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CHERUB #3
Maximum Security (3)
CHERUB is an elite intelligence organization that employs agents under the age of seventeen. Because of their age, CHERUB agents have an unparalleled advantage in the realm of espionage. No one would ever suspect teenagers to be agents. Rigorously trained and exceptionally talented, CHERUB agents will stop at nothing to accomplish their missions.
In Maximum Security , 280 child criminals live in the sun-baked 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 have a chance to stop his father. Getting into the prison is easy. Breaking out is the hard part.
In Maximum Security , 280 child criminals live in the sun-baked 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 have a chance to stop his father. Getting into the prison is easy. Breaking out is the hard part.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2005
881 people are currently reading
4048 people want to read
About the author
Robert Muchamore
147 books1,903 followersRobert Muchamore was born in Islington, London in 1972. He still lives there, and worked as a private investigator up until 2005 and the critically-accepted release of Maximum Security.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
The Hunger Games phenomenon is part of the huge YA / Children's book explosion that has grown, thanks to the British Rat pack of YA authors, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Mark A. Cooper and Charlie Higson. We owe much of the hunger games sucess to authors such as Robert.
Robert was inspired to create the CHERUB series by his nephew after he complained about the lack of anything for them to read. CHERUB: The Recruit was Robert's first book and won the Red House Children's Book Award 2005 in the Older Readers Category.
Following the last book in the CHERUB series, it was revealed that a trilogy would be released starting from August 2011 that will focus on a new set of CHERUB agents centred upon Ryan Sharma and also involve an sixteen year old Lauren Adams. The first book will be called People's Republic.
Check out the Hendersons Boys series. Henderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation.
CHERUB is currently being made into a TV series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 705 reviews
February 4, 2019
Okay a good book, some details I may not needed to have known!! Such as when James went to a US Juvie they not only strip searched him they checked under his !!! Well lets just say he was not Jewish. Not sure why three sentences went on to explain James body search and where they checked. The story was about 3.5 so I gave it 4, It was typical CHERUB. Not as good as Alex Rider or Jason Steed but if you are into teen spy books you should read the series.
January 24, 2015
This mission was freaking awesome and intense! It might be my favorite! James handled everything so... incredibly well! Most of the things he had to work on... he did it all by himself! I'm truly amazed! He pissed me off, sometimes... obviously! Specially, when he cheated on Kerry and made it sound like it was nothing... UGH! I HATE WHEN HE DOES THOSE THINGS!! However, despite everything, I think he has been a great character with a big potencial! I hope he grows up and I hope he realises that he should change his attitude a little bit!
Anyways, this book starts with Lauren and I was very excited in the beginning! I just had to love Lauren... she was so badass in this book!!! She's my favorite character, along with Kerry. And now that we talk about Kerry... I missed her! Thankfully, she appeared at the end of the book and the moments between James and her were so cute! I SHIP THEM, ALRIGHT?! James makes it hard to do it, but... I STILL SHIP THEM! THEY ARE AWESOME TOGETHER!
I was seriously expecting something different when they caught Jane Oxford, but it was cool, anyway!
I am very proud of James and Lauren, because they were simply amazing in Maximum Security! THEY MADE IT! THEY DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB! I feel so proud!!
And I can't think about anything else to say, except for the fact that I'm very pumped to read the next books!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!
Anyways, this book starts with Lauren and I was very excited in the beginning! I just had to love Lauren... she was so badass in this book!!! She's my favorite character, along with Kerry. And now that we talk about Kerry... I missed her! Thankfully, she appeared at the end of the book and the moments between James and her were so cute! I SHIP THEM, ALRIGHT?! James makes it hard to do it, but... I STILL SHIP THEM! THEY ARE AWESOME TOGETHER!
I was seriously expecting something different when they caught Jane Oxford, but it was cool, anyway!
I am very proud of James and Lauren, because they were simply amazing in Maximum Security! THEY MADE IT! THEY DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB! I feel so proud!!
And I can't think about anything else to say, except for the fact that I'm very pumped to read the next books!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!
January 23, 2016
0/4 F
Everything in this novel is either phoney, offensive, stupid or agonizing. The polar bear twist-up, a too-simple prison escape that isn't really a real escape with Cherub backup, the helper Paula is given advice to go straight to the cops (ugh!) and the end may be the biggest F.U. in literary history!
You can read my full review at http://weldonwitness.weebly.com/books...
