Synopses & Reviews
Now that the Axis Institute for World Domination has been blown up; the founder, Dr. Phineas Darkkon, has died; and Prosper English (who enrolled Cadel in the first place) is in jail for myriad offenses, Cadel Piggott has round-the-clock surveillance so he'll be safe until he testifies against Prosper English. But nobody seems to want Cadel. Not Fiona, his social worker; not Saul Greeniaus, the detective assigned to protect him. and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; When he is approached by the head of Genius Squad--a group formed to investigate GenoME, one of Darkkon's pet projects--Cadel is dubious Genius Squad can offer him a real home and all the technology his heart desires. But why can't he bring himself to tell Saul what the group is really up to? And how can Genius Squad protect Cadel once Prosper English breaks out of jail?
Review
* and#8220;As an alternative thriller that shows the good side of evil, Jinks sets up a compelling world of lies, deceit, and betrayal that will have lovers of mystery or computer-based investigation on the edge as they devour this page-turner.and#8221;--School Library Journal 7/1/07 (starred)
Review
* "Carried along by much peeling back of layers of deception and repeated thickenings of plot, this hefty but engrossingly complex tale features a young super-brain being groomed for world domination...Jinks fills out the cast with brilliantly conceived friends and adversaries.andnbsp; His emotional maturity realistically lagging behind his intellectual development Cadel ides right up there with Artemis Fowl as a sympathetic anti-villain."andnbsp;--Kirkus Reviews (April 1, 2007 - starred review)
Review
andnbsp;* "Jinks has created an intricate, well-constructed and layered reality in this hefty novel, and as the complex deceptions that have shaped Cadel's life come to light, his emotional unraveling and awakening will likely engross readers." --Publishers Weekly (April 2, 2007 - starred review)
Review
"Jinks'and#160;well-thought-out environs and rational characters help ground this otherwise out-of-control interstellar thriller."--
Booklist and#8220;'Life is a force that cannot be tamed,'and#8221; observes Cheney, and readers will likely spend a long timeand#8212;after their heart rates have gone back to normaland#8212;reflecting on just how true that is."--Bookpage
"Gleeful "Alien"-esque action adventure...Packed with thrills, this deserves equally over-the-top CGI. In a wordand#8212;AWESOME."--Kirkus
"Jinks (The Reformed Vampire Support Group) remains adept at action sequences and creating a pervasively tense environment...With plenty of gruesome creatures (and demises) that owe a thing or two to films like Aliens, this is science fiction for horror fans."--Publishers Weeklyand#160;
Review
"Readers who loved Evil Genius will find this sequel as gripping, devilish and wonderfully dark as its predecessor. What made that first book so good was the authorand#8217;s delivery of a complex, layered protagonist in the young Cadel Piggot and the world of criminal masterminds in which he lives and learns, a world he eventually destroys. From these ashes rises another imaginative and just slightly less villainous cast of characters, the Genius Squad of the title, to tempt Cadeland#8217;s vulnerable conscience." (starred review)
Review
"Computer prodigy Cadeland#8217;s belief that heand#8217;s escaped the clutches of his nemesis/supposed father Prosper English proves sadly mistaken in this pulse-pounding sequel to Evil Genius (2007). . . . Cadel makes an uncommonly memorable protagonist."Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
"Jinksand#8217;s signature facility with plot and character development is intact as she turns to the topic of vampires . . . Throwing in delicious details and aperand#231;us, the author works her way from the murder of one of the vampires to suspense and adventure of the sinister yet daffy variety beloved by readers of Evil Genius. The plot twists, more ornate than in previous works, ramp up the giddinessand#8212;and, perhaps, camouflage the corpses, blood and other byproducts of the genre."and#160; and#8212;
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Support Group is truly like no other vampire story. It is witty, cunning, and humorous, with numerous plot twists and turns. Jinks has conjured up an eccentric but believable cast of characters in a story full of action and adventure."and#160; and#8212;School Library Journal
"Jinks offers some wry vampire-centric twists on mystery conventions . . . laugh-out-loud funny."
