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Max Tilt #1
Fire the Depths
When thirteen-year-old Max Tilt happens upon his great-great-great-grandfather Jules Verne’s unfinished, unpublished manuscript, The Lost Treasures, he doesn’t realize that he’s found the answers to all his problems. And Max has a lot of problems—his mother is sick, his father is out of work, and his home is about to be foreclosed on. But when Max and his cousin Alex discover that Verne’s last work reveals everything he wrote was fact, not fiction, they realize that the book holds the key to something incredibly valuable. A treasure that can save his house—and maybe his entire family.
But Max and Alex aren’t the only ones who know about Verne’s clues. Spencer Niemend, a strange skunk-haired man who has spent his life researching Verne’s works, is bent on reshaping the world with the hidden treasure. To find it first, Max and Alex must go on an adventure that’ll take them from the broken remains of an underwater city to the very jaws of a giant squid to the edges of a whirlpool from which no one has ever emerged alive.
But Max and Alex aren’t the only ones who know about Verne’s clues. Spencer Niemend, a strange skunk-haired man who has spent his life researching Verne’s works, is bent on reshaping the world with the hidden treasure. To find it first, Max and Alex must go on an adventure that’ll take them from the broken remains of an underwater city to the very jaws of a giant squid to the edges of a whirlpool from which no one has ever emerged alive.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
56 people are currently reading
865 people want to read
About the author
Peter Lerangis
151 books794 followersLerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Sweet Valley Twins, and more than forty books in the series The Baby-sitters Club and its various spin-offs.[1] He has also written novels based on film screenplays, including The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow, and Beauty and the Beast, and five video game novelizations in the Worlds of Power series created by Seth Godin.[2] As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.[3]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 10, 2018
Fire the Depths is the first book in the Max Tilt series by Peter Lerangis. It is a middle grade adventure story in the vein of Jules Verne. Max Tilt and his cousin Alex, both descendants of Verne, find out their uncle's stories weren't totally fiction after all. They follow a trail to a treasure that they hope will pay for Max's mother's chemo treatments, but naturally they encounter danger along the way.
I read this for the library review group I'm a part of. I wasn't sure if it would be my thing, but it wasn't a bad little story. It could be a little generic and cliched at times, with some overly dramatic moments, but I think kids will find it exciting. While nothing overly special, it's a sweet book and good for people who like adventure stories.
I read this for the library review group I'm a part of. I wasn't sure if it would be my thing, but it wasn't a bad little story. It could be a little generic and cliched at times, with some overly dramatic moments, but I think kids will find it exciting. While nothing overly special, it's a sweet book and good for people who like adventure stories.
January 23, 2022
2.5-3 stars. i guess. i don't want to be so harsh, but i don't like books like this. so example, i never finished the first percy jackson book. too young. too inappropriate (stuff that 4th graders would LOVE but not me. lol). it just felt like it wasn't written deep enough. it's just a story to entertain. Harry Potter was written for younger readers (i think), but it's something that ANYONE would love! Keeper of the lost cities was for ages 8-12 (or at least that's what the back said), but it's one of my favorite series! It's clean when it comes to random comments (those really annoy me), and stuff like that. there's cheesy romance, but an even better one that you should all love, and a wonderful made-up world. I don't judge books by their covers, but I've read enough books to know when one is going to be a "percy jackson". Sorry if none of that made sense. lol
June 15, 2017
I love intelligent, fast-paced adventure stories for any age, but particularly middle grade fiction, and this is right up there with the best. A mystery with clues to solve from Jules Verne himself; a terrific pair of questers--Max who is "on the spectrum" and loathe to step out of routine, and his older cousin Amy who is, well, an adorable and indomitable flake; a wild-ride of adventure including a submarine city, an ice-cave in Greenland, a giant squid attack, and a desert island; and a villain who is at times funny, brave, and yet ultimately brutal. A great start to what promises to be a marvelous series.
December 11, 2017
Da Vinci Code or National Treasure for middle grade readers. I dig it!
December 21, 2018
A general reaction to this book:
I feel like I'm juggling a sense that it wasn't a bad book, but I didn't like it, but there were some quality aspects, but then there were some problematic things I don't know what to do with because there are only 37 reviews.
Max Tilt belongs to the group of books where a young boy finds his parents in financial straits and then in a very boyish fashion stumbles upon adventure and, eventually, wealth. (I'm also reading Swindle which is the same type of story.) And as a trope, it has a lot of traction. I can genuinely say that this book was a solid action/adventure story. Do I like action/adventure novels? No. But Max went on thrilling adventures, the puzzle hunt was valiant, and all in all I think it worked out fine.
