything about it, and I did not have the reservations about James' behavior that I had in book 2. He just did not have many opportunities, undercover as he was in a brutal prison for underage offenders who had been tried as adults and convicted for serious crimes.

The danger was really extreme here. I wondered why the boys in CHERUB accepted these missions. Sure, being a spy is cool, but risking your life so much? What do they get out of it, when they could refuse and still be well cared for?

I also enjoyed the first part of the book, with Lauren's training and James getting in trouble (yet again).

I can't see many readers in the target audience show more not enjoying this novel, and it can be enjoyed by adult readers without feeling their intelligence insulted, because Muchamore keeps it relatively grounded and realistic. show less

After getting off to an impressive start with The Recruit and Class A, Robert Muchamore's bestselling CHERUB series hits something of a stumbling block in Maximum Security. The first few chapters are particularly unimpressive. Muchamore's usual, punchy style is dragged down by extra padding, and our reintroduction to James – a rather unoriginal brawl at a bowling alley – is punctuated by clichés and exaggerations. Lauren's basic training, despite thrusting readers into a bleak Alaskan snowfield, seems to have none of the gruelling boot-camp charisma that James' ordeal did. By the time a suitably challenging task does present itself, the reader's interest will be somewhat dampened. Perhaps Muchamore's editor has adopted a more show more lenient stance following the success of his first two books.

Fortunately, the novel improves as it warms up. The standout, tried and true features of the series are more than enough to save this instalment, particularly the grit and authenticity imparted by Muchamore's research. This novel is probably worth reading just for its accessible insight into life in a young offender's prison. The usual grim glimpses into the characters' flaws and failings help to make it even more convincing, particularly where Curtis Oxford is concerned, and once the break-out gets rolling, there are enough twists and turns to make for an absorbing thriller.

Muchamore does not pull free from his flaws completely. Perhaps the most glaring problem is the ease with which the breakout occurs. If all 'maximum security' prisons in the USA are this easy to escape from, there is little wonder that crime is such a problem there. Then there is James' relationship with Vaughn Little, which might have tugged on the heartstrings if the exact same trick hadn't already been used in the previous book with Keith Moore. These faults are disappointing, but they are nothing that the momentum of the series will not sustain.

It may not be one of the stronger CHERUB novels, but Maximum Security spins a tight, engaging yarn in under three hundred pages, and the fans should have no trouble devouring it. Thankfully, Muchamore appears to be defying the common trend; so far, his books are getting shorter instead of longer. show less

Another one of my favourite books, full of suspense and action packed. James is out on his second mission, he has a fake identity and goes undercover to a maximum security prisson to become friends with one of the worlds worst criminal's son. James succedes and with bribes and other tactics they break out and James's new friend leads him and Cherub staight to his mother- the criminal. Highly reccomend this book, an excellent novel.

Two hundred eighty child criminals live in the sunbaked desert prison Arizona Max. One of them is the son of a weapons dealer who has been selling U.S. missiles to terrorists. If CHERUB can get the kid, they can get the parent. Over the years, CHERUB has put plenty of criminals behind bars. Now, for the first time ever, they've got to break one out....

Packed with guns, car chases and an ever present threat of violence, Maximum Security in an adrenaline soaked adventure from the first page to the last, easily the best book of the series so far. A cracking read for anyone who is just looking to be entertained by their reading choices.

Read my full review at:
http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/2008/02/07/maximum-security-cherub-book-3-robert...

maximum security was an exiting story that kept me attached to the book and i could also read it over and over again. its also more of a action and sort of violent but i really enjoyed it!