Rereading The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

In a city called Stonetown, near a port called Stonetown Harbor, a boy named Reynie Muldoon was preparing to take an important test. It was the second test of the day- the first had been in an office across town. After that one he was told to come here, to the Monk Building on Third Street, and to bring nothing but a single pencil and a single rubber eraser, and to arrive no later than one o'clock. If he happened to be late, or bring two pencils, or forget his eraser, or in any other way deviate from the instructions, he would not be allowed to take the test, and that would be that. 

Four children, Kate, Sticky, Reynie, and Constance, are drawn together from an ad in the paper looking for "gifted children." They meet Mr. Benedict, who tells them of secret messages that are being broadcasted into people's heads for a dire purpose. And it's up to them to stop it. They must go to the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, LIVE, which incidentally, spelled backwards is EVIL, to try and foil Mr. Curtain's plan. At least, that's the basic story. It doesn't that great. But it really is. This was Trenton Lee Stewart's first novel, and there are three more in the series, all equally good. Also, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, a prequel. This is one of those books about smart children having to save the world and defeat evil adults. Similar to Roald Dahl, but more complicated. The puzzles within the book are quite interesting, and I really like the characters. Reynie is good at puzzles and logic, Kate has amazing athletic skills, Sticky knows basically everything and Constance- well, we're not sure about Constance (though we later find out that she is younger than one would expect.) Mr. Benedict is quite a good character, and I had more background knowledge about him now that I'd read The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. The book is suspenseful as well.

Read The Mysterious Benedict Society

• if you like mystery
• if you like semi-fantasy fiction
• if you like books about kids saving the world/defeating adults (think Roald Dahl more complicated)

485 pages.

 

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf For Rereading (jf I own it)!