The other compliment I can pay to this book is on its villain, Niemand. Niemand was all right. In particular, I was especially fond of his clothing choices, which were always eloquently described (although, that might play into queercoding villains?), and he was equal parts ambitious and lying to himself, which was an excellent way to create his character. Overall, Niemand was my favorite part of the book, if only because he added some levity and stakes to the narrative. The best part of the book, imo, was in the direct middle, when the kids were on the submarine with Niemand and they went on a ridiculous undersea truce journey together. Also, his perspective was great:
(Honestly, if this was my book, Alex and Max would have become evil with him and it would have been a jolly time. Oh, well.)
Again, this is not my genre, so all my words can be taken with a grain of salt, but I did have a few concerns that were difficult to ignore:
Max was definitely neuroatypical, but just in a way that made me... suspicious? Max is explicitly described as having synesthesia (as a result, Max spends most of this book smelling fish), and being "on the spectrum," although the word Autism is never used in the story. Max likes facts and sometimes yells; on page 36, he says, "I don't have a mental condition." Which—IDK. To me, it felt like the book was caught between portraying Autism but then trying to avoid drawing attention to it in a weird way. It's a hard thing to describe. I'd love to read a review by someone with synesthesia and/or Autism, because they'll be able to make a better evaluation than me. I just say: "Hm."
The girls in this book were not amazing. I think Alex, Max's older cousin, was great, in that she was an essential and active member of the plot. Her spirit and bravery were a good balance to Max's level-headedness. However, the other two girls in this book were Max's mom and his best friend, Smriti. While they definitely would not fall under the Sexy Lamp test, if there was an Asexual Lamp test for mothers and friends who exist but do not contribute anything? to the plot, then... maybe that would be the case for them. Also, there were some girls on the submarine—they were completely unmemorable.
Finally, the racialization of the characters was also squintworthy. This is another area where I'd like to see reviews from people of color, should any arise, as Alex is Black and Max is half-Dominican. "Tilt" is short for Max's real last name, "Trujillo," which... sounds fake, but okay. In addition, their non-White heritage (that which was separate from their Jules Verne lineage) came up hardly at all. Alex could speak French, but other than that, they really had no cultural identifiers. If I didn't know any better, I would guess that the characters' racial identities were an afterthought, but who knows.
TL;DR: I don't like action/adventure stories, but someone who does like those might like this book. It has a good villain, but some of the character portrayals are iffy.
I feel like I'm juggling a sense that it wasn't a bad book, but I didn't like it, but there were some quality aspects, but then there were some problematic things I don't know what to do with because there are only 37 reviews.
Max Tilt belongs to the group of books where a young boy finds his parents in financial straits and then in a very boyish fashion stumbles upon adventure and, eventually, wealth. (I'm also reading Swindle which is the same type of story.) And as a trope, it has a lot of traction. I can genuinely say that this book was a solid action/adventure story. Do I like action/adventure novels? No. But Max went on thrilling adventures, the puzzle hunt was valiant, and all in all I think it worked out fine.
The other compliment I can pay to this book is on its villain, Niemand. Niemand was all right. In particular, I was especially fond of his clothing choices, which were always eloquently described (although, that might play into queercoding villains?), and he was equal parts ambitious and lying to himself, which was an excellent way to create his character. Overall, Niemand was my favorite part of the book, if only because he added some levity and stakes to the narrative. The best part of the book, imo, was in the direct middle, when the kids were on the submarine with Niemand and they went on a ridiculous undersea truce journey together. Also, his perspective was great:
"Spencer Niemand hated climbing. It taxed the knees and weakened the spirit.
Stairs, he thought, should be seen and not taken. And if God had meant for humans to live among hills, he would have made them goats" (230).
(Honestly, if this was my book, Alex and Max would have become evil with him and it would have been a jolly time. Oh, well.)
Again, this is not my genre, so all my words can be taken with a grain of salt, but I did have a few concerns that were difficult to ignore:
Max was definitely neuroatypical, but just in a way that made me... suspicious? Max is explicitly described as having synesthesia (as a result, Max spends most of this book smelling fish), and being "on the spectrum," although the word Autism is never used in the story. Max likes facts and sometimes yells; on page 36, he says, "I don't have a mental condition." Which—IDK. To me, it felt like the book was caught between portraying Autism but then trying to avoid drawing attention to it in a weird way. It's a hard thing to describe. I'd love to read a review by someone with synesthesia and/or Autism, because they'll be able to make a better evaluation than me. I just say: "Hm."
