Ada Hopper

Inventions and adventure take a quirky and high-tension twist in a story with many surprises and humor, too.

The DATA Set kids pay a visit to Dr. Bunsen's secret lab, but he's no where to be found...just his usual mess. When he does appear and invites them to the Invention Convention, they are amazed to see him presented on a main banner. Right next to it is the banner of his ex-partner, Dr. Von Naysayer. The kids wonder about this but are too drawn in by the amazing inventions around them to give it much thought. When the presentations on the stage begin, Dr. Von Naysayer displays a plasma orb, which is a huge break-through on energy sourcing. Everyone is awed by the electricity and light it produces...until everything goes dark. When the lights return, the Data Set kids are trapped in the orb and Dr. Von Naysayer's evil plan unfolds.

This is the tenth book in the series, but it was no problem to settle right into the adventure. There are mentions of situations from the earlier books, but these do not create any holes. So, this can be read as a stand alone.

Those readers, who are well-grounded in their words, but not quite ready to dive into a heavier, middle grade novel, will enjoy this one. The font and spacing is larger sized, allowing for reading ease. The vocabulary urges readers to push forward while still remaining enjoyable and at the right level. There are illustrations on every page, which keep boredom away and add to the sense of adventure, while making the imaginative scenes easier to visualize and understand. Not that this tale could ever be considered boring.

Science fiction and inventions mix with the imagination to open up a whole realm of possibilities, and these do defy logic. While reading, it seems as if there's no rhyme or reason as to why things happen as they do, but the huge leaps of imagination, which keep the plot very unexpected and surprising, slap right back together with an interesting and unexpected twist at the end.

Of course, there are wholesome messages, too. This read is much more grounded in that direction then it first appears. While there are very dangerous situations, evil intentions, and high-stakes to keep readers on the edge of their seats, the resolution to the disagreement between the two scientists does a sudden 180`, which while making perfect sense, leaves a sense of whiplash. This isn't bad just unexpected.

Readers who crave adventure, action, and invention fantasy (without forgetting a big dose of humor) are in for some very imaginative fun. I received an ARC and enjoyed the science aspect. I'm going to give this one 4.5 stars and round up (I've been flipping between 4 and 5 several times.)… (mehr)