The genius wars / Catherine Jinks.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Boy-genius Cadel Piggot has a new name (Cadel Greenaius), a new family, andnbsp;a new life. No more illegal hacking, no more false identities, and most of all,nbsp;no more Prosper English. But when his best friend Sonja is attacked, it's up to him to figure out who was behind it. Before he knows it, Cadel is crossing oceans and continents, barrelling back into the depths of the criminal activity he thought he'dnbsp;left behind, and coming face to face with Prosper English once again. Can Cadel track down Prosper before it's too late? And what rules will he have to break in the process?

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Sitting in front of the safe-house computer, Cadel examined the image displayed on its screen. There could be no doubt that he was looking at Prosper English. Despite the poor quality of the digital video recording, Prosper's high cheekbones and lanky frame were unmistakable. So was his tweed jacket. Prosper had always favored professorial outfits, and Cadel recognized this one--which also featured a matching waistcoat and leather elbow patches. But why had Prosper chosen it? Why hadn't he disguised himself? If he had shaved his head or donned a hooded anorak, he might never have been detected. Yet he'd kept on wearing the same old clothes, in shot after shot after shot. What on earth was he up to? Excerpted from The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks, Jill Grinberg All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

Cadel Piggot Greenaius has a new family and hopes for a brighter future, but a series of accidents convinces him that Prosper, whom he mistakenly thought was his father, has both discovered the truth of their relationship and thinks the 15-year-old boy might be meddling in his evil schemes. Even with a new police detective stepfather, Cadel knows he is the only person who can take Prosper down, permanently. Cadel's story, started in Evil Genius (2007) and continued in Genius Squad (2008), careens to a finish in this book, which also includes several characters from previous titles. Jinks is an entertaining writer, which helps ameliorate the thin plotting. Her imaginative use of technology, which may have some readers seeking an idiot's guide to programming, creates some truly tense moments, and Cadel is Everyman enough for readers to root for in the thick of things. Fans of the trilogy will delight in this concluding volume, and it will also appeal to gadget-crazy boys and girls who enjoyed Alex Rider's adventures.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

A computer genius raised by a criminal mastermind -- Evil Genius, The Genius Squad (rev. 7/08) -- Cadel is finally settling into normal teenage life now that police chief Saul Greeniaus plans to adopt him and manipulative sociopath Prosper English, the man who raised him, is a fugitive from justice. Then closed circuit TV footage reveals that Prosper is back in Sydney, and "accidents" start putting Cadel's friends and family in the hospital. Cadel knows that malicious programmers under Prosper's direction are hacking into public safety networks and targeting his friends, but the police, who barely understand Cadel's explanations, aren't about to let him join the criminal investigation. With the lives of his friends at stake, Cadel goes rogue, pitting his world-class coding skills and a background in villainy and deceit against a man whose only weakness is for Cadel himself. Jinks uses a variety of hacker tricks to gun up the full-throttled plot, alternating virtual attacks with real-life peril for her winsome protagonist. Dizzying cascades of terminology unfamiliar to all but the most wired readers speed the pace and confer authenticity on Cadel as an elite cyberpunk. But Cadel's frustration over older, less savvy authorities not taking him seriously, and his worries that his former mentor may have indelibly stamped him in his own rotten mold, will command the attention of even non-techie readers until Jinks's final plot twists wind to a close. anita l. burkam (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Cyber-espionage takes both front seats in this conclusion to the outstanding Genius series. Though raised to be a criminal mastermind, 15-year-old Cadel rejects the role, desiring only a normal life with his new adoptive parents. No chance: Suddenly his fugitive mentor/nemesis Prosper English is showing up on nearby security cameras, a high-tech wheelchair tries to run over him as it carries his best friend Sonja down a flight of stairs and an out-of-control bus demolishes his home, leaving his new stepfather severely injured. Not only is Jinks no stranger to gaming, hacking and cutting-edge computer systems, but she plunges her young protagonist into simultaneous character-testing conflicts as he feels forced to trick his beloved but slower and overprotective guardians, abandon ethics to hack into various private and government systems and struggle to control the wild anger that in high-pressure situations drives him to act toward others just like the despised, megalomaniac Prosper. As Cadel's multiple adversaries don't start showing their faces until late in the proceedings, much of the "war" seems fought in the abstract, but the climax is taut, absorbing and tantalizingly ambiguous. (Thriller. 12-15)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.