What do you think?
Rate this book
The Accelerati Trilogy #1
Tesla's Attic
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. After their home burns down, fourteen-year-old Nick, his younger brother, and their father move into a ramshackle Victorian house they've inherited. When Nick opens the door to his attic room, he's hit in the head by a toaster. That's just the beginning of his weird experiences with the old junk stored up there. After getting rid of the odd antiques in a garage sale, Nick befriends some local kids--Mitch, Caitlin, and Vincent--and they discover that all of the objects have extraordinary properties. What's more, Nick figures out that the attic is a strange magnetic vortex, which attracts all sorts of trouble. Ultimately Nick learns that the genius Nikola Tesla placed the items--his last inventions--in the attic as part of a larger plan that he mathematically predicted. Nick and his new friends must retrieve everything that was sold at the garage sale and keep it safe. But the task is fraught with peril--in addition to the dangers inherent in Tesla's mysterious and powerful creations, a secret society of physicists, the Accelerati, is determined to stop Nick and alter destiny to achieve its own devious ends. It's a lot for a guy to handle, especially when he'd much rather fly under the radar as the new kid in town.
272 pages, Library Binding
First published February 11, 2014
269 people are currently reading
4172 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
90 books29.9k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
Read
October 3, 2014It was really a blast working with my friend Eric Elfman on this book series. Stylistically it’s kind of a cross between “The Eyes of Kid Midas,” and “The Schwa Was Here,” with an absurd sense of humor, and action-oriented plot. Eric and I would constantly make ourselves laugh in the process - and our love of Tesla made the project a dream to work on. We made it accessible for kids, but with plenty of sophistication for adult readers as well. We also wove in some history, science, and math lessons in a painless sort of way. Next up is book two of the Accelerati Trilogy - Edison’s Alley!
March 25, 2021
"Keep your friend's clothes... in your enemy's closet."
Two reasons why I read this book:
1. It was co-written by Neal Shusterman, one of my favorite authors, actually my most favorite author.
2. Tesla (one of the scientist-inventor I admire) is on the title which made me believe that Tesla will be a great part in this book. And it's a yes. Not in a way that he is alive here, though.
Anyway, I will still read this book even without reason 2 because hey, it's Neal Shusterman.
Okay enough of that. Tesla's Attic is an electrifying novel (pun intended) of unbelievable inventions of Nikola Tesla, scientific conspiracies, secret societies of intellects and scientists, baseball, high school drama, and the battle between Tesla and Edison. War of Currents, everyone?
But this time it's not about that. It is more of Nikola Tesla's inventions discovered by Nick Slate in their attic. And now he and his friends are in trouble because a secret society (called Accelerati) founded by, wait for it, Thomas Alva Edison on his time is doing the best they can to get these inventions for reasons who-knows-what. And the stakes are high because it is a matter of life or death.
With that great and interesting scientific concept, I am totally engaged to read and read. Then add the characterization which was truly exceptional. I didn't feel that a minor character had been left out. All of them has their own identity and life issues that is truly remarkable. Plus, some dialogues are funny, I can't stop myself to smile, snicker and laugh whenever I encountered one.
My only frustration is that the book supplied a little information about Accelerati but I understand since this group is really a secret and even the internet in this book's world hadn't any information about this society. I do hope (and I know it will) that the sequel will suffice me regarding this, especially with their true agenda.
December 15, 2014
How could I have let a book by one of my favourite children's authors wait so long?! I admit, the title did not whet my appetite, in spite of the intriguing mad scientist after whom it is named. Nor did the cover illustration even remotely pique my interest. Such a shame.
But what engaging, intelligent, humour-filled fun! Shusterman packs so much into his pages that one needs to pause periodically to give each point its due. Whether these describe a serious tragedy, a humorous spoof or a reflective consideration, all inspire appreciation for being so well thought in the first place, and then so well said. The story and language are skilfully aimed at 'tweens and young teens, but remain surprisingly entertaining for adults as well.
Nick is slightly more considerate than the average teenager, though he still has his flaws. He also has a refreshingly intelligent sense of humour, is not afraid of adventure and doesn't take himself too seriously.
He and his friends are in for some serious boat-rocking when they discover Tesla's world-altering inventions, but as well as being astonishing on the scientific scale of possibilities, they truly make you think, and each person is brought to face the weaker parts of their character in the process.
Friendships and early-stage high school romances are whittled down to solid foundations, and the less admirable aspirations of early teenagerhood—while not entirely excluded from the story—are shown for what they are. So few contemporary stories achieve this. Add to that an impressive understanding of freedom and conscience, of accepting reality but hoping and working for a better future, of living habitual generosity rather than drifting along guided by one's appetites, and you realise this is something quite rare in teen fiction.
So with all of that praise, it's no wonder Shusterman has a dedicated place on my favourites shelf.
www.GoodReadingGuide.com
But what engaging, intelligent, humour-filled fun! Shusterman packs so much into his pages that one needs to pause periodically to give each point its due. Whether these describe a serious tragedy, a humorous spoof or a reflective consideration, all inspire appreciation for being so well thought in the first place, and then so well said. The story and language are skilfully aimed at 'tweens and young teens, but remain surprisingly entertaining for adults as well.
Nick is slightly more considerate than the average teenager, though he still has his flaws. He also has a refreshingly intelligent sense of humour, is not afraid of adventure and doesn't take himself too seriously.
He and his friends are in for some serious boat-rocking when they discover Tesla's world-altering inventions, but as well as being astonishing on the scientific scale of possibilities, they truly make you think, and each person is brought to face the weaker parts of their character in the process.
Friendships and early-stage high school romances are whittled down to solid foundations, and the less admirable aspirations of early teenagerhood—while not entirely excluded from the story—are shown for what they are. So few contemporary stories achieve this. Add to that an impressive understanding of freedom and conscience, of accepting reality but hoping and working for a better future, of living habitual generosity rather than drifting along guided by one's appetites, and you realise this is something quite rare in teen fiction.
So with all of that praise, it's no wonder Shusterman has a dedicated place on my favourites shelf.
www.GoodReadingGuide.com
March 14, 2024
Me encantóooooooo. Este autor es la pera.
La forma de narrar, así un poco absurda y a la vez disparatadísima, me recordó al narrador de "Buenos presagios" pero más juvenil. Como si fuera una historia contada por ese narrador, pero cuando era más jóven😂😂😂
Y claro, siendo así, me he reído lo mío. La historia es exageradísima y con humor, al punto de que ese es más o menos su sello. Es una novela con intriga, pero hilarante (sobre todo por el modo en que te la cuentan) que es de las pocas novelas que lo mismo te puede leer un niño sin el menor problema de comprensión (aunque no sé si pillaría todos los gags, como la forma de describir el modo en que llovía, por ejemplo... pero sí que podría disfrutarlo aunque se le escapara algún que otro chiste), pero que puede atrapar en sus hiperbólicas y absurdas redes tanto como una novela para la franja adulta, requisitos que cumplen a la vez poquísimas novelas. Es una novela con detalles diferentes para el disfrute de distintas edades.
Rápida, veloz, ligera, descacharrante, absurda, divertida, fantástica... este autor me gusta mucho y hasta ahora, todavía no me defraudó. GL (Libre. Neal Shusterman)
La forma de narrar, así un poco absurda y a la vez disparatadísima, me recordó al narrador de "Buenos presagios" pero más juvenil. Como si fuera una historia contada por ese narrador, pero cuando era más jóven😂😂😂
Y claro, siendo así, me he reído lo mío. La historia es exageradísima y con humor, al punto de que ese es más o menos su sello. Es una novela con intriga, pero hilarante (sobre todo por el modo en que te la cuentan) que es de las pocas novelas que lo mismo te puede leer un niño sin el menor problema de comprensión (aunque no sé si pillaría todos los gags, como la forma de describir el modo en que llovía, por ejemplo... pero sí que podría disfrutarlo aunque se le escapara algún que otro chiste), pero que puede atrapar en sus hiperbólicas y absurdas redes tanto como una novela para la franja adulta, requisitos que cumplen a la vez poquísimas novelas. Es una novela con detalles diferentes para el disfrute de distintas edades.
Rápida, veloz, ligera, descacharrante, absurda, divertida, fantástica... este autor me gusta mucho y hasta ahora, todavía no me defraudó. GL (Libre. Neal Shusterman)
June 8, 2024
"(T)his could be the big inning of a wonderful friendship."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 203
This is a hard one to critique objectively. Having read dozens of Neal Shusterman's captivating, otherworldly young-adult novels and nothing from Eric Elfman, the temptation is to attribute everything wonderful in the story to Shusterman, and any clumsy turns of phrase to his less accomplished co-author. It's natural after consistently getting mind-blowing literary experiences from a particular writer to bet one's money on him coming through again, and view an additional party to the novel as a potential third wheel. But I don't believe that would be fair to what Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman committed to try in Tesla's Attic. Without clear designation of who was responsible for writing what, readers are asked to take the two authors as one, to view the narrative they created as the work of two minds melded together to make something that, in theory, neither author could have done on his own. Could Neal Shusterman have crafted a better kickstart to the Accelerati trilogy without Eric Elfman? In sooth, I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind often. Working as they did on Google Docs, rewriting and editing each other's content live while they were producing it, I have to assume there were moments of frustration for both authors. When you're used to getting on a roll and unspooling dozens of pages of good copy at a clip, catching creative fire and settling into the perfect voice, mood, and tempo for your story, having to defer to the vision of another writer could feel extremely stymying. So, left on his own to search the corners of his famous Storyman brain, could Neal Shusterman have come up with a better version of Tesla's Attic? Maybe, but I've determined to give our co-authors the benefit of the doubt and classify that question as moot. What the two of them made together is a thing of rare literary beauty, an intriguing, perceptive, and emotionally volatile work that honors the name of both its creators. The Accelerati trilogy has gotten off to a fantastic start, and Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman are responsible for it. I look forward to what is to come.
"(B)ut a second can split in a million different directions..."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 26
The most devastating seismic shifts in fourteen-year-old Nick Slate's life happen before he discovers the attic full of camouflaged treasures in the old house his family inherits in Colorado. When fire pounced on their old house like a rapacious thief in the night, the blaze claimed more than most of their personal belongings and Nick's father's baseball memorabilia from his small-time career as a Tampa Bay Devil Ray in Major League Baseball. Nick sprinted to safety from the timbers collapsing around him, but his mother fell victim to the conspiratorial flames, unable to escape before incinerated wood tumbled in and buried her. Nick, his nine-year-old brother Danny, and their father are without their mother and wife now, left with the imperative to start a fresh life for themselves in a new town and school, in the house where Nick's Great-aunt Greta passed her days.
