It's hard to review a book where you didn't like the main character. That's the problem I'm faced with now that I've finished I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb.Oliver Watson, true to the title, is a genius of unspeakable evil. And yes, he does want to be class president. Oliver is twelve years old, overweight, and has fooled his parents, classmates, and teachers into believing that he is a slow-witted simpleton, when in reality he is the third-richest person in the world, an evil mastermind, and head of a secret empire well on his way to global domination.
The problem is that Oliver is also tedious, annoying, self-centered, and so bent on revenge against his father that I could not warm up to him. Everytime he took revenge against a classmate, secretly blackmailed or humiliated a teacher, or otherwise manipulated the system to get his own way, I was more appalled by his actions than amused.
I know, I know. This is fiction. This is supposed to be fun. This is the ultimate revenge fantasy for all those kids out there who are picked on.
But you know what? If this book had come out when I was in school -- when I would have been, in fact, the prime audience for a revenge fantasy like this -- I'd like to think I would still have been more appalled than amused.
While Oliver is a sarcastic genius of the highest order, he is also just plain mean. Perhaps if he'd had a shred of humanity in him, I might have liked him more. As it stands, I can only feel that he didn't get what he deserved in the end, and the path getting there wasn't worth the time I spent on it.
Still, maybe you'll like it better. Give us some feedback; let us know what you think.
See you at the library!
