Reviews with content warning for Bullying - The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

8 reviews

quetzalquill's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

A solid prequel with a loveable main character. Nicholas will probably be relatable to any autistic reader; the way he notices small details, draws connections in patterns, and finds his own amusement in those patterns feels familiar and lovely. He also has a unique character arc out of his initial loneliness; often the arc in these sorts of stories is from lonely nerdy boy to the same nerdy boy with loving friends. But in this story, Nicholas actually grows, learning not just that he can trust other people to be good, but that he can build better relationships when he invites others in and prioritizes their needs. The defense mechanisms that we develop from trauma, including the trauma of social exclusion, often make us selfish and cautious to extend grace to others. Watching Nicholas recognize and choose to change these patterns was quite moving.

The actual plot was a bit predictable; I guessed a few major reveals before they landed. But to be fair, I'm not the target audience, and I still enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery even when I'd guessed its ending.

I was excited to see a Deaf character who actually signs, but was disappointed that lip-reading was portrayed as a way to seamlessly integrate a Deaf person into a hearing conversation (it's not).

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annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was my favorite book as a child. revisiting it was a trying time. i had thought of myself as Nicholas (and the boy i had a crush on in gymnastics as John), and now i realize just how annoying Nicholas was, and how annoying i must have been too.

it is crazy long, especially for a middle grade. it took until the last fifth to reach and sustain an engaging pace.

but that last fifth… i forgive many of its faults just for the wonderful ending. and in my headcanon, unsupported by The Mysterious Benedict Society, Nicholas and John grow up to be high-society recluse lovers à la the Rothschilds.

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kailiyahknight's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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mobymaize's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I have found myself listening to The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict more than the rest of the series as I think this book is very good as a standalone novel. I had a good time with this and we love neurodivergent representation :)

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