Wednesday, April 27, 2011

April 27, 2011

I haven't forgotten! It's just taking me a really long time to get thru my current book. But I will get thru it and hopefully move on very soon! :)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This was a really fun story, I totally enjoyed it. It had a very Lemony Snicket / Roald Dahl feel to it that was really magical and extraordinary and made you feel like anything is possible.

The story is about these 4 special children who take Mr. Benedict's crazy tests and end up joining his secret society to become spies. Their mission: to discover what exactly The Thing To Come is, and bring a stop to it. Reynie, the boy telling the story, is very bright with a knack for problem-solving and leadership. Sticky has an incredible memory. Kate is extremely resourceful and knows distances just by looking at them. Then there's Constance. Nobody really knows what her talent is, other than being obnoxiously negative and ornery. Her stubbornness does end up saving the day, but what makes her truly special doesn't come to light until the very end - surprise!

I can't really describe it much more than this without telling the whole story. The children go undercover to this private academy to solve Mr. Benedict's mystery. They find some other surprises along the way. And they have almost daily contact with Mr. Benedict and his crew across the river by using a flashlight to send Morse code messages. The messages sent back are always coded tho, so they always have to figure out what Mr. Benedict is trying to tell them, and then do it. They almost get caught a few times, but are ultimately successful.

I found it to be a really fun, interesting adventure, and when I got to the end I realized that there are at least 2 other books about these extraordinary children and their adventures. If I ever come across them I would definitely get them! :)

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: anyone - it's quite big, though