The girls in this book were not amazing. I think Alex, Max's older cousin, was great, in that she was an essential and active member of the plot. Her spirit and bravery were a good balance to Max's level-headedness. However, the other two girls in this book were Max's mom and his best friend, Smriti. While they definitely would not fall under the Sexy Lamp test, if there was an Asexual Lamp test for mothers and friends who exist but do not contribute anything? to the plot, then... maybe that would be the case for them. Also, there were some girls on the submarine—they were completely unmemorable.
Finally, the racialization of the characters was also squintworthy. This is another area where I'd like to see reviews from people of color, should any arise, as Alex is Black and Max is half-Dominican. "Tilt" is short for Max's real last name, "Trujillo," which... sounds fake, but okay. In addition, their non-White heritage (that which was separate from their Jules Verne lineage) came up hardly at all. Alex could speak French, but other than that, they really had no cultural identifiers. If I didn't know any better, I would guess that the characters' racial identities were an afterthought, but who knows.
TL;DR: I don't like action/adventure stories, but someone who does like those might like this book. It has a good villain, but some of the character portrayals are iffy.
August 20, 2019
First sentence: Before the day he was abandoned, Max Tilt thought life was pretty much perfect.
Premise/plot: When Max’s mom gets sick, his parents leave him in the care of his older cousin, Alex, as they seek treatment out of town. The two (Max and Alex) soon discover that the parents have been horribly irresponsible. The electricity is turned off the second day, I think! The eviction notice has been served and is due to take effect within a week maybe two. Instead of contacting the parents (either Max or Alex’s), the two decide that by selling the contents of the home online and perhaps getting a part-time job they should be able to get the bills paid and stay in the home. One of the items they list brings trouble to their door! The item is an empty trunk that belonged to Jules Verne, THE Jules Verne. The two set out on a quest when they find a hidden text by Verne, the bad guys are never far behind. In fact, they end up keeping close company with the villains for most of the book. Can they best them by the end and get their hands on the lost manuscript?
My thoughts: I liked the premise of this one. Max and Alex are descendants of Jules Verne. They have inherited some of his things and discover a secret, hidden, mystery text. The descendants of Captain Nemo (or descendant) know about this mystery letter/manuscript and have been hunting for it. The two must battle it out in the book. Both claim that they want to save the world.
You have to suspend ALL your disbelief if you want to enjoy this one. It isn’t unusual for this sub genre. In fact it reminds me a bit of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Two kids without much—if any—adult support set out to save the world. But it wasn’t the adventure quest that had me stumbling. It was the parents leaving Max in such a horrible position. How could they knowingly leave their son knowing that the electric bill is overdue?! Knowing that other utilities will soon follow?! Knowing that the family will be evicted in a few weeks?! It sounds like they are skipping town and abandoning Max. How could they not know about their unpaid bills?! How could they leave knowing?!
Perhaps they expected Alex to take Max home with her?!
I also wondered how the two made it to New York City since both had no money....
But the book did keep me reading. I have plans to read the second book in the series.
Premise/plot: When Max’s mom gets sick, his parents leave him in the care of his older cousin, Alex, as they seek treatment out of town. The two (Max and Alex) soon discover that the parents have been horribly irresponsible. The electricity is turned off the second day, I think! The eviction notice has been served and is due to take effect within a week maybe two. Instead of contacting the parents (either Max or Alex’s), the two decide that by selling the contents of the home online and perhaps getting a part-time job they should be able to get the bills paid and stay in the home. One of the items they list brings trouble to their door! The item is an empty trunk that belonged to Jules Verne, THE Jules Verne. The two set out on a quest when they find a hidden text by Verne, the bad guys are never far behind. In fact, they end up keeping close company with the villains for most of the book. Can they best them by the end and get their hands on the lost manuscript?
My thoughts: I liked the premise of this one. Max and Alex are descendants of Jules Verne. They have inherited some of his things and discover a secret, hidden, mystery text. The descendants of Captain Nemo (or descendant) know about this mystery letter/manuscript and have been hunting for it. The two must battle it out in the book. Both claim that they want to save the world.
You have to suspend ALL your disbelief if you want to enjoy this one. It isn’t unusual for this sub genre. In fact it reminds me a bit of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Two kids without much—if any—adult support set out to save the world. But it wasn’t the adventure quest that had me stumbling. It was the parents leaving Max in such a horrible position. How could they knowingly leave their son knowing that the electric bill is overdue?! Knowing that other utilities will soon follow?! Knowing that the family will be evicted in a few weeks?! It sounds like they are skipping town and abandoning Max. How could they not know about their unpaid bills?! How could they leave knowing?!
Perhaps they expected Alex to take Max home with her?!
I also wondered how the two made it to New York City since both had no money....
But the book did keep me reading. I have plans to read the second book in the series.
February 11, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner —— All opinions are my own.
