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

4.0

Such a fun story. There are so many great stories at this age level. As soon as I started reading it, I knew my husband would love it too. The "tests" to be selected were one of my favorite parts. I also loved the puzzles throughout for them to communicate. Also, I enjoyed that each of the child characters had his or her own niche in the society, but I have to admit that spunky, energetic Kate was my favorite (so sue me I'm a sucker for active girl characters, like Jo March, for example). I have to admit that Constance was a fun character, too. You can't "like" her per se, but she adds a great element to the story. I appreciated the moral dilemmas that Reiny and Sticky faced, as well, to give a depth to the story. All in all, I liked it. With mysteries, however, I rarely go for more than one or two, so I doubt I'll delve into the rest of the series. They all end up with too much repetition for me these days.

Edit: (3/15/14) I've been reading this to my five-year-old with my three-year-old listening in at times and my older son has loved the story. It's the sort of story that gets a kid to love books!