The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

Pages: 329
Rating: 8/10
Main Conflict: When James Chokes' mother dies, he is taken to an orphanage and his stepsister, Lauren, is taken of to live with her greedy, vicious father, Ron Onions. He is so distraught with the death of his mother and the loss of his sister, he begins to hang out with a group of boys who spend their time smoking, drinking and vandalising cars. When he is caught by the police, he wakes up the next day in a very nice looking building that appears to be an orphanange. But when he speaks with the head of the facility, Dr. Mcafferty, he discovers that this is the headquarters of Cherub, a spy organization that uses orphaned children to go on missions around the globe. After taking some tests, Dr. Mcafferty decides that James is fit to join the organization. He decides to join, but he now faces the rigors of the 100 day training session and his first mission.
Best Part: James and his partner, Kerry Chang, are at the very end of their training. All that stands in their way, is the 4 day trek through the rainforests of Malaysia. They must deal with a Boa Constrictor in their boat, legions of parasitic mosquitoes, the scorching of the sun, and must try to navigate the rapids in a boat planted with a bomb. And at the end, they must cope with the pain of putting their hands in a bucket with a jellyfish for an hour. A very difficult task, but in the end, they make it through.