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A review by barberchicago_books
Recruit by Chris Bradford
1.0
I was really looking forward to this book, as I (and a lot of my students) thoroughly enjoy the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, and the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. I was hoping for another "kid spy" series to add to our class library. However, for a couple of reasons, I can't in good conscience add this one to our shelves.
Quick summary: Connor Reeves is a British junior kickboxing champ who, due in large part to his father's heroic sacrifice in Iraq, is chosen by a super secret young bodyguard organization called Guardian to train as a bodyguard. The man whose life Connor's dad heroically saved is now president of the United States, and he wants Connor to protect his daughter, Alicia. The parallel plot is from the POV of a terrorist group plotting to kidnap her. This book, Recruit, is the first of four books that ends with Alicia being put in grave danger.
Two things bothered me GREATLY while reading this. First and foremost, the portrayal of Alicia. Called "headstrong" be her president dad, she's actually written from a sexist perspective, teasing a boy about going to the dance with her ("he asked me in a lunch line, for goodness sake"), being careless with her wealth and status, and ditching Secret Service agents so she can feel "free." In fact, the danger Alicia and Connor are in at the end is due entirely to her impulsivity in ditching her protection. I realize this was the reason for Connor's protection being needed, but it was so unoriginal and insulting to read. The author seemed to have taken the easy route - make the female flighty and irresponsible so the male lead can save the day. I wouldn't want my students, let alone my daughter, reading this female character.
The second problem I had with the book was another stereotypical and unoriginal character: the terrorist group. Of course they had to be from the Middle East. It's the easy way out. And, of course one of the terrorists who is after Alicia is the brother of Alicia's BFF, a girl who is initially introduced to us as "a girl with olive skin and almond eyes, who wore a light purple hijab." Did the author consider any other group to play the antagonist?
If we, as parents and teachers, are helping our kids choose books that act as both windows to the world and mirrors into ourselves, books like this are counter to that ideology. In this day and age we need to be lifting up books that teach our young people empathy and compassion. This book advances dangerous stereotypes that might lead to the further objectification women as helpless fools, and continues to put forth the harmful and false idea that all Muslims are terrorists. For these reasons, I won't be adding this one to our class library.
Quick summary: Connor Reeves is a British junior kickboxing champ who, due in large part to his father's heroic sacrifice in Iraq, is chosen by a super secret young bodyguard organization called Guardian to train as a bodyguard. The man whose life Connor's dad heroically saved is now president of the United States, and he wants Connor to protect his daughter, Alicia. The parallel plot is from the POV of a terrorist group plotting to kidnap her. This book, Recruit, is the first of four books that ends with Alicia being put in grave danger.
Two things bothered me GREATLY while reading this. First and foremost, the portrayal of Alicia. Called "headstrong" be her president dad, she's actually written from a sexist perspective, teasing a boy about going to the dance with her ("he asked me in a lunch line, for goodness sake"), being careless with her wealth and status, and ditching Secret Service agents so she can feel "free." In fact, the danger Alicia and Connor are in at the end is due entirely to her impulsivity in ditching her protection. I realize this was the reason for Connor's protection being needed, but it was so unoriginal and insulting to read. The author seemed to have taken the easy route - make the female flighty and irresponsible so the male lead can save the day. I wouldn't want my students, let alone my daughter, reading this female character.
The second problem I had with the book was another stereotypical and unoriginal character: the terrorist group. Of course they had to be from the Middle East. It's the easy way out. And, of course one of the terrorists who is after Alicia is the brother of Alicia's BFF, a girl who is initially introduced to us as "a girl with olive skin and almond eyes, who wore a light purple hijab." Did the author consider any other group to play the antagonist?
If we, as parents and teachers, are helping our kids choose books that act as both windows to the world and mirrors into ourselves, books like this are counter to that ideology. In this day and age we need to be lifting up books that teach our young people empathy and compassion. This book advances dangerous stereotypes that might lead to the further objectification women as helpless fools, and continues to put forth the harmful and false idea that all Muslims are terrorists. For these reasons, I won't be adding this one to our class library.