Review of "Evil Genius"
by Catherine Jinks
.
.
|
|  | Article by Daniel Eskridge Cadel Piggott is a child genius. At the age of 7 he's already gotten into trouble via computer hacking. As a result, his foster parents must take him to regularly see a psychologist named Thaddeus Roth. However, unbeknownst them, Roth is not really a psychologist, but rather is the second in command of a criminal organization led by a man named Phineas Darkkon. Darkkon is in jail and happens to be Cadel's father. After graduating from high school at the age of 14, Cadel is persuaded by Roth and Darkkon to enroll in the AXIS institute, a college built by Darkkon specifically for his son. On the outside, the institute appears to be a normal college, but in actuality its curriculum includes classes such as Forgery, Embezzlement, Computer Hacking, and Disguise. The professors are all elite criminals, and the students all seem like watered down versions of Marvel Comic's X-Men, sporting powers such as the ability to produce an incredible stench or have just enough pyrokinesis to spontaneously combust. The school exists with one true goal: to turn Cadel into a super villain the likes of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. At first, this seems to be just the thing for Cadel. Social isolation from his high school classmates as well as his emotionally distant foster parents has left him a bit bitter. However, while running a dating website scam he meets Kay Lee, a person who appears to be at his intellectual level. Through her, Cadel learns that the world is not such a hostile place for him. His newfound empathy however, directly contradicts the purpose of the AXIS institute. He finds himself at odds with Roth and Darkkon and their plans for him. So it is up to him to engineer his escape. This setup of a school for evil, full of students with freakish powers and intellect, might sound like the stage is set for quite a bit of light hearted humor, but this is not really how it plays out. Reality deals a heavy hand with often dreadful results for the students. However, that becomes a strong point as it leads to suspenseful situations that definitely keep the reader involved. The plot moves along at a good pace, too, with no significant slow points. Plus, anyone who feels a bit isolated in school (or remembers feeling that way) will find it easy to identify with Cadel. In other words, this novel is very hard to put down. Evil Genius is a YA novel, but barely so. While the plot is not too complex, the concepts and themes tend toward being a bit mature. Quite a number of deaths also occur and there is a touch of foul language. It really seems best for teens who are just about ready to move on to mainstream novels. --Daniel |
