A review by pris_asagiri
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

4.0

This book took me over 6 years to read. I first started it when my kid was in Middle School and this was a book on their Battle of the Books list. We started it together but then they read ahead and I never caught up. Then I picked it back up when the Netflix show started. But again, I lost interest and never finished. After the new year, I decided I should make an effort to try to wrap up some of my half-read books. This being an easier read, I picked it back up.

First, the writing is fun but in many places tediously wordy. The action is interrupted and the flow uneven. But the ending was satisfying and the overall premise was fun. I wish there had been more puzzles. I know this is a series. I will probably not attempt to read any more. But I fully understand why it had gained such a popularity with kids and I think if you have a middle school reader, they would enjoy this immensely. I think any problems I have with the story is simply due to my not being the target demographic (aka I’m old).