"On theory, they had moved here to start a fresh, shining new life. But even the most promising theories can be impossible to prove."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 3
After Nick is veritably attacked by the spring-loaded toaster lying in wait up the attic stairs and sent to the hospital with a sizable head gash, the spectacular nature of the attic's wares soon makes itself apparent. Everything up in that attic, now converted to be Nick's bedroom, has a nearly supernatural purpose. The recording machine captures not what is spoken, but the thoughts of whoever's doing the talking; the pull-string device finishes anyone's sentences with unsettlingly sagacious remarks, even portents of the future. The wet cell battery reanimates the dead for short periods, and the baseball glove claimed by Danny exacts gravitational pull on baseballs flying within any reasonable vicinity...and also on more dangerous objects, objects on a cosmic scale. The attic is packed with science-fiction curiosities that could each be worth a massive fortune, and they've fallen into Nick's possession.
At least, they had fallen into his possession. A fateful garage sale transfers ownership of most of the items to residents of the surrounding neighborhood and town, leaving little to no trail to where the bizarre inventions may have been taken. All Nick knows is that the few technologies he's recovered so far are powerful enough to blow the earth to oblivion if the wrong individuals get their hands on them, and Nick bears the onus for selling most everything away before checking to see what the antiques could do. As the new kid in town with no history in Colorado, Nick could have a lonesome struggle on his hands, without even a mother to lean on for support, but this isn't the case. Petula Grabowski-Jones, the school's oddball who coyly manipulates scenarios to get close to Nick right away, knows something about an invention or two that escaped Nick's ownership in the garage sale, and is willing to shed light on the matter if Nick agrees to cooperate with her other demands. Popular cheerleader and socialite Caitlin Westfield is in this as deep as Nick, having bought the old-fashioned recorder at the garage sale, confounded as to what she should do with the dangerous device. She fears its potential not only to reveal her hidden thoughts to anyone who listens to it, but to herself, as well, tearing down the false fronts she's erected in order to live a happy life. This machine could blow her carefully ordered façade to smithereens. There are other eighth-graders who made purchases at Nick's garage sale, too, some eager to lend their assistance in retrieving the disseminated wares, and others vehemently disagreeable to giving up the treasure they wield, but Nick needs all their help if he's to track down every artifact he sold and return them to his attic.
"When faced with the end of all things, it was much easier to nibble at it than take it in large, indigestible bites."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 223
As Nick investigates the history of his great-aunt's house and why it might contain objects of scientific advancement far beyond anything achieved in today's world, he learns he isn't the only one interested in rounding up the inventions. A sinister man and his assistants, clad in fine pearlescent attire, shadow Nick's every move, and make it clear they want what he had stored in his attic. The Accelerati is a secret organization of enormous influence, and Nick doesn't want to think what they would do with the items he unwittingly spread around town. The inventions appear to trace back to the creative mind of Nicola Tesla, who, rumor has it, lived with Nick's Great-aunt Greta briefly, and may have stored some of what he was working on in her house. Could any human other than the legendary Tesla have concocted the articles of freakish genius Nick has seen? Nick's family could be in grave danger from his powerful new enemies, but if all the recipients of Tesla's inventions aren't cautious with the inventions they hold, it could be more than Nick's family in peril. Tesla's innovations are potent enough to place the entire globe in the path of destruction, with no way to save itself from being mowed down by a freight train of kineticism the earth hasn't a prayer of withstanding. Has Tesla's ingenuity brought about the end of life as we know it?
"When you know the future...you can either let that future happen to you, or be the one to create it."
—Ms. Planck, Tesla's Attic, P. 238
"I have no doubt that, one way or another, you'll fill the empty spaces left behind."
—Ms. Planck, P. 77
Tesla's Attic has more than most other books do to take up space in the minds of discriminating readers. If you're interested in zany characters, enjoy the sections featuring Petula, who is...different. You won't meet many girls like her in eighth grade, but what would this story be without her? Her mind operates on an alternative frequency from the majority of her peers. Ms. Planck is a unique lunch server, doing her job according to her own set of rules and offering more than just victuals to students in which she sees promise. Tesla's Attic would be a different book if she didn't work at Nick's school. But what really got me about Tesla's Attic is the emotional sequences that bring home the haunting depth of the loss Nick and his family suffered when his mother died. The part with Nick's brother, Danny, and the baseball glove, right after Danny discovers what it can do, is severely poignant, as deep and cutting as the furrow of a meteorite running aground on the grassy surface of planet earth. There are hurts that one would readily spend the rest of one's life wishing on falling stars to erase if there were any chance of it doing the trick. I won't forget that scene with Danny, not ever. It almost makes me consider giving Tesla's Attic three and a half stars. True to Neal Shusterman's transcendent style, this book is a diverse wealth of positives, commendable attributes to be recognized in every area. If there's an author who can do justice to the surreal mindscape of Nicola Tesla, it's Neal Shusterman, who has proven he can work as well with another writer as he does on his own.
"I know this sounds weird...but it's like we're all a part of this machine. The things we've done—the things we still have to do—they're all connected."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 244
What else is there to say about Tesla's Attic? Plenty. I can appreciate the mix of fascination and revulsion with which Caitlin regards the old recording machine when it dawns on her that it faithfully records the thoughts of those who speak into it. Caitlin daily walks a tightrope of truth and lies, wobbling on it now and then but knowing that to fall would be unthinkable. Her lies are as intimate of acquaintances as any friend Caitlin remembers having. The following line perfectly describes Caitlin's feelings toward the recording machine: "To a girl like Caitlin, whose heart was wrapped in so many layers of disguise that she never knew exactly what she really felt, this machine was either her salvation, or her ruin." A few dozen pages later, when crisis has hit Caitlin and Nick tries to help her cope with it, he thinks of an analogy so masterful, so hard-hitting and true, it could only come from a writer like Neal Shusterman or an eighth-grader who doesn't know he isn't supposed to be this wise. Nick: "What happened to you is kind of like a fire, in a way. I saw this thing once on T.V. They said wildfires have to happen every so often. Brush gets too thick, trees get too dense. You have a hot day and whoosh! But the heathy trees survive. In fact, there are some seeds that won't even grow until they burn first." He continues: "So have you lost some friends today? Maybe, but they weren't real friends. They were just brush. And the ones who stick by you, the ones who get it? They're the healthy trees." This line of thought is a marvel, a revolution of personal philosophy that many, many people desperately need, but won't ever encounter exactly as Nick put it if they aren't readers. It's paradigm-shifting paragraphs like this that make reading more than entertainment; it's a life-changing activity that feeds the soul even as it electrifies the senses, and Neal Shusterman is one of the best writers in both respects. Nick's wildfire analogy is something I will carry with me always, a shield against a world that now and then decides to launch an offensive. The shield may not guard me from the onslaught completely, but could deflect the critical mass of the attack, and that might be enough. I hope others will also recall Nick's words to help defend themselves.
"No outcome is certain, even when it seems so. Fates can change with the swing of a bat, or the flip of a switch, or the closing of a circuit.
It all came down to how far you dared to go to accomplish what the world thinks can't be done."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 245
The inventions Nick stumbles upon in his Great-aunt Greta's attic shouldn't be taken lightly; when they are taken lightly, it leads to dire consequences, even tragic loss of life. This is a big part of the story's suspense, suspense that unfolds with laudable skill, timing, and unpredictability. Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman know how to lead us to an inevitable conclusion with no concrete idea what's going to happen next or how we're going to arrive there, and it's exciting. Nick and his eighth-grade peers don't always take the magnitude of Tesla's inventions seriously enough, but they know they've gotten themselves into something big, something deserving of more respect than they routinely give. We see this even when they deem it necessary to tinker with powers beyond their ken, as seen by Nick's answer to a question Caitlin asks late in the book. "Shouldn't it bother us?...Messing with life and death and things we don't fully understand?" "'If we fully understood them,' said Nick, 'What would be the point of messing with them?'" That may have been Tesla's attitude about life, and it's definitely Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman's modus operandi. They delve into lots of scientific speculation in Tesla's Attic, constructing a plausible alternative life story for the genius scientist that might not flawlessly mesh with the accepted narrative of his life, but whose literary effect can't be denied. Like Robert Lawson's Ben and Me decades earlier, which humorously provided Benjamin Franklin a murine associate to jumpstart his best scientific notions, Tesla's Attic credits Nicola Tesla with an uncommon wellspring of brilliance, surpassing even what we know to be true of him, bringing tribute to one of our greatest thinkers with a novel that can sit proudly beside most of Neal Shusterman's other work. Keep "Messing with life and death and things we don't fully understand", Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. I feel I speak on behalf of most of your readers when I say we are better for it.
—Tesla's Attic, P. 203
This is a hard one to critique objectively. Having read dozens of Neal Shusterman's captivating, otherworldly young-adult novels and nothing from Eric Elfman, the temptation is to attribute everything wonderful in the story to Shusterman, and any clumsy turns of phrase to his less accomplished co-author. It's natural after consistently getting mind-blowing literary experiences from a particular writer to bet one's money on him coming through again, and view an additional party to the novel as a potential third wheel. But I don't believe that would be fair to what Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman committed to try in Tesla's Attic. Without clear designation of who was responsible for writing what, readers are asked to take the two authors as one, to view the narrative they created as the work of two minds melded together to make something that, in theory, neither author could have done on his own. Could Neal Shusterman have crafted a better kickstart to the Accelerati trilogy without Eric Elfman? In sooth, I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind often. Working as they did on Google Docs, rewriting and editing each other's content live while they were producing it, I have to assume there were moments of frustration for both authors. When you're used to getting on a roll and unspooling dozens of pages of good copy at a clip, catching creative fire and settling into the perfect voice, mood, and tempo for your story, having to defer to the vision of another writer could feel extremely stymying. So, left on his own to search the corners of his famous Storyman brain, could Neal Shusterman have come up with a better version of Tesla's Attic? Maybe, but I've determined to give our co-authors the benefit of the doubt and classify that question as moot. What the two of them made together is a thing of rare literary beauty, an intriguing, perceptive, and emotionally volatile work that honors the name of both its creators. The Accelerati trilogy has gotten off to a fantastic start, and Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman are responsible for it. I look forward to what is to come.
