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katiemack 's review for:
The Smartest Kid in the Universe
by Chris Grabenstein
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an amusing read that will work well for middle-grade readers who are looking for a clever adventure story. (I've heard it's similar to Mr. Lemoncello's Library, also by this author, but I haven't read that one.) It starts with Jake, who is an average student who loves playing videogames, accidentally eating mysterious jellybeans that increase his intelligence, making him the "Smartest Kid in the Universe." He uses this newfound knowledge to try to impress a girl, ace his classes, and even help the President of the United States. Hilarity ensues.
Some of this is too far-fetched for realistic fiction; the villains are caricatures, and there are a few different threads in the narrative that don't always flow well (there's some realism, a mystery, a romance, and a swashbuckling pirate adventure at different points), but I think the book is humorous and light enough for it to work.
This is an amusing read that will work well for middle-grade readers who are looking for a clever adventure story. (I've heard it's similar to Mr. Lemoncello's Library, also by this author, but I haven't read that one.) It starts with Jake, who is an average student who loves playing videogames, accidentally eating mysterious jellybeans that increase his intelligence, making him the "Smartest Kid in the Universe." He uses this newfound knowledge to try to impress a girl, ace his classes, and even help the President of the United States. Hilarity ensues.
Some of this is too far-fetched for realistic fiction; the villains are caricatures, and there are a few different threads in the narrative that don't always flow well (there's some realism, a mystery, a romance, and a swashbuckling pirate adventure at different points), but I think the book is humorous and light enough for it to work.