Reading at Dawn - Book Review Blog

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E)

This is a middle grade book that caught my attention in the bookstore years ago. Then I noticed the first book I purchased was actually book 2 in the series, so I had to wait and get book 1. After years, I have actually read book 1 in the series and can post about it here.

From Goodreads: "Otto Malpense may only be thirteen years old, but so far he has managed to run the orphanage where he lives, and he has come up with a plan clever enough to trick the most powerful man in the country. He is the perfect candidate to become the world's next supervillain.

That is why he ends up at H.I.V.E., handpicked to become a member of the incoming class.... But what Otto soon comes to realize is that this is a six-year program, and leaving is not an option.

With the help of his new friends: an athletic martial-arts expert; a world-famous, beautiful diamond thief; and a spunky computer genius -- the only other people who seem to want to leave -- can Otto achieve what has never been done before and break out of H.I.V.E.?"


 An interesting book in general. I will admit that it might have helped a little to catch book one first, because there is a little less affect to the whole "will they escape" question if you know how much about the rest of the series. So, looking over the future books on Goodreads didn't help that factor either. But let's talk about the book and I might add a few fun images. Trying out a different format for some of the book reviews. May contain minor spoilers to the first half of the book, but I won't mention what happens later on.

Main character is an orphan boy named Otto Malpense. Last name picked, I'm guessing, for obvious reasons. At the start of the novel we get him and another boy, Wing who later becomes the roommate and friend, waking up to a strange discovery. The introduction to the academy comes first, which I wasn't sure about because the back of the book discussed how Otto was this big man of his orphanage but we got that information shown to us a little later on in the tale. They discover they have been kidnapped/hand-selected to join an elite school for villains. *cue evil music*

The school has much to offer with its evil classes, high tech facilities and computer mind overseeing everything (known as H.I.V.E. Mind). Even a class exists for the handy role of "henchmen" though those in that role don't seem fond of the new class of villains. Many instructors which all show personal strengths in villainous activities show up during the novel too. Despite all this, Otto wants no part. So, he plans to do the unthinkable and escape.

However, he doesn't know someone else has an interest in his education. It is a man known only as Number One:


"Hey, Number Two got promoted! Wonder what happened to Dr. Evil." Yeah, I couldn't help myself. Sorry Mr. Walden but thanks to Austin Powers franchise, this was all I could think about every time we get a scene where Number One in his shadowy presence showed up or when Dr. Nero (the head of the school who reported to Number One) even thought about him.  But back to the book in question.


Teaming up with a few classmates, all of whom have their own special villainous skills, Otto plans to escape H.I.V.E. and return to his life. And once it got to the escape, things did escalate. The beginning, I will admit, was hard for me to get through. I got a tad bored and the whole awesome kid character running orphanage was only interesting when we got to the act he did to get attention from the villain school. But once we get to the escape attempt, things pick up and it becomes a book that is hard to put down because there is action and stuff going on where you want to know what will happen next. It's not my favorite middle grade book but I may give book 2 a read in the future. Might even send the books to my younger cousins if they would like to read, though I'll probably recommend a couple others first.


Who would like this one? Recommendation for which readers? I think anyone who is looking for a middle grade, boy action-y book with a bit of humor, this would be a good option to try out. The novelty aspect of the school for villains is fun and I can see how there is potential for quite a long series though I don't recommend looking up information on the other books beforehand. Just pick up book one and start from there. Have fun reading.

After the couple paranormal romance-y books in a row, I decided to go for something different and picked up a "boy" looking book that  I purchased about 3 or so years ago. The cover alone has that appearance: guy running from something with an explosion in the background. And it did not disappoint. Here is my review:

About the book: Charlie West just woke up in someone else's nightmare.

He's strapped to a chair. He's covered in blood and bruises. He hurts all over. And a strange voice outside the door just ordered his death.

The last thing he can remember, he was a normal high-school kid doing normal things--working on his homework, practicing karate, daydreaming of becoming an air force pilot, writing a pretty girl's number on his hand. How long ago was that? Where is he now? Who is he really?

And more to the point . . . how is he going to get out of this room alive? - Goodreads

Slide the Corner by Fleur Beale is not a particularly new book (published in 1993), and I read it when I was younger. Despite the fact that this book is essentially about cars, and from a boy's POV, when I read it at about 12 years old, I loved it. So, when I dug this out of a second hand shop, I knew I had to pick it up and re-read.

Synopsis: Greg is the odd one out at home-he doesn't like computers and isn't a brain like the rest of the family. He's bored at school and misunderstood at home. But when Greg stumbles upon Brad, a mechanic who works on and drives rally cars, Greg suddenly finds his niche. Against his fathers wishes a bond forms between Brad and Greg, and as the two work together to win on the circuit Greg grows in confidence in his chosen sport. The family must come to realise the strength in each of its members ... no matter what that strength might be.

I'm really glad that I found this book again, because on a second read, over ten years later, I still loved it.

Greg is a likable character from the beginning. He's quite self-depricating, especially at the start, but as he grows in confidence and earns his family's respect, he becomes even easier to sympathise with. The other characters feel a little flat at times, and some of them appear to be almost too nice (especially Holly and Brad who help him into rallying). His father is the main antagonist of the story, and he was a fantastic character. I really felt like I hated him at times, especially with his insults towards Greg (he calls him "thick as crude oil" on several occassions). The father does grow too however, and he mellows out naturally, rather than having an unrealistic climax where he suddenly changes his mind (which would have been easy to do).

The novel is set in small town New Zealand, presumably in the '90s when it was published, and while there was a little bit of 'small town mentality' vs 'big city', it really could have been set anywhere, if it wasn't for the obviously New Zealand obsession with cars (which from what I can tell hasn't changed!). Rallying is a huge sport in NZ, although I imagine that Greg's father's objections to it aren't uncommon either.

Slide the Corner is a coming of age story, and I suspect that it would have particular appeal to boys over 12 years old. It's fast paced - throwing the reader into the drivers seat and having them whooping with excitement with the characters. It's also emotionally complex without overstating anything, and at times it had me laughing aloud.

7 out of 10 for me, and a must read for any young teenage boy (particularly those who might be adverse to the idea of reading!).