This book is full of action, adventure and plenty of exploration. Max and his cousin Alex are descendants of Jules Verne. Yes, that Jules Verne, the French novelists known for his widely popular science fiction stories. When Max’s mom starts battling a serious illness and the bills starts to pile up, the cousins find themselves responsible for keeping the house running - quite literally. As the pair are rummaging around the house looking for items to sell, they stumble upon an old chest hidden in the attic. Inside they find one of Verne’s unpublished manuscripts. With hopes of discovering treasure to solve all of their problems, the two set off on their own adventure. Along the way they become stow aways on a ship, stumble upon a submarine, visit an underwater city, find themselves in icy Greenland, come face to face with a giant squid and uncover evidence that the Nautilus and Captain Nemo might have truly existed.
This is a fun way to introduce or extend a study on the classic story of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The story is fast paced and full of clues to decode. The nemesis is easy to be leery around and the main characters are often full of great luck and many comical moments. This is the second book I’ve ever read where a character has synesthesia. In this case, Max has a heightened sense of smell when he is dealing with strong emotions. His reactions are rather unique and entertaining. Sure to be a hit with middle grade adventure seekers. This is a great start to a new series. The sequel will focus on Around the World in 80 Days and is set to release later this year!!
This book is full of action, adventure and plenty of exploration. Max and his cousin Alex are descendants of Jules Verne. Yes, that Jules Verne, the French novelists known for his widely popular science fiction stories. When Max’s mom starts battling a serious illness and the bills starts to pile up, the cousins find themselves responsible for keeping the house running - quite literally. As the pair are rummaging around the house looking for items to sell, they stumble upon an old chest hidden in the attic. Inside they find one of Verne’s unpublished manuscripts. With hopes of discovering treasure to solve all of their problems, the two set off on their own adventure. Along the way they become stow aways on a ship, stumble upon a submarine, visit an underwater city, find themselves in icy Greenland, come face to face with a giant squid and uncover evidence that the Nautilus and Captain Nemo might have truly existed.
This is a fun way to introduce or extend a study on the classic story of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The story is fast paced and full of clues to decode. The nemesis is easy to be leery around and the main characters are often full of great luck and many comical moments. This is the second book I’ve ever read where a character has synesthesia. In this case, Max has a heightened sense of smell when he is dealing with strong emotions. His reactions are rather unique and entertaining. Sure to be a hit with middle grade adventure seekers. This is a great start to a new series. The sequel will focus on Around the World in 80 Days and is set to release later this year!!
July 16, 2019
So, my brother picked this out at the library a few weeks ago. I read it before he did. I'm not sure it's the best book for him to read. There were a couple of choice words. Other than that, it was a pretty standard middle grade book. The pacing wasn't the best, and the foreshadowing wasn't very subtle, but the characters were decent. I enjoyed it though, and will definitely be reading the sequel.
July 5, 2022
We love powerful women like Alex
Alex>>>> everyone else
I loved the character development that Max had
Alex>>>> everyone else
I loved the character development that Max had
May 14, 2020
This book is absolutely amazing!!!
May 31, 2017
Fantastic debut of a new trilogy!
August 29, 2018
Max Tilt is trying to cope with the fact that his mom is not well again and his dad is taking her to the Mayo clinic. His older cousin Alex isn't exactly who he'd choose to come stay with him, but she may be just the person he needs. She starts going through the family's mail and realizes they are about to lose electricity tomorrow and the house very soon if they don't do something. The two cousins start scrounging the house for anything they can sell to make money and stumble across a chest that once belonged to their many greats uncle, the author Jules Verne. A man shows up overly eager to get his hands on the chest, but by that time Alex and Max have found a secret compartment and the start of a message from Jules about a treasure. They are soon on the road to find Verne's treasure with this man, Spencer Niemand, close on their trail. And it seems Spencer Niemand wants the treasure very, very badly.
This should appeal to kids who like wild adventures chasing down almost mythical treasure and solving ancient clues. I really enjoy Verne's work, and with the premise of this story I hope the author takes the opportunity to introduce kids to some of Verne's lesser known works. I was kind of disappointed he hasn't alluded to anything beyond 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Around the World in 80 Days so far. I mean, part of this story took the characters to Greenland which would have been the perfect time to bring up Verne's books about guys who explore the Arctic like The Fur Country, but there wasn't a peep about it. Oh well, this is just the start of the series, so Lerangis still has time to introduce more books. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was definitely the main focus of this book in the adventures Max and Alex experience. Max is on the autism spectrum. He must be on the very high functioning end of the spectrum from the way his character is portrayed. Hand this to armchair adventurers and scifi fans.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. An explosion at the beginning is hinted to have killed several, and another later incident likely kills at least one more person. Just some bumps and bruises on page, though more serious violence is threatened.
