Clara’s Verdict
Fifteen books in and Robert Muchamore hasn’t lost it. Black Friday – the final volume of the original Cherub series – manages to be both a rollicking spy thriller and a genuinely satisfying conclusion to narratives that have been running for fourteen books. That balance is harder to achieve than it looks. Muchamore knows his audience: young readers who want action, genuine stakes, and characters who face real consequences, not sanitised fantasy dangers. Simon Scardifield has been narrating the series throughout, and his familiarity with the material is audible in the best way. This is YA thriller at its confident peak.
About the Audiobook
CHERUB is a secret organisation that uses teenage agents for intelligence work – the logic being that even trained terrorists don’t suspect children. Ryan is about to board a plane knowing the next 24 hours could determine whether the biggest terrorist attack America has ever seen goes ahead. The mission connects back to the Aramov Clan operation from the previous book, and Muchamore weaves in the return of original series characters – James Adams among them – alongside the current generation of agents.
What distinguishes Muchamore from lesser YA thriller writers is his willingness to let consequences be real: missions fail, people get hurt, moral compromises are made that don’t resolve neatly. Black Friday delivers on these terms while also closing out the series with the sense of completion it deserves – futures sketched, relationships resolved, the sense that these characters will keep existing even when we stop reading about them. The terrorist plot mechanics are handled with the care of someone who has clearly researched the territory, and the action sequences move efficiently without sacrificing character.
The Narration
Simon Scardifield’s reading is confident and well-paced – he distinguishes the large cast clearly without resorting to exaggerated characterisation, and the action sequences have genuine momentum. At 6 hours and 36 minutes, this moves quickly; returning readers will appreciate the efficiency, and it’s worth having the previous volumes fresh in memory before approaching this finale.
What Readers Say
A 4.7-star average from Audible UK listeners – strong approval from an audience that has followed the series closely. Nickyhusky, reviewing from the United Kingdom, calls it “a really good book” that benefits from the return of familiar characters: “it felt like being on familiar turf.” Jacob describes it as “a fitting end to the 15 book era” that “brings closure as to the futures of most characters.” B.C. Webb praises the series continuity and notes the satisfying subplot involving former agent James. The critical notes focus on structural issues common to Muchamore’s plotting style, but the consensus is that the series ends as it should: with ambition, action, and proper regard for its characters.
Who Should Listen?
Readers aged 12 and upwards who are already invested in the Cherub series – this is emphatically not the place to start. The series begins with The Recruit, and reading the earlier books is essential context. New readers who enjoy Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series, Chris Bradford’s Young Samurai, or Charlie Higson’s young James Bond novels will find the whole Cherub series well worth their time: grittier and more morally nuanced than most YA spy fiction.
Listen on Audible UK: Get Black Friday on Audible UK.
