The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
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Book Reviews of The Mysterious Benedict Society
Book Review: More Than A Spy Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Imagine being gifted. Or not having any parents. Or being cared for by no one except your tutor. This is Reynie Muldoon's Life in The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart. And it is all about to change.
Now imagine taking a test by choice. And that test is on a Saturday. And for that test, you can bring only one pencil and one eraser. Once you pass that test, imagine taking not only a second test but a third test. This is the weird situation Reynie faced, before his life turned into one long perilous adventure.
After the second test, Reynie meets the other candidates: George Washington (yes, that really is his name!) known by the nickname of Sticky because everything he reads sticks in his head, Kate who totes all her possessions in a bucket, and Constance Contraire who whines like a mosquito.
By the time these four quirky characters meet their leader, I already thoroughly like them. Okay, I don't particularly care for the whiny blonde, but neither do the rest of the group. Yet they tolerate her because their leader cautions them that every one of them is important to the success of their mission. By this he means that at some point they will all need to depend upon each other to survive. Their leader is an elderly man who knows a thing or two about accepting people as they are, as he suffers from narcolepsy and falls asleep suddenly and unexpectedly whenever he laughs. And so the group tolerates Constance the way we endure exercise to stay healthy.
During their first meeting with their leader, we learn why these particular children were chosen: young, gifted, alone, resourceful. Authorities remain skeptical of the need of his mission, good men and women have gone missing in the name of the mission, and now these four children are his last hope. They will undertake a mission to save the world from a dangerous organization that seeks to control mankind by taking over people's minds by enrolling in a school called Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The idea that children could save the world when adults have failed seems preposterous, but Trenton Stewart makes us believe these particular children have the needed skills-and so we succumb to a suspenseful adventure.
Incidentally, that adventure lasts for several weeks-and covers about 400 pages of this hefty 500-page book. The length truly is its most astounding aspect, because most children's books run only about half this amount-and yet the book almost feels too short. All the loose ends and then some are wrapped up so perfectly, an all too frequent downfall in children's books, that I feel slightly unsatisfied.
Yet I love The Mysterious Benedict Society for being a mystery adventure and for rising above its genre. It's not simply another kid spy book, but one where the importance of individuality, differences, and friendship grace every chapter. Truly, I loved most everything about the book-except that it ended. Of course, isn't that the reason we have sequels?
Book Review: I'm hooked.
Summary: 5 Stars
I borrowed The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart, from the grandson of a friend. Thank you Ethan. I loved it. We'd already agreed that I like Harry Potter, but didn't discuss Lemony Snicket, another book referenced in the glowing comments on the cover. I've found I prefer Harry Potter to Lemony Snicket anyway. I like the way JK Rowling introduces hints and ideas in one book as if they're just background information, then draws them out later into vital plot points. I like the depth of her characters that left us wondering over and over who was good and who was evil--some of us are still discussing it yet. I like the complex side-plots that feed directly into the main storyline, the depths of relationships, the sense of genuine danger and authentic hope... Okay, I really like Harry Potter. And I really like The Mysterious Benedict Society, I suspect for all the same reasons.
This first book of this series introduces four fascinating youngsters, all called to answer a newspaper advertisement quoted on the back cover: "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Doesn't every child want to be gifted somehow? And these children represent a wealth of different gifts, from intelligent problem-solving strategies, to prodigious feats of memory, to clever and amusing physical skills, to plain old solid determination (plus a little extra). They also represent different ethnicities and family backgrounds, each presented appropriately without fanfare. And each child feels somehow rejected and alone in the world.
The "test" that the children have to take to qualify is beautifully told, in a way that leaves readers struggling for answers while eagerly turning pages to where the mysteries are quietly revealed. Sometimes it takes another chapter to show why something was right. Sometimes it's given straight away. I found myself remembering the end of the first Harry Potter book and enjoying the fact that this test came at the beginning.
The author continues skillfully hiding and revealing answers throughout the story. Some mysteries are simple enough that most readers will solve them before the characters. Others leave you eager to find how the solution will be sought. The children do battle with a powerful enemy, surrounded by a wide range of bystanders who may take either side. The mysterious Mr. Benedict helps them, though new discoveries and temptations leave them wondering sometimes if he's the good guy or bad guy in the end. Filled with moral and ethical dilemmas, as well as mysterious puzzles, the novel kept me glued to the pages and eager to read the sequel. I'm really hoping the next book will prove to be just as good (as the brief excerpt in the back certainly suggests). At 485 pages, Mysterious Benedict isn't a short read, but it's a good read. Ethan and I, and Ethan's grandma, all enjoyed it very much. And now my husband's reading as I write.
Book Review: Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Summary: 5 Stars
Reynard (or Reynie, as he prefers to be called) Muldoon is not your average eleven-year-old boy. First of all, he lives in an orphanage where he is constantly teased by all the other children. Then there's the fact that he's a genius. He's so smart that he needs his own tutor, Ms. Perumal, who is really more of a friend to him. It's because of Ms. Perumal that Reynie happened to be reading the newspaper that held a one-of-a-kind advertisement. "Are You a Gifted Child Looking for Special Opportunities?" Not only does this advertisement catch Reynie's eye, but that of many young children. All of these children enroll to take several tests consisting of many brain teasers. Out of all the children, though, only four succeed, with Reynie being one of the four.