This should appeal to kids who like wild adventures chasing down almost mythical treasure and solving ancient clues. I really enjoy Verne's work, and with the premise of this story I hope the author takes the opportunity to introduce kids to some of Verne's lesser known works. I was kind of disappointed he hasn't alluded to anything beyond 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Around the World in 80 Days so far. I mean, part of this story took the characters to Greenland which would have been the perfect time to bring up Verne's books about guys who explore the Arctic like The Fur Country, but there wasn't a peep about it. Oh well, this is just the start of the series, so Lerangis still has time to introduce more books. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was definitely the main focus of this book in the adventures Max and Alex experience. Max is on the autism spectrum. He must be on the very high functioning end of the spectrum from the way his character is portrayed. Hand this to armchair adventurers and scifi fans.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. An explosion at the beginning is hinted to have killed several, and another later incident likely kills at least one more person. Just some bumps and bruises on page, though more serious violence is threatened.
January 3, 2021
Reviewed by James, age 9, 3/23/19
Note: James would have eagerly allotted five stars. But since we're posting these on Mom's account, I vetoed him. I have my standards. :)
Note from James: Mom's standards are outrageous.
This book is about Max and Alex. Max is a descendant of Jules Verne. His last name is Tilt, but Verne is his ancestor. His mom has a medical condition that doctors don't know how to cure, and his family is deep in debt. His mom has to go to the hospital for a couple of weeks, and so they leave him with his cousin Alex. Max and Alex find out that Max's family is deep in debt, and the electric company threatens to cut off power and they've only got a couple of weeks left to live in their house. So they search the attic for things to sell. They find lots of paintings and stuff, and they discover a secret room in the attic with a chest. Inside of the chest is a skeleton, which is really creepy. They eventually find that in the bottom of the chest there is a secret compartment with a note that gives directions to two different hiding places in the attic. The first is the chest, the second is the painting of Jules Verne. It tells them that if they follow the directions and decode them, that they will find unimaginable wealth as well as go on the adventure of their lives.
They pay their electricity bill, but they put the chest up on eBay and some guys come and want to buy it. They ask if there was anything in the secret compartment when Max says something about it, and Alex quickly put her hand over Max's mouth and says "No, there was nothing in it." The men say "I would give you double if there was anything in it." Alex gets nervous, and the man says "Do I detect nervousness? I am detecting nervousness" and he lunges at her because he knows she's hiding something. But he does not know that Max tied their shoelaces together.
Max and Alex search for the treasure with the bad guys in hot pursuit.
I loved this book and am already almost done with the second. I would recommend it to ages 8 and up who love sci fi and adventure.
Note: James would have eagerly allotted five stars. But since we're posting these on Mom's account, I vetoed him. I have my standards. :)
Note from James: Mom's standards are outrageous.
This book is about Max and Alex. Max is a descendant of Jules Verne. His last name is Tilt, but Verne is his ancestor. His mom has a medical condition that doctors don't know how to cure, and his family is deep in debt. His mom has to go to the hospital for a couple of weeks, and so they leave him with his cousin Alex. Max and Alex find out that Max's family is deep in debt, and the electric company threatens to cut off power and they've only got a couple of weeks left to live in their house. So they search the attic for things to sell. They find lots of paintings and stuff, and they discover a secret room in the attic with a chest. Inside of the chest is a skeleton, which is really creepy. They eventually find that in the bottom of the chest there is a secret compartment with a note that gives directions to two different hiding places in the attic. The first is the chest, the second is the painting of Jules Verne. It tells them that if they follow the directions and decode them, that they will find unimaginable wealth as well as go on the adventure of their lives.
They pay their electricity bill, but they put the chest up on eBay and some guys come and want to buy it. They ask if there was anything in the secret compartment when Max says something about it, and Alex quickly put her hand over Max's mouth and says "No, there was nothing in it." The men say "I would give you double if there was anything in it." Alex gets nervous, and the man says "Do I detect nervousness? I am detecting nervousness" and he lunges at her because he knows she's hiding something. But he does not know that Max tied their shoelaces together.
Max and Alex search for the treasure with the bad guys in hot pursuit.
I loved this book and am already almost done with the second. I would recommend it to ages 8 and up who love sci fi and adventure.
September 4, 2017
When thirteen year old Max (great great great grandson of Jules Verne) and his cousin, Alex, stumble upon one of Jules unfinished works while cleaning the attic looking for things to sell, Max's family needed help to save their house and fast. Well Max and Alex decide to follow the clues in the book, but they need money and help, is this guy Spencer Niemand the one to help them or the one to hurt them the most, and who is he?