"(B)ut a second can split in a million different directions..."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 26
The most devastating seismic shifts in fourteen-year-old Nick Slate's life happen before he discovers the attic full of camouflaged treasures in the old house his family inherits in Colorado. When fire pounced on their old house like a rapacious thief in the night, the blaze claimed more than most of their personal belongings and Nick's father's baseball memorabilia from his small-time career as a Tampa Bay Devil Ray in Major League Baseball. Nick sprinted to safety from the timbers collapsing around him, but his mother fell victim to the conspiratorial flames, unable to escape before incinerated wood tumbled in and buried her. Nick, his nine-year-old brother Danny, and their father are without their mother and wife now, left with the imperative to start a fresh life for themselves in a new town and school, in the house where Nick's Great-aunt Greta passed her days.
"On theory, they had moved here to start a fresh, shining new life. But even the most promising theories can be impossible to prove."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 3
After Nick is veritably attacked by the spring-loaded toaster lying in wait up the attic stairs and sent to the hospital with a sizable head gash, the spectacular nature of the attic's wares soon makes itself apparent. Everything up in that attic, now converted to be Nick's bedroom, has a nearly supernatural purpose. The recording machine captures not what is spoken, but the thoughts of whoever's doing the talking; the pull-string device finishes anyone's sentences with unsettlingly sagacious remarks, even portents of the future. The wet cell battery reanimates the dead for short periods, and the baseball glove claimed by Danny exacts gravitational pull on baseballs flying within any reasonable vicinity...and also on more dangerous objects, objects on a cosmic scale. The attic is packed with science-fiction curiosities that could each be worth a massive fortune, and they've fallen into Nick's possession.
At least, they had fallen into his possession. A fateful garage sale transfers ownership of most of the items to residents of the surrounding neighborhood and town, leaving little to no trail to where the bizarre inventions may have been taken. All Nick knows is that the few technologies he's recovered so far are powerful enough to blow the earth to oblivion if the wrong individuals get their hands on them, and Nick bears the onus for selling most everything away before checking to see what the antiques could do. As the new kid in town with no history in Colorado, Nick could have a lonesome struggle on his hands, without even a mother to lean on for support, but this isn't the case. Petula Grabowski-Jones, the school's oddball who coyly manipulates scenarios to get close to Nick right away, knows something about an invention or two that escaped Nick's ownership in the garage sale, and is willing to shed light on the matter if Nick agrees to cooperate with her other demands. Popular cheerleader and socialite Caitlin Westfield is in this as deep as Nick, having bought the old-fashioned recorder at the garage sale, confounded as to what she should do with the dangerous device. She fears its potential not only to reveal her hidden thoughts to anyone who listens to it, but to herself, as well, tearing down the false fronts she's erected in order to live a happy life. This machine could blow her carefully ordered façade to smithereens. There are other eighth-graders who made purchases at Nick's garage sale, too, some eager to lend their assistance in retrieving the disseminated wares, and others vehemently disagreeable to giving up the treasure they wield, but Nick needs all their help if he's to track down every artifact he sold and return them to his attic.
"When faced with the end of all things, it was much easier to nibble at it than take it in large, indigestible bites."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 223
As Nick investigates the history of his great-aunt's house and why it might contain objects of scientific advancement far beyond anything achieved in today's world, he learns he isn't the only one interested in rounding up the inventions. A sinister man and his assistants, clad in fine pearlescent attire, shadow Nick's every move, and make it clear they want what he had stored in his attic. The Accelerati is a secret organization of enormous influence, and Nick doesn't want to think what they would do with the items he unwittingly spread around town. The inventions appear to trace back to the creative mind of Nicola Tesla, who, rumor has it, lived with Nick's Great-aunt Greta briefly, and may have stored some of what he was working on in her house. Could any human other than the legendary Tesla have concocted the articles of freakish genius Nick has seen? Nick's family could be in grave danger from his powerful new enemies, but if all the recipients of Tesla's inventions aren't cautious with the inventions they hold, it could be more than Nick's family in peril. Tesla's innovations are potent enough to place the entire globe in the path of destruction, with no way to save itself from being mowed down by a freight train of kineticism the earth hasn't a prayer of withstanding. Has Tesla's ingenuity brought about the end of life as we know it?
"When you know the future...you can either let that future happen to you, or be the one to create it."
—Ms. Planck, Tesla's Attic, P. 238
"I have no doubt that, one way or another, you'll fill the empty spaces left behind."
—Ms. Planck, P. 77
Tesla's Attic has more than most other books do to take up space in the minds of discriminating readers. If you're interested in zany characters, enjoy the sections featuring Petula, who is...different. You won't meet many girls like her in eighth grade, but what would this story be without her? Her mind operates on an alternative frequency from the majority of her peers. Ms. Planck is a unique lunch server, doing her job according to her own set of rules and offering more than just victuals to students in which she sees promise. Tesla's Attic would be a different book if she didn't work at Nick's school. But what really got me about Tesla's Attic is the emotional sequences that bring home the haunting depth of the loss Nick and his family suffered when his mother died. The part with Nick's brother, Danny, and the baseball glove, right after Danny discovers what it can do, is severely poignant, as deep and cutting as the furrow of a meteorite running aground on the grassy surface of planet earth. There are hurts that one would readily spend the rest of one's life wishing on falling stars to erase if there were any chance of it doing the trick. I won't forget that scene with Danny, not ever. It almost makes me consider giving Tesla's Attic three and a half stars. True to Neal Shusterman's transcendent style, this book is a diverse wealth of positives, commendable attributes to be recognized in every area. If there's an author who can do justice to the surreal mindscape of Nicola Tesla, it's Neal Shusterman, who has proven he can work as well with another writer as he does on his own.
"I know this sounds weird...but it's like we're all a part of this machine. The things we've done—the things we still have to do—they're all connected."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 244
What else is there to say about Tesla's Attic? Plenty. I can appreciate the mix of fascination and revulsion with which Caitlin regards the old recording machine when it dawns on her that it faithfully records the thoughts of those who speak into it. Caitlin daily walks a tightrope of truth and lies, wobbling on it now and then but knowing that to fall would be unthinkable. Her lies are as intimate of acquaintances as any friend Caitlin remembers having. The following line perfectly describes Caitlin's feelings toward the recording machine: "To a girl like Caitlin, whose heart was wrapped in so many layers of disguise that she never knew exactly what she really felt, this machine was either her salvation, or her ruin." A few dozen pages later, when crisis has hit Caitlin and Nick tries to help her cope with it, he thinks of an analogy so masterful, so hard-hitting and true, it could only come from a writer like Neal Shusterman or an eighth-grader who doesn't know he isn't supposed to be this wise. Nick: "What happened to you is kind of like a fire, in a way. I saw this thing once on T.V. They said wildfires have to happen every so often. Brush gets too thick, trees get too dense. You have a hot day and whoosh! But the heathy trees survive. In fact, there are some seeds that won't even grow until they burn first." He continues: "So have you lost some friends today? Maybe, but they weren't real friends. They were just brush. And the ones who stick by you, the ones who get it? They're the healthy trees." This line of thought is a marvel, a revolution of personal philosophy that many, many people desperately need, but won't ever encounter exactly as Nick put it if they aren't readers. It's paradigm-shifting paragraphs like this that make reading more than entertainment; it's a life-changing activity that feeds the soul even as it electrifies the senses, and Neal Shusterman is one of the best writers in both respects. Nick's wildfire analogy is something I will carry with me always, a shield against a world that now and then decides to launch an offensive. The shield may not guard me from the onslaught completely, but could deflect the critical mass of the attack, and that might be enough. I hope others will also recall Nick's words to help defend themselves.
"No outcome is certain, even when it seems so. Fates can change with the swing of a bat, or the flip of a switch, or the closing of a circuit.
It all came down to how far you dared to go to accomplish what the world thinks can't be done."
—Tesla's Attic, P. 245
The inventions Nick stumbles upon in his Great-aunt Greta's attic shouldn't be taken lightly; when they are taken lightly, it leads to dire consequences, even tragic loss of life. This is a big part of the story's suspense, suspense that unfolds with laudable skill, timing, and unpredictability. Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman know how to lead us to an inevitable conclusion with no concrete idea what's going to happen next or how we're going to arrive there, and it's exciting. Nick and his eighth-grade peers don't always take the magnitude of Tesla's inventions seriously enough, but they know they've gotten themselves into something big, something deserving of more respect than they routinely give. We see this even when they deem it necessary to tinker with powers beyond their ken, as seen by Nick's answer to a question Caitlin asks late in the book. "Shouldn't it bother us?...Messing with life and death and things we don't fully understand?" "'If we fully understood them,' said Nick, 'What would be the point of messing with them?'" That may have been Tesla's attitude about life, and it's definitely Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman's modus operandi. They delve into lots of scientific speculation in Tesla's Attic, constructing a plausible alternative life story for the genius scientist that might not flawlessly mesh with the accepted narrative of his life, but whose literary effect can't be denied. Like Robert Lawson's Ben and Me decades earlier, which humorously provided Benjamin Franklin a murine associate to jumpstart his best scientific notions, Tesla's Attic credits Nicola Tesla with an uncommon wellspring of brilliance, surpassing even what we know to be true of him, bringing tribute to one of our greatest thinkers with a novel that can sit proudly beside most of Neal Shusterman's other work. Keep "Messing with life and death and things we don't fully understand", Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. I feel I speak on behalf of most of your readers when I say we are better for it.
June 12, 2014
Shusterman's books have an action-packed creepy factor that satisfies many of my 5th graders. Now I can add funny. I didn't expect the clever humor in this one along with the familiar scary plot. Add terrific character development and some adult humor that pokes fun at education, pop culture, and literature and I couldn't put this bugger down. When an antique heavy, chrome-plated toaster plunges down some fold-up attic steps gashing fourteen-year-old Nick's forehead, he is off to hospital for stitches adding excitement from the get-go. He has just moved into a run-down Victorian house that his dad inherited and has claimed the attic as his room, but it is so full of junk that when he pulls down the ladder a toaster bonks him on the head. While having a garage sale to clear out the antique junk, he notices some strange, obsessive, behaviors from people that are buying items. When a car careens into a tree in their yard he realizes that the lamp is drawing them in zombie-like droves to buy junk for more than it is worth. He discovers that the junk was the property of the mathematical genius Nikola Tesla and are wanted by an organization, the Accelerati, that believes they can control the world with its powers. With the help of some newfound friends, Nick tries to get the sold pieces back before the Accelerati retrieve them. When the end of the world threatens, both groups try to save it in unsuspecting ways.
