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Genius #1
Genius: The Game
Trust no one. Every camera is an eye. Every microphone an ear. Find me and we can stop him together.
The Game: Get ready for Zero Hour as 200 geniuses from around the world go head to head in a competition hand-devised by India's youngest CEO and visionary.
The Players:
Rex- One of the best programmers/hackers in the world, this 16-year-old Mexican-American is determined to find his missing brother.
Tunde- This 14-year-old self-taught engineering genius has drawn the attention of a ruthless military warlord by single-handedly bringing electricity and internet to his small Nigerian village.
Painted Wolf- One of China's most respected activist bloggers, this mysterious 16-year-old is being pulled into the spotlight by her father's new deal with a corrupt Chinese official.
The Stakes: Are higher than you can imagine. Like life and death. Welcome to the revolution. And get ready to run.
The Game: Get ready for Zero Hour as 200 geniuses from around the world go head to head in a competition hand-devised by India's youngest CEO and visionary.
The Players:
Rex- One of the best programmers/hackers in the world, this 16-year-old Mexican-American is determined to find his missing brother.
Tunde- This 14-year-old self-taught engineering genius has drawn the attention of a ruthless military warlord by single-handedly bringing electricity and internet to his small Nigerian village.
Painted Wolf- One of China's most respected activist bloggers, this mysterious 16-year-old is being pulled into the spotlight by her father's new deal with a corrupt Chinese official.
The Stakes: Are higher than you can imagine. Like life and death. Welcome to the revolution. And get ready to run.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
About the author
Leopoldo Gout
11 books223 followersLeopoldo Gout, author of Genius, is a writer, artist, and filmmaker who hails from Mexico. After studying in London, Gout produced the award-winning film Days of Grace, which A. O. Scott of the New York Times called “potent and vigorous.” He is the executive producer of the number one new show of the summer, sci-fi drama Zoo on CBS and is partnered with James Patterson Entertainment to produce Maximum Ride. Leopoldo Gout resides in New York City with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews
January 30, 2016
This book wanted me to love it! The cast of characters is great, the danger that the characters faced is great, the idea of bringing the brightest young minds together with a hidden ulterior motive is great. I'm sure that there will be so much to love about the final publication, but unfortunately there is a lot of work to go with it in its ARC stage.
There are four major flaws I saw in the ARC copy I received that made me give this book a lower rating than I wanted.
1. There are a ton of visuals in there. This would be fine if they enriched the story or illustrated computer screens, similar to Michael Crichton novels do. However, some of them are downright absurd or are substitutes for poor description. For example, after describing a bedroom, we are given a diagram of it. Sorry, but a visual in this case should not substitute for poor description.
2. The Game, as it is called (which I personally think is a lame title), is not very well described to the reader. Readers are given as much information as the characters about it, and then we are left running around with the characters as they try to solve the code they are given.
3. Speaking of code, this competition involves 200 people under the age of 18 who excel in a variety of subjects and talents. There are mentions of a writer and a fine artist. Everything that happens in The Game is built around solving an extremely complex computer code. Yet only 2 of the 200 invited were invited because of their computer knowledge. Even if competitors whose skill sets were not touched by The Game, and they paired up with someone whose knowledge matched the material, just like the creators of The Game were anticipating, there is simply not enough competitors who have knowledge of code to even make this buyable.
4. Finally, no one who is competing for a fully funded lab and facility will compete as ethically as the characters in this book. And no one will ever be happy to lose a high stakes competition in the final twelve. Yet in the end, 8 of the 12 people are celebrating when there are only 4 winners. As reality televisions have shown us, even the most well grounded people resort to cheating, backstabbing, and manipulation in order to propel themselves over the top. I simply cannot believe that even a "bloodbath" is played out fairly nicely.
I tried really hard to love this book. There was so much promise, and through most of the book I had really high hopes that it would ramp up in intensity. Unfortunately, when it finally did, I have to step so carefully around the plot holes already there that I couldn't buy what was being sold. I wouldn't say I hated this book. When I looked past its flaws, the story was pretty engaging. Unfortunately, it didn't have the spirit that a book with its subject matter should have.
There are four major flaws I saw in the ARC copy I received that made me give this book a lower rating than I wanted.
1. There are a ton of visuals in there. This would be fine if they enriched the story or illustrated computer screens, similar to Michael Crichton novels do. However, some of them are downright absurd or are substitutes for poor description. For example, after describing a bedroom, we are given a diagram of it. Sorry, but a visual in this case should not substitute for poor description.
2. The Game, as it is called (which I personally think is a lame title), is not very well described to the reader. Readers are given as much information as the characters about it, and then we are left running around with the characters as they try to solve the code they are given.
3. Speaking of code, this competition involves 200 people under the age of 18 who excel in a variety of subjects and talents. There are mentions of a writer and a fine artist. Everything that happens in The Game is built around solving an extremely complex computer code. Yet only 2 of the 200 invited were invited because of their computer knowledge. Even if competitors whose skill sets were not touched by The Game, and they paired up with someone whose knowledge matched the material, just like the creators of The Game were anticipating, there is simply not enough competitors who have knowledge of code to even make this buyable.
4. Finally, no one who is competing for a fully funded lab and facility will compete as ethically as the characters in this book. And no one will ever be happy to lose a high stakes competition in the final twelve. Yet in the end, 8 of the 12 people are celebrating when there are only 4 winners. As reality televisions have shown us, even the most well grounded people resort to cheating, backstabbing, and manipulation in order to propel themselves over the top. I simply cannot believe that even a "bloodbath" is played out fairly nicely.
I tried really hard to love this book. There was so much promise, and through most of the book I had really high hopes that it would ramp up in intensity. Unfortunately, when it finally did, I have to step so carefully around the plot holes already there that I couldn't buy what was being sold. I wouldn't say I hated this book. When I looked past its flaws, the story was pretty engaging. Unfortunately, it didn't have the spirit that a book with its subject matter should have.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 23, 2016dnf @ pg 36
I usually don't give up on books this quickly but after 30ish pages I'm just not interested enough to continue.
I usually don't give up on books this quickly but after 30ish pages I'm just not interested enough to continue.
December 5, 2016
An Electronic Advance Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. Quotes have been pulled from an e-ARC and may be subject to change.
Fun quick read! The pacing was quite fast, which I enjoyed. It almost read in a style of a movie, where the next clue or next plot point is dropped and the audience is taken along for the ride. I loved reading the challenges they had to do. Not knowing what they were talking about, I soon grew weary but nonetheless I was still curious and engaged in how they came to their answers. I love how the Game wasn't even the main plot because each character had their own motive in helping others or their own family. I just thought that made it so much more interesting than having this game take over their lives. Because it showed how important other aspects of their young lives really are.
