Hypergifted by Gordan Korman

What worked:

The story is told from multiple points of view, allowing readers inside several characters' minds. This strategy is important because these characters have different motivations for attending an elite college during the summer. Noah has an IQ of 206, and he’s just graduated from middle school and high school, too! He’s starting college as a freshman, but he’s asked his best friend Donovan to spend the summer in the dorms to help him get acclimated. These two characters are the focus of the plot. Readers also read chapters about Raina, a new summer camp counselor, a fraternity member, and other characters from the college.

Noah and Donovan can be described as an odd couple, since they’re starkly different people. Noah is super smart and has difficulty thinking like “normal” kids. He wishes he weren’t judged by his high IQ and all of the expectations that come with it. Others might be surprised that his favorite activity is watching YouTube videos. He comes up with an idea for an AI program that will impress his co-ed crush and his computer science professor. Donovan plans to lie on the couch all summer watching endless television shows until his parents say he’ll be rooming with Noah instead. Donovan is given a job as a CIT (counselor in training), and his style is much different from Raina's. The major conflict in the plot arises from Noah’s Elderberry plant and the college's pig mascot, Porquette.

The author adds a bit of mystery with a secret group on the college campus called the Society of the Gavel. No one knows the identity of the members (until they’ve died), and no one knows what the group does. Members are secretly notified of their selection into the society, so no one knows what it takes to become a member. Noah thinks secrets are meant to be discovered, so he makes it his mission to become invited into the Society of the Gavel. This motivates him to create the AI program, but it also leads to some ill-advised decisions. He eventually decides to create the Fibonacci Society, but no one understands, and his plans go awry.

What didn’t work as well:

I have a pet peeve against using too many points of view, and there are a couple of characters who didn’t need to be included. The strategy breaks the plot into many smaller pieces, which can be a distraction. On the other hand, the use of multiple points of view in this book causes readers to become more mentally engaged, as they piece the events into one cohesive story.

The final verdict:

This book is classic Gordon Korman with its blend of humor, a wayward plot, and featuring multiple voices. Much of the plot is predictable, but the author saves a few surprises for the end. Korman’s style is always appealing to middle-grade readers, and I recommend you give it a shot.