The New Recruit by Jill Williamson

Brief Summary:
Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.

These guys mean business.

Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration.

Positive Content:

The main character, Spencer, was quirky and likable, and I enjoyed having the book from his point of view.  He made mistakes, but he learned from him.  He wasn't just some "super-spy" kid that always steps in and saves the day.  Of course, he is the hero of the story, but not directly how I would have expected.  Also, this book had a bunch of great messages about Christianity without being preachy.  It spoke from a very Biblical worldview without stuffing it down the reader's throats.  I enjoyed that.

Possible Objectionable Content:

Spencer lies to his friends and elders, but he learns from it.  Also, he curses a lot but the words are never used in the book.  Any mistakes that the characters make aren't glorified, and they always learn a Biblical principle form their mistakes.

Conclusion:

The New Recruit was a pretty good Christian spy book, however, I had a few issues with it.  For one, it was a bit far-fetched.  A spy agency of just kids?  Sure, teenage books usually have quite a few unrealistic elements, but I thought this one just went a little far.  Also, I feel like the teenage-spy thing has been overdone.

So, despite having a likable character and good Christian elements, this book didn't really capture my attention.  However, for someone who enjoys this genre, it's definitely a good book to try. 

Rating: 6/10

Recommended Age: 13+
Genre: Christian/Action
Part of a series?: The Mission League, book one