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

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The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
by Trenton Lee Stewart
(Audio)

I was enchanted by the first book, The Mysterious Benedict Society. When I came across the second book on audio at the library, I grabbed it and started earreading. I liked it. But it didn't have the same magic as the first... or maybe it just didn't have as much magic. It felt like the beginning was slow, reintroducing the characters who had split up during the past year and getting them back together on an adventure contrived by Mr. Benedict himself. The problem was that Mr. Benedict and Number Two get kidnapped while trying to set the adventure up for the kids.

So the kids end up sneaking away from their parents, Ronda, and some government officials trying to investigate the kidnapping, in order to find Mr. Benedit themselves. The best way to do this is to figure out the clues Mr. Benedict left behind for them and follow in his footsteps, hoping to figure out where he disappeared along the way. I was quite concerned for Mr. Benedict and Number Two throughout the book, especially when I realized that he was kidnapped by his twin brother, Mr. Curtain, who was the baddie in the first book and who I came to detest.

Things I liked about this book: more adventures from the four kids I really fell in love with during the first book; clever mysteries/clues to solve; lots of action and tension (so many times I thought they would never escape); grown-ups actually helping the kids a bit in realistic, supportive ways instead of completely abandoning them (also, caring parents!); each character changing and growing a little through their adventures.

Things I didn't like about this book: Reynie's specific role on the team being usurped by other members of the team, especially Constance, giving him less to do in the story; the name of the henchmen: "Ten Men" (I kept hearing Tin Men or ten Men); the characters taking so long to really trust each other again and starting to get on each other's nerves at times.

The things I liked outweighed the things I didn't by far. I really enjoyed the story that took us all over the place (planes, trains, ships, caves, museums, castles, abandoned towns, and more!). I definitely will be continuing on with this series and look forward to where the society's adventures take them in the next book!