Prodigy Quest by Verlin Darrow

My name is Tris, and I can't help that I'm so much smarter than everyone else. My psychiatrist surprised me with his intelligence at our first session, and he shared that he's experienced memories of past lives too. He agreed to help me locate a book of wisdom that was written by past hosts of my own soul. I was supposed to get it published and released to the world, but we didn't have any idea where to start looking. Once we got started on the right track, we didn't expect to be misled and threatened by cult groups along the way. However, the most amazing thing about the adventure was the knowledge gained by me, the smartest kid in the world. I never imagined the changes I'd experience.

What worked:

The story is based on the concept of reincarnation, as Tris has a dream message from his soul’s former host, a woman named Susan Granger. His soul was also hosted by Merriweather Lewis, of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition, and Tris experiences memories from past moments in history. The memories and guidance from these past hosts create a mystery adventure to resolve.

The focus of the quest is to find and publish a book that will bring wisdom to the entire world. That’s all the description given, so the details surrounding the book remain unknown. What are the actual contents of the book, and what makes this book different from other attempts to spread knowledge? The plot focuses on locating the book, but the book’s potential impact and influence on the world remain uncertain. As the story moves along, secret cult groups appear that try to find the book first, and one of the groups is willing to resort to violence. The hunt for the book and the threatening mysterious cults create the two main conflicts in the book. The author utilizes some trickery and misdirection to present complications. Rest assured, Prodigy Quest includes an appendix at the end with a synopsis of the book of wisdom.

Marc is Tris’s psychiatrist and guardian during the adventure, and he presents a steadying influence. Tris lacks social skills due to his absence of empathy, and Marc’s influence helps Tris transform into a more “normal” human. Tris learns to reflect on his own behaviors and emotions, as he analyzes himself and practices interacting with others. He dramatically transforms into an emotional young boy and grows to appreciate people for who they are, not who he wants them to be. He’s still the smartest kid in the world, but he discovers there’s more to being smart than having answers to all of the questions.

What didn’t work as well:

Tris is arrogant and has little tolerance for others who don’t meet his high standards, so he’s not a very likable main character. His personality makes it difficult to make connections with his character, so making an emotional commitment to the story is more challenging. Tris’s fame from a popular quiz show labels him as the smartest kid in the world. He’s often recognized in public, and these interactions create amusing moments in the story as well as useful tools to gain information toward the quest. Tris’s self-reflection throughout the story smooths some rough edges around his character. It becomes easier to have feelings for Tris, and readers may even learn to like him.

The final verdict:

The book of wisdom doesn’t have all the answers. The early chapters don’t construct an easily engaging story, as the dialogue is fairly objective and unemotional due to Tris’s character. However, the adventure slowly becomes more intriguing and exciting, as the characters collect clues. Overall, this book offers a thought-provoking drama for young adult readers.