Genius: The Game

Reviewed by: Krisitn Taylor - Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 6, 2017

Review

A gripping must have for your shelves, recommended for grades 7-12 with it's sequel due in August 2017. Three teenage crusaders are the main characters -- Rex, one of the world's best programmers/hackers who lives in New Mexico; Tunde, a self-taught engineer from Africa and Painted Wolf - a teenage blogger and activist from China. They have been friends for quite awhile online, but have never meet until they are chosen to be one of 200 contestants at the Genius Competition to play the Game -- getting ready for Zero Hour. This is sponsored by a technology guru who wants only the brightest members in the world on his team, but for what reasons that is unsure.

Plenty of twists in the plot and the characters to keep you on the edge of your seat. Culturally diverse with descriptions of what it is like in the various countries such as the military rule where Tunde is from, the constant fear of being a child of illegal immigrants that Rex is faced with and Painted Wolf living in a country were many privileges are not allowed and corruption is rampant.

There are illustration through out the book in the form of sketches of designs, schematics, video still shots and examples of written computer code that match up with the various conversations. Well placed and help explain the conservations.

Overall Book Score: excellent