I have read all kinds of books where authors take the reader on trips back in time, historical fiction. Or they write a book in a way to teach the reader one thing or another, but I believe this is the first book I have read that had been written, at least for middle graders, to teach them about a classic book, and it was a really fun awesome book. (Hint: Libraries if you don't have it now stock up on a few 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you are going to need them.) Peter Lerangis does not disappoint with this awesome race against time, nature, and humans, the action is non stop and the suspense is thick, but you will always find yourself rooting for the underdogs on this the ultimate race.
I have read all kinds of books where authors take the reader on trips back in time, historical fiction. Or they write a book in a way to teach the reader one thing or another, but I believe this is the first book I have read that had been written, at least for middle graders, to teach them about a classic book, and it was a really fun awesome book. (Hint: Libraries if you don't have it now stock up on a few 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you are going to need them.) Peter Lerangis does not disappoint with this awesome race against time, nature, and humans, the action is non stop and the suspense is thick, but you will always find yourself rooting for the underdogs on this the ultimate race.
April 25, 2018
Lerangis, Peter Max Tilt: Fire the Depths 357 pages. HarperCollins Publishers, $17.99, Language: G(0 swears, 0 “F”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG
Max Tilt is scared for his mother. When she is rushed to the hospital, Max is left with his cousin, Alex. As the two cousins search the attic for thing to sell to help pay for hospital bills, they find a mysterious chest. What follows is an exciting adventure that takes Max and Alex around the world.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and brought up many questions about the characters involved. Violence is PG because there is death and fights.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: JM(9th grade)
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Max Tilt is scared for his mother. When she is rushed to the hospital, Max is left with his cousin, Alex. As the two cousins search the attic for thing to sell to help pay for hospital bills, they find a mysterious chest. What follows is an exciting adventure that takes Max and Alex around the world.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and brought up many questions about the characters involved. Violence is PG because there is death and fights.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: JM(9th grade)
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
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February 24, 2017fun new series!
February 10, 2019
Kindle Unlimited | Didn't click for me | Most of what I didn't like about this were things that others wouldn't mind, I think. The idea was pretty good, a little more than a straight adventure story, with the Jules Verne stuff. It felt as though the author had been given a diversity checklist, and once he put a tick next to a couple boxes he felt he had done his part and moved on. The kids have one conversation about their ethnic background, and they are described as dark-skinned by the antagonist once, and other than that these are white characters. The title character is the most inaccurately drawn "on the spectrum" protagonist I've ever read. None of his traits remain constant, as he goes from not liking to be touched, needing organization, fearing change, needing control, not understanding people's emotions, etc., to climbing a glacier, walking underwater, fighting a giant squid, wandering alone on a desert island, etc. Everything also just rang a little false. A college-age girl who decides to raise money to stave off someone else's foreclosure and drop her entire savings on their utilities instead of notifying someone who could do something about it, because a 13 year old she met the day before is panicking? An antagonist who "doesn't hurt children" and allows them to help him even though he's uber rich so could easily hire the help he needs, and tries to kill them more than once? His weird unnecessary backstory about a father who let him lose a finger to teach him a lesson and a mother who made him a plaster version of that finger, which became his best friend? His motivations were so unclear, too. He recognized that his ancestor was a murderous psycho, and seemed to admire Verne, but wanted to save some people from climate change so he'd be their ruler and so wanted to destroy the earth and learn how to make underwater dome cities? Was that it? The main characters also never solved their own problems. The bad guys saved them a few times, necessary because it was the only way two broke kids were getting on a private submarine. The bad guy who was actually not bad (who had no reason to be hired for the job, or to be kept on. One employee had boiling water thrown in his face for just not being smart, but this guy had no repercussions for his constant insults and insubordination?) saved them a few times, and the authorities saved them. I should have known when I saw the author's association with the 39 Clues, because those books are the equivalent of a bad summer blockbuster--all car chases, explosions, "witty" quips, and no plot. Honestly when I started this review I had the book at 3 stars because I know there are young readers who would love it. But I just can't, I'm saving it as 2.
June 23, 2025
3.5. I'm not the target audience for this, but I still have some complaints about the way it is written.
To start positive, my favourite part was the cartoonish villainy of the antagonist. Even when there are no underage characters present, he calls his henchman a nincompoop. He uses "Dear Poseidon!" as an exclamation. I like to imagine this story is being recounted through kid lens and actually he was using just the worst profanities you can think of.
