After shutting down technology-megalomaniac Kiran's plans at the competition known as "the Game," teens Tunde, Rex, and Painted Wolf are wanted for supposed hacking crimes. Escaping to Tunde's hometown, in Nigeria, the three must thwart another madman, the General, who intends to enslave Tunde's village in pursuit of his own evil scheme. Can the friends evade Kiran, take down the General, and protect themselves in the process? Gout's sequel to Genius: The Game (2016) wastes no time getting started, so reading the first entry in this planned trilogy would be wise. The pace of the action continues in the same vein as the first book. Despite lots of computer terminology and some engineering jargon, this is a very accessible STEM-related book, and by adding the beginnings of a romance, Gout attempts to broaden the story's interest. Give this to fans of the teen-espionage subgenre and authors like James Patterson and Anthony Horowitz. Finished copies will include artwork throughout, though this was not available for review.

In this sequel to Genius: The Game, hackers Painted Wolf and Tunde Oni have busted their friend Rex Huerta out of prison--and they have the electronic weapon demanded by the warlord threatening Tunde's village. Rex's family still needs saving, but first the teens must pull off a con without anyone getting killed. Techie fans will be thrilled by the fast-paced battles with high-tech machinery in exotic locales.

Gr 9 Up-n 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. VERDICT Purchase where the previous book is popular.Valentine Muyumba, Terre Haute, Indiana State University