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

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was one of my favorite books as a child, but my copy got lost after loaning it to someone, and I've been waiting for years to get a new one so I could reread it. I really enjoyed it! I was surprised by how much I remembered. And like, it's true that some things about the book are problematic and on-the-nose (liking books isn't inherently good, TV isn't inherently bad, there's the ableist trope of
the bad guy getting up from the wheelchair
, and there's so much to unpack with all the "gifted" stuff). But still, I can't help adoring this book. I'm excited to reread the rest of the series! 

Also, spoiler:
I can't believe Constance is TWO?! I remembered that she was actually very young, so the whole book I was paying attention to how she spoke and acted and stuff, and in my head I was like "there's no way she's like four what the heck she's the most advanced of all of them." But I thought she was like four or five, not two!!! Wild.
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