Family Guy meets Election in this hilarious young adult debut!
Twelve-year-old Oliver Watson's got the IQ of a grilled cheese... read full description
Twelve-year-old Oliver Watson's got the IQ of a grilled cheese... read full description
reviews
Sep 15, 2010
Caris
rated it: 
The obvious comparison here is American Psycho.
We have an overprivileged, sociopathic white male who has a place in society, but lives a secret double life. Oliver doesn't eat anyone or fuck corpses or anything, but that doesn't make him any less interesting (well, perhaps a bit less).
Why is it that sociopaths are so interesting? I read a book a few years ago called The Sociopath Next Door. The author claimed that sociopaths make up something like five percent of the ent More...
We have an overprivileged, sociopathic white male who has a place in society, but lives a secret double life. Oliver doesn't eat anyone or fuck corpses or anything, but that doesn't make him any less interesting (well, perhaps a bit less).
Why is it that sociopaths are so interesting? I read a book a few years ago called The Sociopath Next Door. The author claimed that sociopaths make up something like five percent of the ent More...
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Jan 30, 2012
Mike
rated it: 
Let's fix Jon Stewart's cover blurb. Here's what he said, "If War and Peace had a baby with The Breakfast Club and then left the baby to be raised by wolves, this book would be the result." Here's what he should have said, "If Artemis Fowl had a baby with Diary of a Wimpy Kid and then left the baby to be raised by the Dursleys, this book would be the result."
Five stars of funny. One of my favorite bits: when Oliver defines Machiavelli as "An Italian who wrote More...
Five stars of funny. One of my favorite bits: when Oliver defines Machiavelli as "An Italian who wrote More...
Oct 04, 2009
Not sure quite how to rate this one so I won't. I thought most of it was hilarious, inventive, and fun to read, but I was confused by the ending and what young readers are suppose to come away with. Is it pure fun or is there a moral within all that dark irony?
At first I thought it would be most appreciated by younger adults, Daily Show fans, who would remember well the horrors of middle school and get a kick out of how Oliver manages to pass by and over them. It is completely o More...
At first I thought it would be most appreciated by younger adults, Daily Show fans, who would remember well the horrors of middle school and get a kick out of how Oliver manages to pass by and over them. It is completely o More...
9 comments
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(13 people liked it)
Dec 12, 2011
The title of this book is “ I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be Your Class President” and is written by Josh Lieb. Through research I found out that the author of this book, Josh Lieb, is the producer of, “The Daily Show”.
This is an extremely humorous story about a 12-year-old boy name named Oliver. Everyone including his parents knows Oliver, as a complete idiot, but little do they know he is truly a completely evil genius. He doesn’t let anyone know of his genius because of More...
This is an extremely humorous story about a 12-year-old boy name named Oliver. Everyone including his parents knows Oliver, as a complete idiot, but little do they know he is truly a completely evil genius. He doesn’t let anyone know of his genius because of More...
Dec 11, 2011
In the book I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be your Class President there is a lot of humor, but there also lessons hidden behind it. This book is about a boy named Oliver Watson who is supposed to be this really dumb guy, but really he is an evil genius. He gets nominated for class president, but says no. He later decides he does want to become class president because his dad (his enemy) says that he was class president. This book is not just filled with hidden soda fountains, m
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Sep 11, 2011
kb
rated it:
Jon Stewart says this book was like War and Peace-meets-The Breakfast Club; for me, it was like Diary of A Wimpy Kid-meets-Good Omens, sprinkled with a bit of Pursuit of Happyness. Oh no, I've totally confused you now. Scratch that, let me just put it simply: This book was v. close to genius. It follows Oliver Watson Jr., a double-lifer seventh grader who acts dumb to most people to hide the fact of his global, and of course, evil, power, but really, it could be about anyone. Oliver was anyone w
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Sep 08, 2011
Nic
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 12, 2011
Moza
rated it:
My sister has been begging me to read this book. Every few minutes she told me that she felt sorry for me because I've deprived myself from reading the amazingness that is I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President. And she was right. so right. I've been deprived, actually deprived of the comedy, deprived of the hidden depth hidden in each character. I actually regret not tearing this book out of her hands the moment she offered it to me.
