MUAHAHAHA, Evil Genius!

Yes, that's the name of this book, Evil Genius. By Catherine Jinks, as a matter of fact. The line on the front of the book screams out, "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GET CAUGHT", and it turns out that seems to be the message throughout the entire book. Also on the cover, note how white pattern seeming to spiral backwards into oblivion is binary code! How cool!
Cadel Piggott is a boy genius. Not of the Jimmy Neutron variety, however. His specialty is systems, preferably computer systems. In fact when he was seven he got hold of a computer and caused enough trouble for the police to have to interfere, and his adoptive parents end up taking him to a psychiatrist to help him. The psychiatrist, Thaddeus, is very agreeable to Cadel's intentions; he let's Cadel use his computer as soon as his parents leave and also gently helps him see his full potential in manipulating people and controlling systems. In fact, Cadel sets up an entirely fake online dating service, matching people up with fake partners and making money off of the whole scam.
He even falls in love with one of his clients from the service, who's supposedly 29 and way out of his league but also as mathematically gifted as Cadel and quite a genius. Their letters are entirely in code and for the most part it's really sweet, how close they get although they never meet.
But things are definitely not as they seem, especially after Cadel starts attending a school for higher thinking, basically a school of evil. It turns out his whole life has been a lie, and although he knows he was adopted his parents, or who he thought were his parents, may not be looking out for him after all. And his so-called girlfriend from his dating network? She's not as she seems to be in her emails. All in all, Cadel's in for many big shocks as he unravels the puzzle that has become his life.
This book is pretty good. It looks like a kids book, maybe of the Artemis Fowl variety on first glance, but it's a bit of a strong read for little kids and it actually is a very grown-up book about a kid. I give major credit to the author for finding such a unique approach on evil, because it gives a whole new side to the cliched villain stereotype.
Thank god my boyfriend got me this book, because it was really good. Now I gotta loan it back to him and make him read it, that's how good it was. ♠♠♠♠