The authors seem to have a blast with their odd-ball characters and clever humor. Take gloomy Vince, who dresses all in black and buys a wet-cell battery at Nick's garage sale. When Nick tells him its dead he replies that everything dies. "Batteries are no exception. I'll take it." In a humorous bargaining scene, Nick talks Vince down from his original offer of 10 dollars to 3 dollars. Mitch Murlo introduces himself in a nonstop stream of words finishing Nick's sentences for him. Nick dryly thinks, "But apparently Mitch only needed himself to carry on a conversation." The two become friends and Nick eventually gets some words in edgewise and discovers a real friend in Mitch. When Nick talks to Vince and Mitch about the strange properties of the antiques and swears them to secrecy, Vince sarcastically replies, "Secrecy is a key element of my existence. But Mitch here is the emergency broadcast system." Caitlin buys an old reel-to-reel tape recorder that she wants to use for her garbart project, an art form that combines recycled garbage with other art mediums. She's surprised meeting Nick who doesn't fall over himself for her like most guys. She's a bit full of herself at the start of the story and learns to face her superficiality by the end (with the help of the tape recorder she just bought).
The character arcs are varied and distinct. Nick is dealing with grief over the loss of his mother. Vince is obsessed with death and is a loner that learns to be friends with Nick and Mitch. Mitch has a brilliant father in a mess because he was betrayed by friends. Nick realizes that he must go with Mitch to see his father because it is something a true friend would do. Caitlin is insecure and angry. When she buys the magical tape recorder it shows her the truth of situations whether or not she wants to know it. Petula, a student at their school with a crush on Nick, only helps if she knows she'll get something back from the other person. Mrs Planck (love that name - look up the physics measurement called, "planck units"; it adds another dimension to her character and ties in with the ending) is the observant lunch lady with hidden talents. Theo, Catilyn's boyfriend, adds comic relief. He is mostly dumb but has some astute moments such as realizing the flaws with his relationship with Caitlyn and manipulating Nick's dad. These characters have clever and humorous dialogues or monologues: "Nick and Mitch waited for the single overworked waitress to bring them menus, but Nick's mind wasn't on food. Nor was it on his upcoming baseball tryout. Once again his head was up his attic. Or, more accurately, not the things missing from it."
The plot has great twists and magical elements that make it unpredictable. The inventor Nikola Tesla left behind a bunch of inventions to Nick's Great-aunt Greta that was rumored to be romantically involved with him a hundred years ago. Once Nick discovers the properties of the magical antiques he is able to determine Nikola had created a magnetic field and uses it to solve his problems. I'm not a science and math fan but I really liked how the authors tied in facts with the storyline. I wasn't overwhelmed by the physics and some are cleverly done such as the mathematical "imaginary number" tied in with Petula's character, as well as, the evil men with their "quantum business card" and how they view Tesla's inventions as scientific while most people would view them as magic. This reminds me of the debunking of many creation stories and myths by science in the history of literature. Trivia facts about famous mathematicians such as Archimede's running naked through the streets yelling, "Eureka," and Euclid proving the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but was habitually late made me laugh. And I don't even like numbers. I'm just mentioning a few connections between mathematics, physics, astronomy, and science. There is Principal Watt. The mathematician Godel. The Tesla versus Marconi controversy. Thomas Edison. Wireless electricity. And more. But nothing in great depth. Okay, 'nuff said on that.
I like it when authors put in references to issues and pop culture or literature without detracting from the story but adding more in-depth themes or a bit 'o funny for the reader looking for more. When they make Mitch swear on the Bible Vince starts joking about his mom's Bible collection with the Thomas Kinkade illustrations, the Smurf Bible, or the Damnation Bible. The Accelerati is a play on words that is similar to the Illuminati that made me think of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code". When Nick demands, "In simple English, with no Petulisms," I thought of Miss Havisham's havishamisms in "Great Expectations". Harry Potter gets a nod and the Horsehead Nebula in a picture frame that Nick found in his bed made me think of the movie, "The Godfather." That might be pushing it but once I get going I can't stop. It's like working a crossword puzzle - I'll find things the author didn't even intend.
Then there is just plain 'ole fun humor such as when the cranky neighbor returned the toaster and tried to get twenty dollars for it when she paid only five. Danny, Nick's younger brother, said he remembered she paid five and she snapped she'd sue him to which Nick replied, here's five and if you want more, "consult my lawyer," pointing to eight-year-old Danny. Or when Nick goes from talking about mass-energy equivalence and the endless variable to finding a carton of rotten juice and Danny cracking their dad's joke that Great-aunt Greta left a urine sample for them. Smart, clever lines to some potty humor. My kind of fun. When Nick's files go missing and he shows up with records from a school in Denmark, he comments that the school was happy to be able to claim him as an international student. The authors poke fun at education some, but I laughed the hardest at this one.
Not all of the questions are answered regarding Tesla's invention and the Accelerati's goals, but I was satisfied enough with the ending because the end of the world crisis was resolved and there was a nice twist regarding two characters. It also makes the Accelerati not look quite so one-dimensional as villains, which makes me excited to read the sequel to see where the authors' are going to go with the next plot. I am definitely going to need more copies of this book for my library. Students will be racing for it.
The authors seem to have a blast with their odd-ball characters and clever humor. Take gloomy Vince, who dresses all in black and buys a wet-cell battery at Nick's garage sale. When Nick tells him its dead he replies that everything dies. "Batteries are no exception. I'll take it." In a humorous bargaining scene, Nick talks Vince down from his original offer of 10 dollars to 3 dollars. Mitch Murlo introduces himself in a nonstop stream of words finishing Nick's sentences for him. Nick dryly thinks, "But apparently Mitch only needed himself to carry on a conversation." The two become friends and Nick eventually gets some words in edgewise and discovers a real friend in Mitch. When Nick talks to Vince and Mitch about the strange properties of the antiques and swears them to secrecy, Vince sarcastically replies, "Secrecy is a key element of my existence. But Mitch here is the emergency broadcast system." Caitlin buys an old reel-to-reel tape recorder that she wants to use for her garbart project, an art form that combines recycled garbage with other art mediums. She's surprised meeting Nick who doesn't fall over himself for her like most guys. She's a bit full of herself at the start of the story and learns to face her superficiality by the end (with the help of the tape recorder she just bought).
The character arcs are varied and distinct. Nick is dealing with grief over the loss of his mother. Vince is obsessed with death and is a loner that learns to be friends with Nick and Mitch. Mitch has a brilliant father in a mess because he was betrayed by friends. Nick realizes that he must go with Mitch to see his father because it is something a true friend would do. Caitlin is insecure and angry. When she buys the magical tape recorder it shows her the truth of situations whether or not she wants to know it. Petula, a student at their school with a crush on Nick, only helps if she knows she'll get something back from the other person. Mrs Planck (love that name - look up the physics measurement called, "planck units"; it adds another dimension to her character and ties in with the ending) is the observant lunch lady with hidden talents. Theo, Catilyn's boyfriend, adds comic relief. He is mostly dumb but has some astute moments such as realizing the flaws with his relationship with Caitlyn and manipulating Nick's dad. These characters have clever and humorous dialogues or monologues: "Nick and Mitch waited for the single overworked waitress to bring them menus, but Nick's mind wasn't on food. Nor was it on his upcoming baseball tryout. Once again his head was up his attic. Or, more accurately, not the things missing from it."
The plot has great twists and magical elements that make it unpredictable. The inventor Nikola Tesla left behind a bunch of inventions to Nick's Great-aunt Greta that was rumored to be romantically involved with him a hundred years ago. Once Nick discovers the properties of the magical antiques he is able to determine Nikola had created a magnetic field and uses it to solve his problems. I'm not a science and math fan but I really liked how the authors tied in facts with the storyline. I wasn't overwhelmed by the physics and some are cleverly done such as the mathematical "imaginary number" tied in with Petula's character, as well as, the evil men with their "quantum business card" and how they view Tesla's inventions as scientific while most people would view them as magic. This reminds me of the debunking of many creation stories and myths by science in the history of literature. Trivia facts about famous mathematicians such as Archimede's running naked through the streets yelling, "Eureka," and Euclid proving the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but was habitually late made me laugh. And I don't even like numbers. I'm just mentioning a few connections between mathematics, physics, astronomy, and science. There is Principal Watt. The mathematician Godel. The Tesla versus Marconi controversy. Thomas Edison. Wireless electricity. And more. But nothing in great depth. Okay, 'nuff said on that.
I like it when authors put in references to issues and pop culture or literature without detracting from the story but adding more in-depth themes or a bit 'o funny for the reader looking for more. When they make Mitch swear on the Bible Vince starts joking about his mom's Bible collection with the Thomas Kinkade illustrations, the Smurf Bible, or the Damnation Bible. The Accelerati is a play on words that is similar to the Illuminati that made me think of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code". When Nick demands, "In simple English, with no Petulisms," I thought of Miss Havisham's havishamisms in "Great Expectations". Harry Potter gets a nod and the Horsehead Nebula in a picture frame that Nick found in his bed made me think of the movie, "The Godfather." That might be pushing it but once I get going I can't stop. It's like working a crossword puzzle - I'll find things the author didn't even intend.
Then there is just plain 'ole fun humor such as when the cranky neighbor returned the toaster and tried to get twenty dollars for it when she paid only five. Danny, Nick's younger brother, said he remembered she paid five and she snapped she'd sue him to which Nick replied, here's five and if you want more, "consult my lawyer," pointing to eight-year-old Danny. Or when Nick goes from talking about mass-energy equivalence and the endless variable to finding a carton of rotten juice and Danny cracking their dad's joke that Great-aunt Greta left a urine sample for them. Smart, clever lines to some potty humor. My kind of fun. When Nick's files go missing and he shows up with records from a school in Denmark, he comments that the school was happy to be able to claim him as an international student. The authors poke fun at education some, but I laughed the hardest at this one.
Not all of the questions are answered regarding Tesla's invention and the Accelerati's goals, but I was satisfied enough with the ending because the end of the world crisis was resolved and there was a nice twist regarding two characters. It also makes the Accelerati not look quite so one-dimensional as villains, which makes me excited to read the sequel to see where the authors' are going to go with the next plot. I am definitely going to need more copies of this book for my library. Students will be racing for it.
February 2, 2025
4.5 rounding up — a 4-star read for me, 5-star for its intended middle grade audience. I read this at my son's recommendation and while I am admittedly terrible at following through on completing a series, I'm genuinely interested in book 2.
April 24, 2024
Was für eine unvorstellbar geniale und verblüffend katastrophale Geschichte.
Wer möchte da nicht wieder Kind sein und auf verstaubten Dachböden nach Schätzen stöbern, vor allem wenn sie so magisch sind.
Allerdings hat Nick, als er die Klappe zum Dachboden öffnete, damit auch die Dose der Pandora geöffnet. Böse Mächte, die vor nichts zurück schrecken, sind ihm dicht auf den Fersen.
Wer möchte da nicht wieder Kind sein und auf verstaubten Dachböden nach Schätzen stöbern, vor allem wenn sie so magisch sind.
Allerdings hat Nick, als er die Klappe zum Dachboden öffnete, damit auch die Dose der Pandora geöffnet. Böse Mächte, die vor nichts zurück schrecken, sind ihm dicht auf den Fersen.
January 1, 2016
Ein kaputter Toaster, eine uralte Kamera, eine defekte Autobatterie: Wie konnte Nick ahnen, dass es sich bei dem Schrott auf seinem Dachboden um bahnbrechende Erfindungen Nikola Teslas handelt? Leider sind die Gegenstände nicht nur genial, sondern auch gefährlich. Denn der Geheimbund der Accelerati will sie für sich – um jeden Preis!
Eigentlich habe ich noch ein paar andere Bücher in der Warteschleife, die ich zuerst rezensieren wollte. Aber was solls? Ich habe vorhin Teslas Vermächtnis beendet und muss jetzt erstmal sofort versuchen, das Buch etwas mehr ins Rampenlicht zu stellen, denn es hat lange nicht die Aufmerksamkeit, die es verdient.
Mir ist das Buch eigentlich nur durch Zufall begegnet, auf dem Fantasy Festival in Gustavsburg vor ein paar Monaten wurde ein Ausschnitt aus dem Buch vorgelesen und ich fand, es klang echt cool. Dann passierte erstmal eine ganze Weile lang nicht, bis sich mein Physikinteresse mit voller Macht zu Wort meldete und als ich dann beim nächsten Gang in die Buchhandlung das Wörtchen Tesla sah... naja, den Rest könnt ihr euch denken.
Ich kannte bisher keinen der beiden Autoren, die das Buch geschrieben haben, aber das wird sicherlich nicht so bleiben. Denn einer von ihnen, oder auch beide, hat einen so tollen Humor und ich will wissen, von welcher Seite das kommt. Es kann gerade passieren, was will, es macht trotzdem einen Riesenspaß zu lesen. Die Welt kann untergehen und ich sitze trotzdem mit einem dicken Grinsen da, dass nicht weg will. xD
Wenn man Physik nicht ganz so sehr mag wie ich (oder es hasst, wie der größte Teil der Welt), findet man trotzdem seine Freude an Teslas Erfindungen. Eine Kamera, zum Beispiel, deren Bilder einem die Zukunft zeigen. Im Grunde ist das Buch The Big Bang Theory, nur als Buch und auch für Kinder. Die Serie mögen ja auch nicht nur Nerds. ^^
Die Figuren in dem Buch sind Kinder und benehmen sich teilweise auch wirklich wie welche, aber gerade Caitlin und Nick sind klug und machen es auch älteren Lesern einfach, die Geschichte nicht zu kindisch zu finden. Ich werde das Buch zur Gegenprobe noch meiner kleinen Schwester zustecken, die genau im Alter des Zielpublikums ist, aber ich würde sagen, sie sind echt toll gemacht. Durch Petula, Theo, Vince und noch viele andere Figuren haben die zwei Autoren eine Vielzahl von verschiedenen Charakteren erschaffen. Manch einer von ihnen ist nicht der hellste, manch einer ist besonders nervig. Diese Vielfalt, diese liebevolle Art, in der sie jeder der Figuren eine eigene Persönlichkeit gegeben haben, das liebe ich.
Über die Autoren:
Eric Elfman ist Drehbuchschreiber für Film und Fernsehen, veröffentlichte aber auch schon einige Kinder- und Jugendbücher. Wenn er nicht gerade selbst an einem Manuskript sitzt, bringt er als Autorencoach auch anderen das Schreiben bei. Sein besonderes Interesse gilt übernatürlichen Erscheinungen und verrückten Rekordversuchen. Er lebt mit seiner Frau und seinem Sohn in Los Angeles.
Neal Shusterman fing schon als Kind an, Bücher zu schreiben. Allerdings musste er erst noch Psychologie und Theaterwissenschaften studieren, bevor sein Talent als Autor entdeckt wurde und er sein erstes Buch veröffentlichen konnte. Heute lebt er als Drehbuchschreiber und preisgekrönter Autor von mehreren Jugendbüchern mit seiner Familie in Südkalifornien.
Fazit
Für Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene, Physikinteressierte, Physikhasser, ich finde, jeder kann und sollte dieses Buch lesen! Durch die tolle und spannende Idee und den humorvollen Schreibstil macht das Lesen eine ganze Menge Spaß.
Eigentlich habe ich noch ein paar andere Bücher in der Warteschleife, die ich zuerst rezensieren wollte. Aber was solls? Ich habe vorhin Teslas Vermächtnis beendet und muss jetzt erstmal sofort versuchen, das Buch etwas mehr ins Rampenlicht zu stellen, denn es hat lange nicht die Aufmerksamkeit, die es verdient.
Mir ist das Buch eigentlich nur durch Zufall begegnet, auf dem Fantasy Festival in Gustavsburg vor ein paar Monaten wurde ein Ausschnitt aus dem Buch vorgelesen und ich fand, es klang echt cool. Dann passierte erstmal eine ganze Weile lang nicht, bis sich mein Physikinteresse mit voller Macht zu Wort meldete und als ich dann beim nächsten Gang in die Buchhandlung das Wörtchen Tesla sah... naja, den Rest könnt ihr euch denken.
Ich kannte bisher keinen der beiden Autoren, die das Buch geschrieben haben, aber das wird sicherlich nicht so bleiben. Denn einer von ihnen, oder auch beide, hat einen so tollen Humor und ich will wissen, von welcher Seite das kommt. Es kann gerade passieren, was will, es macht trotzdem einen Riesenspaß zu lesen. Die Welt kann untergehen und ich sitze trotzdem mit einem dicken Grinsen da, dass nicht weg will. xD
Wenn man Physik nicht ganz so sehr mag wie ich (oder es hasst, wie der größte Teil der Welt), findet man trotzdem seine Freude an Teslas Erfindungen. Eine Kamera, zum Beispiel, deren Bilder einem die Zukunft zeigen. Im Grunde ist das Buch The Big Bang Theory, nur als Buch und auch für Kinder. Die Serie mögen ja auch nicht nur Nerds. ^^
Die Figuren in dem Buch sind Kinder und benehmen sich teilweise auch wirklich wie welche, aber gerade Caitlin und Nick sind klug und machen es auch älteren Lesern einfach, die Geschichte nicht zu kindisch zu finden. Ich werde das Buch zur Gegenprobe noch meiner kleinen Schwester zustecken, die genau im Alter des Zielpublikums ist, aber ich würde sagen, sie sind echt toll gemacht. Durch Petula, Theo, Vince und noch viele andere Figuren haben die zwei Autoren eine Vielzahl von verschiedenen Charakteren erschaffen. Manch einer von ihnen ist nicht der hellste, manch einer ist besonders nervig. Diese Vielfalt, diese liebevolle Art, in der sie jeder der Figuren eine eigene Persönlichkeit gegeben haben, das liebe ich.
Über die Autoren:
Eric Elfman ist Drehbuchschreiber für Film und Fernsehen, veröffentlichte aber auch schon einige Kinder- und Jugendbücher. Wenn er nicht gerade selbst an einem Manuskript sitzt, bringt er als Autorencoach auch anderen das Schreiben bei. Sein besonderes Interesse gilt übernatürlichen Erscheinungen und verrückten Rekordversuchen. Er lebt mit seiner Frau und seinem Sohn in Los Angeles.
Neal Shusterman fing schon als Kind an, Bücher zu schreiben. Allerdings musste er erst noch Psychologie und Theaterwissenschaften studieren, bevor sein Talent als Autor entdeckt wurde und er sein erstes Buch veröffentlichen konnte. Heute lebt er als Drehbuchschreiber und preisgekrönter Autor von mehreren Jugendbüchern mit seiner Familie in Südkalifornien.
Fazit
Für Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene, Physikinteressierte, Physikhasser, ich finde, jeder kann und sollte dieses Buch lesen! Durch die tolle und spannende Idee und den humorvollen Schreibstil macht das Lesen eine ganze Menge Spaß.
December 21, 2015
I really enjoyed Shusternan's Unwind dystology, and looked forward to starting a new series. The pacing was good, I liked the teenage humor, and the voices felt authentic for teenagers; however, I did not connect with the protagonist, Nick. A classic new kid story moving into a new school, following a tragic fire in which his mother dies, he meets a cast of characters, who seemed better developed or at least more consistent. He moves into the attic of his new house, where he finds a bunch of junk, that he sells at a garage sale, and he cannot believe people are buying the goods ... at least until he finds out that the junk has hidden secrets. Then, he tries to get them back and the craziness begins as a secret society (the Accelerati) wants them too. I found this good enough to want to read the next installment.
June 8, 2021
Ein richtiges Feuer scheint zu leben - als hätte es eine Seele, die noch finsterer ist, als die Flammen hell sind.
Nachdem Neal Shustermans Scythe und Vollendet mich schon begeistern konnten, musste ich diese Bücher natürlich auch gleich mitnehmen, als ich sie zufällig sah. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Ich war nicht ganz so begeistert wie von den oben genannten Büchern, aber das mag wohl daran liegen, dass doch eine etwas andere (jüngere) Zielgruppe angesprochen werden soll, denn der Schreibstil ist wie immer tadellos und man ist sofort in der Geschichte drin. Insgesamt hatte ich Spaß mit diesem Auftakt und werde demnächst auch die nächsten beide Teile über Nick lesen.
November 11, 2013
A wind up toy that finishes your sentence with advice. A voice recorder that captures what you really think, not what you actually say. A camera that takes an image 24 hours into the future. A baseball glove that not only attracts fly balls but passing asteroids. Nick Slate has just moved with his dad and brother to Colorado Springs after losing his mother in a tragic fire. In his great-aunt's attic he's found what appeared to be old junk that might net him enough money to keep his family fed for the next week. It's at the garage sale that Nick gets the feeling these object may not be junk he thought. After improbably befriending the most popular girl, becoming the object of affection of the most obnoxious, gaining the trust of weirdest, and finding compassion for the neediest; this unlikely group finds themselves the target of a secret and dangerous organization of inventors. Unbeknownst to anybody, one of those mysterious objects from the attic has shifted the course of a world killing asteroid, setting it on a collision course for Colorado. What's worse, one of them has used the future filming camera to foresee that the end is in fact destined.
