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alyshadeshae's review
4.0
A cute kids' spy book. Some of the wording is definitely dated. I didn't realize how old the book was (about a decade) when I picked it up and was surprised by the use of the r-slur. I was pleased that it was almost immediately followed up by a "you can't say that" chastisement, but it was a bit jarring.
neva1's review against another edition
This book is awesome! In case nobody noticed, there are hidden ciphers on some of the book pages, and it's really fun to use Coke and Pep's methods to crack them! It's a fun and clever book- you won't regret reading it.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
2.0
I think mystery adventure fans in elementary may enjoy this, but I just thought it was okay. I was often frustrated with the description in the middle of an action scene. I felt like saying, "skip to the good part." Perhaps that was partly because I was listening. When that happens and I am holding a book, I can simply skim to the part I am more interested in.
I was also bothered a couple of times by gender things. There is a comment in the beginning about boys lacking emotions and then the narrator brings it up again at the end. I found it amusing in Harry Potter when Hermione told Ron that he had the "emotional range of a teaspoon," but I shudder when someone ascribes that to an entire gender.
Overall, I found the plot very unbelievable, but enjoyed the road trip aspects and some of the humor.
I was also bothered a couple of times by gender things. There is a comment in the beginning about boys lacking emotions and then the narrator brings it up again at the end. I found it amusing in Harry Potter when Hermione told Ron that he had the "emotional range of a teaspoon," but I shudder when someone ascribes that to an entire gender.
Overall, I found the plot very unbelievable, but enjoyed the road trip aspects and some of the humor.
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
So far so good! Love the Google Map ideas! This will be a great read in classrooms.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
Despite being intended for a middle grade audience, THE GENIUS FILES: MISSION UNSTOPPABLE is undoubtedly one of the funniest books I've read in 2012. From the quirky characters, aptly named to make an ironic statement about excessive consumerism (Pepsi and Coke McDonald? Fabulous!) to the humorous cross-country trip full of code-breaking, death-escaping, random encounters (like the world's biggest ball of twine -- a few time, until they get it right!), this is a cute read that will entertain children and adults alike. The pacing was a bit off in places and the ending left me a tad disappointed, but the random, humorous one-liners are enough for me to consider other works from Gutman in the future. I think the younger crowd will see past the things that detracted me here and will find a fun, weekend read for sure.
libscote's review
2.0
Meh. I wasn't super impressed with this book overall. I thought Pepsi really wasn't given enough to do and it was really all about Coke. Not my favorite MSBA read this year.
chaziesbooks's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bookedwithsmitty's review against another edition
4.0
Is it believable...? Twins named Coke and Pepsi get caught in an adventure. Twelve year olds usually don't have to escape from criminals, climb out of holes and avoid getting killed. But, these twins do.
One of my students was reading this book and the cover caught my attention. Then, the 1st paragraph drew me in, grabbed my attention. I wanted to know more about the twins named Coke and Pepsi.
The plot is not believable. But, it makes for good writing and entertainment. These are the things that I try to teach my 4th graders. This book series is perfect for teaching students to be a great writer. Everything from the characters, actions, descriptions, interesting lead are ways to draw a reader in. I love the geographical aspect of the story and it's interactive. I actually googled some of the places to see if they were real and also because the author told me to!
4 stars instead of 5 because although they did say why they were trying to kill these kids. They didnt really EXPLAIN why they were trying to kill them. Just because they are geniuses??? Or maybe I missed something.
One of my students was reading this book and the cover caught my attention. Then, the 1st paragraph drew me in, grabbed my attention. I wanted to know more about the twins named Coke and Pepsi.
The plot is not believable. But, it makes for good writing and entertainment. These are the things that I try to teach my 4th graders. This book series is perfect for teaching students to be a great writer. Everything from the characters, actions, descriptions, interesting lead are ways to draw a reader in. I love the geographical aspect of the story and it's interactive. I actually googled some of the places to see if they were real and also because the author told me to!
4 stars instead of 5 because although they did say why they were trying to kill these kids. They didnt really EXPLAIN why they were trying to kill them. Just because they are geniuses??? Or maybe I missed something.
jayce's review against another edition
2.0
Originally posted here at In the Senter of it All
Genre: Adventure
AR level: 4.8
Grade appropriate: 3rd and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 2/5-- Honestly, I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. It was really silly so that will be a plus for a lot of kids.
Creativity: 3/5-- A man creates a list of genius children to help him run the country after 9/11. They are being hunted down throughout the story.
Characters: 1/5-- Eh...
Engrossing: 2/5-- Not so much.
Writing: 2/5-- see my notes on appeal to kids.
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- The kids will love it. It’s silly and heavy on the action. Not so heavy on character development or cohesiveness.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 3/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- fighting off bad guys with frisbees and twine.
Drugs/Alcohol: none-- bad guy smokes cigarettes.
Genre: Adventure
AR level: 4.8
Grade appropriate: 3rd and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 2/5-- Honestly, I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. It was really silly so that will be a plus for a lot of kids.
Creativity: 3/5-- A man creates a list of genius children to help him run the country after 9/11. They are being hunted down throughout the story.
Characters: 1/5-- Eh...
Engrossing: 2/5-- Not so much.
Writing: 2/5-- see my notes on appeal to kids.
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- The kids will love it. It’s silly and heavy on the action. Not so heavy on character development or cohesiveness.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 3/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- fighting off bad guys with frisbees and twine.
Drugs/Alcohol: none-- bad guy smokes cigarettes.
heypretty52's review against another edition
3.0
I've given Mission Unstoppable one extra star, because I believe that were I eight years old I would likely enjoy this book. However, I read a large number of middle grade books, and this book is almost at the very bottom of my list. The plot felt forced and unnecessarily full of "fun" facts. I was not interested in or invested in Coke and Pep's lives, and the villains were not intimidating. Worst of all is my belief that the terrorist plot and the motivation for the primary "bad guy" were both flimsy at best. I can think of several action series for middle grade readers that I would recommend before recommending The Genius Files.