Genius: The Con

Gr 9 Up—In this sequel to Genius: The Game, the three geniuses make a comeback, still in pursuit of justice. Rex is 16, of Mexican heritage, and in search of his brother. He is very good at programming and hacking. Painted Wolf is also 16, of Chinese heritage, and looking for ways to rescue her father from the corruption he's been caught up in. Tunde is a Nigerian 14-year-old self-taught engineering genius who is trying to save his village from a warlord. They are creative, skilled in technology, and know how to operate in the underground world and in the virtual sphere that most adults are afraid of. They know how to block a camera, "mess with" a GPS on a bus, fix an AC system in a Chinese restaurant, and detect if a room has been bugged. These three are on the run because of their most recent high jinks. Other than the fact that they are "special," and happen to be gifted at hacking and accessing government information by utilizing stolen log-ins, they're just normal kids. This even-paced installment is innovative and will captivate teens.