I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

Though speaking of NetGalley, they really need to get better about saying when a book is a sequel or part of a series, because this is at least the third book I've gotten without realizing it was the second in a series and it's super frustrating.

I had to quit this book less than 10% in because my copy was completely unreadable. There were typos galore, weird symbols everywhere and sentences that ended and started in new paragraphs. It was bad. And I looked at the other reviews on NetGalley and no one else mentioned it so I must have just gotten a fluke copy?

Anyway what I was able to read I wasn't impressed by so I decided I didn't have time to try and piece together an unreadable story. I gave it one star on Goodreads

The sequel to Genius: The Game is a thrilling novel that kept me on the edge of my seat as I read every last page.

I read the first novel around a year ago. It wasn't what I was looking for, but my mom shoved it into my hands. She said, "You'll like this one," and then walked away to go look at historical fiction novels.

I was skeptical when I started it. Portraying geniuses in literature is a really hard thing to do while still keeping your characters somewhat likeable and not snobbish, overly erudite, or just plain irritating. The idea still appealed to me, especially with my love of all things tech-y, and so I began to read it.

Luckily, I was pulled into this diverse cast of intelligent teenagers that surprised and entertained me at every turn, their adventure awaiting them. (Yes mom, you were right.)

At the end I was left on such a cliffhanger which was kind of disappointing, but understandable. There were a few flaws in the first book with the realistic nature of the game & how the contestants acted (in my opinion, it should have been a little more ruthless because smart kids are vicious), but it was a very entertaining read. (I won't be writing a review on the first book because it's not entirely fresh on my mind, but I did give it 4 stars on Goodreads.)

In Genius: The Con, the main characters Rex, Cai (known as Painted Wolf), and Tunde are on the run from the authorities after being falsely accused of stealing government secrets for a terrorist hacking group, Terminal. They have manage to escape New York and get to Tunde's Nigerian village to stop General Iyabo from destroying his village, while also trying to track down Rex's brother.

Here's the official summary:
Three teen geniuses from diverse backgrounds must work together to stop a vicious warlord, protect their families, and save the world in this fast-paced sequel to Genius: The Game.

One of the best parts of this novel was the thrilling and fast paced plot that keeps the reader hooked. Genius: The Con was never boring for me to read because it's so action packed and gives you nervous jitters, whether the characters are trying to escape New York or trying to undermine General Iyabo right under his nose.

Gout still includes descriptive prose, especially when introducing the readers to the new settings of India (can't spoil why they're there!) and Nigeria.

In my opinion, this book felt almost like a movie with its fast pace. In some ways, I think Gout didn't slow down and explain enough. The romance he's trying to build with Cai and Rex needs a little more oomph to make it better and less insta-love. Whether it's the sounds of crickets in the night acting as a metaphor for a romantic awakening or something else to add a new level onto this. I feel the romance was under done and not as whole as it could have been with all the action in this novel.

I commend Gout for choosing such a racially diverse cast, but at times it fell a little flat or felt almost forced for me, especially in Tunde's case.

As a fourteen-year-old Nigerian boy, his narrative is almost childlike and separated from Cai and Rex. Cai and Rex's chapters read smoothly, like you would in your own head. But Tunde's is filled with this weird breaking of the fourth wall as he says phrases like, "My friends, let me tell you..."

It's almost isolating to see him say "My friends" at the start of at least one sentence in each chapter. I think there are better ways to express how he is Nigerian than by using this phrase and making his narrative child-like and untraditional. He's a person just like Cai and Rex, and although two years younger, still thinks the same, if not better than an average adult (genius, remember?).

Cai and Rex's narratives read a lot more smoothly and how I would expect a teenager's to read, but I would have loved to see more of the Asian heritage in Cai's (hopefully we'll get that in the next book with them going to Beijing!).

One of the things I would have loved to see in this novel is sexually diverse characters, not just racially. I think LGBTQ+ themes would help take the attention off of the race so Gout isn't emphasizing their races so much and making it feel like that defines them. They're all people, just like you and me. It shouldn't be a big deal if you're Nigerian or Mexican or Chinese. You're just you.

Sometimes I got a little frustrated with the characters or I was skeptical at how they were able to actually pull everything off. The plot twist at the end (a now common theme in these books) could have been easily prevented in my mind, which makes it all the more painful. The fact that they were able to pull everything together and escape New York was also somewhat dubious.

Despite these shortcomings, I enjoyed reading Genius: The Con because of its fast pace and its hooks that keep the reader engaged. I unfortunately did not get a chance to see all of the cool illustrations that will be included in the novel just like in Genius: The Game, but I'm sure they'll be just as gorgeous as the ones in the first book.

I would recommend this series to anyone looking for an action-packed read. I can't wait until the next book comes out! Genius: The Con came out on the 1st of August.

