Review by
Cheyenne
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
At the beginning of Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks, I wasn't awed. It moved slowly and was pretty dull. Catherine Jinks' summary of Cadel Piggott a.k.a. Cadel Darkkon's early years before he turned fourteen felt greatly more than the seventy or so pages it took. On the other hand his childhood did affect him and should be explained, but should not be prolonged unless it contained bigger events that truly and forever dwelt with Cadel.
Once Cadel began college at the Axis Institute for World Domination, the plot gradually picked up speed. Partner Post, Cadel's own little project, is also getting more attention, particularly from a young woman. As Cadel becomes more aquatinted with her, he uncovers horrible truths about himself. One, he is actually starting to have feelings for this woman. And two, he has a conscience. Not a big one, but just enough of one to feel pangs of guilt every time he emails her under his false identity. Cadel knows that a conscience is the last thing a budding criminal needed.
The biggest problem for me was, I couldn't picture what he looked like. In the book he is small, has big blue eyes, and a innocent face. Now why can't I picture that? I believe his actions, thoughts, and conscience go so much against his appearance, that they are really contradictory to each other. His mind and experience are far more advanced than his fourteen-year-old body. Even though his mind is advanced, his behavior and sometimes his compulsive actions remind you that he still has a lot of maturing to do.
The addition of new characters throughout the whole book was done swiftly and efficiently. There was no gradually getting to know a new character, just a matter of fact introduction.
The elimination of characters was not so pinpoint. Characters, such as the institute teachers, would just disappear. Usually after they committed a crime. It would be stated that the police had them or they were on the run or they just weren't brought up again. Only in a few cases did you know where they were or ended up. This elimination technique always kept you guessing.
While the beginning was not striking, the rest was occasionally teasing your brain. It delightfully kept you guessing and changing your thoughts until you found out it was the most obvious thing. A book that I think Artemis Fowl readers might enjoy. 4 out of 5 stars
