First, one issue in the book that I've seen so far is the most tragic thing that can happen to a teen, death. He's only 11 years old! James' mom dies all of a sudden from a stroke, he is left all alone. All he has is a step-dad that is mean spirited. He finds a way to take James' sister away to make James' life even more miserable. James' and his step-dad have this parent child relationship, James' hates his step-dad because he hates him. Not many peoples' moms die when their only a teenager. This is why I think that James' is one of the unluckiest people in the world, his mom dies and then his step-dad abandons him.
A second issue I see in the book so far is peer pressure. When James' agree to hang out with one of the most violent gangs. The gang peer pressures him into joining their gang and peer pressuring James to do a lot of bad crimes. They broke into a shop and stole some cars. James isn't even confident with himself. He doesn't really quite trust them, but if he denied the offer to join their gang, it would make him look like a scaredy cat. For example, when James made a joke about Vince, Vince was about to beat him up and make him lick the floor ten times.
In conclusion, James' life is very complicated. He's so young and is already encountering so many problems. The book is very entertaining so far. I can't wait till James gets recruited into CHERUB.I hope there will be more fast paced action. I am also hoping for a change from James, I hope he'll become nicer and won't hang out with the gang. Life is tough these days, especially for teenagers. In reality, a lot of teens are experiencing what James is feeling. He feels lost, he has to go to daycare.
It sounds like a really interesting book. I like how you not only spoke about what it was that made his life complicated, but also why that would hurt someone his age. It is very detailed, throughout, and well written.
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