I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be your Class President

Book 73 of my 2014 Reading Challenge

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be your Class President by Josh Lieb

Summary (via the book jacket)

Oliver Watson is pretty much your average kid. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska. His favorite afternoon snack is a grilled-cheese sandwich. His best friend is his beautiful brindle pit bull mix, Lollipop. And...oh yeah. He's a mad evil genius on his way to utter world domination. 

Nobody can stop Oliver from getting what he wants. Not Jordie Moscowitz, the class bully. Not his plaid wearing, can't-disguise-that-he's-balding English teacher, Mr. Moorhead. Not even Oliver's father and arch nemisis, "Daddy". (He hates being called that). It doesn't matter how many dictators Oliver has to overthrow. How many presidents he has to blackmail. How many bingo-addicted grandmas he has to bribe. What Oliver wants, Oliver gets.

That is, until now. Because Oliver Watson is running for class president. And he's about to discover, ruling the world is actually a lot easier than getting other kids to vote for you.

Even for a genius of unspeakable evil.

My Opinion

This book was readable but pretty pointless. I didn't realize until after that's considered a YA novel, so that may move it into the "maybe I just wasn't the right audience for it" category. 

This would make a good Disney or Nickelodeon movie. The whole time I was reading it, I pictured Oliver as Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory or Cartman from South Park - precocious and pretending to be above human but not truly evil.

And, a personal sore spot for me, it had the 'r' word in it. Completely unnecessary and an immediate turnoff. I realize that's a personal preference so I don't harp on it too much but it's worth mentioning since my review = my reaction.

Overall, there are worse ways to spend some time but I didn't love it. 

A Few Quotes from the Book

"It doesn't pay to be good at something unless you are the absolute best at it. Otherwise, you'll eventually go up against someone who can beat you. That is why I do not try to play soccer, sing in the school chorus, or dance, even though I am moderately talented at all of these things. I concentrate on what I am good at: being a genius."

"According to the fortune-cookie logic most people live by, the best things in life are free. That's crap. I have a gold-plated robot that scratches the exact part of my back where my hands can't reach, and it certainly wasn't free."

"Has he made it to first base? No. Has he even entered the ballpark? Not on your life. But has he bought a ticket to the game? You betcha."

"Important days don't look like anything special when they start."