This is one of the rare books that doesn't sacrifice character development while remaining fast-paced and plot driven. While Tesla's Attic felt solidly middle school to me, I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a hit for my 5th graders, especially with reluctant readers. It's in the opening few chapters that makes or breaks whether I think a book's going to work for that population and Tesla's Attic succeeds on this level for a number of reasons. The back story about Nick's guilt over the fire that took his mother is utterly compelling. The seemingly magical nature of the items inspires wonder. The characters are tremendously relatable. The Accelerati provide the perfect creepy/mysterious backdrop for what ended up to be a page-turning mystery from start to finish. I've always been a fan of Shusterman's work, but the writing in this story was pitch perfect at every turn. Keeping a strongly realistic fiction tone throughout the majority of the book, before peppering in the cosmic overtones of the celestial happenings heightened anticipation. If the reader had been made aware of the more grandiose plan from the beginning, some of the excitement may have been lost later in the story. This is just an exceptionally plotted book that arrives at a chapter with an intensity I haven’t felt since When You Reach Me. The only question that developed was, how would such a complete feeling story end up in a trilogy? A question that the final chapter rectified brilliantly. Looking forward to putting this one into the hands of many, many students!
This is one of the rare books that doesn't sacrifice character development while remaining fast-paced and plot driven. While Tesla's Attic felt solidly middle school to me, I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a hit for my 5th graders, especially with reluctant readers. It's in the opening few chapters that makes or breaks whether I think a book's going to work for that population and Tesla's Attic succeeds on this level for a number of reasons. The back story about Nick's guilt over the fire that took his mother is utterly compelling. The seemingly magical nature of the items inspires wonder. The characters are tremendously relatable. The Accelerati provide the perfect creepy/mysterious backdrop for what ended up to be a page-turning mystery from start to finish. I've always been a fan of Shusterman's work, but the writing in this story was pitch perfect at every turn. Keeping a strongly realistic fiction tone throughout the majority of the book, before peppering in the cosmic overtones of the celestial happenings heightened anticipation. If the reader had been made aware of the more grandiose plan from the beginning, some of the excitement may have been lost later in the story. This is just an exceptionally plotted book that arrives at a chapter with an intensity I haven’t felt since When You Reach Me. The only question that developed was, how would such a complete feeling story end up in a trilogy? A question that the final chapter rectified brilliantly. Looking forward to putting this one into the hands of many, many students!
August 17, 2015
Un middle grade muy entretenido, con tono que me recordaba a ratos a Percy Jackson (aunque Riordan sigue siendo mucho Riordan). Con personajes muy diferenciados (típicos del middle grade) y algunos fallitos argumentales (ídem) que sin embargo no impiden disfrutar de la historia.
July 11, 2015
Style and Language
An invisible storyteller tells in an easy and loped tone the story of Nick and his family – or what´s left of her. Since a huge fire destroyed not only the only home he ever knew, but killed his mother; Nick, his little brother and their father moved from Florida to Colorado Springs.
Some parts of this story are very ironic and the reader finds a tragedy in this novel, that you don´t expect from a kids book. But it works and despite all that the tone is always light and wonderful to read. Quick-witted dialogues, the language of teenagers, their way of thinking and how they behave are put down to paper in a wonderful way.
The authors use some of the world biggest disasters like Chernobyl or the outbreak of the Vulcan St. Helens in the ongoing act as background for the work of a group that makes Nicks life a living hell and which kills in the end one of his new friends. Nick and his friends try to solve the riddle of all that junk that he found in the attic and sold in a yard sale. And the more he gets to know, the more he, his family and his friends are in danger.
Many unexpected and bizarre things happen towards the end and amaze the reader in a very positive way.
Characters
Complete different characters were created by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. There is the self confident Beauty of the school, a guy who thinks he is one hell of a smart boy but with a huge lack of brain, the depressive lone wolf and a crazy photographer who thinks that Nick is her one and only and that she just needs to help him to get on track with her – a plan that fails in any way you can imagine. The way how the authors brought all those figures and many more together, is – simple said – one hell of an amusing ride for the reader.
Result
The Accelerati – Tesla´s Attic is an extraordinary and in some ways a bit odd but exiting child book that knows how to fascinate it´s reader. I believe that mostly boys will be thrilled about it.
December 1, 2014
This was an Amazing Book, probably my favorite. This book is about a boy who moves and finds Nikola Tesla's crazy inventions in his attic. The more he finds out what things do the weirder it gets. His goal is to find out what Tesla's inventions do and what for. This book is a trilogy so there will be two more books coming out. The next one comes out January 13, 2015 hope you read it!
April 24, 2015
http://yourhappinesslife.blogspot.com...
Una aventura llena de momentos inesperados, una organización secreta que busca esconder la realidad y unos chicos que descubrirán unos objetos únicos.
Una aventura llena de momentos inesperados, una organización secreta que busca esconder la realidad y unos chicos que descubrirán unos objetos únicos.
January 11, 2021
Engaging and original book that was a fun read. Will continue this series as soon as I can get the next copy. Kept my son and me trapped in the story the whole way through and has some quite unique storylines that was well written and well explained.
February 8, 2023
Całkiem spoko książka, bardzo zmienia postrzeganie świata i przyjemna w czytaniu!
January 12, 2021
Tesla's Attic is a story about a boy that finds strange objects in his family's new residence. The reason for the move is an unexpected family tragedy. The Slate family immediately have weird things that start happening once they go in the attic and start selling the items that they find up there. Soon after the "attic sale", a strange group of men come sniffing around looking for said items. The group of men are know as "The Accelerati", a secret society bent on world dominion (of course). It stands to reason that this secret society wants the items to stage this world coup. So, it is up to Nick and his friends to stop this from happening.
What I will say about this book is that it is well-written and the plot flows at quick pace. I loved the fact that Neal Shusterman focused on the genius of Nikolai Tesla. Tesla has long been an unsung visionary in the world of technology. Recently, his discoveries and ideas have been brought out into the main stream. Also, we learn that Thomas Edison was the driving force behind the creation of "The Accelerati". In real life Tesla & Edison worked together, but Edison became increasingly jealous of Telsa's genius so they parted ways. So it was an interesting twist that the society was looking for
Tesla's inventions.
This book had great little twists and turns but, one thing that I was surprised about was the fact that this was aimed at 9-12 year olds. The subject matter and the overall tone of the book was for a more "mature" age group. There was some creepy elements in the story. A background character Ms. Planck was a little too much of a busy body for my taste. The secret society thing was a little over reaching for younger readers. The adults in the book were either evil, simple or just plain clueless. Of course, the kids were smarter than anyone else and that got to be a little annoying. Then the book turned into a doomsday tale with the end of the world coming within a matter of days. The end of the book has some eye-rolling moments with how the world is saved.
All in all I will say that the book was good. I did take issue with some Scooby Doo elements "If it wasn't for you meddling kids" but I was able to overlook it. I didn't like the way it ended, with the world coming to an end and everyone was just a little too chill about it. Seemed very unbelievable and when doomsday was avoided, seemed like no one was fazed.
This book is part of a trilogy, I think I will probably just stop at this one.
What I will say about this book is that it is well-written and the plot flows at quick pace. I loved the fact that Neal Shusterman focused on the genius of Nikolai Tesla. Tesla has long been an unsung visionary in the world of technology. Recently, his discoveries and ideas have been brought out into the main stream. Also, we learn that Thomas Edison was the driving force behind the creation of "The Accelerati". In real life Tesla & Edison worked together, but Edison became increasingly jealous of Telsa's genius so they parted ways. So it was an interesting twist that the society was looking for
Tesla's inventions.
This book had great little twists and turns but, one thing that I was surprised about was the fact that this was aimed at 9-12 year olds. The subject matter and the overall tone of the book was for a more "mature" age group. There was some creepy elements in the story. A background character Ms. Planck was a little too much of a busy body for my taste. The secret society thing was a little over reaching for younger readers. The adults in the book were either evil, simple or just plain clueless. Of course, the kids were smarter than anyone else and that got to be a little annoying. Then the book turned into a doomsday tale with the end of the world coming within a matter of days. The end of the book has some eye-rolling moments with how the world is saved.
All in all I will say that the book was good. I did take issue with some Scooby Doo elements "If it wasn't for you meddling kids" but I was able to overlook it. I didn't like the way it ended, with the world coming to an end and everyone was just a little too chill about it. Seemed very unbelievable and when doomsday was avoided, seemed like no one was fazed.
This book is part of a trilogy, I think I will probably just stop at this one.
February 8, 2014
Closer to a 3.5.
Tesla's Attic is what you get when you get a well-known, experienced author like Neal Shusterman to tap into the resurgence of popularity of Nikola Tesla while offering up a science fiction adventure for a middle grade audience. The results, honestly, are mixed, but the good is solid enough to make up for the missteps along the way.
The story is about kids who find some of Tesla's old inventions in the attic of a Victorian house and sell them at a yard sale. The inventions turn out to be part of a larger set, do some strange things to those who possess them, and are actually part of a much larger conspiracy called "The Accelerati," thus requiring the kids to retrieve the sold items and keep them out of the hands of the Accelerati.
The science fictional elements of the story are very solid. The gadgets are fun and inventive, and Tesla-esque enough to spark some interest in a man that the target audience almost certainly wouldn't know. The downside to the book is that the story feels like it slows down very quickly once things are established and we reach the second half of the book. In a section where the plot's pace should be scrambling forward, it instead lumbers, and that's a shame for a book that's looking to be a series.
Overall, a decent, but flawed read. Certainly worth a look for the right reader.
Tesla's Attic is what you get when you get a well-known, experienced author like Neal Shusterman to tap into the resurgence of popularity of Nikola Tesla while offering up a science fiction adventure for a middle grade audience. The results, honestly, are mixed, but the good is solid enough to make up for the missteps along the way.
The story is about kids who find some of Tesla's old inventions in the attic of a Victorian house and sell them at a yard sale. The inventions turn out to be part of a larger set, do some strange things to those who possess them, and are actually part of a much larger conspiracy called "The Accelerati," thus requiring the kids to retrieve the sold items and keep them out of the hands of the Accelerati.
The science fictional elements of the story are very solid. The gadgets are fun and inventive, and Tesla-esque enough to spark some interest in a man that the target audience almost certainly wouldn't know. The downside to the book is that the story feels like it slows down very quickly once things are established and we reach the second half of the book. In a section where the plot's pace should be scrambling forward, it instead lumbers, and that's a shame for a book that's looking to be a series.
Overall, a decent, but flawed read. Certainly worth a look for the right reader.
