Mad Science Institute Series by Sechin Tower

Science fiction / urban fantasySophia "Soap" Lazarcheck is a girl genius with a knack for making robots-and for making robots explode. After her talents earn her admission into a secretive university institute, she is swiftly drawn into a conspiracy more than a century in the making. Meanwhile and without her knowledge, her cousin Dean wages a two-fisted war of vengeance against a villainous genius and his unwashed minions... moreScience fiction / urban fantasySophia "Soap" Lazarcheck is a girl genius with a knack for making robots-and for making robots explode. After her talents earn her admission into a secretive university institute, she is swiftly drawn into a conspiracy more than a century in the making. Meanwhile and without her knowledge, her cousin Dean wages a two-fisted war of vengeance against a villainous genius and his unwashed minions. Separately, the cousins must pit themselves against murderous thugs, experimental weaponry, lizard monsters, and a nefarious doomsday device. When their paths finally meet up, they will need to risk everything to prevent a mysterious technology from bringing civilization to a sudden and very messy end. less

The students of the Mechanical Science Institute-better known as the Mad Science Institute-are accustomed to being feared and misunderstood. The world simply isn't ready to know about their antimatter reactors, dangerous devices, or even their pet videogame-playing lizard-monster. Sophia "Soap" Lazarchek, one of the newest members of the Institute, is starting to realize that not all of life's problems can be solved with robots... moreThe students of the Mechanical Science Institute-better known as the Mad Science Institute-are accustomed to being feared and misunderstood. The world simply isn't ready to know about their antimatter reactors, dangerous devices, or even their pet videogame-playing lizard-monster. Sophia "Soap" Lazarchek, one of the newest members of the Institute, is starting to realize that not all of life's problems can be solved with robots. At only sixteen, Soap has been shipped off to this special school for the "college experience," which evidently includes eating cold pizza for breakfast, trying not to make a fool of herself on a date, and defending the world from doomsday machines. When an old enemy steals a prehistoric bioweapon capable of enslaving the planet, Soap and her classmates must put aside their differences and combine their unusual talents to unravel the conspiracy. If she is to prevent the approaching apocalypse, Soap will need to find the courage within herself to face down her own, personal nightmare before it infects everyone she's ever loved. less