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Genius Squad (Catherine Jinks, A&U, $18.95 pb, ISBN 9781741751321, March) ****

Genius Squad is Catherine Jinks’ second novel featuring Cadel Piggot, the now-reformed title character of Evil Genius. Following the events of that story, Cadel is in foster care in the suburbs, bored, frustrated and bullied, as his complex legal situation is resolved. The criminal empire of Darkkon, the man he thought was his father, is in tatters, and Prosper English, ex-head of ‘evil university’ the Axis Institute and apparently Cadel’s real father, is in jail. Cadel is also separated from Sonja, the mathematical genius with cerebral palsy who convinced him to reject a life of crime. Hope for Cadel and Sonja comes in the shape of the Genius Squad, a secret team of gifted kids being assembled to bring down a corrupt corporation. But are the Genius Squad all that they seem? Cadel is a well-rounded character whose struggles to do the right thing ring true. His formidable intellect is well-portrayed, but it is now paired with a strong sense of justice and compassion. The secondary characters are engaging, and Prosper English is a superbly hissable villain. Genius Squad is a suspenseful, twist-laden adventure for secondary readers who enjoy computer hacking, espionage, and unravelling evil schemes.

Heath Graham is a teacher and a bookseller at A&R Doncaster in Melbourne

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker