A review by lauriehnatiuk
Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray (Elements of Genius #1), Volume 1 by Jess Keating, Lissy Marlin
4.0
Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an ARC with #bookportage.
I was very excited for the opportunity to read a fiction book from one of my favourite nonfiction authors Canadian @jess_keating and I wasn’t disappointed.
Nikki Tesla is a young girl who due to her curiousity, interest in inventing and smarts has had trouble fitting in at school and working with others.
Some of Nikki’s inventions have caused some issues in the neighborhood - the latest being her death ray gun. After a near mishap, her mother decides she needs to be with kids with her own passion and intelligence in a safe environment and thus agrees to accept an invitation for Nikki to attend Genius Academy.
Nikki reluctantly agrees to attend after being told it is the only way to keep her mother out of jail because of the death ray incident. Once at the Academy, we meet six other students all with their own special interests and skills. From here, Keating introduces the mystery when Nikki’s death-ray gun is stolen. The Academy turns out to be a school where students learn skills to save the world and so now the students are tasked with figuring out who has taken the gun, and to retrieve it before any eminent disaster occurs.
This book reminded me of the Alex Rider series (kids being spies) and many books revolving around puzzles to be solved. There is a lot of action and I liked how Nikki had to learn to work with others and viceversa - accepting one another for who they are and recognizing that their differences make them stronger. What makes Elements of Genius unique is the use of STEAM and teamwork into the plot and characters. I loved how the text is printed on grid paper, chapters are short and there are illustrations to accompany the story. I think this will be a popular series and look forward to Nikki’s and her new found friends in their next adventure. A great addition for libraries and classrooms.
I was very excited for the opportunity to read a fiction book from one of my favourite nonfiction authors Canadian @jess_keating and I wasn’t disappointed.
Nikki Tesla is a young girl who due to her curiousity, interest in inventing and smarts has had trouble fitting in at school and working with others.
Some of Nikki’s inventions have caused some issues in the neighborhood - the latest being her death ray gun. After a near mishap, her mother decides she needs to be with kids with her own passion and intelligence in a safe environment and thus agrees to accept an invitation for Nikki to attend Genius Academy.
Nikki reluctantly agrees to attend after being told it is the only way to keep her mother out of jail because of the death ray incident. Once at the Academy, we meet six other students all with their own special interests and skills. From here, Keating introduces the mystery when Nikki’s death-ray gun is stolen. The Academy turns out to be a school where students learn skills to save the world and so now the students are tasked with figuring out who has taken the gun, and to retrieve it before any eminent disaster occurs.
This book reminded me of the Alex Rider series (kids being spies) and many books revolving around puzzles to be solved. There is a lot of action and I liked how Nikki had to learn to work with others and viceversa - accepting one another for who they are and recognizing that their differences make them stronger. What makes Elements of Genius unique is the use of STEAM and teamwork into the plot and characters. I loved how the text is printed on grid paper, chapters are short and there are illustrations to accompany the story. I think this will be a popular series and look forward to Nikki’s and her new found friends in their next adventure. A great addition for libraries and classrooms.