This may be one of the few books that I have had the longest, and a true stereotype of bibliophiles where we mean to read something, but then we go and buy more books. I have had The Mysterious Benedict Society since I was in sixth, or seventh grade, and only now as a late twenty-something am I finally getting to read it.
I have enjoyed reading this, fer sure. It was a quick read, given that it is more on the youth side of things, but the content was worth the pretend speed run. The Mysterious Benedict Society follows four children; Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance; who endure intense tests followed by forming a secret group of spies under the protection of a Mr. Benedict.
I liked how the story flowed, giving us a good introduction into the characters’ world and sweeping it into the set-up of how the rest of the book will go. It was pleasant to see some twists being thrown in; to be honest I did not make any attempt to solve riddles myself, I just let Reynie solve it for me, ha-ha.
The only things that bothered me stem from it being in the youth genre, so I will just dismiss the complaints. I think the only genuine thing to bring up is how this reminded me of a Series of Unfortunate Events, how there are a bunch of people who are quirky and they live in a dismal world and try to make the world better through their circumstances.
If I were back in middle school, I probably would go and read it again. I also know that this book is the first in a series, and I have considered reading the rest of the books just to say that I read them all. I would recommend this for kids of that age, maybe even late elementary to be honest. If you, or, for parents, your kids liked a Series of Unfortunate Events, you would enjoy this series as well. If interested, you will be able to find it here.
9/10
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