For this weeks suggestion Saturday I'm reviewing The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart!
"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 reader, 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 ahve 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.
There were two things that made me read this book. The cover, (which is terribly intriguing wouldn't you agree?) and the summary. I'm all for brainteasers and solving puzzles so once I read the "test your wits" part I knew that this book would be right up my alley.
A lot of The Mysterious Benedict Society is very inventive and intriguing. I especially like the aspect of being able to solve the mysteries and puzzles right alongside the characters! Who doesn't love a good challenge right?
The characters are by far my favorite thing about The Mysterious Benedict Society. The four main kids, Constance, Reynie, Kate, and Sticky, are each very unique and they have the most wonderfully quirky personality traits! I especially like Kate and her bucket full of tools. Kate makes me want to carry around a bucket full of useful things like flashlights and screwdrivers! Unfortunately I don't think I would be considered very fashion savvy if I started doing that.....
I will admit that some of the storyline wasn’t the most original. Some aspects reminded me a lot of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. But I wouldn’t let that stop you from picking this book up! It is still definitely worth a read. Especially if you liked the Series of Unfortunate Events. The Mysterious Benedict Society has the same mysterious intriguingness without being super depressing.
Oh and one final aspect to the book that is really cool is that at there is a picture that illustrates the title of each chapter. I absolutely adore the artist who did the cover art and the inside sketches! They capture the essence of the book so perfectly.
I give The Mysterious Benedict Society 4 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones!
Julia :)
Wow, this sounds so fun! And whimsical! I love puzzles so I'm sure I'll love this, as well. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought the storyline reminded me of a middle-grade version of 1984 with the Whisperer being Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing this in bookstores everywhere, even the sequels! And I also found a boxed set with the complete series. Man, I think I'm falling for this book. Your review just gave me another reason to get this. And if Kate lugs around tools like that, you know, I've been carrying a sewing kit, spoon and fork, Swiss Army knife, and God-knows-what-else in my bag for years now. But I almost never use them. LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, thank you for stopping by my blog, I don't have a name for that monster there yet, I just made him this morning so might have to think about it first. And dinosaurs rock!
I absolutely ADORE this series! So great to hear that you loved this book, too. I still have to read the third one, but the first two are just so good. Awesome recommendation & review!
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds fun! My library has the second and third books in the series, but not the first. Someday I'll get my hands on a copy of the first book. Thanks for your review!
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