REVIEW: Henderson's Boys: The Escape by Robert Muchamore

Review by Aileen

I’ve always liked the CHERUB books so I was really excited to be able to review the first book in Robert Muchamore’s new series, Henderson’s Boys, and I wasn’t disappointed!

Henderson’s Boys will be especially interesting for CHERUB fans because it is about how CHERUB originated but I think anyone who likes exciting, fast paced books will like this book.

Set during WWII It starts at a French orphanage where a boy called Marc Kilgour longs to escape his boring life and takes the first opportunity to do so. Meanwhile English children Rosie and Paul are on the run from the German police after their father, a radio salesman, steals some important blueprints for a portable radio from a Jewish watchmaker who is intent on selling them to the Germans. When their father realises he won’t be able to make it, his last wish is to get the documents to  a man named Henderson. Charles Henderson is one of the few British spies left in France and he must find Rosie and Paul before the Germans do. Startled to find a bleeding and much battered young orphan living in his house he realises that the only way he will be able to save the children is with the help of Marc who, thanks to spending his whole life being shoved and beaten at the orphanage, has courage and determination unlike that of many boys far older than him.

The book is very accurate and realistic because, unlike CHERUB, we know WWII was real and had a huge impact on many people’s lives. It is a bit more brutal than CHERUB and, as it says on the cover “Not Suitable for Younger Readers“. I would definitely agree as even though the book is great, it does have some pretty detailed descriptions of the horrors of war (not brutally graphic but still pretty detailed) which might upset some people, especially if they are a bit squeamish like me. I was basically ok but I kept thinking about all those poor people and how it was actually true.

I liked how well researched the books seems to be and I really liked how Robert Muchamore still manages to portray some of the less bad “bad guys” sympathetically because not everyone wanted to be involved in it.

The only part of the book I disliked was the ending - a cliff-hanger - because it seemed more like a sample chapter than an epilogue and wasn’t nearly as good at tying up any loose ends in the story as the CHERUB books. It’s really frustrating!! They should have swapped the “preview” with the “epilogue”!!!

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you liked CHERUB, if you are interested in WWII or if you are just looking for an exciting and unusual book to read

Definitely 5 out of 5!!

Review by Aileen

Comments

[Jenny]

I read the first of the Cherub series, but didn't quite get into it. It's amazing how popular they are, and this one has been selling very well!

Thanks for the review!