February 24, 2022
This book was so good! I learned a lot! I hadn't really heard about Tesla until I read this book.
January 24, 2018
Hilarious middle school adventure. This is billed as YA, but I've rarely come across titles targeted toward that younger demographic. Reads more like Middle Grade, plus a bit of kissing. Which is a great thing - it's fun, pacy, and confronts some challenging stuff without turning too dark.
Clever sciency mystery, shady cultish shadow organizations, a bunch of kids trying to figure out if they're going to be friends, enemies, or date. Great for boy readers as well, which is a good balance against all the uber-romancy paranormal and fantasy releases every year. Fits well alongside DJ MacHale's Pendragon series, but more of a light comedy feel, less tense thriller action. Some deeper stuff thematically, and meaningful statements and characterizations are applied in a way that doesn't interrupt the flow of story.
Clever sciency mystery, shady cultish shadow organizations, a bunch of kids trying to figure out if they're going to be friends, enemies, or date. Great for boy readers as well, which is a good balance against all the uber-romancy paranormal and fantasy releases every year. Fits well alongside DJ MacHale's Pendragon series, but more of a light comedy feel, less tense thriller action. Some deeper stuff thematically, and meaningful statements and characterizations are applied in a way that doesn't interrupt the flow of story.
November 18, 2020
Al igual que le pasó a Nick, el protagonista de la historia, al principio del libro, yo también tuve la suerte de encontrarme por casualidad algo que no sabía que necesitaba. Desde que esta primera parte de la trilogía cayó en mis manos, no he podido apartar los libros de sus páginas, intentando descifrar los secretos que nuestro amigo Tesla había escondido en ellas.
He aquí una novela en la que hasta el último detalle está bien cuidado y tiene su razón de ser, pues todas las piezas están conectadas entre sí, de maneras que ni te lo imaginas.
Es fresca, divertida, y, lo mejor de todo: no se acaba aquí. Estoy deseando hacerme con el segundo ejemplar de la saga para seguir deleitándome con las aventuras de Nick y sus amigos.
He aquí una novela en la que hasta el último detalle está bien cuidado y tiene su razón de ser, pues todas las piezas están conectadas entre sí, de maneras que ni te lo imaginas.
Es fresca, divertida, y, lo mejor de todo: no se acaba aquí. Estoy deseando hacerme con el segundo ejemplar de la saga para seguir deleitándome con las aventuras de Nick y sus amigos.
February 18, 2019
that was a really good read although obviously not my type of book. me and middlegrade still don't go that well. but I'll probably read the next book in this series generally because (1) it was a fun read, and (2) it's a co-written by Neal Shusterman (which is obv an insta-read for me).
November 11, 2013
You can check out my other reviews on Scott Reads It!
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advanced copy of Tesla's Attic in exchange for a honest review.
I really love when authors branch out and write books that you normally wouldn't expect them to. Who would have thought that the author of Unwind and Everlost would write something so light, humorous, and just a ton of fun? I never would have guessed that Shusterman would write a novel about a bunch of kids who find Tesla's inventions. Despite my skepticism, Tesla's Attic was one of the best middle-grade novels I've read in ages.
Tesla's Attic has one of the strangest premises I've read about recently. What if a bunch of suburban kids found Nikola Tesla's inventions and have to protect them from an order of angry physicists? Tesla's Attic is just as strangely addicting as the blurb suggests and it was a relief to read an original book for a change. Tesla's Attic is an extremely fast-paced read with a perfect amount of twists and turns to keep readers hooked.
I really like how Shusterman and Elfman made this book feel very educational by alluding to mathematical and scientific theory. The problem is that the targeted audiences (mostly likely) won't be able to understand trigonometric concepts like imaginary numbers. If I had read this in middle school, I know I would have been slightly confused when reading these passages. These allusions will be a nice treat for some older readers, but I really don't think many of these references were age appropriate.
The characters in Tesla's Attic are an interesting motley crew and I personally believe that most of the characters are realistically developed. One thing that slightly irked me was how Nick's female classmates acted like stalkers when it came to their crushes. It's been a while since I've been in middle school, but I really don't remember that girls were that boy crazy to the point where they started to become stalkers. The other characters were more favorably represented and I really liked Nick, Mitch, and Vincent. It's extremely odd, but my favorite character in the story was actually Mrs. Planck, the enigmatic lunch lady.
Tesla's Attic definitely had one of the best opening sentences that I've read in so long: "Nick was hit by a flying toaster. Or, to be more precise, a falling toaster." Those two opening sentences gave me an indication that I was really going to enjoy this book. I loved all of the humor that the authors decided into include in the dialogue and the chapter names.
I wasn't as impressed with Tesla's Attic as I was with Unwind or Everlost, but it was the perfect book for me at the moment. Tesla's Attic is a great book for reluctant readers or those who are afraid to foray into MG books. I have a feeling that readers of all ages will fall in love with this fun, action-packed title. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about The Accelerati and Nick's zany adventures in the sequel.
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advanced copy of Tesla's Attic in exchange for a honest review.
I really love when authors branch out and write books that you normally wouldn't expect them to. Who would have thought that the author of Unwind and Everlost would write something so light, humorous, and just a ton of fun? I never would have guessed that Shusterman would write a novel about a bunch of kids who find Tesla's inventions. Despite my skepticism, Tesla's Attic was one of the best middle-grade novels I've read in ages.
Tesla's Attic has one of the strangest premises I've read about recently. What if a bunch of suburban kids found Nikola Tesla's inventions and have to protect them from an order of angry physicists? Tesla's Attic is just as strangely addicting as the blurb suggests and it was a relief to read an original book for a change. Tesla's Attic is an extremely fast-paced read with a perfect amount of twists and turns to keep readers hooked.
I really like how Shusterman and Elfman made this book feel very educational by alluding to mathematical and scientific theory. The problem is that the targeted audiences (mostly likely) won't be able to understand trigonometric concepts like imaginary numbers. If I had read this in middle school, I know I would have been slightly confused when reading these passages. These allusions will be a nice treat for some older readers, but I really don't think many of these references were age appropriate.
The characters in Tesla's Attic are an interesting motley crew and I personally believe that most of the characters are realistically developed. One thing that slightly irked me was how Nick's female classmates acted like stalkers when it came to their crushes. It's been a while since I've been in middle school, but I really don't remember that girls were that boy crazy to the point where they started to become stalkers. The other characters were more favorably represented and I really liked Nick, Mitch, and Vincent. It's extremely odd, but my favorite character in the story was actually Mrs. Planck, the enigmatic lunch lady.
Tesla's Attic definitely had one of the best opening sentences that I've read in so long: "Nick was hit by a flying toaster. Or, to be more precise, a falling toaster." Those two opening sentences gave me an indication that I was really going to enjoy this book. I loved all of the humor that the authors decided into include in the dialogue and the chapter names.
I wasn't as impressed with Tesla's Attic as I was with Unwind or Everlost, but it was the perfect book for me at the moment. Tesla's Attic is a great book for reluctant readers or those who are afraid to foray into MG books. I have a feeling that readers of all ages will fall in love with this fun, action-packed title. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about The Accelerati and Nick's zany adventures in the sequel.
May 5, 2016
4.5 Sterne
Meine Meinung
Eine witzige und turbulente Geschichte haben sich die beiden Autoren hier ausgedacht!
Nick, der Hauptprotagonist, aus dessen Sichtweise erzählt wird, ist 14 und zieht mit seinem Dad uns einem jüngeren Bruder Danny nach Colorado Springs. Seine Mutter ist bei einem Brand ums Leben gekommen und seitdem bewegt sich die Familie auf sehr dünnem Eis.
Als Nick auf dem Dachboden seiner Tante allerhand "Schrott" findet, veranstaltet er einen Flohmarkt, um sein Taschengeld aufzubessern - aber was er da verkauft, scheint ein seltsames Eigenleben zu entwickeln.
Nick war mir auf Anhieb sympathisch. Ich konnte ihn nicht in eine bestimmte Schublade stecken, aber trotzdem hat er
Auch seine Freunde, die er an der neuen Schule kennenlernt, passen in kein typisches Muster. Caitlin z. B. ist ein beliebtes Mädchen, aber keine Tussi und sie hat viel mit sich selbst zu kämpfen. Vince ist ein Eigenbrödler, der aber einiges drauf hat und Mitch - ja Mitch ist zum Einzelgänger mutiert und quasselt Nick vom ersten Tag an in Grund und Boden. Aber auch hinter dieser Fassade einer unbequemen Nervensäge steckt viel mehr, als man auf den ersten Blick vermutet.
Und dann gibts noch Theo, den Freund von Caitlin, hinter dessen langweiliger Fassade viel Berechnung steckt und natürlich die anhängliche Petula, ein unglaublich unsympathisches Mädchen, das sich selbst im Weg steht.
Passend zum Buchtitel gibt es einige kleine wissenschaftliche Anspielungen, die meist altersgerecht angedeutet sind und einen Blick auf Erfinder und Naturwissenschaften erhaschen lassen.
Insgesamt finde ich hier aber das Lesealter ab 11 fast etwas zu früh, da es schon um Beziehungen zwischen Teenagern geht und auch einige Anspielungen in dem Alter noch nicht verstanden werden - zumindest wenn ich an meine Kinder denke, als sie 11 Jahre alt waren, aber wer weiß, wie frühreif die Kids mittlerweile sind ^^
In der Geschichte selbst ist es nicht alleine mit den verblüffenden Entdeckungen getan, die Nick auf dem Dachboden findet: Der Geheimbund der Accelerati ist hinter den Geheimnissen her, bleibt aber doch erstmal im Hintergrund. Fesselnd war es trotzdem, vor allem auch wie sich die Figuren zusammenfinden und sich alles zu einer kuriosen und abenteuerlichen Geschichte entwickelt. Die Spannung nimmt auch immer mehr zu und ich konnte es gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen!
Fazit
Ein wirklich verblüffend katastrophales Abenteuer, in dass die Autoren hier die Figuren manövrieren und war überrascht und erfreut über die vielen tollen Ideen. Jetzt wird sicher bald der nächste Band bei mir einziehen!
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Tesla Reihe
1 ~ Teslas unvorstellbar geniales und verblüffend katastrophales Vermächtnis
2 ~ Teslas irrsinnig böse und atemberaubend revolutionäre Verschwörung
3 ~ Hawking´s Hallway (engl. original)
Meine Meinung
Eine witzige und turbulente Geschichte haben sich die beiden Autoren hier ausgedacht!
