Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story with all the characters within. The main characters was a guy name Jake McQuade. He is the smartest kid in the universe because he ate something that made him more smart.  He and his friend has been on a secret mission for the government. While on this mission he has been having trouble doing what they want on the smart problems. He think that he might be losing his smartness and become his normal self again. So he and his friend go to the one person that made the thing that he ate and ask questions about it. While they are trying to do this other things are happening and it needs his smartness.

This was a fun story to read or listen to. It had action and adventure throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.The narrative did a good job.

Jake, Kojo and Grace are back with a mission to find 'la Gran Calabaza," the remaining large diamond from Grace's family's treasure. Although Zane Zinkle is safely out of commission, Jake and crew have another nemesis on the scene: Hubert Huxley. Hubert, after the capture of his criminal father and cousin coupled with the humiliating loss against Jake on a televised quiz show designed to name the smartest kid in the universe, is determined to topple Jake's genius standing once and for all. As Jake and friends race to discover the treasure, Jake becomes concerned that the jellybeans are wearing off and he will once again be 'ordinary Jake.'

Solid number three in the series, and a great series addition to a library serving middle grades. Grabenstein's humor and quick paced story line are appealing to this age of students who may wonder what it would be like to be the smartest kid in the universe. Definitely recommend to librarians looking to add to their fantasy/sci fi middle grade collections.

Great conclusion to this really fun series! I think Chris Grabenstein had such a brilliant idea to have kids ingest knowledge by eating candy. What a fun superpower. Smartest Kid in the Universe Evil Genius was my favorite in the series. I loved the way that it brought it all together with a message about the importance of being yourself, regardless of your brains.

Poor Jake is really put through it in this installment. He used to be a fun-loving kid who had no real worries. Now, not only does he have to deal with dark-side counterparts, but he’s devastated over the possibility of losing his intelligence. This book has a few more plot lines than previous ones do, so there’s kind of a lot going on for not a very long book. Because of that, I feel like Jake’s friends don’t get as much “screen time” in this book. On the other hand, at least that means I didn’t have to deal with as much of Kojo’s Kojak references. But the multiple plot lines also provide two different main villains (and several smaller ones), and there is a lot of anti-climax involved. Still, in the end, the book was fun. I’m getting to like Jake more and more with each book, and I hope there’s more to come. For the first time in this series, I cannot tell you what my daughter thought of the book, because she hasn’t read it yet. I’m very interested to hear what she thinks, but in the meantime, I’m confident recommending this book and series for kids around 8-12 years old.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishers through NetGalley.
The high energy adventures continue for Jake, Kojo and Grace. Jake's nemesis Zane Zinkle has remained hidden but seems to be involved in the current capers - or is this a red herring? Readers meet all of the characters involved as the story switches between two perspectives - Jake and Hubert Huxley. Series readers will remember Hubert from previous encounters and appreciate the continued humor involved with his plots and plans. Jake also has to figure out who he wants to be and learn to balance the pressures of his new intelligence levels with being who he wants to be. Mr. Farooqi remains as quirky as ever as he discovers and shares that some of the jelly beans do not maintain their AI impact. Fortunately, in the end, the person on the side of power and greed is the one who loses their super genius abilities. I appreciate how Grabenstein continues to develop these characters and offer insight into friendships, self-confidence, and believing in yourself and each other at the same time he spins so much humor in this series.

It's here!
Jake McQuade, the smartest kid in the universe returns in book 3 of this series, which my students have been anxiously awaiting. Grabenstein doesn't disappoint with another fast-moving story filled with humor and adventure that is sure to grab kids attention from page one.
Recommended for elementary/middle school libraries and classrooms.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an early copy in return for an honest review.

This is a great series! It was a quick read and the characters are very likeable (well, some are...). I liked this mystery of who was the thief and how there were two people involved. I'm glad for the ending with the jelly beans. I'm looking forward to the next book and really hope this series continues.

What worked:
As the title says, Jake is considered the smartest kid in the universe, although it’s not public knowledge that revolutionary, newly-created jelly beans are the source of his intelligence. He’s been working with a secret organization called the Consortium that performs covert operations unknown even to the FBI and CIA. Jake wants to do his best for the Consortium so he’s worried when he starts to have trouble remembering critical information. A subplot is a generations-old conflict involving two families and hidden pirate treasure. Jake and his friends found gold and jewels in a previous book and they’re now off to find a huge, orange diamond worth billions of dollars. However, getting their hands on the diamond might be even more important than they thought.
Readers actually know more about what’s going on than the characters themselves, a situation not often seen in plots. The jelly beans are stolen from the scientist’s home and Jake assumes he knows the culprit. However, there are two antagonists working separately to get revenge against Jake and his friends. Both of them are most angry about Jake’s sudden burst of intelligence and they each make plans to get even. These complicated relationships provide ample opportunities for unexpected twists so readers will anxiously make mental predictions about what might happen next.
Being inside Jake’s mind helps readers empathize with his predicament. He’s very concerned that he may lose his intelligence and thus let other people down. The Consortium has put a lot of faith in Jake, and his friends assume he knows everything. The theft of the new, improved jelly beans creates a couple of problems for Jake. Whoever stole them will have access to even greater knowledge than Jake and the theft can’t be reported to the police or FBI. Reporting the truth about Jake’s knowledge coming from the jelly beans will reveal him as a fraud to the Consortium and the authorities plus the inventor will be in trouble too. Jake’s intelligence is, in fact, fading away so the big question is how long will he keep it? Will he be smart enough to foil the evil plots that are unfolding?
What didn’t work as well:
For a boy working with a secret organization, it seems everyone knows about Jake’s abilities and exploits. It’s not a huge concern but it strikes me as strange that a boy trying to keep huge secrets and save the world is so recognized by everyone.
The Final Verdict:
This fun adventure of a young genius should appeal to a range of middle-grade readers. Jake’s fading abilities keep him humble and make him less like a perfect super-character and it makes the plot unpredictable. The book can be read independently from the others (although maybe you shouldn’t) and I recommend you give it a shot!

Jake McQuade, to my delight, has returned for another breathtaking adventure of good vs. evil. The author has, once again, created an action-packed tale starring the smartest kid in the universe. At least, in his previous books, he was. Yet, that might not be the case in this latest companion book.
Jake hooks up with the Consortium, a secret agency. He also is involved with the FBI and other legitimate agencies so you can imagine his zany, reckless and daredevil pursuits. The premise that Jake's brilliance was achieved by consuming specially-treated jelly beans was so clever, allowing young readers to relate to that fun candy scenario. I especially liked the numerous references to fun facts and knowledge that were intertwined with the plot. You couldn't help but pick up information without even realizing it.
Pirates, missing diamonds worth billions of dollars, and bad guys are just a few of the subplots. Yet, true friendship reigns supreme. Jake and his 2 friends, Kojo and Grace, are an inseparable, devoted trio that will emerge victorious
Book 3 in this series is certainly a standalone volume but I wouldn't want to miss the fun and catch up with Jake's previous adventures if I hadn't read them. Great read!.