I’m always up for a good young adult thriller adventure, and Genius: The Game delivered an exciting, suspenseful, and quick read. From the beginning, there’s a lot of great setup. You know something isn’t quite right about this so-called “game” for geniuses, but the bigger question is how the three main characters are going to overcome the challenges placed in front of them.
My favorite part of the book was undoubtedly the friendship between the three main characters. They had been friends for years strictly through the internet, so watching them finally meet face to face at the game was heartwarming. Their interactions, loyalty, and love for one another felt like what friendship should be. And they’re more than willing to risk their lives for each other, which made their bond feel even stronger.
I’m not a programmer or engineer by any means, but I enjoy reading about characters with those kinds of skills and seeing their imaginations at work. The different riddles and challenges they had to solve reminded me a lot of escape rooms (which I love!), which made those sections fun and engaging. I also liked that each character had their own personal reason for coming to the game beyond simply wanting to win. That added some depth and complexity to their motives and made them feel more real.
One thing I wasn’t as sure about was the character growth. The main characters seemed just as fearless and determined at the end as they were at the beginning, so I didn’t notice a huge internal change. However, this is only the first book, so maybe that growth is something that develops more as the series continues.
The book is told through all three main characters’ points of view, with each of them taking turns narrating chapters. I enjoy multiple POV books because they allow you to see a more complete version of the story instead of being limited to just one character’s perspective. I thought that worked well here and helped show how each character experienced the game and its dangers differently.
Overall, I thought Genius: The Con was a fun, fast-paced YA thriller with strong friendship, clever challenges, and plenty of suspense. While I would have liked to see a little more character growth, I still enjoyed the adventure and thought it was a pretty good read.
Rating: 3/5 stars