I love that whole set of POC characters are literally from all over the world. Even the side characters, where one of them is from the Philippines. That made me happy being Filipino after all. I had one sore point of the book and I couldn't help but notice it. Out of the two main characters, Tundee was treated as well "different." I don't know if the broken English point of view was needed. Both Rex and Cai who are also people of colour did not have any broken English dialogue and thoughts so I don't know why Tunde needed that either. Just because he's from a village? Isn't that a bit racist after all? I don't know why he was just segregated like that. Maybe I'm just reading into it, but I didn't like that niggly feeling I got when I kept seeing it.
There are also so many great quotes that I couldn't help but pull. They were so memorable and I just thought they were much needed in our society today. The quote about the cure for cancer made me stop and think because even though I thought the same myself years ago, I was still taken aback it was in a fictional novel.
The Game is an intelligent and enthralling read for young and old readers alike! You'll love how diverse the cast of characters are and how each have their own voice and story to tell.
RATING 3/5
QUOTES
"Knowledge expands freedom in all its forms. Knowledge breaks down walls. It liberates the oppressed. We are committed to knowledge. Knowledge as a hammer against classism, against sexism, against racism, against gender discrimination, against slavery, against bigotry, against war, against hatred. If there is darkness in the world, we will light it up."
"What if I told you there was a cure for cancer? That right now, there’s a molecule sitting in a lab at a pharmaceutical company in Europe that can effectively cure most gastrointestinal cancers? Thing is, the company won’t release it. Why? Because they also manufacture chemotherapy drugs, drugs that make them billions of dollars a year."
"Every revolution begins with action. Sometimes, people don’t realize what’s best for them until after it’s happened. Sometimes, they need a little push to get them to realize. They have to reach a tipping point. A situation that threatens the structure of their lives so profoundly, they have no choice but to embrace change."
Fun quick read! The pacing was quite fast, which I enjoyed. It almost read in a style of a movie, where the next clue or next plot point is dropped and the audience is taken along for the ride. I loved reading the challenges they had to do. Not knowing what they were talking about, I soon grew weary but nonetheless I was still curious and engaged in how they came to their answers. I love how the Game wasn't even the main plot because each character had their own motive in helping others or their own family. I just thought that made it so much more interesting than having this game take over their lives. Because it showed how important other aspects of their young lives really are.
I love that whole set of POC characters are literally from all over the world. Even the side characters, where one of them is from the Philippines. That made me happy being Filipino after all. I had one sore point of the book and I couldn't help but notice it. Out of the two main characters, Tundee was treated as well "different." I don't know if the broken English point of view was needed. Both Rex and Cai who are also people of colour did not have any broken English dialogue and thoughts so I don't know why Tunde needed that either. Just because he's from a village? Isn't that a bit racist after all? I don't know why he was just segregated like that. Maybe I'm just reading into it, but I didn't like that niggly feeling I got when I kept seeing it.
There are also so many great quotes that I couldn't help but pull. They were so memorable and I just thought they were much needed in our society today. The quote about the cure for cancer made me stop and think because even though I thought the same myself years ago, I was still taken aback it was in a fictional novel.
The Game is an intelligent and enthralling read for young and old readers alike! You'll love how diverse the cast of characters are and how each have their own voice and story to tell.
RATING 3/5
QUOTES
"Knowledge expands freedom in all its forms. Knowledge breaks down walls. It liberates the oppressed. We are committed to knowledge. Knowledge as a hammer against classism, against sexism, against racism, against gender discrimination, against slavery, against bigotry, against war, against hatred. If there is darkness in the world, we will light it up."
"What if I told you there was a cure for cancer? That right now, there’s a molecule sitting in a lab at a pharmaceutical company in Europe that can effectively cure most gastrointestinal cancers? Thing is, the company won’t release it. Why? Because they also manufacture chemotherapy drugs, drugs that make them billions of dollars a year."
"Every revolution begins with action. Sometimes, people don’t realize what’s best for them until after it’s happened. Sometimes, they need a little push to get them to realize. They have to reach a tipping point. A situation that threatens the structure of their lives so profoundly, they have no choice but to embrace change."
April 28, 2016
I went into this book thinking that it would remind me of Ready Player One and I was right, it did. It reminded me of it because this book is also about a young computer genius. In Ready Player One the protagonist is a gamer, in this book the protagonists are a technical engineer, computer programmer/hacker/coder and an activist. The high school student Rex is a brilliant computer programmer and he and his friends are on the run, presumably from the government or some worse kind of entity, in the beginning of the book. Hacktivism and genius, the revolution has begun. The book starts out with the three main characters meeting for a competition of genius. The contestants are young techie prodigies. The writing is really good, the story is fast paced and the characters are likeable. A SciFi techie young adult adventure. I enjoyed it a lot. 4 stars
August 9, 2022
Not a bad plot, overall. Pretty good for a YA. Decent characters, even if some of them hew much too close to cultural stereotypes for comfort.
But I cannot fully express how wrong every single technical detail in this book is. Like, it’s not just that I’m a computer snob. I’m not bothered by the occasional sci-fi hacking scene or oblique reference to firewalls. But if you’re going to write a story *literally about computers and hacking,* is it really too much to ask that you read *one single Wikipedia page* on the subject? Damn. Fifteen minutes of research could’ve saved us 80% or more of this book’s absolutely incomprehensible techno-babble.
The various plot devices don’t even follow their own internal logic. A quantum computer that can’t be accessed via internet, yet has full internet access? A complex electronic device with a sleek custom case made from junkyard parts? A cat burglar that doesn’t put her phone on silent? Come on.
Lots of authors use code and hacking in their books. Most of them don’t code. Very few have the audacity to paste actual code from the internet without bothering to find out what it does, or even to read it at all, and then later describe various pieces of code in a way that makes it nauseatingly clear they have no idea what code is, does, looks like, or means.
Like I said, I don’t expect anyone to get a CS degree before they write sci fi. But Google is free. Can we all promise to Google what a quantum computer is before we make it the centerpiece of a novel?
The book resolved into a pretty fun read toward the middle. Would’ve been three stars, possibly four. And then it just stopped. The conflict we were introduced to on page 1 never got resolved. We left the characters in an impossible situation. I guess it’s a trilogy? There was no indication of this.
Mechanical issues are just the frosting on top of this mess. All the doodles and scribbles in the book sometimes obscured the text, making it literally hard to read. How do you mess up something so simple.
Anyway, apologies to James Patterson, who wrote the front cover blurb, but this book is not “smart, smart, smart.” It’s extremely basic and I dearly hope the author hires an editor for his next novel.
But I cannot fully express how wrong every single technical detail in this book is. Like, it’s not just that I’m a computer snob. I’m not bothered by the occasional sci-fi hacking scene or oblique reference to firewalls. But if you’re going to write a story *literally about computers and hacking,* is it really too much to ask that you read *one single Wikipedia page* on the subject? Damn. Fifteen minutes of research could’ve saved us 80% or more of this book’s absolutely incomprehensible techno-babble.