Nick, der Hauptprotagonist, aus dessen Sichtweise erzählt wird, ist 14 und zieht mit seinem Dad uns einem jüngeren Bruder Danny nach Colorado Springs. Seine Mutter ist bei einem Brand ums Leben gekommen und seitdem bewegt sich die Familie auf sehr dünnem Eis.
Als Nick auf dem Dachboden seiner Tante allerhand "Schrott" findet, veranstaltet er einen Flohmarkt, um sein Taschengeld aufzubessern - aber was er da verkauft, scheint ein seltsames Eigenleben zu entwickeln.
Nick war mir auf Anhieb sympathisch. Ich konnte ihn nicht in eine bestimmte Schublade stecken, aber trotzdem hat er
Auch seine Freunde, die er an der neuen Schule kennenlernt, passen in kein typisches Muster. Caitlin z. B. ist ein beliebtes Mädchen, aber keine Tussi und sie hat viel mit sich selbst zu kämpfen. Vince ist ein Eigenbrödler, der aber einiges drauf hat und Mitch - ja Mitch ist zum Einzelgänger mutiert und quasselt Nick vom ersten Tag an in Grund und Boden. Aber auch hinter dieser Fassade einer unbequemen Nervensäge steckt viel mehr, als man auf den ersten Blick vermutet.
Und dann gibts noch Theo, den Freund von Caitlin, hinter dessen langweiliger Fassade viel Berechnung steckt und natürlich die anhängliche Petula, ein unglaublich unsympathisches Mädchen, das sich selbst im Weg steht.
Passend zum Buchtitel gibt es einige kleine wissenschaftliche Anspielungen, die meist altersgerecht angedeutet sind und einen Blick auf Erfinder und Naturwissenschaften erhaschen lassen.
Insgesamt finde ich hier aber das Lesealter ab 11 fast etwas zu früh, da es schon um Beziehungen zwischen Teenagern geht und auch einige Anspielungen in dem Alter noch nicht verstanden werden - zumindest wenn ich an meine Kinder denke, als sie 11 Jahre alt waren, aber wer weiß, wie frühreif die Kids mittlerweile sind ^^
In der Geschichte selbst ist es nicht alleine mit den verblüffenden Entdeckungen getan, die Nick auf dem Dachboden findet: Der Geheimbund der Accelerati ist hinter den Geheimnissen her, bleibt aber doch erstmal im Hintergrund. Fesselnd war es trotzdem, vor allem auch wie sich die Figuren zusammenfinden und sich alles zu einer kuriosen und abenteuerlichen Geschichte entwickelt. Die Spannung nimmt auch immer mehr zu und ich konnte es gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen!
Fazit
Ein wirklich verblüffend katastrophales Abenteuer, in dass die Autoren hier die Figuren manövrieren und war überrascht und erfreut über die vielen tollen Ideen. Jetzt wird sicher bald der nächste Band bei mir einziehen!
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Tesla Reihe
1 ~ Teslas unvorstellbar geniales und verblüffend katastrophales Vermächtnis
2 ~ Teslas irrsinnig böse und atemberaubend revolutionäre Verschwörung
3 ~ Hawking´s Hallway (engl. original)
February 12, 2016
*4.5 STARS*
TESLA'S ATTIC is a smart, entertaining read from Neal Shusterman, Eric Elfman, and Disney-Hyperion. (Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advanced copy)
It's a book that could have been written by Dan Brown, if he had Douglas Adam's brilliant sense of humor and ability to create engaging characters who have a wickedly sharp understanding of how the middle-school world churns.
Back Story
In some ways this story is familiar. It's like other middle-grade books were there is a group of young teens that find themselves facing off against an ancient organization of bad guys.
But there's also a significant difference. And that is that Shusterman and Elfman do it right. TESLA'S ATTIC is intelligent and carefully plotted. They create imperfect characters and give them time to explain and express themselves.
The authors also just have fun with the whole concept, so that I think I laughed more at the jokes in this book than any other book I've read this year. The Douglas-esque quips about science, history and the human condition were really appealing.
TESLA'S ATTIC isn't perfect. But I found it a lot more entertaining than 93% of the other Middle-grade fiction that I've read.
Recommend this book for those that like quirky characters and weirdness. The humor is geeky and pedantic.
TESLA'S ATTIC is a smart, entertaining read from Neal Shusterman, Eric Elfman, and Disney-Hyperion. (Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advanced copy)
It's a book that could have been written by Dan Brown, if he had Douglas Adam's brilliant sense of humor and ability to create engaging characters who have a wickedly sharp understanding of how the middle-school world churns.
Back Story
As he looked around at this boneyardAfter loosing his mother in a horrible house fire, Nick and his brother and father move from Florida to Colorado Springs where they take up residence in a weird old house. In the attic there are a bunch of devices which they believe are junk. Shortly after they sell them at a garage sale, it becomes apparent that they are anything but junk. They are, in fact, brilliant devices created by none other than Nikola Tesla, the famous physicist/inventor.
of uselessness, Nick Slate had a simple idea.
An idea that would not only change the direction
of his life, but the very course of human existence.
He would hold a garage sale.
In some ways this story is familiar. It's like other middle-grade books were there is a group of young teens that find themselves facing off against an ancient organization of bad guys.
But there's also a significant difference. And that is that Shusterman and Elfman do it right. TESLA'S ATTIC is intelligent and carefully plotted. They create imperfect characters and give them time to explain and express themselves.
The authors also just have fun with the whole concept, so that I think I laughed more at the jokes in this book than any other book I've read this year. The Douglas-esque quips about science, history and the human condition were really appealing.
Nick took a deep breath, his resolve setting in. "We have to destroy it," he said. "We have to destroy them all."
The scorched-earth policy is a time-honored tradition of war. Villagers about to be overrun by the enemy would burn their own homes and crops to deny the enemy shelter and food. Armies would destroy their own munitions to prevent their attackers from using their own weapons against them.
The Russians used this strategy very successfully against a very irritated Napoleon, burning everything they had and retreating into Russia. And since there was no end of Russia to retreat into, Napoleon was pretty much screwed.
TESLA'S ATTIC isn't perfect. But I found it a lot more entertaining than 93% of the other Middle-grade fiction that I've read.
Recommend this book for those that like quirky characters and weirdness. The humor is geeky and pedantic.
December 30, 2017
I listened to the German audio version and was surprised by how much I loved it. The plot is quite crazy, with members of a secret society who are probably the bad guys and some old stuff from an attic that turns out to be inventions by the legendary Tesla. What made the book so enjoyable for me were the characters. The setting is a High School in Colorado Springs, where new kid Nick tries to fit in. The author on one hand really enjoys playing with his crazy plotline and some of the characters are clearly overdone to the point of caricature. But in between he also shows very real people with real life problems. This made me care deeply for them and turned the listen into something more than just a good way to pass the time. I am eager to know how the story continues.
January 29, 2014
Initial thoughts: What a fun read and a most promising start to a series.
The Review:
For those who know me, I am constantly on the lookout for books that would appeal to a young reluctant reader. (I know, hard to believe that someone would not want to read). Tesla's Attic fits the bill nicely. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. While Tesla's Attic is geared towards readers in Grades 3 through 7, I imagine that it would also appeal to older readers and even their parents.
Tesla's Attic is full of win. It's funny, amusing, and very entertaining. The kids find themselves in really strange situations surrounded by junky items that do all sorts of wonderfully strange and even crazy deadly things. Things just go awry for the main character who has transferred to a new school. His school records are always just a little bit wonky. Then there are the mysterious men in the vanilla colored suits...
The lunch lady at Nick's school is surprisingly astute, coaching Nick through the difficult first day of school. The cultural references will make most adult readers laugh out loud, especially a shout out to The Godfather where Nick finds a picture of the horse nebula in his bed. Ha! There's also a secret society and stuff that belonged to Nikolas Tesla as well.
Lots of humor and madcap situations makes Tesla's Attic an enjoyable read for younger readers and up. Tesla's Attic is a solid start to a fun new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
The Review:
For those who know me, I am constantly on the lookout for books that would appeal to a young reluctant reader. (I know, hard to believe that someone would not want to read). Tesla's Attic fits the bill nicely. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. While Tesla's Attic is geared towards readers in Grades 3 through 7, I imagine that it would also appeal to older readers and even their parents.
Tesla's Attic is full of win. It's funny, amusing, and very entertaining. The kids find themselves in really strange situations surrounded by junky items that do all sorts of wonderfully strange and even crazy deadly things. Things just go awry for the main character who has transferred to a new school. His school records are always just a little bit wonky. Then there are the mysterious men in the vanilla colored suits...
The lunch lady at Nick's school is surprisingly astute, coaching Nick through the difficult first day of school. The cultural references will make most adult readers laugh out loud, especially a shout out to The Godfather where Nick finds a picture of the horse nebula in his bed. Ha! There's also a secret society and stuff that belonged to Nikolas Tesla as well.
Lots of humor and madcap situations makes Tesla's Attic an enjoyable read for younger readers and up. Tesla's Attic is a solid start to a fun new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
June 28, 2019
I received an ARC of the 2nd book in this Trilogy and decided to run to the library to grab the first book. I was surprised to hear from the librarian it hadn't been checked out in months. However after reading the first chapter I had some guess as to why. Even though this book is geared toward Middle Schoolers, it's still sad when a kid looses a parent. Now, I'm not giving anything away here, since 75 pages in, it seems like just background info on our main characters. But after you get over the initial shock of that, the story really takes off. I look forward to seeing what happens next and then on to the 2nd part of the trilogy. I would say even in my brief amount of reading, that kids who love science and strange inventions, will love this book.
Final review: After realizing this is a Disney Hyperion book, I thought "of course Mom died, that's just typical Disney!" Now this book is no Bambi, but it does read like a movie. It's a really fun story with wacky inventions and a most interesting cast of characters who have a funny look on life and an entertaining banter with each other. The secret society, The Accelerati, is after all the wacky inventions and after of course after the kids almost cause the destruction of the Earth, one wonders who should have possession of these strange objects. I would recommend this book for kids who enjoy science or any adult who just loves a enjoyable story.
Final review: After realizing this is a Disney Hyperion book, I thought "of course Mom died, that's just typical Disney!" Now this book is no Bambi, but it does read like a movie. It's a really fun story with wacky inventions and a most interesting cast of characters who have a funny look on life and an entertaining banter with each other. The secret society, The Accelerati, is after all the wacky inventions and after of course after the kids almost cause the destruction of the Earth, one wonders who should have possession of these strange objects. I would recommend this book for kids who enjoy science or any adult who just loves a enjoyable story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews