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

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E.) is a selective secret school for children around the world who show strong potential in various evil pursuits. Otto, a thirteen-year-old orphan who hypnotized the Prime Minister and possesses an eidetic memory, is an ideal candidate. Rather than settling into the idea that he will spend the next six years harnessing his abilities for evil, Otto hates the idea of having been forced to attend, and he is determined to escape. Even if Otto were not marked by the shadowy and sinister global leader, Number One, for some undisclosed future purpose, fleeing a school specifically built to train (and contain) geniuses is a challenging feat. Although H.I.V.E. could be envisioned as a darker counterpart to Hogwarts, Walden presents his students as complex individuals whose impressive powers come out of determination and intelligence rather than magic. An intriguing examination of the fluid and contextualized natures of good and evil is effective in justifying the school; happily, philosophy is quickly set aside in favor of nonstop action adventure scenes that are more in line with a school about villains-in-training. Given the theme, it is perhaps appropriate that the diabolically open-ended conclusion will leave readers breathlessly anticipating the sequel; adventure fans can at least console themselves that this means more time spent in the well-developed maelstrom that is H.I.V.E. For readers not quite ready for Catherine Jinks' Evil Genius (BCCB 6/07), this book will be an ideal introduction to kids who are learning to embrace their own villainy.