The various plot devices don’t even follow their own internal logic. A quantum computer that can’t be accessed via internet, yet has full internet access? A complex electronic device with a sleek custom case made from junkyard parts? A cat burglar that doesn’t put her phone on silent? Come on.
Lots of authors use code and hacking in their books. Most of them don’t code. Very few have the audacity to paste actual code from the internet without bothering to find out what it does, or even to read it at all, and then later describe various pieces of code in a way that makes it nauseatingly clear they have no idea what code is, does, looks like, or means.
Like I said, I don’t expect anyone to get a CS degree before they write sci fi. But Google is free. Can we all promise to Google what a quantum computer is before we make it the centerpiece of a novel?
The book resolved into a pretty fun read toward the middle. Would’ve been three stars, possibly four. And then it just stopped. The conflict we were introduced to on page 1 never got resolved. We left the characters in an impossible situation. I guess it’s a trilogy? There was no indication of this.
Mechanical issues are just the frosting on top of this mess. All the doodles and scribbles in the book sometimes obscured the text, making it literally hard to read. How do you mess up something so simple.
Anyway, apologies to James Patterson, who wrote the front cover blurb, but this book is not “smart, smart, smart.” It’s extremely basic and I dearly hope the author hires an editor for his next novel.
May 3, 2016
This was kind of interesting, but it didn’t meet my expectations. I received a copy from Netgalley to review, and ended up giving this book 3 out of 5 stars.
So here’s the thing…I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either. The ending kind of sucked and just left the story hanging. I really hate cliffhangers, especially if there’s no second book being published/talked about. I liked the characters for the most part, but I felt like I didn't really get to know them that well, other than their skills that got them into the Game. And the little more besides their skills that I did get to know about Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf, I felt unsatisfied with the lack of closure.
The different cultures and POVs were overall interesting, and the Game concept was also cool. But the Game felt a little anti-climactic. There were only a couple challenges. I figured they’d be run through a lot of challenges, narrowing down the competitors slower than they did, especially with how much the company paid to get all these people to the Game. The Game seemed like a big waste of money.
The other problems that Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf faced were just left incomplete by the end of the book. The one thing that took up a lot of Tunde’s POV/time with the warlord was kind of resolved, but I wanted to see it play out more. I felt like you didn’t get closure with that situation. I wanted to see what happened with Painted Wolf next after the Game, especially with what team she ended up on and how they did. I wanted to see what happened with Rex after the end. There was a twist towards the end of the book that just had me staring. It felt so out of place, and weird. I just wanted…more. I did like the hint of romance that was weaved into the story a little bit.
Final note: It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either, in my opinion. I think there could have been a lot more of the Game. I really wanted more closure on what happened with Rex, Painted Wolf, and Tunde. Hardcore sci-fi fans might like this more than me.
So here’s the thing…I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either. The ending kind of sucked and just left the story hanging. I really hate cliffhangers, especially if there’s no second book being published/talked about. I liked the characters for the most part, but I felt like I didn't really get to know them that well, other than their skills that got them into the Game. And the little more besides their skills that I did get to know about Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf, I felt unsatisfied with the lack of closure.
The different cultures and POVs were overall interesting, and the Game concept was also cool. But the Game felt a little anti-climactic. There were only a couple challenges. I figured they’d be run through a lot of challenges, narrowing down the competitors slower than they did, especially with how much the company paid to get all these people to the Game. The Game seemed like a big waste of money.
The other problems that Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf faced were just left incomplete by the end of the book. The one thing that took up a lot of Tunde’s POV/time with the warlord was kind of resolved, but I wanted to see it play out more. I felt like you didn’t get closure with that situation. I wanted to see what happened with Painted Wolf next after the Game, especially with what team she ended up on and how they did. I wanted to see what happened with Rex after the end. There was a twist towards the end of the book that just had me staring. It felt so out of place, and weird. I just wanted…more. I did like the hint of romance that was weaved into the story a little bit.
Final note: It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either, in my opinion. I think there could have been a lot more of the Game. I really wanted more closure on what happened with Rex, Painted Wolf, and Tunde. Hardcore sci-fi fans might like this more than me.
October 30, 2016
Genius: The Game is thought-provoking, intriguing, and soooooo exciting!
TJ's Time Travel Tips: https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
I like the three points of view – three distinct voices. Three distinct personalities. The supporting characters added flavor as well. I have no idea how accurate the science is in the book, but it doesn’t even matter – I bought it.
Some of the controversial issues covered in this fast-paced, suspenseful, intelligent, action story are: surveillance technology, surveillance drones, gps technology, gps jammers, hacking, misuse of telecommunications, corruption in governments, misuse of the control of information to establish and maintain power, free-flowing information channels, misuse of information technology, and not least of all kids and technology (and their naivety in the information-sharing day and age).
I absolutely have to know what happens next. I certainly hope a sequel is in the making.
4 stars
I received a copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi > Genius The Game by Leopoldo Gout - Starting August 24, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
TJ's Time Travel Tips: https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
I like the three points of view – three distinct voices. Three distinct personalities. The supporting characters added flavor as well. I have no idea how accurate the science is in the book, but it doesn’t even matter – I bought it.
Some of the controversial issues covered in this fast-paced, suspenseful, intelligent, action story are: surveillance technology, surveillance drones, gps technology, gps jammers, hacking, misuse of telecommunications, corruption in governments, misuse of the control of information to establish and maintain power, free-flowing information channels, misuse of information technology, and not least of all kids and technology (and their naivety in the information-sharing day and age).
I absolutely have to know what happens next. I certainly hope a sequel is in the making.
4 stars
I received a copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi > Genius The Game by Leopoldo Gout - Starting August 24, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
July 11, 2016
Basic Info
Format: Hardback
Pages/Length: 304pgs
Genre: Young Adult
Reason For Reading: Cover!
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: No.
Cliff Hanger: YES
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 4 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 9
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 8
Ending: -100000000
Total: 7
In Dept
Best Part: Cool drawings in the margins.
Worst Part: That ending!
Thoughts Had: F*CK YOU ENDING. FOR REAL.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: N-FREAKING-A
Recommending: Yes.
Short Review: That ended was probably one of the top 5 worst endings i have ever had the displeasure to read! UGGGHHHHHHHHH. Rex was a good character, the way he cheated thou, i would have done the same, didn't see the set up happening thou. Tunde was the best, showing how it is in Africa, his little native speak was cute. Painted Wolf, my favorite for sure, i love a good femal character and a spy! I just can't get over the ending. I want to throw the book at the author's face really.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Rex
Best Friend Material: Painted Wolf
May 6, 2016
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of those books that I loved, but have no idea how to review, simply because it was so uniquely enjoyable.
I loved all of the characters, particularly the three main characters. I thought that each character was well developed with distinct personalities.
Tunde's speech pattern was distinctive and it made reading the character's thoughts and comments interesting.
The concept of the novel was compelling; during the first half of the story I was just thinking about how much fun it would be to be recruited for The Game, or perhaps to know coding so well that I could hack into things.
Reading about The Game itself was enthralling; this portion of the novel was fast paced. Though things were resolved quickly it didn't feel like I was cheated out of information or that the author was skimping on detail. It was fast paced, but I thought that the pace was fitting for the scenes and that it succeeded in keeping the reader engaged.
There were twists and unexpected turns, and a few of them shocked me and left me wondering about how these newly created problems would be solved. Because of the plot twists, the reader never knows what is going to happen and the ending is unpredictable. The ending was amazing, a perfect stopping point for the novel. Even so, I find myself wondering what happened next.
This is one of the best novels that I have read in the past year. I highly recommend it!
This is one of those books that I loved, but have no idea how to review, simply because it was so uniquely enjoyable.
I loved all of the characters, particularly the three main characters. I thought that each character was well developed with distinct personalities.
Tunde's speech pattern was distinctive and it made reading the character's thoughts and comments interesting.
The concept of the novel was compelling; during the first half of the story I was just thinking about how much fun it would be to be recruited for The Game, or perhaps to know coding so well that I could hack into things.
Reading about The Game itself was enthralling; this portion of the novel was fast paced. Though things were resolved quickly it didn't feel like I was cheated out of information or that the author was skimping on detail. It was fast paced, but I thought that the pace was fitting for the scenes and that it succeeded in keeping the reader engaged.
There were twists and unexpected turns, and a few of them shocked me and left me wondering about how these newly created problems would be solved. Because of the plot twists, the reader never knows what is going to happen and the ending is unpredictable. The ending was amazing, a perfect stopping point for the novel. Even so, I find myself wondering what happened next.
This is one of the best novels that I have read in the past year. I highly recommend it!
April 15, 2016
Starring...
Rex – a 16 year old Mexican-American coder
Cai – a 16 year old Chinese blogger/activist
Tunde – a 14 year old Nigerian engineer who up-cycles garbage into technology for his Nigerian village
These teens are online friends who get the opportunity to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time when they’re invited to a competition hosted by the world’s top tech visionary, Kiran Biswas. Winners will receive spots on Kiran’s team doing cutting-edge tech development. Um…yes, I’ll read that arc, please!
To win the competition, Rex, Cai and Tunde will need to outsmart the top two hundred teen minds in the world. They have to do this while each of them simultaneously faces a threat to himself/herself or their family. I was particularly drawn in by the plight of Tunde, who has never been far from his small village, let alone to Boston, where the competition is being held. His family is held captive by a Nigerian military warlord. His parents and his entire village will be wiped-out unless Tunde both wins the contest and develops a new, powerful weapon and delivers it to the warlord, forcing him to choose between saving his family and helping a vicious killer.
Genius: The Game is tightly written and, of course, has tons of cool technology. Readers who love games, tech, and conspiracies will love it! Release date: May 3.
Rex – a 16 year old Mexican-American coder
Cai – a 16 year old Chinese blogger/activist
Tunde – a 14 year old Nigerian engineer who up-cycles garbage into technology for his Nigerian village
These teens are online friends who get the opportunity to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time when they’re invited to a competition hosted by the world’s top tech visionary, Kiran Biswas. Winners will receive spots on Kiran’s team doing cutting-edge tech development. Um…yes, I’ll read that arc, please!
To win the competition, Rex, Cai and Tunde will need to outsmart the top two hundred teen minds in the world. They have to do this while each of them simultaneously faces a threat to himself/herself or their family. I was particularly drawn in by the plight of Tunde, who has never been far from his small village, let alone to Boston, where the competition is being held. His family is held captive by a Nigerian military warlord. His parents and his entire village will be wiped-out unless Tunde both wins the contest and develops a new, powerful weapon and delivers it to the warlord, forcing him to choose between saving his family and helping a vicious killer.
Genius: The Game is tightly written and, of course, has tons of cool technology. Readers who love games, tech, and conspiracies will love it! Release date: May 3.
November 9, 2020
The concept of Genius: The Game (Genius #1) by Leopoldo Gout sounds pretty fantastic with high stakes and a diverse cast of characters. Plus, it's been a popular item at my library since it was released. I'd had my eye on it for quite some time since it looked like it had so much potential. Unfortunately, though, it just wasn't for me. My main complaint is that I had a tough time telling the difference between the four members of the main cast. I mean, I know what their stories are and what they were doing, but tonally they all sounded exactly the same. I kept having to flip back to the beginning of each chapter to check the heading to see which character we were following at any given time. Next, I felt really out of the loop when it came to the Game itself as if I were missing a vital piece of information. It didn't help that some elements didn't make much sense on their own either. Needless to say, it was very difficult to become invested in the cast and story and the ending didn't improve my view of the rest of the novel. I will not be back to continue this series.
August 12, 2017
I'd hoped for another 'Ready Player One' but this first book doesn't live up to the charm of RPO. Still it's a very interesting look at the near future, and I'll be reading the next book ASAP. The characters are great beacuse they are so diverse, being from all over the globe. Painted Wolf is my favorite as the strategist directing the tech geeks.
June 1, 2016
speechless
February 27, 2017
This book is awful. First off, spoiler, nothing happens. No, that's not quite right. Nothing important happens and if you're looking for resolution, you might as well read whatever the reviews are for the next book because it's a series, and for some reason some company thought that people would fall for this nonsense more than once.
Second, it's obvious that this was more artistic fluff than plot and message. Look at the illustrations. It's cool, right? Awesome! This is probably why there is no audiobook for this book. The thick paper, the illustrations and doodles try to distract you from how empty and thin the story is. Would have been a very short audio narration.
Third, the characters are inauthentic and although they have different backgrounds and identities they all seem the same. Except for Tunde's use of what I can only assume is his native language.
In the book, children from around the globe are flown to Boston to compete in a competition which is a set up by some hacking collective bent on world domination.
If in the sequel comes out and the singularity is initiated with a rogue AI controlling the world and putting an end to global conflict, I will be very pleased.
My copy features a blurb from James Patterson on the cover. I should have interpreted that as a warning.
Second, it's obvious that this was more artistic fluff than plot and message. Look at the illustrations. It's cool, right? Awesome! This is probably why there is no audiobook for this book. The thick paper, the illustrations and doodles try to distract you from how empty and thin the story is. Would have been a very short audio narration.
Third, the characters are inauthentic and although they have different backgrounds and identities they all seem the same. Except for Tunde's use of what I can only assume is his native language.
In the book, children from around the globe are flown to Boston to compete in a competition which is a set up by some hacking collective bent on world domination.
If in the sequel comes out and the singularity is initiated with a rogue AI controlling the world and putting an end to global conflict, I will be very pleased.