Now, less positive. They really did Alex dirty here. The main character is Max, a 13-year-old boy on the autism spectrum. I appreciate they didn't hide his meltdowns, and his disability played several minor plot roles. However. The author felt the need to give him a "redeeming" quality of being really smart and good at figuring things out. He chooses to do this by making the other characters really dimwitted. Basile and Alex get the worst of this. Alex is bilingual, fluent in French and English. There is NO WAY she would make the Tourbille mistake, be unable to recognize French numbers backwards, or mix up the double meaning of port. The two meanings aren't even the same French word! The nail in the coffin for me is the cover depicting her as White when it's stated multiple times that she has dark skin.
This isn't the series for me. That's okay. I hope some boy on the autism spectrum will be able to see positive representation of himself in this.
To start positive, my favourite part was the cartoonish villainy of the antagonist. Even when there are no underage characters present, he calls his henchman a nincompoop. He uses "Dear Poseidon!" as an exclamation. I like to imagine this story is being recounted through kid lens and actually he was using just the worst profanities you can think of.
Now, less positive. They really did Alex dirty here. The main character is Max, a 13-year-old boy on the autism spectrum. I appreciate they didn't hide his meltdowns, and his disability played several minor plot roles. However. The author felt the need to give him a "redeeming" quality of being really smart and good at figuring things out. He chooses to do this by making the other characters really dimwitted. Basile and Alex get the worst of this. Alex is bilingual, fluent in French and English. There is NO WAY she would make the Tourbille mistake, be unable to recognize French numbers backwards, or mix up the double meaning of port. The two meanings aren't even the same French word! The nail in the coffin for me is the cover depicting her as White when it's stated multiple times that she has dark skin.
This isn't the series for me. That's okay. I hope some boy on the autism spectrum will be able to see positive representation of himself in this.
December 1, 2017
A submarine adventure story seeking the lost treasure of Jules Verne. Sounds promising, but to me it missed the mark. The beginning was much too bogged down in family problems that then were completely left behind in the treasure hunt action. While I appreciated the diversity in have a character who associates feelings with smells, he was written as more immature than his age and the depiction felt condescending at times. The bad guys didn’t stick out and the few switches to their perspectives was jarring. The action and suspense helped give it some staying power with readers, but I’m not sure it was enough to make the book memorable and compelling.
One of the main reasons I didn’t connect was probably that I’ve never read any Jules Verne books and this book relied on that prior knowledge. I think it was supposed to appeal to this fans, but didn’t have the action and adventure journey focus that would draw them in to read it. I was surprised at the lack of setting description, and it took nearly 300 pages to get the first description of a sea creature. Overall, intriguing but has enough holes that I think would make it a hard sell to young readers who weren’t interested in its very particular niche of Jules Verne.
One of the main reasons I didn’t connect was probably that I’ve never read any Jules Verne books and this book relied on that prior knowledge. I think it was supposed to appeal to this fans, but didn’t have the action and adventure journey focus that would draw them in to read it. I was surprised at the lack of setting description, and it took nearly 300 pages to get the first description of a sea creature. Overall, intriguing but has enough holes that I think would make it a hard sell to young readers who weren’t interested in its very particular niche of Jules Verne.
May 15, 2018
3 stars. Since this was an ARC, I will forgive the mixed up pronouns and dialogue tags in the early pages. Hopefully, those will be corrected. However, there was still something about the first half or so of the book that bugged me and almost made me set it aside. Some of it had to do with connecting to Max himself. We are told he is 13, almost 14 though the book blurb has him 12. We are also told early on that he is on the spectrum, but no specifics are given. Clues within the text would suggest he has trouble with social cues and situations. Yet this never helped me with how immature Max came across in those early pages, making me think of him as 8-10 rather than preteen. That did seem to became less of an issue in the latter half of the book as the adventures became more dangerous and demanding. Either Max did some serious "growing up" or you overlooked all that as the escalating adventures pulled you in. And there are some pretty cool adventures in this story--especially for any reader familiar with the tales written by Jules Verne. Overall: not bad. I think readers who like adventure driven stories will like it and be watching for future adventures.
October 20, 2017
There is so much going on in Max's life at thirteen that I think anyone would be stressed but for Max who is autistic , the smell of fish is everywhere and that's not good. Max's parents have just left him to take mom to the Mayo Clinic (that's not good), he is being watched by his cousin who he doesn't know and knows nothing about taking care of anyone (also not good) and they are about to lose the house to foreclosure due to unpaid bills (really not good). Alex is determined to take care of Max without hugging if possible by unloading what they think is attic junk until they stumble across a treasure map of sorts left by their ancestor Jules Verne. Giant squids, hidden cities and of course bad guys await them on this adventure which is sure to have eager middle schoolers whipping through the pages. With so much going on in Max's life will he make it to the sequel? Heavy subjects aside the author does deal well with Max and his struggle to make sense of his world.
