Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: May 2008
ISBN: 9780316036733
Source: Library (audio download)

 

The Mysterious Benedict Society are all together for a fun reunion, but things don't turn out quite how they expected.  When the discover that Mr. Benedict has been kidnapped, they must follow his trail of clues to find out where he is.  But along the way, they will fight off ten men and the other goons who work for Mr. Curtain.  Will they find Mr. Benedict before it's too late for him and for themselves?

Things I Liked:
It is a complex, mysterious, and very exciting story.  I love how each of the characters is unique and has particular characteristics that make them all essential to their quest.  It had lots of twists and turns and plenty of action that kept me listening and wondering what these remarkable kids would do next.  A fun and smart adventure for kids not afraid of a longer and more complex story.

Things I Didn't Like:
I think it dragged on a little too long for me.  I listened to this one on audio, so that might have contributed to it, but it took me forever.  Not to mention, I did not really like the narrator.  He was a older man with a scratchy voice that wasn't particularly suited to the children in the story.  I'll definitely be reading the next one instead of listening.  I am not sure how much appeal this series will have for kids, but I think an older tween who can invest the time and effort into a chunky text will love them.

Read-alikes:
Read the first book, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
A bit like the Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some frightening things and a little violence

Overall rating: ***

Do you find it easier to stop listening to an audiobook or to stop reading a book when you aren't into it? (I tend to have a hard time with both, apparently.)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Societyis a group of top secret agents - children with peculiar talents and skills who passed a series of mysterious tests. The four children who manage to survive the tests - Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance - find themselves going undercover on a dangerous mission. Can they figure out what strange things are happening at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened before they are caught?

Things I Liked:
I loved the story - it is interesting, exciting, and, of course, mysterious. I don't want to say much about the actual plot, since I wouldn't want to ruin it for you. The characters and their interactions were just plain fun. It has kind of the tongue-in-cheek type humor that I love so much. I think middle graders (and older kids) will really enjoy this series. Here are a few of my favorite passages:

The crying boy had begun flipping through the test now - there appeared to be several pages - and with each new page his sobs grew louder and more desperate. When he reached the end, he began to wail.
"I'm afraid loud weeping isn't permitted," said the pencil woman. "Please leave the room." p.21

"I tied her shoelaces to the desk," she whispered. "With my toes." p.211

In horror, the boys watched her raise the slimy, dirty, half-chewed glob of candy above the table top to examine it. Reynie's eyes swiveled to the Executives, who, having been disappointed in Kate's shoes, were now asking her to show her empty hands, then checking for stickiness under the edge of the table. He looked back to Constance and saw the realization hit her, her eyes widening in alarm. And then, an instant before Martina glanced up to see it, Constance popped the licorice into her mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it. p.393

Just reading them again makes me remember how much fun it was.

Things I Didn't Like:
It seemed a bit long, which may turn off some kids from it. There seemed to be a lot of information included, but could possibly have been left out.

Read-alikes:
Got the same kind of humor as:
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
The Alcatraz books by Brandon Sanderson
A Series of Unfortunate Eventsby Lemony Snicket

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
(that I recall)

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
a short fight sequence, not really described

Overall rating: ****

How much of the humor do you think kids get out of these kinds of books? Do you think the authors include some of it for the enjoyment of adults?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage,
I will get a very small percentage