My copy features a blurb from James Patterson on the cover. I should have interpreted that as a warning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2016
This was an awesome tech-based book. If you are into technology and coding and computer stuff, this books is for you. This is a young adult novel about three teens who are completing genius level work in engineering, coding, and hacking/blogging/being a superhero. They all, we'll all except one, receive an invite to the game. The game is designed by Kiran Bitswas. The game seems too good to be true...read on to see what entanglements these characters get into.
May 31, 2016
This the type of book I would usually read. I don't know anything about coding, but I actually set down on my chair and took the time out and actually read this book. I Enjoyed reading this book. If you're into computers, math, engineering you should add Genius: The Game to your to-read list.
August 30, 2016
The concept was really interesting but that book was not.
July 8, 2016
I'm so excited to be featuring Genius: The Game by Leopoldo Gout as part of the Sunday Street Team!
Date
Name
Blog URL
5/1/2016
Amber Mann
http://bookstacksamber.wordpress.com
5/1/2016
Emily Hughes
Http://www.little-book-wyrm.com http://www.little-book-wyrm.tumblr.com
5/1/2016
Nicole Lynn Hoefs
http://www.boundlessbookaholic.com/
5/1/2016
Victoria
https://thepetitebookblogger.wordpress.com
5/1/2016
Sierra
sdavreads.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
Wren
thebookmatochronicles.blogspot.com
5/8/2016
Heather DeFilippis
http://hermitlibrarian.blogspot.com
5/8/2016
Annalisse
http://hopefulreads.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
The Book Jar Blog
Thebookjarblog.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
Nori
www.readwritelove28.com
5/15/2016
Lynette
www.charminglysimple.com
5/15/2016
Lila Harrison
thebookkeeperssecrets.wordpress.com
5/15/2016
Jessica
novelcravings.wordpress.com
5/15/2016
Karen Blue
http://kissinbluekaren.com
5/22/2016
Ameenah
https://tattooedpages.wordpress.com
5/22/2016
Em
piplupsshadow.blogspot.com
5/22/2016
J.A. Jimenez
http://hercoffeeinkedtales.wordpress.com
5/22/2016
Rochelle
http://www.chocomeiske.com
5/29/2016
Meleika
endlesspagesinc.blogspot.com
5/29/2016
MC
http://blameitonthebooks.com
5/29/2016
Coley
Www.happycloudreviews.com
5/29/2016
Bayy
bayyinwonderland.wordpress.com
5/29/2016
Wesaun
www.oreoandbooks.wordpress.com
This review was originally posted on ReadWriteLove28
REVIEW
I really enjoyed this book. Imagine three teens, living in three very different places around the world, who are best friends. They met online, because they're all geniuses in their respective fields- coding, spying, and engineering. While they've never met in real life, they act like family.
One day, they find out about THE GAME. It's an opportunity for teenagers to compete in a competition where they will have access to any technology they could possibly want. It's a dream come true- and they all end up going to the competition and meeting for the first time.
I found it fascinating to learn about each of the characters. Rex is an incredible hacker, and has been working on a secret project for years in order to find his missing brother. Tundre lives in Nigeria, and can build almost any machine out of scrap metal and other junk he finds. Painted Wolf is a blogger who specializes in exposing corruptions in China. They all are so different and it was a great learning experience for me because they grew up in very different environments than me. I always love reading about people who have lived totally different lives than me.
When the dynamic trio meet in person for the first time, they realize that they are in over their heads. They each have an agenda other than the game, but with the game holding such high stakes, will they be able to do everything they need? I guess you'll have to wait and read Genius: The Game to find out.
Overall I enjoyed this book and give it 3.5/5stars.
About the Author
Leopoldo Gout is the producer behind many films including Days of Grace, which A.O. Scott of the New York Times called "a potent and vigorous film." He is also a writer, artist, and filmmaker. Leopoldo is currently involved in various film and television projects including major adaptations of the Alex Cross series, with the author James Patterson and the upcoming film adaption of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.
Now, it's your turn to participate in THE GAME. I am challenging YOU to collect all of the words by going to all of the Sunday Street Team posts for this month. Are you up for the challenge?
There's no pressure of course- except, you know, the whole world's fate is resting on your shoulders. ;)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. ___, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___, ___ ___, "world's going ___ ___, ___ ___. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___."
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Schedule
Date
Name
Blog URL
5/1/2016
Amber Mann
http://bookstacksamber.wordpress.com
5/1/2016
Emily Hughes
Http://www.little-book-wyrm.com http://www.little-book-wyrm.tumblr.com
5/1/2016
Nicole Lynn Hoefs
http://www.boundlessbookaholic.com/
5/1/2016
Victoria
https://thepetitebookblogger.wordpress.com
5/1/2016
Sierra
sdavreads.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
Wren
thebookmatochronicles.blogspot.com
5/8/2016
Heather DeFilippis
http://hermitlibrarian.blogspot.com
5/8/2016
Annalisse
http://hopefulreads.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
The Book Jar Blog
Thebookjarblog.wordpress.com
5/8/2016
Nori
www.readwritelove28.com
5/15/2016
Lynette
www.charminglysimple.com
5/15/2016
Lila Harrison
thebookkeeperssecrets.wordpress.com
5/15/2016
Jessica
novelcravings.wordpress.com
5/15/2016
Karen Blue
http://kissinbluekaren.com
5/22/2016
Ameenah
https://tattooedpages.wordpress.com
5/22/2016
Em
piplupsshadow.blogspot.com
5/22/2016
J.A. Jimenez
http://hercoffeeinkedtales.wordpress.com
5/22/2016
Rochelle
http://www.chocomeiske.com
5/29/2016
Meleika
endlesspagesinc.blogspot.com
5/29/2016
MC
http://blameitonthebooks.com
5/29/2016
Coley
Www.happycloudreviews.com
5/29/2016
Bayy
bayyinwonderland.wordpress.com
5/29/2016
Wesaun
www.oreoandbooks.wordpress.com
This review was originally posted on ReadWriteLove28
June 2, 2019
I think the most adequate adjective to describe this book was disappointing? The premise wasn’t super original or creative but it sounded interesting enough. And although I do appreciate a few aspects of this book, the execution was just sloppy. The writing style was very juvenile and borderline cheesy, and the main characters have little to no (or at least extremely one-dimensional and predictable) characterization, and the side characters might as well be cardboard cutouts.
The plot was basically a mess, veering between boring and unrealistic. The villain is not compelling. The threat seems either insignificant or blown way out of proportion.
Although this is sounding like a one star book, I think a lot of younger audiences could enjoy it. It definitely should not be slated as YA. Also, I think a lot of the weaknesses were just compounded because I had higher expectations for it. So it’s not a bad book; it just fell flat.
The plot was basically a mess, veering between boring and unrealistic. The villain is not compelling. The threat seems either insignificant or blown way out of proportion.
