The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
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Book Reviews of The Mysterious Benedict Society
Book Review: Beautiful and Grand from Beginning to End
Summary: 5 Stars
I was a little skeptic upon reading The Mysterious Benedict Society due to its longevity and supposed difficulty to read. But I was very impressed upon reading it. The book contained many clever riddles that (along with the characters) you must solve, and many surprising plot twists. The unpredictability of this book made guessing what would happen next nearly impossible because literally anything could happen. It was delightful from start to finish because this book openly engaged me, and sometimes I felt as if I was a part of the "society" the main protagonist were in!
A character in this book that was very notable was Kate. She's an orphaned girl who joins then quits the circus, and also relies heavily on her bucket to carry her many particularly random tools around. She starts off a little wild in the beginning; being very stubbornly independent. But she opens up to the rest of the gang, and ends up using her bucket of tools to nearly save her and her friends lives numerous times. She learns that she must depend on other people to help her out because she cannot do everything by herself.
The book thoughout preaches about your own uniqueness (without being corny) by showcasing all of the protagonists talents, and making feel more understanding of my, and other peoples', uniqueness. Reynie excels at leadership, he can spot riddles and is a big-hearted peace-maker. Sticky has a vast almost unfathomable knowledge and can memorize anything regardless of length. Kate, as mentioned above, can use her bucket of tools to get her and her friends out of danger; she also does not fall under pressure easily. Constance is rather tricky, she will refuse to do anything or actually work, so she is often seen as deadmeat to her friends, but her stubbornness will soon to be proven one of the most important keys of the book.
The book was close to flawlessness being that it had a hook the entire novel, witty humor, and even an almost tear-jerking climax. I would stay up for nights just waiting to see what would happen next and only to come across a magnificent plot-twist. I highly recommend this book for young people because of its beautiful story flow, and because it is an intellectually stimulating novel.
Book Review: Read this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
`Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?' This is the beginning of The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart. Four young, talented children will embark on a dangerous secret mission, using their wits, personalities, and resourcefulness to solve the problem presented to them by Mr. Benedict, the mysterious man behind the tests that picked them out of the crowd. Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire are the four children who are all gifted and talented in their own ways. These four children will need to save the world. Only special children like them could ever succeed with this daunting task. Being gifted and talented doesn't mean that the children aren't human; they share all of the human emotions and moods. Saving the world isn't going to be a cakewalk; not with the occasional fear, anger, and uncertainty. However, things can get cheery when they share laughter and happiness. I think that the pure and very real emotions shared in this book is one of the reasons I liked it the most. Furthermore, all the mystery and challenges they face make this a somewhat dark story.
I absolutely loved this book, with the plot and characters all being very detailed and complex. I'm very glad that a good friend recommended the book to me, because I can't wait to read the sequel. For fans of mystery, suspense, and adventure; I definitely recommend this book. Great for ages eleven and up. For reader's who like books by J.K. Rowling and Lemony Snicket, this book is a good choice, because of it's complex story lines, inventive characters, and a classic twist to the battle between good and evil. This book isn't just for kids though. Adults can take interest in the story too. I believe that this book incorporates all the different genres and has a little of everything, just to keep the reader hooked. The city of Stonetown has never been so interesting.
Book Review: Fun for Young and Old Alike! Reviewed by the Book Junkie
Summary: 5 Stars
I originally discovered "The Mysterious Benedict Society" on a list of books for people who like "Harry Potter." What a fabulous discovery! I loved the story, the characters, the settings, the dialog--everything about the book. The book tells a tale of four children who, after many challenges, adventures, close calls, and last-minute rescues, save the world from the evil mastermind Mr. Curtain.
The story begins when Reynie Muldoon, an orphan who is clever enough to need a special tutor to engage his mind, reads a newspaper ad for "a gifted child looking for special opportunities". Responding to the ad, Reynie takes a series of tests to find out if those special opportunities might be for him. On completing the tests, Reynie and his three new friends Sticky, Kate, and Constance, meet Mr. Benedict, the author of the ad. Mr. Benedict tells the children of a great danger to the world: Mr. Curtain, who plans to take over the world via a machine that plants thoughts in people's minds. Furthermore, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are the only ones who can stop the evil plot. To that end, the children enroll in the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened--a school run by Mr. Curtain for the purpose of disguising his plot and for the easy access to children he can trick into working on his project.
With many riddles, puzzles, codes, and plot twists, "The Mysterious Benedict Society" is a brilliant page-turner. If you like Roald Dahl, you'll like this. The book is nicely written and fun to read. It has elements of science fiction, adventure story, school story, mystery, and probably several other genres. This is an excellent story populated by wonderful characters. It's definitely worth reading!
Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society
Summary: 5 Stars
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Constance Contrary Reynie Washington Wetherall [d27]
My friend started me on the Mysterious Benedict Society, just a couple years ago. She had given me the first book, after reading it herself. She and I have very similar opinions on books, and since she liked it, I felt that I had no reason not to like it myself. Boy was I right! I read the book, and absolutely fell in love with it! It is about a group of four clever children. They go on many dangerous adventures together to save Mr.Benedict, and to stop his evil twin brother. After I finished the book, I quickly got the next two books in the series. The second book is called the Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. The third book is called the Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoners Dilemma. I have talked to many of my classmates about this book, and if they have read it, they loved it! Even people who do not like to read have told me that the Mysterious Benedict Society have really liked it. This series keeps you waiting in suspense at the end of every chapter, and makes you wish that you could read it straight through without stopping. Trenton Lee Stewart really makes you feel as if you know all of the characters. He takes you into each of their worlds, to let you know what is going on inside their heads. Even the least important characters are explained, such as a lady on the train that has nothing to do with the story. You always have a clear picture in your head of the surroundings of the characters, because of all of his detailed descriptions. The whole time I read the series, I felt as if I were there. I am positive that you will love the series, just as I did, if you read it!
Book Review: Incredible story!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow, what an amazing read. The Mysterious Benedict Society is deliciously similar to A Series of Unfortunate Events. The story follows the adventures of four intrepid orphans, each with idiosyncratic skill sets as they battle against phenomenal villain, Mr. Curtain. His twin brother Mr. Benedict is spearheading a fight against him and his mind control machine.
Reynie Muldoon, a smart misfit, joins with Mr. Benedict after answering an ad for gifted children looking for opportunities. Kate becomes the MacGyver of the group, always ready with a contraption to get them out of any situation. Sticky Washington is the brains with his photographic memory and cranky Constance Contraire uses her small stature to good advantage. They manage to infiltrate Mr. Curtain's frightening island orphanage in their bid to take down his insidious propaganda machine from the inside.
The story has so many wonderful turns of phrase. It captures the spirit of using language inventively, without resorting to pedantic device of using dictionary entries. Lots of thought provoking stuff about family, friendship, bravery, happiness and so on, reminded me especially of the final installment of Unfortunate Events, "The End" This book has all the elements in place: great language, wierd and unique spy games (Morse Code, coded messages, etc), superior villians, and a plot that races along. Loved it! The book wraps everything up rather neatly, but I didn't want it to end! Luckily, there are two more in the series that follow it, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, and the newly released Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.