Genius: The Game

Gr 8 Up—Meet Rex, a 16-year-old programing genius who is determined to find his brother, Teo, no matter what the cost. Rex creates WALKABOUT, a very complicated code that once run will allow him to track down his brother; the only catch is he has to find a quantum computer to run it. Meet Tunde, a 14-year-old self-taught engineering genius who lives in rural Nigeria. It is not until the cruel General Iyabo visits Tunde's village to demand his help in creating a weapon that he realizes that his genius may be the detriment of his family. Meet Painted Wolf, a 16-year-old genius who lives in Shanghai. The infamous teen is one of China's leading microbloggers who takes pride in exposing public officials who take bribes from mob figures. She knows her online presence can never be linked to her true self or her family will be in danger. It is not until the three protagonists learn of a competition called the Game, hosted by one of the biggest names in technology, Kiran Biswas, that they realize their meeting may help to resolve their individual problems. Strong characters who show their bravery throughout, friendships that do not falter, and ethics that do not fail, even when characters are faced with the impossible, are a refreshing change to most teenage novels.