Although this is sounding like a one star book, I think a lot of younger audiences could enjoy it. It definitely should not be slated as YA. Also, I think a lot of the weaknesses were just compounded because I had higher expectations for it. So it’s not a bad book; it just fell flat.
June 24, 2017
Remarkably gripping story about hacking, geniuses and society which is definitely worthy of the James Patterson review on the cover of the book. I am absolutely in love with the characters of Painted Wolf and Rex. I cannot wait to see what the author does with the directions of these characters in the recently announced sequel. Finally, the design of the book was innovative and just straight out cool. My only gripe with this book was the character of Tunde, I just found him a bit whiny and not interesting.
April 23, 2019
Keby mám zase 12 rokov, som unesená, aká je to fajná kniha.
No teraz, keďže nemám už 12 rokov mi príde, že celý dej bol strašne obvious. Malo to nápad, ešte som nečítala knihu s podobnou problematikou. Ale bolo to asi fakt určené pre mladších. inak celkom v pohode :)
No teraz, keďže nemám už 12 rokov mi príde, že celý dej bol strašne obvious. Malo to nápad, ešte som nečítala knihu s podobnou problematikou. Ale bolo to asi fakt určené pre mladších. inak celkom v pohode :)
May 1, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you like For the Win by Cory Doctorow, then I think you will very much enjoy Genius: The Game. Genius kids tackling huge problems with little more than their wit and their determination? These kids aren't just smart, they are SUPER smart. They are could take over the world if they wanted to smart, but they aren't jerks about it, which could turn the story in a different direction in a split second.
There were a couple of little things that weren't wrong, exactly, but that didn't work for me. I'll mention them in a minute. There were also a couple of things that, while they seem small in comparison to the rest of the book, bugged me so much. It's like a little itch that becomes the biggest, most annoying itch of your life and you can't scratch it. Those will be below as well.
What I Liked
The diversity: the three main characters are all from different countries and none of them are white. You've got Painted Wolf (Chinese), Rex (Mexican, currently living in US), and Tunde (Nigerian).
The images in the book that depicted the diagrams, schematics, secuirty images, etc.They were cool on the Kindle, but I bet they'd be even cooler on the page.
Tunde leaving his village for the first time. I think it's interesting to see him begin his journey to the Game. While he is brilliant when dealing with schematics and making machines of all kinds, he still finds the wonder of constant running water at the airport a marvel. Watching him transition from a tiny village to enormous advanced cities was strange, but interesting. He was seeing for the first time things that a lot of others take for granted.
The progression of the story was fast paced. It didn't linger too long on unnecessary events, which I appreciated, especially with the high stakes these kids are facing.
Things That Were Slightly Problematic, But Not Big Deals
Tunde's first chapter is a bit strange. His speech pattern is oddly formal, but I think you can find a rhythm after awhile.What I don't know or understand is the italicized sentences. Not being familiar with Nigeria, I can't tell if this is the language spoken there or gibberish.
There's a lot of tech speak in the book that I don't understand as I'm not into coding or scientific pursuits. This made it kind of difficult to tell whether the characters knew what they were talking about or were just babbling.
The contestants, or rather, the variety of their specialties in regards to the game. For all that the creator of the Game talked about bringing together great minds from different disciplines, which there were, the Game itself was geared so that only a select few could actually complete the tasks at hand.
Problems That Were SO Annoying
I'm not sure how Rex got on to the plane to go to the Game. His parents are illegal immigrants and from what I can tell, he is as well. How was he able to board a plane without having any identification to show? A passport, a license, something. Up until that point, there was no mention of his being able to fake such credentials.
Re: Teo - what kind of parents give a three year old a thumb drive as a Christmas present? It's a choking hazard to begin with and is just a really odd choice besides.
This weird jealousy Rex seems to develop after Kiran shows Painted Wolf around the facilities. It seemed really unnecessary and came from out of nowhere. There was no indication prior to it being mentioned that he had any feelings of that sort for her.
Summary
This was a lot of fun to read. It had its confusing moments, but using context clues I was able to move past these. I definitely want to see what else this author can do. I've read similar authors that stuck to this sort of genre and while their books are good, they're all contained within their comfort zone. If Gout can push his limits, I think we can see more fantastic works in the future.
If you like For the Win by Cory Doctorow, then I think you will very much enjoy Genius: The Game. Genius kids tackling huge problems with little more than their wit and their determination? These kids aren't just smart, they are SUPER smart. They are could take over the world if they wanted to smart, but they aren't jerks about it, which could turn the story in a different direction in a split second.
There were a couple of little things that weren't wrong, exactly, but that didn't work for me. I'll mention them in a minute. There were also a couple of things that, while they seem small in comparison to the rest of the book, bugged me so much. It's like a little itch that becomes the biggest, most annoying itch of your life and you can't scratch it. Those will be below as well.
What I Liked
The diversity: the three main characters are all from different countries and none of them are white. You've got Painted Wolf (Chinese), Rex (Mexican, currently living in US), and Tunde (Nigerian).
The images in the book that depicted the diagrams, schematics, secuirty images, etc.They were cool on the Kindle, but I bet they'd be even cooler on the page.
Tunde leaving his village for the first time. I think it's interesting to see him begin his journey to the Game. While he is brilliant when dealing with schematics and making machines of all kinds, he still finds the wonder of constant running water at the airport a marvel. Watching him transition from a tiny village to enormous advanced cities was strange, but interesting. He was seeing for the first time things that a lot of others take for granted.
The progression of the story was fast paced. It didn't linger too long on unnecessary events, which I appreciated, especially with the high stakes these kids are facing.
Things That Were Slightly Problematic, But Not Big Deals
Tunde's first chapter is a bit strange. His speech pattern is oddly formal, but I think you can find a rhythm after awhile.What I don't know or understand is the italicized sentences. Not being familiar with Nigeria, I can't tell if this is the language spoken there or gibberish.
There's a lot of tech speak in the book that I don't understand as I'm not into coding or scientific pursuits. This made it kind of difficult to tell whether the characters knew what they were talking about or were just babbling.
The contestants, or rather, the variety of their specialties in regards to the game. For all that the creator of the Game talked about bringing together great minds from different disciplines, which there were, the Game itself was geared so that only a select few could actually complete the tasks at hand.
Problems That Were SO Annoying
I'm not sure how Rex got on to the plane to go to the Game. His parents are illegal immigrants and from what I can tell, he is as well. How was he able to board a plane without having any identification to show? A passport, a license, something. Up until that point, there was no mention of his being able to fake such credentials.
Re: Teo - what kind of parents give a three year old a thumb drive as a Christmas present? It's a choking hazard to begin with and is just a really odd choice besides.
This weird jealousy Rex seems to develop after Kiran shows Painted Wolf around the facilities. It seemed really unnecessary and came from out of nowhere. There was no indication prior to it being mentioned that he had any feelings of that sort for her.
