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zbmorgan's review against another edition
4.0
Really 4.5 stars. Cannot speak highly enough about this! Two boys and their father relocate to their great-aunts old house after a fire destroys their lives. The kicker is that the great aunt was Tesla's girlfriend, and left some 'things' in her attic. There's more to these things than meets the eye, and these seemingly useless pieces of old junk have hidden powers. How inconvenient to find that out after you've sold some of them in a garage sale, and what a pickle when you find out a powerful secret society also wants them.
The balance between a middle schooler's family and friends is well done here, even money is addressed a little bit. The fact that the protagonist doesn't spend as much time grieving as I would think a kid who just lost his mother would works out, since the humor and pacing are so good, and frankly, his mother's death isn't what this is about.
Lots of fun, for the 5th - 8th grade science or humor lover.
The balance between a middle schooler's family and friends is well done here, even money is addressed a little bit. The fact that the protagonist doesn't spend as much time grieving as I would think a kid who just lost his mother would works out, since the humor and pacing are so good, and frankly, his mother's death isn't what this is about.
Lots of fun, for the 5th - 8th grade science or humor lover.
demievrything's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
linneamo's review against another edition
4.0
genre: sci-fi/fantasy
summary: Nick moves into a creepy old house the family inherited from their great-aunt. The move is supposed to be a step toward a new start. Nick's old house was burned to the ground in a fire that killed his mother. Now Nick, his brother, and his father, an ex-major league baseball player are picking up the pieces and moving on. Nick claims the attic of the old house as his new bedroom, but it's full of junk. He decides to sell it all off by having a garage sale. He sets up the sale in his garage and uses a light the he found in the attic. At first people seem really, strangely enthusiastic about the sale offering him more than his asking price on a number of things...but after he turns of the light they loose interest. Nick is suspicious and soon begins to realize that a number of the garage sale/attic items have strange uses and are not what they seem: old batteries that bring things back to life, a tape recorder that records what the speaking is thinking instead of what they are saying, a baseball glove that attracts meteors.
Nick isn't the only one who notices these devices a secret society called the Accelerati are after these unique inventions. Nick needs to collect the sold garage sale items, keep away from the Accelerati, and save the world all while dealing with a crush on Caitlin (the artsy girl) and a stalker, Petula.
notes:
for kids who like: Percy Jackson, Kingdom Keepers,
age group: 10+
my review: loved the characterization, the writing was funny and candid and the plot was exciting. it was funny and i would definitely recommend it to adventure junkies or reluctant boys who want something "not boring"
really can't complain i just wish i hadn't seen the Disney/Hyperion label because it clouds my judgement.young readers probably won't pick up or care but it feels like it was written to add to the disney consumer empire rather than out of genuine love of adventure
summary: Nick moves into a creepy old house the family inherited from their great-aunt. The move is supposed to be a step toward a new start. Nick's old house was burned to the ground in a fire that killed his mother. Now Nick, his brother, and his father, an ex-major league baseball player are picking up the pieces and moving on. Nick claims the attic of the old house as his new bedroom, but it's full of junk. He decides to sell it all off by having a garage sale. He sets up the sale in his garage and uses a light the he found in the attic. At first people seem really, strangely enthusiastic about the sale offering him more than his asking price on a number of things...but after he turns of the light they loose interest. Nick is suspicious and soon begins to realize that a number of the garage sale/attic items have strange uses and are not what they seem: old batteries that bring things back to life, a tape recorder that records what the speaking is thinking instead of what they are saying, a baseball glove that attracts meteors.
Nick isn't the only one who notices these devices a secret society called the Accelerati are after these unique inventions. Nick needs to collect the sold garage sale items, keep away from the Accelerati, and save the world all while dealing with a crush on Caitlin (the artsy girl) and a stalker, Petula.
notes:
for kids who like: Percy Jackson, Kingdom Keepers,
age group: 10+
my review: loved the characterization, the writing was funny and candid and the plot was exciting. it was funny and i would definitely recommend it to adventure junkies or reluctant boys who want something "not boring"
really can't complain i just wish i hadn't seen the Disney/Hyperion label because it clouds my judgement.young readers probably won't pick up or care but it feels like it was written to add to the disney consumer empire rather than out of genuine love of adventure
loreopoly's review against another edition
4.0
There were some minor plot holes but over all i really enjoyed this. it was a fun, engaging read and I liked the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the next two.
cornmaven's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a family trying to make a new life after a tragedy, and colliding with the personal scientific effects of Nikola Tesla, a secret organization, and a snarky but wise lunch lady.
Nick Slate (rearrange his last name) and his new middle school friends make all kinds of discoveries with junk sold at Nick's garage sale, which was designed to clean out an attic so he could use it as his bedroom. Weird stuff starts to happen, some of it useful, some not. And so the journey begins.
Shusterman and Eric Elfman(the co-author) have created a fun, intelligent novel. It's even got baseball in it. I hope kids like it as much as I did.
Nick Slate (rearrange his last name) and his new middle school friends make all kinds of discoveries with junk sold at Nick's garage sale, which was designed to clean out an attic so he could use it as his bedroom. Weird stuff starts to happen, some of it useful, some not. And so the journey begins.
Shusterman and Eric Elfman(the co-author) have created a fun, intelligent novel. It's even got baseball in it. I hope kids like it as much as I did.
emirosea's review against another edition
5.0
Neal and Eric!!!! i have a signed copy of this book. This was my reading lab book in middle school and i was so in love with it i finished it before the school year even ended.
theblueskye's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
haialiel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
timeislikeariver's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
zeliux's review against another edition
4.0
Offers an exciting mix of science fiction, mystery and adventure. The story follows a group of teenagers who stumble upon the lost inventions of Nikola Tesla, setting off a series of bizarre and humorous events. Shusterman's writing is engaging and successfully blends science and fiction to create a captivating narrative. The characters are well-developed and easily identifiable, allowing readers to connect with their experiences. While the story is entertaining and brimming with creativity, some may find the pacing uneven at times.