I definitely enjoyed the plot and the characters, just as I did in the first book. I think the situations are intriguing, and I like how the characters reacted to the things that came their way. My only complaint is that by halfway through the book, the reader has already been told what the characters are planning...and then nothing really deviated from that plan. Everything still played out just like they'd hoped, so the tension level fell quite a bit in the second half. Still, I've bought into their world, and I will definitely look for the third.

Because this was an ARC there were not any of the graphics and drawings like in the first book and I really missed them. It was one of the things that I really enjoyed about the first book. I also kept thinking that there was a hidden message in them but I was never able to discover what it might be, but it was fun looking. It does say that the final book will have the drawings, which is good because it really enhances the story.

Even though I liked this story, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one. At first I kept thinking it was the characters or the lack of drawings, but I finally decided that it was the plot. It just didn’t feel as realistic as the first book, not that that one was realistic towards the end. I just had a harder time believing that these three kids could pull off what they did and no one was suspicious at all. But I guess that is what makes a good thriller, and you want to believe that they can do anything.

All of the same characters are back in this sequel and continue to amaze me in their ability to outsmart the adults around them. We see more of the General, the warlord that is taking over Tunde’s village and more of Kiran Biswas, who does turn out not to be such a nice guy after all. There is a lot more traveling in this book, as the characters spend time between Africa and India. I enjoyed some of the culture in Africa, especially the story that is told to Tunde that helps him figure out the machine he is building at the time.

There are some new characters in this book. Even though we met Cai’s parents in the first book, we see more of her father in this one. He is a man in way over his head, but is trying to put things right. It was nice to see them interact with him as well. We also meet Naya, the General’s daughter. She is an interesting character, who was just sort of annoyingly in the background through out most of the book, but towards the end she becomes important and I’m not sure whether or not she will be helpful or more harmful to our heroes as they try to bring down Kiran.

Even though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book in the series it is still a thrilling page turner and a solid second book in the trilogy. It is probably one I will reread before the third one comes out, just so I can see it with the drawings and diagrams.

Sequel to Genius: The Game this book starts out right where the story left off, however, if you read on it does fill in the blanks so you don't necessarily have to have read book one, but it is a really good book and you will want to read it anyways after reading this one so why not go ahead and read them in order. :)

Painted Wolf gets Rex and Tunde out of dodge and into Tunde's village with his special EMP weapon for the local warlord that is holding Tunde's family and people hostage. But the three teens have also came with plans to hopefully defeat the warlord once and for all, but if it doesn't work they will kill everyone, and never find Rex's brother.

This is such a non stop action packed book, I just could not put it down. If you like techy stuff and books filled with action all the time this is for you. The three main characters are so cool I would love to tag along with them some time and just watch them do their thing and maybe learn something. I think Painted Wolf is my hero, but Rex is so cool on the computer, but I am more like Tunde with mechanical skills. So it is easy to find something of yourself in at least one of the characters and follow that along in the story so it is like you are there, in the action with them. So much fun!

Three diverse MCs with their different POVs return for the sequel to Genius:  The Game.  This continues to be an intelligent YA series, with higher stakes this time around for Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf, as their families are being threatened.  With a quick pace, clever inventions, and fascinating technology, there's much to keep you glued to the pages.  

Personally, this one didn't hook me quite as much as the first book.  Although the families of the MCs were threatened, I didn't get the same sense of urgency or intrigue I had with Genius: The Game, but judging by other reviews, I'm in the minority on this.  

I'd recommend this series to those interested in science, technology, and engineering and readers who enjoy wicked smart main characters. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

First there was the Game. Now our favorite Genius minds have an even bigger genius challenge: The Con. Just when you thought covert computing couldn't get any more complicated, you are already way behind the curve. Each of our heroic protagonist has a goal that means saving their families and escaping punishment for things they are being framed for.

"Painted Wolf" wants to stop greedy deal-makers. Oh, and (*sigh*) her father is onboard with the evil mastermind (The General) so she needs to protect the family name if possible...

"Tunde" knows an evil warlord (The General) has designs on his village in Africa and he needs to be stopped.

"Rex"
Rex 's parents have been deported to , but he is hot on his brother's trail for the help he can provide.

It doesn't take much for a businessman and a evil mastermind to get into profitable trouble together breaking laws in virgin lands in Africa... little did The General know three genius kids could engineer trouble for him!

Such a great follow up to the first Genius book. In this installment Painted Wolf, Tunde and Rex are on the run both in America and Africa. Tunde creates more inventions, Rex searches for more clues about the whereabouts of his brother and Painted Wolf uses her network of contacts to keep them safe. The pacing and technology remind me of Little Brother. In the eARC form there were not the drawings of Tundes inventions that made the first book so intriguing. I hope these drawings will be in the finished book.

I had a hard time getting into this book. However, I think teenagers will absolutely love it. Since I did not finish the book, I do not intend to publish a review.