Summary
This was a lot of fun to read. It had its confusing moments, but using context clues I was able to move past these. I definitely want to see what else this author can do. I've read similar authors that stuck to this sort of genre and while their books are good, they're all contained within their comfort zone. If Gout can push his limits, I think we can see more fantastic works in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
Review in progress
3.88 stars
I borrowed this from my local Little Library some time ago because 1) it looked interesting and 2) I can't just NOT borrow books with shiny covers. Too tempting. Haven't had the mental strength to give it a go til recently, and even though it wasn't my favorite, I'm glad I finally tried it. Not exactly my style, but hey, genius characters are always fun.
PT: books with additional media (photographs, diagrams, etc), black cover books, books I’ve been ignoring on my shelf for too long and that I decided I need to *actually* read instead of just staring at them longingly.
What I Liked
1) ZOO producer!! Neat! Always cool to find connections to some of my favorite media.
2) art on the pages. Part of the PT for additional media on pages. It really added a lot of dimension to each character's personality and narrative. Didn't expect that! An interesting trick to keep in mind.
3) Diverse geography (and culturally diff characters). GEOGRAPHY!!!! Tunde's from Nigeria, Painted Wolf is from Shanghai, and Rex is from California. I ADORE when authors utilize geography and culture to enhance character narratives. C'EST MAGNIFIQUE.
4) Stanford summer camp vibes. Gave me flashbacks to my 2014 summer spent at Stanford with all those intimidating genius kids. Good god, the ANXIETY. I was able to uniquely relate to the general setting of the game itself.
5) diagrams!! related to 2. The diagrams holy moly! The *effort* that went into making each diagram...wow. WOW. Credit to Gout for taking his time on those. They really forced me to slow down in my reading. They were so detailed and *clean* that I couldn't just ignore them. They demanded attention.
What I Didn't Like
1) no attachment to characters. Counter to 4: while I could relate to the setting and (some) of the circumstances the characters faced, the entire book was written with such severe analytical detachment that I didn't connect to anyone. I cared about their backgrounds and I didn't exactly *want* them to die, but much of their personalities and relationships were lost in the hustle of the multi-faceted plot.
2) both too much and not enough exposition. (Too many threads to follow for right under 300 pages). RE multi-faceted plot. My GOODNESS did Leopoldo have a lot of ideas for this book. It felt like he had the general outline for three very separate characters and he threw them all together into one plot. The beginning reads like a third draft for each character- too many extraneous details that ultimately didn't matter and didn't help establish the characters. The end attempted to tie several loose threads of exposition but fell flat for me overall. Leopoldo didn't assign weight to events like I would've preferred. The important events were rushed or brushed over. The extra plotlines became unrecognizable in their entanglement with the others and lost a lot of their meaning. In short, there was just too much going on in too few pages.
3) lingo without definition/lacking in full context clues. I didn't know many of the words Tunde casually threw into his chapters. This would be fine, and would in fact be a plus, IF definitions had been provided ANYWHERE in the book. The words were not ones that could (or SHOULD) have to be inferenced. The use was...irregular. Important phrases were disguised in a language I couldn't read but didn't care enough to look up.
4) weak OTP. I didn't care about them at all. Related to 1).
5) weird scene partitioning. Why devote so many words to circumstances undeserving of many words? And why not cover the most important content with more words overall. I’m not talking about being overly verbose. I’d just like to feel like the important plot points are haphazardly thrown in without much establishment. The points of the story that were meant to be the Big Important Culminating Points were underdeveloped and a little confusing at times. Related to 2)
3.88 stars
I borrowed this from my local Little Library some time ago because 1) it looked interesting and 2) I can't just NOT borrow books with shiny covers. Too tempting. Haven't had the mental strength to give it a go til recently, and even though it wasn't my favorite, I'm glad I finally tried it. Not exactly my style, but hey, genius characters are always fun.
PT: books with additional media (photographs, diagrams, etc), black cover books, books I’ve been ignoring on my shelf for too long and that I decided I need to *actually* read instead of just staring at them longingly.
What I Liked
1) ZOO producer!! Neat! Always cool to find connections to some of my favorite media.
2) art on the pages. Part of the PT for additional media on pages. It really added a lot of dimension to each character's personality and narrative. Didn't expect that! An interesting trick to keep in mind.
3) Diverse geography (and culturally diff characters). GEOGRAPHY!!!! Tunde's from Nigeria, Painted Wolf is from Shanghai, and Rex is from California. I ADORE when authors utilize geography and culture to enhance character narratives. C'EST MAGNIFIQUE.
4) Stanford summer camp vibes. Gave me flashbacks to my 2014 summer spent at Stanford with all those intimidating genius kids. Good god, the ANXIETY. I was able to uniquely relate to the general setting of the game itself.
5) diagrams!! related to 2. The diagrams holy moly! The *effort* that went into making each diagram...wow. WOW. Credit to Gout for taking his time on those. They really forced me to slow down in my reading. They were so detailed and *clean* that I couldn't just ignore them. They demanded attention.
What I Didn't Like
1) no attachment to characters. Counter to 4: while I could relate to the setting and (some) of the circumstances the characters faced, the entire book was written with such severe analytical detachment that I didn't connect to anyone. I cared about their backgrounds and I didn't exactly *want* them to die, but much of their personalities and relationships were lost in the hustle of the multi-faceted plot.
2) both too much and not enough exposition. (Too many threads to follow for right under 300 pages). RE multi-faceted plot. My GOODNESS did Leopoldo have a lot of ideas for this book. It felt like he had the general outline for three very separate characters and he threw them all together into one plot. The beginning reads like a third draft for each character- too many extraneous details that ultimately didn't matter and didn't help establish the characters. The end attempted to tie several loose threads of exposition but fell flat for me overall. Leopoldo didn't assign weight to events like I would've preferred. The important events were rushed or brushed over. The extra plotlines became unrecognizable in their entanglement with the others and lost a lot of their meaning. In short, there was just too much going on in too few pages.
3) lingo without definition/lacking in full context clues. I didn't know many of the words Tunde casually threw into his chapters. This would be fine, and would in fact be a plus, IF definitions had been provided ANYWHERE in the book. The words were not ones that could (or SHOULD) have to be inferenced. The use was...irregular. Important phrases were disguised in a language I couldn't read but didn't care enough to look up.
4) weak OTP. I didn't care about them at all. Related to 1).
5) weird scene partitioning. Why devote so many words to circumstances undeserving of many words? And why not cover the most important content with more words overall. I’m not talking about being overly verbose. I’d just like to feel like the important plot points are haphazardly thrown in without much establishment. The points of the story that were meant to be the Big Important Culminating Points were underdeveloped and a little confusing at times. Related to 2)
September 9, 2017
Leopoldo Gout's "Genius: The Game" was a great book that kept me intrigued my entire time reading it. I would highly recommend reading this novel. I read the Advance Reader's Edition released in 2016. Leopoldo Gout is better known for his work in the film industry rather than writing books. His use of illustrations was enjoyable but they could be overwhelming at times. By switching the point of view between characters each chapter, I felt it was easier to follow.
