The Mysterious Benedict Society (Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)

by Trenton Lee Stewart

Carson Ellis (Illustrator)

ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD Looking for special opportunities?

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear listener, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.


"Del Roy's narration is inspired. His serious tone communicates his respect for the skills and talents of the youngsters in the story, as well as the listeners who are playing along."—AudioFile

• ISBN10: 0316057770
• ISBN13: 9780316057776
• Publish Date: 7 March 2007 (first published 20 February 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[rakesandrogues]

Out of the Mysterious Benedict Society, it's hard to pick a favorite character. Each character just has a really cool attribute that's just so different from the others. I love how Reynie is so clever and can solve any puzzle given to him. He can always read between the lines, and the conclusions that he comes up with always surprised me throughout the book. I love Sticky mostly because of his name. I don't blame Constance, the messengers, and just about everyone else who gave him a hard time about his real name: George Washington. The teasing amused me to no end! I also loved Sticky because of his eidetic memory. It's always something that I longed to have. Kate is a great female lead because she's tough and clever. She's not afraid to stand up and fight for what she believes in, and she can always come up with a great solution with something in her bucket! Lastly, I absolutely love Constance simply because, in Mr. Benedict's own words, she is so gifted. (Explaining further would prove to be a spoiler!)

In terms of the writing, I think that The Mysterious Benedict Society is certainly a kid-friendly and fun read. It certainly sent my imagination hard at work. However, the book did not keep me on the edge of my seat. While I found it entertaining, it did not grip me as I thought it would. I would definitely recommend this to younger readers, but I don't think all older readers will enjoy it as much. The Mysterious Benedict Society is a great middle-grade novel, but the fact that I did not enjoy is as much as I hoped really affects my rating.

I love the ending of the book. It just gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I love that the ending was full of wonderful surprises about all the characters. I'm a sucker for good, happy endings, and this book did not disappoint. I don't think I will continue on with the series though. I am happy and content with how the ending turned out, and I am really not itching to read further.