Without further ado, let's go:
The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable
The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable
by Dan Gutman
Rating: 3/5 stars
"The Genius Files" was recommended to me by a friend of mine; the same friend who first recommended what is now one my all-time favourite series. With that in mind, I thought I'd give this one a shot. The summary in a nutshell is this:
Twins Coke and Pepsi are geniuses, even if they don't know it yet. They live ordinary lives in California, with their somewhat eccentric parents. As the school year draws to a close, and their family gears up for a cross country road trip, the twins are suddenly involved in a life-threatening, top-secret government program: The Genius Files. So amidst crazy and bizarre family road stops in their RV, the twins must not only figure out how to stop an attack on America, they also have to somehow manage to stay clear of the people trying to kill them, All without telling their parents anything.
This book is filled with random, some may say useless, facts about the weird and wonderful world of US toys, gadgets, largest balls of twine, and anything else you can think of. Being someone who enjoys learning such facts, that was a little added bonus, and I think both children and adults alike would enjoy how strange and random some of them are.
Another fun aspect to the book is that it includes online links so you can follow along with the twins' journey via google maps. There are also a couple of pictures, some fun illustrations, and ciphers to crack. All of this, plus the action and adventure involved, would probably entertain and interest for both boys and girls in their "tween" years.
Personally, despite the fun an exciting plot and clever mix of sarcasm and sincerity, I found the ending to be a bit disappointing in that it seems very open ended. This is most likely due to the fact that there are at least three other books that follow. Still, I would have liked a more "complete" ending. For the most part, however, I did enjoy reading it.
Personally, despite the fun an exciting plot and clever mix of sarcasm and sincerity, I found the ending to be a bit disappointing in that it seems very open ended. This is most likely due to the fact that there are at least three other books that follow. Still, I would have liked a more "complete" ending. For the most part, however, I did enjoy reading it.
All in all, I would say this is a fun, easy, "read-in-a-weekend" book, and might be perfect for a "stay cation". It might not have drastically changed my outlook on life and society, but I can say that it made me want to visit the States and have my own cross country road trip, visiting some of the places the characters go or mention. Who knows, maybe it will just spark your family's next summer vacation!
A few other recently read books:
A few other recently read books:
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (4/5 stars, very good read!)
Ava and Pip By Carol Weston (3/5 stars, cute story)
Sisters by Raina Telemeier (2 and a half/5 stars, sweet story, but somewhat bland in my opinion)
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (4/5 stars, interesting, and imaginative)
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