Everything in this novel is either phoney, offensive, stupid or agonizing. The polar bear twist-up, a too-simple prison escape that isn't really a real escape with Cherub backup, the helper Paula is given advice to go straight to the cops (ugh!) and the end may be the biggest F.U. in literary history!
You can read my full review at http://weldonwitness.weebly.com/books...
March 12, 2017
Maximum Security is one of my TOP 5 fav books of the Cherub series. I just love prison settings, ever since I've watched Prison Break.
Speaking of which, similar to Prison Break, Maximum Security continues with the adventures of one of my favorite spies, James Adams, who is now 13. This time James must go to a maximum security prison for minors, befriend Curtis Oxford, son of Jane Oxford - one of the most wanted people in the world. James must then break them out of jail in order to win Janes' trust.
Despite Maximum Security being so dear to me I had some reservations, again. When James acted like an asshole...ugh! And I don't even mean his cheating on Kerry, I get why he feels the need to snog with every hot chick who pays him a little attention, I mean when he does something extremely childish to try to impress someone. I get that he's a 13-year-old hormonal teen, but still, it's rather confusing how in one minute he's acting far beyond his age, and then in other he seems like a little bitch.
I also got kind of upset at the end of the book, how Lauren was attributed a dark blue shirt (she really didn't do anything remarkable enough to get such an "honor", while James who almost got stabbed, beaten, shot at, etc, didn't get squat. Instead Mac reprimanded him because of something stupid he did before the real mission had even begun.
Oh well, I guess that my relationship with RMs' books will always be contradictory as shit: I love some things, and hate some other things.
Speaking of which, similar to Prison Break, Maximum Security continues with the adventures of one of my favorite spies, James Adams, who is now 13. This time James must go to a maximum security prison for minors, befriend Curtis Oxford, son of Jane Oxford - one of the most wanted people in the world. James must then break them out of jail in order to win Janes' trust.
Despite Maximum Security being so dear to me I had some reservations, again. When James acted like an asshole...ugh! And I don't even mean his cheating on Kerry, I get why he feels the need to snog with every hot chick who pays him a little attention, I mean when he does something extremely childish to try to impress someone. I get that he's a 13-year-old hormonal teen, but still, it's rather confusing how in one minute he's acting far beyond his age, and then in other he seems like a little bitch.
I also got kind of upset at the end of the book, how Lauren was attributed a dark blue shirt (she really didn't do anything remarkable enough to get such an "honor", while James who almost got stabbed, beaten, shot at, etc, didn't get squat. Instead Mac reprimanded him because of something stupid he did before the real mission had even begun.
Oh well, I guess that my relationship with RMs' books will always be contradictory as shit: I love some things, and hate some other things.
April 6, 2012
I started off the series with this book since there were no copies available of the previous ones.Firstly,I totally liked Alex Rider better.I rated all the Alex Rider books four to five stars.But I don't know whether it's the plot or a thirteen year old tryin' to be all cool and stuff,I didn't get this feeling I usually get when I'm reading a really good book.You know, the suspense and everything ,or in other words, it didn't feel like Alex Rider.It didn't feel different, the way it should feel when you're reading a good and unique book.With due respect to the author, of course, this book SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!......*ahem* alot!
If my review offends any CHERUB fans, I would like to humbly apologize to them and also let them know that it wasn't my fault that I was being rude,I just couldn't help it! Sorry! :P
If my review offends any CHERUB fans, I would like to humbly apologize to them and also let them know that it wasn't my fault that I was being rude,I just couldn't help it! Sorry! :P
August 2, 2020
I accidentally picked this book up not realizing it was for the young adult market. It was about young children trained as secret agents or spies. Right away it has the kids lose their temper in a bowling alley. Later James crashes a car due to his bravado.
The prison escape is just ridiculously easy. I did like the chase and car escape. The finale was a damp squid. Characters had no development and were all one dimensional. Curtis the sin of Jane was all over the place and his mother paranoid about being caught which makes the ending more silly.
I do d laugh out loud though I am sure that is unintentional. I mean a secret organization called CHERUB! I gave it two stars as I am clearly not the target market and as I said it had some funny scenes. The formula also must work given the series of books and anything that encourages kids to read is good.
The prison escape is just ridiculously easy. I did like the chase and car escape. The finale was a damp squid. Characters had no development and were all one dimensional. Curtis the sin of Jane was all over the place and his mother paranoid about being caught which makes the ending more silly.
I do d laugh out loud though I am sure that is unintentional. I mean a secret organization called CHERUB! I gave it two stars as I am clearly not the target market and as I said it had some funny scenes. The formula also must work given the series of books and anything that encourages kids to read is good.
