Quest for the Nautilus: Young Captain Nemo

Young Captain Nemo #2

by Jason Henderson

Armed with his wits, his friends, and his Nemotech submarine, a twelve-year-old descendant of Jules Verne’s famous antihero must race against the clock to save his kidnapped mother in Quest for the Nautilus: Young Captain Nemo, the second installment in Jason Henderson's action-packed middle grade series...

Gabriel Nemo has never been your normal, everyday twelve-year-old. As a descendant of the famous Captain Nemo, he’s determined to use his Nemotech legacy for good. He and his best friends Peter and Misty spend their days studying at the elite Nemo Institute and in their spare time, run rescue missions in Gabriel’s submarine The Obscure.

But when a mysterious organization using advanced technology attacks the Institute and kidnaps Gabriel’s mother, he and his friends set off on a race against the clock. They must find Captain Nemo’s long-lost ship, The Nautilus, before his mother's time runs out!

Praise for the Young Captain Nemo series:

"There’s both futuristic and classic steampunk appeal here, admirably mixing Jules Verne lore with 007-level gadgetry. Stakes are high, the pace is fast, and there are excellent (and surprisingly subtle) messages of coping with childhood loneliness and the importance of taking care of our planet’s oceans." —Booklist on Young Captain Nemo

Genres: Adventure, Middle Grade, Science Fiction

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

I've been writing for a long time-- comics, games (like Destiny 2), books-- there's always *something.* But lately I've gotten into modern-day YA novels with the Alex Van Helsing series and now middle grade with the new Young Captain Nemo series.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Nautical Adventure!
Many thanks to the author for the advanced copy. I have enjoyed reading this thrilling tale along with several of my students. They will be writing their reviews to post, but I thought I'd share my own. I hope to avoid major spoilers, but I can say that this epic adventure of Gabriel Nemo, along with his companions Peter & Misty, is captivating. It was such a page-turner! I read through it so quickly that I want to go back and savor it a second time. I especially enjoyed the humble confidence exuded by the main character. In a world of wishy-washy teens and tweens, Gabriel Nemo is an admirable role model. In a social-media driven society, it's lovely to read a sci-fi tale where technology doesn't get in the way of true friendship, loyalty, and trust. I heartily recommend this series for readers young and well... young at heart.

[Melanie Behnke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Quest for the Nautilus is a thrilling tale. Young Misty, Peter, and Gabriel are three ship geniuses ready to lend a helping hand when twists and turns enter the tale. With hair raising villains and dire circumstances it’s quite an adventure.

***SPOILER***




One of the most exiting parts is when Misty and Gabriel find themselves almost unable to escape the U.S. Navy ship: 100 hours, no mistakes can be made. The Quest for the Nautilus
is an extremely action-packed sci-fiction book that will thrill all ages! If you like adventure stories, this is the book for you. I’m already hoping for that next installment!

Elisabeth, age 10

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a group called the Maelstrom kidnaps Mrs. Nemo and demands the family hand over the legendary Dakkar's Eye if they want to see her again, the family must divide and conquer. Dr. Nemo is going to make a fake Dakkar Eye since the family is pretty sure the original went down with the Nautilus in 1910 and neither has been seen since. Nerissa will try and track down where the Maelstrom took their mom. And Gabriel and his two best friends are going to see if they can find the real Eye in case the fake one doesn't cut it. Time is ticking. A life is on the line. And they just have to find something no one in the family has been able to find in over a century.

