 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Evil Genius
- By Catherine Jinks
- Genre: Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Complex tale of a criminal prodigy is engrossing but dark.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a entertaining book about a child prodigy in training to be a master criminal, the first book in a series of three. Like Artemis Fowl, it has a child criminal genius, codes, and all that -- and while it has some fun details, it's actually a far darker, more complex, multilayered thriller. Cadel is encouraged and manipulated to commit crimes and engage in other bad behavior, and there's a lot of violence, though much of it isn't described in detail. In the end, Cadel eventually develops empathy and becomes suspicious of both his father's and his psychologist's real motives.
What's the story?
At the age of 7, brilliant foster child Cadel Piggot is taken to psychologist Thaddeus Roth, at the suggestion of the police who arrested Cadel for computer hacking. But Dr. Roth seems to encourage Cadel in his antisocial behavior, talking him into figuring out traffic and train systems so that he can disrupt them. Then Dr. Roth reveals that he is really employed by Cadel's father, incarcerated criminal genius Dr. Phineas Darkkon, and arranges conversations between father and son. Finally they create an entire school, The Axis Institute, which secretly teaches advanced criminal skills: forgery, poisoning, embezzlement, disguise, infiltration, and lots more. But nothing is as it seems. As Cadel becomes friendly with a young math genius, students and teachers begin to die, and Cadel becomes suspicious of both his father's and his psychologist's real motives.
Is it any good?
At first glance, this may seem like another Artemis Fowl -- child criminal genius, codes, and all that -- but it's actually a far darker, more complex, multilayered story, lacking the B-movie dialogue, flat characters, fantasy element, wicked humor, and breakneck pacing that were Fowl's trademarks. Instead, it has a series of twists and turns, each of which leads deeper into the web of lies that has been Cadel's entire life.
In some ways this engrossing and exciting novel is a critique of the ways gifted children are parented and taught -- because they are brilliant, adults tend to expect them to be adult in every way long before they are ready. As in King Matt the First by Janusz Korczak, the hero is a child who takes on an adult role without the necessary understanding of the world, with disastrous consequences he can't understand. This is one of those books that readers will race through and enjoy, then go back to really think about it. Even when it's finished, it's hard to put aside.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the word "evil" in the book's title. Is the protagonist actually evil? Can you think of other books that focus on criminal characters? What's fun about reading their stories? Do you always expect them to change their ways? Can you think of any who don't?
This book is the first installment in a series of three books. Did you know that when you picked the book up? Is it more fun to read a book knowing that the story continues in future installments? Why do you think writers might be interested in penning a series? Why might a publisher be interested in printing one?
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AGE
A good read for me, NOT OK for under 16
No Way is this appropriate for 12 a year old. If you think the "bit of swearing' in this book is OK for your 12-15 year old, you need higher standards. I enjoyed the book.
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AGE
Great book,
Most people would be to disturbed by the language in this book, so if your wondering should u let ur kids ready just make sure there mature enough. The title says a lot about the book. Word like b**ch and S--t do come up but nothing a normal 13 yr old would hear every day in the lunch room. One thing is that this whole book is about criminal acts.
Its a great story for any teen that is bored with the good hero and wants to read about the kid that is not so strong but is devilishly smart in any way, if ur like me ull et a little devilish smile through this book.
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AGE
Not a fan
Frankly, I found this book boring and slow-paced. Though I can normally become easily engrossed in my reading, it did not appeal to me or seem particularly interesting. The plot does not flow together and none of the characters are particularly likable.
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AGE
Ooo...impressed, I didn't think it was going to be so...engrossing
I mean, the flap calls it "an engrossing thriller", which had me kind of raising my eyebrows in disbelief...And also, I have some strange fascination with child prodigies and aliens...But I read this and was very impressed at how deep some parts of it were. Overall, it is a very excellent read, though it does have some cussing and sexual references...Actually, it has a whole paragraph about Cadel being intrigued about sex. The violence isn't much, and I couldn't put the book down at all. I'm not joking. I read it nearly all throughout two days.
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AGE
YUCK
This book had so much swearing I couldn't even get through the first chapter. I do not recommend this book at all.
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AGE
Okay Book.
1st off, there's a bit of cussing, a LOT of innuendo, such as: This girl and her boyfriend come back from a party with his shirt un zipped and she has a rose in her hair. Cadel looks at adult magazines, he thinks it's a good idea to have sex, just so he can be more experienced. The girl he likes thinks he's gay. Twins say that they want to take Cadel up to their room but can't cause he's off limits. The narrator says that the twins have very distinct eyes and breasts. One boy calls the twins a sl-t, b--ch, and so on. As for the violence, fingers are blown off, faces cut, heads cracked open, suicide, etc. The language consists of fifty uses of: p-ss off, da-m, god-amn, they use Jesus's name as a cuss word a lot. Cadel dresses up like a girl on several occasions, using make up and everything. not really any posotive messages. Cadel is told to never admit to anything, always lie, no matter who or what gets hurt. He makes the SAT tests fail everybody, and all of them are extremely depressed. I think one person commits suicide because they are so stressed over the topic.
But besides that, it's an okay book. :P
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AGE
Simply amazing for teens and tweens
It is a very good book. It completely sucked me in and is a very good piece of literature. However, there were swears that are lower on the "totem pole", and one bad word against women.
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AGE
loved it!
I loved this book! I thought it was fun, it was interesting, and the characters feel real, even if the situations are not. I know some people might not like it, because they don't like this kind of book. But, if you liked Artemis Fowl or other fantasy/adventure/kid power books, you'll like this.
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| Author: | Catherine Jinks |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Publisher: | Harcourt Brace |
| Publication date: | April 26, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 486 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
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