The Mysterious Benedict Society- A Reading Adventure!

    I tend to get bored of books very easily. If they don’t capture my attention within the first few chapters, I usually lose motivation and put it away. The Mysterious Benedict Society however, is one of the most interesting novels I’ve read, and even re-read (which is very rare for me). The interactive style in which it is cleverly written has drawn me back to it over and over again. My first time reading it was about 2 years ago, when I was around the same age as the main characters. I think this made it more captivating for me to read, knowing that we had that in common and I could better relate with the characters.

    Trenton Lee Stewart’s novel is so carefully written and put together for the perfect reading experience that always leaves you wanting more. This story is full of plot twists, epiphanies, character development, and suspense that slowly builds up. The main protagonist is a 12-year-old orphaned boy named Reynard Muldoon and goes by Reynie. He’s extremely gifted but has never had an opportunity to make use of his skills due to his restricted life at the orphanage. One morning, he comes across a mysteriously vague advertisement in the newspaper asking for talented young children to take a special test. This is the beginning of a series of eccentric events that will soon occur and slowly reveal the true intentions of the test and everything onwards.

    What I meant when talking about its interactive style earlier is referring to multiple puzzles and mind-bending situations that take place. For example, on Reynie’s way into the testing building, he encounters another test taker that confuses him with her bright outfit, unusual behavior, and even offers to help him cheat. The entire situation leaves you wondering about what just happened and if this strange new character will be important later in the story. That’s something this book tends to do to you, constantly leave you guessing. Then, during the actual test, you go through and experience it with Reynie as he takes it. You get to try to solve the problems along with him and then feel the excitement when he has big realizations and everything suddenly fits together. I love this interactive aspect of the way Stewart wrote this story. This is just the very beginning, and the rest of the book is full of many more thrilling adventures.

    Out of dozens of kids who take the test, only four (including Reynie) pass. Each of the kids are special and talented in their own way. For example, one of them is an academic prodigy and another is extremely sporty, resourceful, and more street smart. While both kids are incredible, they can really struggle on their own. When put together, they fill in for each other's weaknesses and create a stronger balance. I don’t want to spoil too much, but essentially there is a kind of evil genius sending messages and subtly controlling people’s minds through television and media. Nearly the entire population is unaware of what is happening, and the test was ultimately looking for special, young children that have been unaffected by this developing catastrophe. The four of them must team up since they are the only ones that could have a chance at saving the world. Together, they attempt to accomplish various missions, many of which are considerably risky and dangerous. It’s exhilarating to read about their adventures, as well as watch them grow, build strong bonds, and form friendships. After all, they're only kids, but must take on heavy responsibilities for the sake of the world. 

    I will always wonder how the author was able to come up with these stories and perfectly structure these situations to always keep the reader on edge. When I first picked up this book, I never expected it to be so compelling. Each time I re-read it, I notice more details and little parts of the story that add to the complexity and overall composition of the book. This is one of the most intriguing and enjoyable novels I’ve read, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for their next fun read.

    There are six books total, however I’ve only read the first one since I’ve heard the others aren’t as good. I do think I should get around to reading them at some point though. When I do, I'll write another blog post to share my thoughts. Another thing is that there’s a relatively new show based off of this series. The main thing is please do not watch the show before reading at least the first book. The television series is poorly done in my opinion and I don’t want it to spoil anyone’s reading experience. There seems to be a bit of a pattern with shows versus books (I wrote about this in my last blog post too where I regrettably watched the movie before reading the novel and was very disappointed). Other than that, I think watching the filmed interpretation after reading the original literature can be a fun experience. I encourage anyone who isn’t sure what to read next or just needs some excitement in their life to check out The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (possibly the show as well AFTER reading the book first) and let me know what you think!