October 18, 2019
Loved it. So far my favourite CHERUN book, I am really into this series now.
March 5, 2012
This is book three in the outstanding Cherub series by Robert Muchamoore. This mission was different from the usual type. This organization usually tries to get criminals behind bars but in this case, James Adams has to get himself into jail to befriend a criminal. This isn't just any man behind bars though, this is the son of one of the most wanted weapons smugglers in America.
James is partnered with his sister Lauren, and another Cherub agent named Dave Moss, who poses as his brother. The point of this mission is for the three of them to pose as criminals and get into a maximum security prison in Arizona so James can befriend Curtis Oxford. They plan to escape with Curtis and have him lead them to his mother, Jane Oxford. It is never as easy as it sounds, then again since when does escaping a maximum security prison sound easy. The story has gripping scenes and great suspense throughout it.
Just like in the two books before it, Maximum Security had action, suspense, and in some scenes either a rigged terrifying feeling or a somewhat happy feeling. I couldn't stop reading whenever I picked it up. Once you start reading it, good luck putting it down until the very last page. It's an addicting book and based on the last two it's probably an addicting series as a whole. This story is still one of the early books of the series so the characters aren't fully developed and the reader doesn't know much about the characters either. In the end it's easy to understand and just an amazing book with great gripping scenes.
James is partnered with his sister Lauren, and another Cherub agent named Dave Moss, who poses as his brother. The point of this mission is for the three of them to pose as criminals and get into a maximum security prison in Arizona so James can befriend Curtis Oxford. They plan to escape with Curtis and have him lead them to his mother, Jane Oxford. It is never as easy as it sounds, then again since when does escaping a maximum security prison sound easy. The story has gripping scenes and great suspense throughout it.
Just like in the two books before it, Maximum Security had action, suspense, and in some scenes either a rigged terrifying feeling or a somewhat happy feeling. I couldn't stop reading whenever I picked it up. Once you start reading it, good luck putting it down until the very last page. It's an addicting book and based on the last two it's probably an addicting series as a whole. This story is still one of the early books of the series so the characters aren't fully developed and the reader doesn't know much about the characters either. In the end it's easy to understand and just an amazing book with great gripping scenes.
January 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have NO recollection of this book but thoroughly enjoyed it!! These are actually excellent reads as an adult. I’m going to read the next one haha. Five stars for what it is.
May 1, 2022
idiot explosion at the stupid factory
April 14, 2024
'You know, if you ever feel that you want to explore your gay side' - Kerry.
Please James, I thought that being in an all boys prison would rid him of his sexual proclivities.
I died a little bit inside every time I opened this book. Sorry I didn't like it.
Nit pick why did Lauren have to do the mission. I mean like there was no need for it to be a sibling, or anything and even then any white person could realistically pass as siblings. Why did you have pick the 10 year child.
This book took me so long to read and I'm not embarrassed.
Please James, I thought that being in an all boys prison would rid him of his sexual proclivities.
I died a little bit inside every time I opened this book. Sorry I didn't like it.
Nit pick why did Lauren have to do the mission. I mean like there was no need for it to be a sibling, or anything and even then any white person could realistically pass as siblings. Why did you have pick the 10 year child.
This book took me so long to read and I'm not embarrassed.
July 3, 2019
Barndomsminner 😍
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August 13, 2024cringeworthiest book ever 😭 (apart from possibly all the other cherub books). even in the cosmos of cherub books this is one of the worse once…
October 12, 2023
good but rushed ending
April 2, 2011
wow. okay, let me just start by stating...this is not my usual read. I started the series as a favour to my younger sister and ended up liking it inspite of the rather gritty feel. So after mediumly enjoying the first I was prepared to have a similar experience with maximum security. what I couldn't have predicted was how much I enjoyed this!
