Book Review : Evil Genius

Evil Genius is about a seven year old named Cadel Piggot. The novel starts out simply enough and a little misleadingly as the reader is introduced to Cadel Piggot, a seven year old genius who has a habit of dismantling his adoptive parents’ security system, hacking into high-security computer networks, power grids, and bill pay services. This atypical behavior lands Cadel in trouble with the law. (The police arrests him for computer hacking) As a consequence, he is referred to Dr. Thaddeus Roth, a renowned psychologist for troubled children. Cadel's adoptive parents are don't really care about him. They always travel to other places (leaving him alone) for their job. Anyways, Dr. Roth encourages Cadel to be evil, and encourages him to continue hacking on the computers. But, his adoptive parents don't allow Cadel a computer, because they know that Cadel is addicted to it. But Dr. Roth knows Cadel real dad, and Cadel is happy to know that someone cares about him. One bad thing - His dad is an evil genius who is at prison and is trying to take over the world. His dad is Dr. Phineas Darkkon. Well, since his dad is a genius, he creates this thing that is sort of like a webcam, and Cadel and his Dad. Well the book is very slow, because the first 200 pages are about Cadel's life from 7 years old to 13 years old. It talks about his life in a normal elementary school, constantly skipping grades, and going to high school at 9. Cadel is very antisocial at school. He never talks to anyone. Anyways, he graduates from high school at like 13, oh, and while at school, he uses his evil genius mind to prank others, like making them sick, etc. After Cadel graduates the story finally begins, (after reading 200 pages) The two men also encourage Cadel to learn how systems of human relations work, so that he can disrupt those too. 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. And the one thing I forgot is that while Cadel is meeting with his father through the webcam thingy, for Cadel's birthday, his dad uses Cadel's cell phone that his adoptive parents gave him, and his dad uses some DNA thingy to make it to a computer. Using the tiny computer, Cadel creates a website (?) called Partner Post, which is a dating website. Basically females go to that website and talk to guys. But the thing is the (only) guy is Cadel, so he disguises his name and just talks to girls. (As a friend) He wants to make new friends. Cadel is enrolled in the Axis Institute. It is a university that from the outside looks like any modern, privately funded college but is actually a school for the evil-inclined: Axis Institute for World Domination. The first years include a set of twins known as Jemima and Niobe Johnson. The twins communicate telepathically, possess a cruel streak, and they are ever so good at shoplifting. Then there is Abraham Coggins, a paranoid young man whose sole mission in life is to create a race of vampires. Then there is Clive Slaughter, who has the ability to start fires. Least of all, I say least because he doesn’t have an evil bone in his body, is Gazo Kovacs, who emits a smell so vile people are rendered unconscience. Gazo is Cadel's friend and he is not evil at all and helps him throughout the book. In the begining, Cadel feels at home with his new classmates. But one person keeps him from achieving his full evil genius potential and that is Kay-Lee. With the help, love and support of Kay-Lee, Cadel is able to see the Axis Institute and Dr. Roth for what they are. But can he get away from them before he is destroyed?

Kay-Lee is the girl Cadel talks to on Partner Post. It's actually a dark, complex, multilayered story, flat characters, fantasy element, wicked humor, and breakneck pacing. But it also has a series of twists and turns, each of which leads deeper into the web of lies that has been Cadel's entire life.

There is a HUGE twist, I will tell you that, and if you (Teagan) are going to read it, then I don't think I should spoil it. In the end, (I'm going to explain this without spoiling it) Cadel gets kidnapped and has to run away from some people who he realizes that they are actually evil. This book has so much betrayal, and so many twists and turns! Still, I think Digital Fortress is better. Right now, I'm reading The Lost Symbol for the second time, and when I'm done, I'll review it. Bye!!!!! :)