I'm a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb. (Grades 6-8.) Razorbill, October 2009. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.Oliver Watson is an evil genius and he will stop at nothing to win the election for 7th-grade class president. And when I say "Nothing", I mean it. Due to his intellectual genius, Oliver has riches beyond belief and commands a huge staff equipped with the latest technology (much of it invented by Oliver himself). Of course, it's all secret and Oliver pretends to be slow at school and at home, so no one suspects. Buckle up. You're in for a wild ride with Oliver Watson, evil genius.
I mean, with a title like that, do you even need a review? Kids will pick it up.
The good? It's funny. Oliver's got a very dry humor and he has the means to get back at bullies like we all dreamed of when we were in middle school. His classmates, teachers, and parents never suspect that Oliver is a secret billionaire with the power to get literally anything he wants. This makes for a very funny premise.
The bad? The humor and premise that originally hooked me got tiresome long before the book ended and then I realized that not a whole lot was happening. The plot moves slowly for all the secret lairs, crazy technology, and evil genius-ing.
That said, this book isn't for every kid, but for some kids it will be a great fit. Betsy suggests that it's perfect for Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans (read her review at A Fuse #8 Production) and goodness knows we have enough of those around... You can find more reviews at Frenetic Reader and Enchanting YA Reviews.
