The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

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The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
(Audio)

This book has been on my radar for years now, but I only just read it this month. I was so glad to have done so. It was delightfully quirky and fun--a great ensemble, a great puzzle, and a great adventure.

The basic plot follows a boy named Reynie, who answers an advertisement in a newspaper inquiring after gifted youngsters. He undergoes a series of strange tests--some on paper, some subtle mind or morality games--and ends up passing, along with several other children. They meet Mr. Benedict, an adorable old man who is brilliant but narcoleptic. He explains to the children that there is someone nearby planning on taking over the world by brainwashing the population... and these special children are the only ones who can stop him.

Each of the kids is quite different, but they're all orphans to some degree or another, and they all want to help stop the end of the world by doing what they do. And the narration is mostly with Reynie, but sometimes jumps around to the other kids as well. We dive into a fascinating world of mystery and puzzles and a mission with dire consequences if they fail. I adored all the good characters so much and really felt like I wanted to be part of their clever little group. The plot was a whole lot of fun, and the writing was magnificent. Lots of tension and suspense but also a lot of humor--like the name of the island: Nomansan Island. Say that out loud. Yeah, you've got it. And that joke doesn't get old for the entire book. Every time it was mentioned, it made me laugh or at least crack a smile.

It wasn't until I was done that I realized this was the first book in a whole series. It read just like a oneshot, which was refreshing, as I keep getting sucked into series by mistake. But I really, desperately want to know more about these characters/the society, so I'm secretly rather pleased to find there are more books. YAY!