The children are all immediately drawn to each other. Not just because of their exceptional mental abilities, but also because they are all alone. Reynie, Kate, and Constance are all orphans, and Sticky has run away from a miserable home life. When they all finish with their tests they are led to a mysterious old house where they are introduced to Mr. Benedict. Mr. Benedict is an intriguing and incredibly smart man who has a secret mission for the children that only they can complete.
To fulfill their mission, the children must go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Curtain, is up to no good, and it is up to the children to figure out what he is up to and hopefully stop him. It will be no easy feat, as the children will have to wrap their minds around puzzle after puzzle and face challenges that not even their wildest dreams could have ever created. With no choice but to turn to each other, the children embark on a journey that will forever change their lives.
I have heard nothing but good things about this book. Needless to say, I had high expectations for it. Overall, I really enjoyed THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, except I found that at times it was a bit lacking. First, I want to say that the author's writing style was marvelous. It definitely had the magic feeling that Roald Dahl put into his books that made them so wonderful. There was that extra umph to the book that made it quite enjoyable. Returning again to my reference of Roald Dahl, I felt like the adventure these kids went on was much like the adventure Charlie from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY went on, without the candy!
While the book is directed at a more middle grade audience, I still found myself enjoying the adventure and solving the riddles along with the children. Overall, I enjoyed the story and think it would be a great book for both reluctant readers and middle graders.
Reviewed by: Tasha
Book Review: Entertaining. Really.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am very pleased to be working on reading the second book (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey), and I have heard that there will be a third book coming out, and I hope this is true, as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It tells to story of Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherhall, and Constance Contraire, all four children gifted. Reynie is naturally intelligent. Sticky can read or hear anything and memorize it just as it was written or spoken. Kate has natural intelligence, and Constance... the three other children don't see much intelligence in her. She is rather small. The children had to start off by taking an "Intelligence Test" that was advertised in the newspaper, and there were many other children there. But by the time all sections of the test were complete, only the four of them were left, and they were taken to Mr. Benedict's house, where he was to meet with them. The children wondered why it had been them that were picked, since some of them were sure that they had missed at least a few questions on the test. It is revealed to them that Mr. Benedict only picked orphans, children who didn't know the location of their parents, or children that had run away from home (in Sticky's case). Mr. Benedict also reveals that he had the test held and the four children selected so they could be part of an experiment. There is an institution that is called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (EVIL when the initials are spelt backwards), and the institution is somewhat mysterious. Mr. Benedict decided that he would send a few children that he recruited to the Institute, and the Institute is run by Ledroptha Curtain (who is Mr. Benedict's long-lost twin brother, as revealed at the end of the book.) The children are sent to the Institute on Nomansan Island. They communicate with Mr. Benedict (who is on another island) using flashlights and Morse Code. Once they arrive, Sticky and Reynie do well on the quizzes, while Kate and Constance do horribly. The students who do the best on quizzes in consecutive weeks get promoted to Messenger, which is a position that has special privileges. The whole purpose that Mr. Benedict sent the children are to find what those privileges might be. Sticky and Reynie try to help Constance and Kate do better on their quizzes, and even go as far as cheating to help them. Soon, Sticky is caught giving answers to Constance through secret code. Sticky is then sent to "The Waiting Room", which is supposed to be a horrible place where Mr. Curtain has a talk with you, which is associated with punishment in the minds of some students. He comes back later that night covered in mud and traumatized.
This book was a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Book Review: 1st 1/3rd is Great, Remaining 2/3rds Kind of Sluggish
Summary: 3 Stars
Although I do read the occasional teen novel when I'm in the mood for something light, I rarely stray into the crowded waters of children's literature. However, I was hearing from a lot of coworkers about how great and different this book was, and I have to admit, the title and cover appealed to me...so I went ahead and picked it up.
The first third of the book is great, as we meet a quartet of orphans, who, by dint of special testing, are assembled into a juvenile spy squad by a strange narcoleptic genius named Mr. Benedict. This all takes place in a nameless city in what looks to be our own present-day world, albeit one where "The Emergency" is a threatening specter looming over the world. (What "the emergency" is is left deliberately vague until near the end, and as a vague abstraction doesn't instill nearly the menace it's presumably supposed to. Then again, I guess it also leaves it to the child reader to fill this in with their own particular fears, so maybe it's a good technique after all.)
The orphans are Reynie (a clever and sensitive boy aware of his own limitations who becomes the leader), Sticky (a kind of nerdy kid with an eidetic memory), Kate (a tomboyish figure with incredible eyesight, courage, and a Macguyveresque bucket of useful items), and Constance (a crabby genius who's a few years younger than the others). Their initial recruitment and training has the comfortable feel of the "we're putting together a team" kind of book/film/comic, but with enough little quirks and flourishes to make it distinctive. Then our heroes are sent to infiltrate the island base of the book's super-villain and find out what he's up to and stop him. With this shift in location the books grinds slowly to a near halt, as the action drags on and on and on in a most tedious manner. There's a lot of crawling around air ducts, poking around offices, and searching for secret entrances. But it all felt a little too Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew/Scooby Dooish to me, there's no real tension.
Readers who've been paying attention won't be surprised to learn the truth of the villainy, since the book is none too subtle in delivering its anti-TV, anti-pop culture message. I'm all for celebrating reading and readers (I'm a librarian after all), but the story has a kind of bookish revenge of the nerds vibe by the end that came across as smug. Although it felt bloated and sluggish to me, and was a disappointment, I suppose the true test will be in a few years when I'll try reading with my kids, since, all things considered, it's pretty harmless child-appropriate reading.