Back of Book: 

The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.  

Book Number: One 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Donovan Curtis has never been what anyone would call “gifted.” But his genius friend Noah Youkilis is actually supergifted, with one of the highest IQs around. After years at the Academy for Scholastic Distinction, all Noah dreams of is the opportunity to fail if he wants to. And he’s landed in the perfect place to do it—Donovan’s school.

Almost immediately, Noah finds himself on the wrong side of cheerleading captain Megan Mercury and alpha jock Hash “Hashtag” Taggart. Sticking up for Noah lands Donovan in the middle of a huge feud with Hashtag. He’s told to stay away from the sports star—or else.

That should be the end of it, but when a freak incident suddenly makes Donovan a hero, he can’t tell anyone about it since Hashtag is involved. So Noah steps in and becomes “Superkid.” Now he’s gone from nerd to titan at school. And it may have gone more than a little bit to his head.

This funny and heartwarming sequel to Ungifted, which has become a word-of-mouth hit, cleverly sends up our ideas about intelligence, heroism, and popularity.  

Book Number: Two (Last Book) 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes the funny and heartwarming sequel to the word-of-mouth hits UNGIFTED and SUPERGIFTED.

School has never been a problem for twelve-year-old super-genius Noah Youkilis—at least not until he gets an admission letter to the prestigious Wilderton University. The last thing Noah wants is to go straight from eighth grade into college. Will his life ever just be normal?!

Meanwhile, Noah’s best friend, Donovan, has been looking forward all year to a summer of doing nothing. But when Wilderton allows Noah to bring a friend for the summer term, Donovan’s parents jump at the chance. Suddenly, Donovan’s summer of slack has turned into hanging with Noah and working as a summer camp counselor for professors’ kids.

Once they arrive on campus, Noah’s determined to fit in—and to him, that means joining the top-secret Society of the Gavel. But becoming a Gaveler is harder than it seems, and it’s made all the harder when Noah and Donovon smuggle Wilderton’s mascot, a two-hundred-pound pig named Porquette, into their dorm. Now Noah and Donovan must combine all their middle-school smarts to keep their pig-sized secret, fix a haywire AI program before it pretty much ends the world, and keep track of Donovan’s campers.

It’s going to be a summer to remember in the newest book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman.

Book Number: Three

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Gordon Korman's beloved characters Donovan and Noah return in this third installment of the popular "Ungifted" series! 

Noah Youkilis has the highest IQ at his middle school for gifted individuals. At least, he did. Now, he's graduating not just middle school, but also high school on the same day. Against his will, Noah is given a full ride to Wilderton University, so it looks as though Noah is off to college at age thirteen. At least he isn't going alone as his best friend, Donovan Curtis, gets to go with him. College is nothing like either of them could have imagined. Between the school's missing pig mascot, a rogue AI algorithm, and disappearing summer campers, Donovan and Noah are getting way more than they signed up for. 

I must say, I was very hesitant going into this one. I grew up reading and loving Korman's work and the "Ungifted" books were among my favorites. It'll be eight years since "Supergifted" came out by the time that "Hypergifted" hits shelves, and I personally find this to be a crazy fact. After looking up the books though, I guess the same thing happened between "Ungifted" and "Supergifted" too, so maybe this truly doesn't mean anything. Luckily, I found the third installment in this book to hold the same charm as the first two, and Donovan and Noah felt like they hadn't aged a day. 

Something I definitely wasn't expecting was the majority of this book's conflict to revolve around misplaced pigs and secret societies. Honestly, these things are very on brand for a Korman book, but they caught me off guard regardless. Porquette, the school's mascot, ends up getting out of her pen and of course being the two idiots they are, Donovan and Noah pretty much kidnap her. Their hearts were in the right place; I just swear their brains don't work. Noah also gets addicted to this Society of the Gavel, which as far as I know is a creepy cult. These two things, pigs and cults, somehow merge before the book is through and the boys have a giant mess on their hands. 

The concept of this book is certainly quirky, but it is pretty fun. Imagining literal thirteen-year-olds on a college campus seems so wrong, but Korman pulls off the unrealistic with his iconic flair of his. His stories are always so goofy but always deliver such heartfelt messages. 

The discussion that this book brings up about the usage of AI is also a very relevant theme in today's world, which I'm pretty sure is the whole reason Korman decided to return to this series. Noah is tasked in one of his classes to design an AI algorithm of his choice, and he decides to craft one that will analyze the best way for him to be initiated into the Society of the Gavel. Unsurprisingly, this totally blows up in his face, and Noah's tech ends up producing fake YouTube videos of Donovan doing things he has never done. This is a great introduction into the ethical implications of using AI and it brushes only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the consequences of using this technology. Donovan gets really hurt throughout the course of this novel, because everyone thinks he's a liar. The inclusion of artificial intelligence definitely gives the youths something to chew on. 

As an adult reader, there are so many things that are obvious about this one. Such as what's wrong with Porquette, where Noah's AI technology went, and just where in the world Jalen was running off to (though my brain didn't quite piece together what he was doing there). I'm a grown adult though, so I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't constantly see things coming in children's books.

Overall, "Hypergifted" was a solid addition to Donovan and Noah's story. It may have been penned to introduce children to be wary of how one uses AI, but there are so many great things about it. The arc involving Porquette is pretty funny, and seeing Donovan and Noah up to their usual schemes was truly a joy. This one may not have been as strong as the first two, but the nostalgia I felt reading this one was quite strong. I hope to read many more of Korman's books before my time on this planet is up.