What a romping good time! This was so fun, & FUNNY! When Howie, a rather clueless teenager, is zapped by lightning while working on his computer, he absorbs all the information off the internet & his (very) ordinary brain starts to exhibit extraordinary potential. As he struggles to control & understand this new power, he is faced with all sorts of hilarious predicaments, from contending with mega-mean teachers to being ridiculed by Savani the school braniac, a petite know-it-all determined to humiliate him. It’s so fun to read & find out if Howie will be able to overcome the enormous obstacles before him to defeat his annoying arch-nemesis & solve the peculiar mystery of the stolen Great Quiz Trophy-which has been stolen. I recently read my 1st Roald Dahl book(Matilda), & this to me is very reminiscent of that writing-which is a huge compliment in my opinion. The teachers, each more awful than the next were hilarious(which is even funnier considering the author IS a teacher, makes me like him more for this humor!), the students were hilarious, & this town w/it’s weird activities, food etc were hilarious! Lol The author makes you really root for Howie & him succeeding in this school full of wretched people. Barney has my heart, & I adored their friendship & their banter. There are even some words with a * beside them that gets the word highlighted w/a description-I actually learned a few things I didn’t know! The mystery was even fun, & I had no idea whodunnit! The illustrations throughout really bring to life the kooky characters & crazy antics, & they were awesome! Highly recommend, especially younger MGs or Roald Dahl fans who are looking for a fun read! Can’t wait for book 2! Amazing illustrations are by Dave Atze!