This was a very fun and exciting adventure with some smart "what if" science, a big scavenger hunt, and touches of underwater espionage. Henderson works in a lot of things from Verne's original Captain Nemo stories, both 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island, which I really appreciate because so many people forget about the bits in The Mysterious Island. Gabriel, Misty, and Peter get to demonstrate what a fantastic team they've become. And Gabriel's family gets a teensy bit more development. Hand this to kids who enjoy underwater adventures, scavenger hunts, and stories featuring smart kids.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There's some perilous situations and one ship explodes (it isn't clear if there are survivors or not). Gabriel has to steal an old journal to get more info at one point.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC graciously provided by the author

Gabriel and his friends Peter and Misty are attending the Nemo Institute, and during Dr. Nemo's marine biology class, a large vessel approaches the school and sends out an SOS. Of course, Gabriel and his friends take off in the Obscure to help, only to find it was a trick and that a double submarine is attacking the Institute! They return to find out that Gabriel's mother has been kidnapped, and his father's vessel had been attacked earlier. The organization responsible for the kidnapping is Maelstrom, which had been an adversary of the Nemo family historically, but even Gabriel's father had never had to deal with them. Maelstrom demands an old Nemo artifact, the Dakkar's Eye. This was apparently a source of endless power that Captain Nemo made and was going to donate to the people of Brazil, but the Nautilus was lost in 1910 and never delivered it. Gabriel's dad decides they can never find it in the four days allotted, and retreats to his lab to make a fake one, but Gabriel and his friends track down an obscure journal from the expedition to try to find the missing ship. Of course, once they manage to track down the journal and liberate it from Boutros' USS Alaska, they find out that it is entirely in code! Luckily, it is a Nemo code, and Peter is able to translate it. According to the account, the Dakkar's Eye is highly radioactive, and was on a ship last seen near Gilbert. But is it Gilbert Island, or the Gilbery Trench? Since the island is closer, in the Pacific, the group sets out, only to meet government forces who are also investigating what looks like the buried wreckage of a submarine. Unfortunately, this isn't the one they want, and Antarctica is too far of a journey. Luckily, Peter comes up with a way to allow them to travel much faster, and the group manages to find the Nautilus in an ice cave. Will Gabriel be able to retrieve the power source and get it to Maelstrom in time to save his mother?
Strengths: Henderson constructs the perfect middle grade novel. We head right into the action, with pauses for breath and description at good intervals. I love the fact that Gabriel and his crew, while they take off on insane dangerous missions, still ask for permission and do safety checks of their equipment! The details about submarines and underwater environs are fascinating, and working in the history of the Nemo family is a nice touch. I enjoyed this one a lot and can't wait for the next one!
Weaknesses: It is a little hard to believe that the entire Nemo clan couldn't solve the mistory of the wrecked Nautils, but Gabriel could. But then, tweens can save the entire world from evil forces of destruction more quickly than I can find my car keys, so there's that!
What I really think: I love this series. It's so full of detailed but fast paced adventure, and my students recommend this to their friends after reading it. I have about four students who want the ARC when we get back from winter break! I also adore Henderson's Alex Van Helsing series, which is similarly action packed. It's still available in hardcover from Follett's Titlewave!

[Ben Gartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turning adventure full of thrills! I was a big fan of Jules Verne as a kid and this was a wonderful contemporary revisit of that style of action, mixed in with some science, some sci-fi, and some suspenseful intrigue. It contained elements of The Hunt for Red October with the deep-sea tension, mixed with cinematic storytelling and danger at every turn that kept me turning pages. This is one I'll definitely recommend to my two sons (ages 12 and 9). It'll also provide some fodder for discussion such as how our young heroes are always aiming to "Work the problem" and always shooting for "Options" to get out of their scrapes. A fun middle-grade adventure!

I was supplied an ARC by the author and this is my honest review.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. It picked up a bit after the first book. It seemed like there was a lot more explanation of what things were and how they worked compared to the first book. Throughout the book the characters do not accept "it can't be done" and instead work the problem. That's a great mindset for young readers to adopt.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nonstop joy ride from start to finish. OMG I wish this book had come out when I was in middle school because seriously I could have put myself right in the action. So much fun! (Though there are periods where you don’t kids are capable of such technical skill, the need to suspend belief is fine, it’s just such fun)

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another action-packed adventure under the sea! I would definitely read the series in order. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up. Give this series to readers waiting for the next Spy School book to come out.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great hiding spot for the nautilus