Divine Madness (novel)

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Divine Madness
Divine Madness cover.jpg
First edition cover
Author Robert Muchamore
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series CHERUB
Genre Children's, Thriller, Spy novel
Publisher Hodder and Stoughton
Publication date
 6 April 2006
Media type Print (Paperback)
Pages 368 pp (first edition, paperback)
ISBN 0-340-89434-2 (first edition, paperback)
OCLC 62796249
823.92 22
LC Class PZ7.M869647 Di 2006
Preceded by The Killing
Followed by Man vs Beast

Divine Madness is the fifth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. In this novel, CHERUB agents James, Lauren, and Dana go to Australia to investigate a religious cult called the Survivors.

Plot

James' fifth mission
Book(s) Divine Madness
Mission controller(s) John Jones
Agent(s)
Location(s)
Target(s)
  • The Survivors
  • Help Earth
Crime(s) Eco-terrorism
Result Green tickY Success
Promotion(s) Lauren Adams:      →     

James and Lauren Adams and Dana Smith are sent on a mission to Australia, posing as the children of an ASIS agent. They have been sent to determine whether a cult, The Survivors, is associated with Help Earth, and as such are sent to a "recruitment hotbed" area. The "family" starts going to cult meetings, and are eventually accepted into the commune. Lauren and James are accepted into an elite cult school in the Ark, the cult's headquarters. There, James befriends Rathbone "Rat" Regan, son of the cult's founder. After a while, Lauren develops a crush on Rat, and he uses his influence with Susie Regan, one of his father's many wives, to get her and James jobs in the offices, rather than in the stifling warehouse or laundry rooms.

Dana, meanwhile, extremely depressed about her unspectacular role in the mission, is summoned to the head of the commune's office. There, she and Eve, another cult member, are told that they are to participate in a Help Earth mission to blow up an oil tanker. Her attempts to warn the mission controllers fail, and she ends up having to stop the attack herself.

However, ASIS now knows of the links between Help Earth and the Survivors. Having been waiting for an excuse to attack the Ark, elite troops are sent in to destroy it, despite the CHERUB agents' warnings that the cult is well-prepared for such an event. A helicopter is shot down and dozens of troops are killed in the first attack. In the lull that follows, James, Rat and Lauren attempt an escape. However, they are captured and locked in a room full of toddlers by a sadistic overseer.

When they manage to overpower her, Lauren points out that they need to take the kids with them or risk them dying. James reluctantly agrees, and they drag the half-asleep toddlers with them. Rat says that the most likely way out is through the sewage system, so they go there. James is making his way through the tank when an engineer appears. A brief moment of panic is proved unfounded as Rat persuades the man that he is on a divine mission. The man then offers to help them.

The now nine-strong group get out, but later hear that in another ASIS attack, several dozen children were killed when a wall collapsed on them. Rat is reported dead, but is revealed to be alive and going out with Lauren, who receives a black shirt. Dana is awarded a navy shirt, while all James gets is a stomach bug caught in the sewage system. Rat is recruited as a CHERUB agent and the four return to campus.[1]

Main characters

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See also: List of CHERUB characters
  • James Adams - Is sent to Australia with Lauren and Dana to infiltrate the Survivors' Ark. Only Lauren and James are accepted and they begin to unearth links between The Survivors and Help Earth. Towards the end of the book they become involved in the carnage that ensues when The Australian SAS invade.
  • Lauren Adams - James's sister, Lauren also goes to Australia and earns a Black Shirt, making her one of the youngest CHERUB agents to ever receive one.
  • Dana Smith - She is part of the mission, except that she does not get accepted to go into the Survivor's Ark. Instead, Dana is sent to blow up a tanker that is refueling at a LNG, Liquid Natural Gas, facility as a part of Help Earth's plan.

Development

Censored Section

Divine Madness is one of two Cherub stories where part of a scene had been cut out. The scene in question was the segment where Kyle and Bruce were chasing a suspected member of Help Earth. In the original version of the scene, Bruce beats up a passenger who calls him names while boarding the train. In the published book, this is not shown due to excessive violence. The cover is Bruce ignoring the comment.[2]

Extra Story

On the CHERUB website, there is a bonus chapter entitled "Disconnected". It is set during Chapter 44 of Divine Madness, and introduces James' father.[3]

Awards

Award Year Result
Lancashire Children's Book of the Year 2007 Winner[4]

References

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External links

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