Thank you NetGalley! Noah is a genius with a 206 IQ but is also clumsy and a bit gullible Jailbreak. When he is recruited to the prestigious Wilderton University for the summer, he brings his friend Donovan for emotional support. Noah is obsessed with a secret society while Donovan works as a counselor in training but chaos ensues when the school’s mascot goes missing. Another charming book by Gordon Korman.

I enjoyed this book. Hypergifted is about a kid with 206 IQ (Noah), his best friend (Donovan), and their adventures at college summer camp.

There were several aspects I enjoyed about this book:
1. I really liked reading from Donovan's point of view. He often seems to see things more clearly than his super-smart friend Noah. Where Noah is socially awkward, Donovan knows how to smooth things over.
2. This book is inspirational. It's not the type of book that showers you with cool mantras like "believe in yourself!" or "you are special!", but it's more subtle. For example, I used to want to be really, really smart, like genius-level smart, and I lamented the fact that I was just average. But after reading this book and seeing events from both the perspectives of a genius and a non-genius, I suddenly feel like being a normal person is also okay. Like I mentioned before, Donovan sees things much clearer than Noah does, and I think that's one of the gifts that we "normal" people have.
3. I loved how loyal the university was to their mascot, and through her, to their school family.
4. I liked how the adults were mostly supportive. There wasn't any evil guy trying to take down all the kids or anything like that.
5. I really liked how Donovan treated the kids. He was supportive of them, not looking down on them, but treating them almost as equals.
6. The ending was spectacularly satisfying. It wrapped up the whole story fairly well, though I do wish that Donovan had gotten more love from his parents.

There were also several things I didn't enjoy about the story.
1. Noah's POV was too cliche, like extreme geniuses-don't-social. I found that somewhat irritating at first, but in the end it turned out to be a little bit endearing. I still think that it was a bit overdone, though.
2. Donovan... his character was conflicting for me. On one hand, I really liked how chill he was about everything. On the other hand, however, I felt like he was <i>too</i> chill about everything, like to the point where he's almost invincible. But there are also parts where the readers can see how disturbed he gets when some things get under his skin, like the fake super star videos of him that were circulating around. It seemed almost dangerous to me, like maybe he's hiding himself away because he feels like there's no one that will listen -- especially considering his neglecting parents.
3. The whole plot revolves heavily on Noah's 206 IQ, but I didn't see enough evidence of that IQ. Noah did build an AI that was apparently very powerful, but I would have enjoyed seeing more of his alleged IQ.

Content: Clean. Perfectly suitable for middle-graders. There's mentions of playing pokers, and gambling with toothpicks, bottle caps, and beans, but I don't think that's a bit deal since it's more portrayed as having fun (and there are no real stakes involved; other than the beans, of course).

I received an ARC copy of this from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Hypergifted by Gordon Korman

As a retired teacher of gifted learners, I was excited to read this book by Gordon Korman, an author my students and I loved, beginning with Swindled, published in 2008. From my experience, Noah was portrayed very well. I loved that he could admit he didn’t know something. He was likeable as well as brilliant. This was a fun and slightly silly book, but I enjoyed it a lot. (Could a pig really exist in a bathtub for a month?)

The last Gordon Korman book I read (with my granddaughter) was “Linked.” The topic went much deeper and the book was very thought provoking. So it took me a little while to get into Hypergifted, because I was expecting a similar vibe. However, both books are great, for different purposes. I can see Hypergifted being great for gifted kids (because gifted) but also for more reluctant readers, because of the crazy things that happen. Overall Hypergifted is 5 stars for me!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc!

Hypergifted is the third book of the Ungifted Series by Gordon Korman. aka the third book to what used to be my one of my favorite series ever.

This was such a nostalgic read! I think Gordon Korman still has that same classic way of writing middle grade books that feels realistic and humourous. This is just a silly goofy little book for silly goofy little people. aka me.

We see the same two main characters from the previous book, and I love their friendship. I think at certain times they have an uneven relationship where one character is more relying on the other while not being a great friend. But there's also other times where I just enjoyed their bromance. and bromance is >>>>

Despite not being the target audience for this book, I still had fun with it. The writing, at some points, made me giggle. I will say that at certain points, it could also pull me out of the story. During some of the POV shifts, it felt like a lot telling and not showing. I wasn't there; I was just listening to a version of a story. This lessened the emotional connection I had to it.

This is definitely a book meant for more of a fun, quick, light-hearted read. While not super memorable, it is a nice read. I think a middle schooler who is meant for this book would enjoy it more, but older audiences could also have a good time with it.

My grandson and I also were so delighted to receive this eARC in exchange for a honest review. We love Gordon Korman's books! Full of fun for readers of all ages. The characters are entertaining. The story plot is engaging. Noah along with his friend Donovan head to summer semester College. There are lots of great times for the two. Love this third book in the series!! All opinions are mine. Thanks #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsChildrensBooks for the eARC.

My kids love the Ungifted Series by Gordon Korman, so they were so excited to hear that there is a third book coming out! Hypergifted follows the events that arise when 13 year old genius Noah Youkilis is accepted (against his will) as a freshman to Wilderton University a prestigious college in his state. His friend of average intelligence, Donavan Curtis is persuaded by his parents to accompany Noah to college to keep him company for the summer semester. Both boys experience a summer they will not soon forget. Noah is resented by students and praised by teachers, while Donavan is stuck running a day camp with an intense girl named Raina. The boys even have some drama with a pig along the way!

This latest installment is just as entertaining, humorous, and full of lovable characters as the last one! Thanks NetGalley, Gordon Korman, and Harper Collins Children's Books for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.