and#160; and#8212;Booklist
"Jinks's quirky sense of humor will appeal to fans of her Evil Genius series. Those tired of torrid bloodsucker stories or looking for a comic riff on the trend will feel refreshed by the vomitous, guinea-pig-drinking accidental heroics of Nina and her pals."and#160; and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"Jinks draws her characters and their unique challenges in great detail . . . thereand#8217;s plenty of blood and guts (both types) to go around. One part problem novel, one part comedy, and one part murder-mystery, this alternative vampire story is for outsiders of all kinds, underground or otherwise." and#8212;Horn Book
and#8220;Jinks takes readers on a wild ride, poking wicked fun at vampire enthusiasts of all stripes with her wryly clinical take . . . a first-rate comedy with equal appeal for avid vampire fans and those who wouldnand#8217;t be caught dead with a copy of Twilight.and#8221;and#160; and#8212;The Bulletin
"With this budding heroine in her own right at the forefront, this ensemble of eccentric characters gives a wry spin to the ever-popular vampire tales."and#160;and#160;and#8212;BookPage
Praise for Evil Genius:
"Jinks fills out the cast with brilliantly conceived friends and adversaries."and#160; and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for Genius Squad:
"Gripping, devilish and wonderfully dark"and#160; and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"[Jinks's] ability to craft vivid characters and engrossing action scenes continues unabated."and#160; and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
"Cyber-espionage takes both front seats in this conclusion to the outstanding Genius series....the climax is taut, absorbing and tantalizingly ambiguous."and#160; and#8212;
Kirkus, starred review
"Full-throttled plot....will command the attention of even non-techie readers until Jinks's final plot twists wind to a close." and#8212;Horn Book
Review
andquot;Well paced and with details and dialogue that transport readers to the streets (and sewers) of Victorian London, there is much to enjoy in this excellent adventure series.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
Synopsis
An entertaining romp through sinister evil.
Synopsis
Cadel Piggott has a genius IQ and a fascination with systems of all kinds. At seven, he was illegally hacking into computers. Now heand#8217;s fourteen and studying for his World Domination degree, taking classes like embezzlement, forgery, and infiltration at the institute founded by criminal mastermind Dr. Phineas Darkkon. Although Cadel may be advanced beyond his years, at heart heand#8217;s a lonely kid. When he falls for the mysterious and brilliant Kay-Lee, he begins to question the moral implications of his studies. But is it too late to stop Dr. Darkkon from carrying out his evil plot?
An engrossing thriller with darkness and humor, freaks and geeks, Evil Genius explores the fine line between good and evil in a strange world of manipulations and subterfuge where nothing is as it seems.
Synopsis
A gripping sci-fiand#160;thriller about a spaceshipand#160;that transforms into a living organismand#160; and then begins to turn on the human crew as if they are parasites.and#160;
Synopsis
What happens when a single moment changes everything? For seventeen-year-old Cheney, life on earth exists only in history books. He and more than one thousand other people have known life only aboard the Plexus spacecraft: self-contained, systematic, and serene. But that was before the radiation wave.
Now Plexus has suddenly turned on them, becoming a terrifying and unrecognizable force. As the crew dwindles under attack, Cheney and his friends need to fight back before the ship thatand#8217;s nurtured them for so long becomes responsible for their destruction.
Synopsis
Once Cadel was going to take over the world. Now he's stuck in foster care.
Synopsis
Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.
and#160;and#160;and#160;The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius.
Synopsis
The third installment in Catherine Jinks' hugely popular GENIUS series
Synopsis
Boy-genius Cadel Piggot has a new name (Cadel Greenaius), a new family, andand#160;a new life. No more illegal hacking, no more false identities, and most of all,and#160;no more Prosper English. But when his best friend Sonja is attacked, it's up to him to figure out who was behind it. Before he knows it, Cadel is crossing oceans and continents, barrelling back into the depths of the criminal activity he thought he'dand#160;left behind, and coming face to face with Prosper English once again. Can Cadel track down Prosper before it's too late? And what rules will he have to break in the process?
Synopsis
The adventures continue for the youngand#160;assistants toand#160;the best monster catcher in Victorian London! In this exciting conclusion to theand#160;trilogy begun with How to Catch a Bogle, Ned becomes a boglerandrsquo;s apprentice as London seeks to banish itsand#160;bogle infestation once and for all.
Synopsis
With the plague of bogles in Victorian London barely contained, bogle hunter Alfred Bunce needs all the help he can get. So Ned Roach becomes a boglerandrsquo;s apprentice, luring child-eating monsters from their lairs just like his friends Jem and Birdie. Itandrsquo;s dangerous work that takes Ned into mysterious and hidden parts of the city. Yet times in London are changing; as the machine age emerges, the very existence of bogles is questioned, and the future of bogling is in jeopardy. And the stakes get even higher for the team of boglers when an old enemy appearsandmdash;a threat that may be deadlier than any bogle.
About the Author
Catherine Jinks, author ofand#160;more than thirty books for children and adults,and#160;is aand#160;three-time winner of the Childrenand#8217;s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award. Sheand#160;has received many American accolades such as Publishers' Weekly Best Book of the Year andand#160;School Library Journaland#160;Best Book of the Yearand#160;for Evil Genius, which was also aand#160;Book Sense Children's Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. In 2001 she was presented with a Centenary Medal for her contribution to Australian childrenand#8217;s literature. Catherine lives in Leura, Australia.and#160; www.catherinejinks.com