Oliver, is without More...
Oliver, is without More...
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Jun 05, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Oliver Watson is your average, everyday 7th grade evil genius stuck in Omaha, Nebraska. On his way to world domination, Oliver has decided to win the election for class president... only creating shell corporations, stealing moon rocks from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and overthrowing foreign governments are actually easier than winning a middle school election. Seriously.
"I can assure her (but I won't) that the burglars didn't "just stroll" into the More...
"I can assure her (but I won't) that the burglars didn't "just stroll" into the More...
Jun 03, 2011
Two Bibliomaniacs
rated it:
The title alone should inspire you to check this one out. The actual content, well....
Actually, we really enjoyed I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, however, more than once we wondered what in the world we were reading. The rest of the time we were laughing wildly. Seriously, the narrator is a middle school boy, who happens to be the world’s premier mastermind bent on world domination. Oh, and little Oliver Watson doesn’t want anyone to know that More...
Actually, we really enjoyed I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, however, more than once we wondered what in the world we were reading. The rest of the time we were laughing wildly. Seriously, the narrator is a middle school boy, who happens to be the world’s premier mastermind bent on world domination. Oh, and little Oliver Watson doesn’t want anyone to know that More...
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May 09, 2011
Jodi
rated it: 
Oh dear. I really did not like this book. Yet another 2012 Nutmeg Nominee, this one grabbed my attention over some of the others because of the crazy title and the blurbs on the cover. It is not often you see a YA book with a glowing review from none other than Jon Stewart!! However, it became quite clear within the first few pages that this book was not for me.
I am not quite sure who it IS for to be honest with you. If I had to pick, I would say it is for kids who have been bullied and l More...
I am not quite sure who it IS for to be honest with you. If I had to pick, I would say it is for kids who have been bullied and l More...
Apr 22, 2011
Kim
rated it:
Loved this book. First of all, the book is smart. Not every Middle Grade level book makes fun of Raymond Carver and Nabokov. You're right if you're already saying that these jokes will go over most kids heads, I wasn't subjected to Raymond Carver until college. But I remember that when I was a kid, I didn't like books that talked down to me. I wanted books to treat me like I was an adult, like I wasn't stupid. If I didn't get something, I looked it up.
Besides, between jokes about More...
Besides, between jokes about More...
Apr 04, 2011
Becca
rated it: 
There is a quote from John Stewart on the cover of this book that says, “If War and Peace had a baby with The Breakfast Club and then left the baby to be raised by wolves, this book would be the result. I loved it.” Quite an endorsement for a debut novel, I thought. Then again, author Josh Lieb is an executive producer for The Daily Show. Intrigued, I decided to find out for myself whether Stewart’s praise rings true.
I must say, although in the end I found the book’s humor to be a b More...
I must say, although in the end I found the book’s humor to be a b More...
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Apr 01, 2011
Jodi
rated it:
Oh dear. I really did not like this book. Yet another 2012 Nutmeg Nominee, this one grabbed my attention over some of the others because of the crazy title and the blurbs on the cover. It is not often you see a YA book with a glowing review from none other than Jon Stewart!! However, it became quite clear within the first few pages that this book was not for me.
I am not quite sure who it IS for to be honest with you. If I had to pick, I would say it is for kids who have be More...
I am not quite sure who it IS for to be honest with you. If I had to pick, I would say it is for kids who have be More...
