Module 9: Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Citation:
Jinks, C. (2008). Evil genius. Boston : Graphia, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Summary:
Cadel Piggot is smart. He is smarter than most adults, in fact. So when he figures out how to start using his smarts to cause trouble, the adults finally start to treat him like a problem. First they take away his computer and make him go to therapy. This happens to be a mistake on their part because the therapist is his biological father's right hand man. Cadel's biological father is an world renowned evil genius and wants to ensure that Cadel is smarter than him but grow in his footsteps. With the help of the right hand man, Thaddeus Roth, Cadel develops his skills as an evil genius and is eventually admitted to an undercover evil genius school.
My Thoughts:
This story, for the most part, is cute and entertaining, however most of the women mentioned in the story are bland, one-note, stereotypical women. This turned me off of the book after a while. I do not think this would be a terrible book for children to read, but I would hesitate to recommend it to many because of this.
Professional Reviews:
"Gr 7 Up - Cadel Piggott was hacking into computer systems by the time he was seven and causing all sorts of trouble by the time he fast-tracked through high school. At age 14, he is encouraged by his longtime "psychiatrist" to enroll in the Axis Institute. There, the classes include Misinformation, Disguise, Basic Lying, Embezzlement, and Explosives. Cadel settles into his first semester of studies, but soon begins to suspect that something is very wrong here. Through Partner Post, his online matching service experiment, he receives a cryptic warning from one of his subscribers, and he begins to make plans to investigate his teachers. A trail of hacked information takes him to places he doesn't want to go. A flowing and coherent style leads readers into the thriller that Evil Genius becomes. Although background information dominates the beginning of the book, the plot quickly picks up its dark and dangerous pace as Cadel moves through his fear and realization of what is happening around him. As an alternative thriller that shows the good side of evil, Jinks sets up a compelling world of lies, deceit, and betrayal that will have lovers of mystery or computer-based investigation on the edge as they devour this page-turner. A sequel is planned"
Thomarie, D. (2007). Evil Genius. School Library Journal, 53(7), 104.
Library uses:
This book, in conjunction with books like Artemis Fowl, could be used for a "Evil Genius" theme program complete with technology to play with and tasks to complete.
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