December 28, 2017
Fire the Depths is a masterfully written adventure, sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Full of danger, excitement, craftiness in decoding confusing clues, 13-year-old Max who has a form of synesthesia (where one sense like smell substitutes for another) and Alex, his 18-year-old cousin go to extremes to uncover a treasure in order to save the house from foreclosure, and more importantly his mother, who needs experimental treatments to save her life. The first book of Lerangis's new series, it keeps readers intent on reading the next title in the series. Awesome first book!
Click here to place a hold on this book in the library ctalog.
Click here to place a hold on this book in the library ctalog.
October 20, 2022
Of all the books that I’ve read my junior high students over the past few years that have been a starter book of a series (9), this is the second time that nearly every student in the class has been engaged listening to AND want to listen to Book 2 next instead of something new.
I quite enjoyed how well Max is portrayed as a main character on the spectrum. It gave me an opportunity to have conversations with my students about why he reacted in some ways to different situations or didn’t understand sarcasm/took things very literally.
This book successfully mixed a story from an actual author, Jules Verne, and his books into the modern day adventure narrative as his ancestors go on an adventure to find The Lost Treasure. Overall really good middle grade read.
I quite enjoyed how well Max is portrayed as a main character on the spectrum. It gave me an opportunity to have conversations with my students about why he reacted in some ways to different situations or didn’t understand sarcasm/took things very literally.
This book successfully mixed a story from an actual author, Jules Verne, and his books into the modern day adventure narrative as his ancestors go on an adventure to find The Lost Treasure. Overall really good middle grade read.
January 15, 2018
Okay I believe that for every book there is a reader. Well I'm not the reader for this book. I just could not get into it and I did it as an audio book, something I do for books that I think I will have a hard sitting still for. The plot was great Max and his older cousin are trying to raise money for Max's mom, who has cancer. The cousins know that they are decendants of Jules Verne and they have adventures in trying to find the treasure. I believe some boys in my middle school would read this books and enjoy it. It really was not a bad story, but it was not the story for me.
March 17, 2018
I wish I could rate it 3.5 stars. The bad guy, chase, action, and adventure unfold as expected in a middle grade action book and are enjoyable. I found the premise of the story to be weak, however. The parents leave their child with a relative he has never met and a stack of bills that includes foreclosure. The whole reason for exploring the attic for things to sell because they decide not to ask the parents about the bills. This part of the plot is short, so once readers get past this, they will appreciate the action that picks up and learning about Jules Verne.
August 16, 2022
This book is a fast adventure, with clues and danger that are rapidly solved. This can definitely be a plus for some youngsters.
I like that the main characters are a little different from standard. Having emotions as a smell is really fun in this, and is a trait I'd heard of but never read as a character in a book. That said, the characters felt rushed and flat as the story hurdled along.
I think some young readers will get a kick out of this series. It's a fun adaptation of Jules Verne stories as a backbone. But I have preferred other YA books to this.
I like that the main characters are a little different from standard. Having emotions as a smell is really fun in this, and is a trait I'd heard of but never read as a character in a book. That said, the characters felt rushed and flat as the story hurdled along.
I think some young readers will get a kick out of this series. It's a fun adaptation of Jules Verne stories as a backbone. But I have preferred other YA books to this.
January 1, 2021
Fantastic middle school books. 13 year old Max accidentally finds out he is related to Jules Vern. He an his cousin Alex set off to find the hidden treasure. They find clues and are following Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea.
Of course, they are not the only ones. “Stinky”, related to Nemo is also on the search.
Max needs the money to save his house and his mother who is critically ill.
Lots of adventure!!
Of course, they are not the only ones. “Stinky”, related to Nemo is also on the search.
Max needs the money to save his house and his mother who is critically ill.
Lots of adventure!!
October 6, 2017
I like Peter Lerangis' books and have read several. I'm excited about starting a new series. This one features two kids who are related to Jules Verne who set out to find the secrets of Verne's treasure battling against an enemy, a direct descendant of Captain Nemo. It looks to be an exciting series of adventures for these young people if the first volume is any indication.
May 13, 2019
This was okay in my book. The writing as a bit choppy, but the premise (a Jules Verne treasure hunt) was fun, and there were lots of plot twists to keep you guessing. It helps to have read the original Verne novels (which are considerably harder reading that this book), so not sure how kids will "get" these, unless they're good readers.
December 13, 2017
Good, fun action story with an interesting premise and a main character with autism. Quite well done. You don’t need to know Jules Verne’s work to understand or follow the story. Would probably book talk well with 5-6th graders.
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