Feb 20, 2011
Lucille
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 19, 2010
Martha
rated it:
Normally I don’t read much contemporary young adult literature. Honestly, I can’t remember any I’ve read in the last couple of years. I read some along with my daughter when she was young but stopped as she got older. I couldn’t bring myself to read the “Twilight” series because the brooding vampire thing doesn’t really do it for me. The last brooding vampire I read about was Lestat and I lost interest in him after “The Vampire Lestat”. I would have read along with my son but he went from “Capt
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Oct 08, 2010
Natalie
rated it:
If you were born being a complete genius, able to understand everything said about you, then you might have turned out this way too. When Oliver is first born he hears his father make some nasty comments about him. He decides from then on to pretend to be complete idiot. When we enter the story Oliver is 12 and already the third richest person in the world. No one knows this outside a few bought people. In the beginning Oliver does not want to run for class president, but by the end he goes out
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Aug 16, 2010
Courtney
rated it:
Oliver is an evil genius, but if you met him, you'd never know it. In reality, his persona is more akin to Ralph Wiggum, but his brain works in a fashion similar to Stewie. He loves grilled cheese sandwiches, Captain Beefheart (particularly the Trout Mask Replica album...yes folks, that's a real person/band...are they evil? perhaps.), and bending the world to his will. But, for some reason, he feels a desire to impress his father, and feels that the best way would be to become class presiden
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Jun 18, 2010
Jackie
rated it:
Oliver Watson is an overweight, dim witted, 12-year-old boy whose only joy in life is coming home to his mother's grilled cheese sandwiches. Actually this is just the cover that he uses to mask the fact that he is a malevolent genius and the third richest man in the world. Oliver runs his evil empire, unbeknownst to his parents, from a secret lair under his house. During school he is guarded by specially trained operatives that invisibly dispatch bullies, "motivate" the principal, a
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 04, 2010
Barky
rated it:
Oliver Watson is a chubby, grilled-cheese-loving, twelve-year-old criminal mastermind. He is one of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful individuals, but only his most trusted minions know the boy behind the intricate façade he has constructed. Oliver is also running for 8th grade class president. With his network of spies and contacts, body guards and assassins (especially the Motivator), he can hardly fail. If he can’t pay someone to knock out the competition and rig the election, ther
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Jun 01, 2010
Chris
rated it:
Damn these humans and their idiotic emotions. They're the only things in this world I can't control.
Oliver is a secret genius. To everyone except his underground network of corporations and spies, he's a dimwitted, awkward seventh grader. But that's just a front he must maintain until he is eighteen and can legally assume the power that is rightfully his. Underneath his slow exterior is a biting, caustic wit intent on--as much as possible through economic means--ruling the world. More...
Oliver is a secret genius. To everyone except his underground network of corporations and spies, he's a dimwitted, awkward seventh grader. But that's just a front he must maintain until he is eighteen and can legally assume the power that is rightfully his. Underneath his slow exterior is a biting, caustic wit intent on--as much as possible through economic means--ruling the world. More...
May 09, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
bought this for the title and for the fact that Jon Stewart and Judd Apatow gave blurbs for it.
In case you need more--Oliver Watson is in middle school. All of his classmates think he's probably borderline retarded. His dad thinks he's a disappointment and his mom is smothering to the point of being ridiculous.
But really, Oliver's a genius. He's the third richest person in the world and uses this to his advantage. He has developed a chemical that makes people who wou More...
In case you need more--Oliver Watson is in middle school. All of his classmates think he's probably borderline retarded. His dad thinks he's a disappointment and his mom is smothering to the point of being ridiculous.
But really, Oliver's a genius. He's the third richest person in the world and uses this to his advantage. He has developed a chemical that makes people who wou More...
Feb 18, 2010
Abby
rated it:
Okay, this book gets an extra star just for its awesome title alone. It earned those other 3 stars by making me laugh harder while reading than I've done in a very long time.
By all appearances, Oliver Watson is just another dimwitted, overweight middle-school loser. But in fact, he is an evil genius who happens to be the 3rd richest man alive, has an army of minions to do his bidding, and has remodeled the school to suit his needs (i.e., an out of order toliet stall is actually a hi More...
By all appearances, Oliver Watson is just another dimwitted, overweight middle-school loser. But in fact, he is an evil genius who happens to be the 3rd richest man alive, has an army of minions to do his bidding, and has remodeled the school to suit his needs (i.e., an out of order toliet stall is actually a hi More...
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Jan 04, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
Most people see Oliver Watson, and they see a chubby, 12 year old, who seems a bit dimwitted. In reality he is a genius and business mastermind who runs a major corporate empire, allowing him to have and do whatever he wants behind the scenes. Now that he is int he eighth grade, the third richest person on the planet has a new goal: he wants to be president of his middle school student council.
He sets this new goal in the hopes of upstaging his dad, a man who feels an unfulfilled sen More...
He sets this new goal in the hopes of upstaging his dad, a man who feels an unfulfilled sen More...
Jan 02, 2010
Sandy
rated it:
The main character is kind of what I imagine an older Stewie Griffin would be like. When you learn that the author has done work on The Daly Show and the Simpsons, this style of humor comes as no surprise. Oliver hides his evil genius behind a mask of sub-mediocrity and hatches a plot to win the 7th grade student council presidency as a means of crushing his father's spirit. Crazy, unlikely, and convoluted? Definitely. But that's why I bet people will like it.
The narration is wo More...
The narration is wo More...
Dec 30, 2009
Brandy
rated it:
Oliver Watson is one of the dumbest kids in the seventh grade, and one of the most pathetic. However, he knows something the other kids don't. In fact, he knows lots of things the other kids don't, because the dumb-kid thing is actually his cover for his genius. And we're not talking quiz-bowl genius, but third-richest-man-in-America, secret-lair-under-the-house genius. After buying up companies and corporations (several for the sole purpose of helping or hurting classmates' parents, dependin
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Nov 12, 2009
Christiane
rated it:
Oliver Watson is a genius (he remembers being in the womb and learned to speak English from listening to the nurses at the hospital) and he is evil: with bodyguards, minions, a secret bunker under the family home, a blimp, and a figurehead millionaire to run his evil empire (legally you can't sign contracts when you're 12). Life is not all perfect of course. To maintain his cover Oliver pretends he is barely able to complete a sentence or tie his shoes without help. It takes a lot of patienc
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Oct 17, 2009
Laura
rated it:
The title kind of says it all, really. Oliver Watson is, in fact, a 12-year-old evil genius, complete with minions, who single-handedly runs the world (or at least several multi-national corporations, which is the same thing). But like most 12-year-old boys, his real ambition is to impress his aging hippie father, who likes to wax rhapsodic about the wonders of the democratic process. Presumably because 12-year-olds can't be United States Senators, Oliver runs for class president, but, because h
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May 21, 2010
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it:
The search engine keeps kicking the title of this out without finding it apparently because the title is too long. To search it you need to use the author.
I'd seen the positive reviews on this book and looked it up. I was expecting a humorous, possibly witty, satirical book. Instead I found a juvenile (and not in a positive way as in the book is about a juvenile character) attempt a comedy complete with frustrated diatribes against the ever so evil "establishment" and the v More...
I'd seen the positive reviews on this book and looked it up. I was expecting a humorous, possibly witty, satirical book. Instead I found a juvenile (and not in a positive way as in the book is about a juvenile character) attempt a comedy complete with frustrated diatribes against the ever so evil "establishment" and the v More...
Jul 03, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
My local library’s teen group had this listed as one of their recommended reads, and I owe them a debt of thanks. Being older than fourteen, I find most of the sarcastic-and-hip YA and children’s books somewhat pathetic – reminiscent of teachers who are desperate to prove to their students that they’re cool. This book doesn’t treat teens like idiots or resort to cheap jokes – something I chalk up to Mr. Lieb’s career. He’s an executive producer of The Daily Show, and the book uses that same form
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