having said that the gritty setting almost made me put the book down nearer the beginning. I confess I know little about prisons but even spending just hrs inside of one (and even if it was only via a book) literally started to stress me out and made me feel slightly nauseous. reading about prison brutality and harsh injustices is not really something I choose to do in my time off. However once I got far enogh into the book, it's thrilling plot bullies any thought of stopping right out of my head. It was amazing, the adrenaline rush I got from reading about some of their final exploits (so as not to give the game away, that's all I'm about to reveal). I found myself sitting upright in my seat, muscles clenched, heart racing and I don't care weather this is high literature or not, a reaction like that vouches for good storytelling and makes maximum ride a book I am thankful I read and am happy to recommend :)
having said that the gritty setting almost made me put the book down nearer the beginning. I confess I know little about prisons but even spending just hrs inside of one (and even if it was only via a book) literally started to stress me out and made me feel slightly nauseous. reading about prison brutality and harsh injustices is not really something I choose to do in my time off. However once I got far enogh into the book, it's thrilling plot bullies any thought of stopping right out of my head. It was amazing, the adrenaline rush I got from reading about some of their final exploits (so as not to give the game away, that's all I'm about to reveal). I found myself sitting upright in my seat, muscles clenched, heart racing and I don't care weather this is high literature or not, a reaction like that vouches for good storytelling and makes maximum ride a book I am thankful I read and am happy to recommend :)
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March 15, 2015Two boys called Dave and James are sent on a mission, from the child division of the MI5 called Cherub. They are sent off to jail (part of the mission plan) and are put together with a lot of other inmates. Including the son of a illegal drugs supplier, Jane Oxford. Wanting to become close friends with Jane’s son Curtis, they both hang out and chill with his Gang. But during the process a jail fight breaks out and Dave breaks his ribs, making him unfit for the mission. So James then carries on with the mission himself, escaping with Curtis and setting him up. Then when the time came and they split apart, leaving Curtis with his mother, the MI5 intercepted him and his mother capturing them both and sending them to jail. The theme for this book is acceptance and courage.
November 15, 2018
I think listening to the audio this time around was the perfect way to do it. Total nostalgia, and it was amazing. I loved diving back into the Cherub spy world, with its action and thrills. I still can't believe the amount of things that happen in such short books.
In terms of James: I hate his attitude and his morals, especially on and I hate him for it. He's so horrible. He deserves all the consequences and punishments that get thrown at him.
There's no way you'd find me signing up for Cherub though, not with missions like this one
In terms of James: I hate his attitude and his morals, especially on and I hate him for it. He's so horrible. He deserves all the consequences and punishments that get thrown at him.
There's no way you'd find me signing up for Cherub though, not with missions like this one
April 21, 2015
It's refreshing to read Muchamore's world and characters. It just feels real, and there's an unpredictability to it, because the main characters are so imperfect. However, the ending was a bit anti-climactic. I can tell that Muchamore is trying to avoid the big action scene ending, probably because his style is different, but there wasn't anything to replace it and it fell a little flat. That said, I really enjoy this series and the characters and will continue for sure.
July 13, 2016
Did you like Prison Break? Then this book is just for you! It is something similar but with few differences. But the tension is there and also the adventure. Who wouldn't like to know how to escape from a prison? :)
April 25, 2020
Maximum security is the third book in the cherub series and it is amazing. It is all you could want in an adventure book with kid spies, it’s punchy, exciting, glamorous and you’ll completely wish it was true. It is awesome and I can’t wait to start the fourth book in the series.
April 8, 2022
I'm getting a bit over all the homophobia. And general James-is-awful-but-everyone-likes-him-anyway stuff.
March 23, 2018
This book was good again. I can't wait to read the 4th one.
February 20, 2022
3 Days 3 Books :D
May 10, 2024
This one might be better than Class A. I really enjoyed the character James met in jail and how they handled things in the end. Really loved this one and not sure why others don’t.
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December 17, 2015It was awesome.
March 9, 2017
Because I have read the other two I front of it and I really enjoyed them.they are an action sort of book with a lot of tense moments, you really your self in the characters shoes in how they describe how they are feeling and what's happening around them and to them.
A fiction book with real life scenarios and real life problems
"Once you get to LA tell the cops everything"
That James(main character) has learnt to stay calm under pressure and to not give away his or other people's positions, he kept the lady calm while under pressure and managed to get to LA and get threw all of the road blocks. Nearly getting caught at the first road block he still kept her and himself calm.
The setting was interesting to me because they were escaping from a prison which was set in the middle of the desert, the prison was an old security building which they kept the worst of the worst criminals, if you are. Aught trying to escape you will get shot. James is put in the middle of it and is struggling to keep up with all the standards.
I felt the book gave real characteristics and a true feeling of what was going on, it gave the feeling and stress the the characters were given, it described how if they were in pain or not and what emotion they had. James had been in a bad situation after his mother passed away, he had gone to a hostile and had a room mate called Kyle who was a spy for Cherub, James was recruited and is beginning to become one of the agents Cherub has ever had.
A fiction book with real life scenarios and real life problems
"Once you get to LA tell the cops everything"
That James(main character) has learnt to stay calm under pressure and to not give away his or other people's positions, he kept the lady calm while under pressure and managed to get to LA and get threw all of the road blocks. Nearly getting caught at the first road block he still kept her and himself calm.
The setting was interesting to me because they were escaping from a prison which was set in the middle of the desert, the prison was an old security building which they kept the worst of the worst criminals, if you are. Aught trying to escape you will get shot. James is put in the middle of it and is struggling to keep up with all the standards.
I felt the book gave real characteristics and a true feeling of what was going on, it gave the feeling and stress the the characters were given, it described how if they were in pain or not and what emotion they had. James had been in a bad situation after his mother passed away, he had gone to a hostile and had a room mate called Kyle who was a spy for Cherub, James was recruited and is beginning to become one of the agents Cherub has ever had.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2021
In this mission, James must go to the most secured jail in the United States and make friends with the son of the most wanted criminal in the country. Lauren is also going on her first mission, and must give James and the kid that James was supposed to make friends with a ride away from jail.
James needs to be real close friends with Curtis, the son of the most wanted criminal, Jane, so that Jane would want to meet James in person. When she does, the FBI agents working CHERUB would be able to arrest her.
After Jane changes the plan and tells Curtis and his two bodyguards that are in a hotel with James to leave the hotel when James is asleep, James is able to eavesdrop and tell the other agents to follow them, but the bodyguards won't let James and his agent friends get away so fast. James needs to get rid of the bodyguards and be fast and try to catch up to Curtis, so he and the other agents can find Jane.
Will James be able to help the FBI to arrest a Most Wanted Criminal in the United States?
- Anonymous, Grade 9
James needs to be real close friends with Curtis, the son of the most wanted criminal, Jane, so that Jane would want to meet James in person. When she does, the FBI agents working CHERUB would be able to arrest her.
After Jane changes the plan and tells Curtis and his two bodyguards that are in a hotel with James to leave the hotel when James is asleep, James is able to eavesdrop and tell the other agents to follow them, but the bodyguards won't let James and his agent friends get away so fast. James needs to get rid of the bodyguards and be fast and try to catch up to Curtis, so he and the other agents can find Jane.
Will James be able to help the FBI to arrest a Most Wanted Criminal in the United States?
- Anonymous, Grade 9
November 21, 2018
James is not an appealing young man in many ways. I’m putting it down to his age, because so much of what he does goes way beyond what you’d expect of a boy his age.
This is an action-packed mission, and not one for the faint-hearted.
As part of a plan to track down one of the FBI’s most wanted James ends up in a maximum Security prison in order to befriend her teen son and engineer an escape.
Plenty goes wrong, but it was definitely one I wanted to get through and see what happened.
Once again the Cherubs show skill that doesn’t seem fully credible, but Lauren is one to watch. These kids do, however, scare me.
This is an action-packed mission, and not one for the faint-hearted.
As part of a plan to track down one of the FBI’s most wanted James ends up in a maximum Security prison in order to befriend her teen son and engineer an escape.
Plenty goes wrong, but it was definitely one I wanted to get through and see what happened.
Once again the Cherubs show skill that doesn’t seem fully credible, but Lauren is one to watch. These kids do, however, scare me.
January 13, 2021
The book Cherub: Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore is about James who needs to go undercover in a maximum-security prison in the Arizona desert. His task is to become friends with the son of a most wanted criminal who is the most wanted weapons dealer in the country to find out what they may do next. The main plot of the story is to then get out of the prison alive. To escape the prison, there are many action-packed car scenes and chasing scenes. Overall, there is a lot of action and violence in this story. I would recommend this story for those who like crime and mystery novels because it is filled with both of those traits.
March 8, 2018
Yes I read this one too... :D They're SUCH quick reads, and again, just written in a way that's very streamlined and smart. I also love that in different missions we get interactions with different characters (like this book had much more Lauren).
I still haven't loved a book enough to give it above 4 stars, probably because James can be a real ass sometimes. Hopefully he grows out of it. He was 200% better in this book until he did something at the end that made me mad. I know you're out saving the world, small thirteen-year-old, but be nice too okayyyy.
I still haven't loved a book enough to give it above 4 stars, probably because James can be a real ass sometimes. Hopefully he grows out of it. He was 200% better in this book until he did something at the end that made me mad. I know you're out saving the world, small thirteen-year-old, but be nice too okayyyy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 705 reviews