The genre of this book is adventure. It follows the main plot line centered around three characters but each character has their own issue to face. Multiple chapters are spent developing the characters and introducing their relationship to each other. I felt that they were not overly developed but they were developed enough for the reader to understand their actions. Due to the fact that the characters are from around the world, it may be possible to relate to one character, but hard to relate to any more than one. I think background knowledge on the native language used by a character named Tunde would be useful. The plot may not be completely original but it has unique parts. It is similar to other books such as "The Vault of Dreamers" by Caragh O'Brien and "The Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau in the way that a group of young individuals is selected for testing because they are seen as gifted. The plot can be predictable knowing the situation the three protagonists are in. Geography is important in developing the plot. The individuals selected to compete in "The Game" are selected from around the world. This book is different from other books written by Gout. Unlike many of his other books, this book features no supernatural beings or otherworldly creatures.
It might be useful to know before reading this book that poverty in Africa is mentioned and plays a role in developing one of the characters backgrounds. The main point or message of this story is to prove that no matter age, race, gender, wealth, or location anyone can impact the world. I would recommend this book to the young adult age group. I think any level high school student could read and enjoy this book. It is easy enough to follow and much of the technical ideas mentioned could be intriguing to advanced high school students. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan on reading the sequel by Leopoldo Gout, "Genius: The Con."
The genre of this book is adventure. It follows the main plot line centered around three characters but each character has their own issue to face. Multiple chapters are spent developing the characters and introducing their relationship to each other. I felt that they were not overly developed but they were developed enough for the reader to understand their actions. Due to the fact that the characters are from around the world, it may be possible to relate to one character, but hard to relate to any more than one. I think background knowledge on the native language used by a character named Tunde would be useful. The plot may not be completely original but it has unique parts. It is similar to other books such as "The Vault of Dreamers" by Caragh O'Brien and "The Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau in the way that a group of young individuals is selected for testing because they are seen as gifted. The plot can be predictable knowing the situation the three protagonists are in. Geography is important in developing the plot. The individuals selected to compete in "The Game" are selected from around the world. This book is different from other books written by Gout. Unlike many of his other books, this book features no supernatural beings or otherworldly creatures.
It might be useful to know before reading this book that poverty in Africa is mentioned and plays a role in developing one of the characters backgrounds. The main point or message of this story is to prove that no matter age, race, gender, wealth, or location anyone can impact the world. I would recommend this book to the young adult age group. I think any level high school student could read and enjoy this book. It is easy enough to follow and much of the technical ideas mentioned could be intriguing to advanced high school students. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan on reading the sequel by Leopoldo Gout, "Genius: The Con."
May 4, 2016
Now this isn't normally the type of book I pick up but I was able to get my hands on an ARC and decided to give it a show. I loved getting to know the characters even if for a short period of time and getting to know a brief history on the three main characters. That goes to say I loved that there was multiple point of views getting to see how the game went from different angles. I thought that there was plenty going on to keep the readers interested. I thought it was interesting in the aspect of the game but wish there was more details on in what happens when the winners win. When it came towards that ending I was shocked. Would love to talk more into that but don't want to spoil you readers who are interested in getting your hands on this book. But I will warn you that there is a cliffhanger. Overall a pretty good book and I really enjoyed it I would rate this book as a 3.5 since I border on really liking it but I didn't love it.
July 27, 2022
very unexpected 1 star here. for the first 50 pages I just treated it like some ridiculous action movie from the 1990-2000s with terrible video quality and it was fine. but then it just KEPT GOING for 250 more pages and wasn't worth it. the writing was unimaginative, the characters had zero depth, and the plot was stupid !!! I don't give out 1 stars a lot, but I literally don't think anyone would enjoy this.
it's even more disappointing that this was for my mathical book prize reading challenge 😞 the math wasn't there either–all of the characters were described as genius prodigies and spent 1/3 of the book describing their engineering/coding solution knowledge, but they had no personality that I didn't care. there were SOOO many illustrations of the fun things they built too but I could not care less.
it's even more disappointing that this was for my mathical book prize reading challenge 😞 the math wasn't there either–all of the characters were described as genius prodigies and spent 1/3 of the book describing their engineering/coding solution knowledge, but they had no personality that I didn't care. there were SOOO many illustrations of the fun things they built too but I could not care less.
July 26, 2017
I wasn't overly blown away by it, but it's a good story and a good book. I love that it has diagrams and doodles, and different pages for each character's POV. I'd been looking for a book that added in intellectual drawings and patterns ever since I finished Illuminae, but I think they could've gone furtger with many of the doodles in Genius.
Sometimes the words appeared too simple, and didn't have the right forms of writing to create intensity or emotion. Simplicity is good when it relates to the person or the scene, but it was reasonably simple all throughout the book. The plot was good, even if the 'bad guy' was reasonably obvious for anyone who's read books similar to this, but I stayed even if it was only for Painted Wolf.
Sometimes the words appeared too simple, and didn't have the right forms of writing to create intensity or emotion. Simplicity is good when it relates to the person or the scene, but it was reasonably simple all throughout the book. The plot was good, even if the 'bad guy' was reasonably obvious for anyone who's read books similar to this, but I stayed even if it was only for Painted Wolf.
January 11, 2018
I liked this book because unlike most other books that I have read this book includes a lot of technology. I also liked that the book ended on a cliffhanger and that i was able to find the next one right away.
May 23, 2018
This book was unexpectedly awesome!Super smart and catchy and a roller coaster of action. I love to read about smart teens and though I know nothing about programming, even the more technical details were a joy. Fast and enjoyable read, make sure to give it a try!
August 22, 2019
I liked this, and I read it much faster than I expected to. I think it was partially because of the illustrations, which I liked a lot, but also because the story moved really fast and I wanted to know what would happen. I liked all three main characters a lot, especially Tunde and Painted Wolf, and I liked how it was an international contest so there were people from all over. It seemed like most of the people involved in the contest were kind of weird or counter culture, which I also liked. I didn't understand the computer stuff at all, which honestly might have also helped me read it faster, since I kind of glazed over the parts where they talked in-depth about coding. There was a lot in the story that I didn't get, like I still don't know what a quantum computer is or why Rex had to use one to run Walkabout. Maybe I liked Tunde and Painted Wolf more because I understood more about what they were doing. Like I didn't understand HOW they did it exactly, but conceptually I could understand it better. My least favorite part of the book was . I wish that more stuff was resolved in this book and that it didn't end in such a major cliffhanger, but I guess the author did his job with that because I do want to read the next one and find out what happens.
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