Reviews

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

bexellency's review

2.0

Meh.  I read this on a librarian’s recommendation and I think that meant I had high hopes.  Fell flat though. I found it slow and repetitive.  And slow, oh wait, I said that already.  I also expected more puzzles for the reader to solve within the book, but there weren’t really any.  

estherhutchinson's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

theorysloth's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

kwillie1014's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-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

5.0

ineffable_bowtie's review against another edition

5.0

It might be a book for children but I found it absolutely wonderful.

thenovelbook's review against another edition

5.0

Edge-of-the-seat, stay-up-way-past-bedtime reading. Very long. But very clever.

Would make a thrilling TV series.

trin's review

2.0

The clever start to a clever kids' series that's not quite clever enough to keep this world-weary adult entertained. This book gets off to a fun start with the chapters in which young orphan Reynie is tested for admittance into the eponymous society. Once the actual plot gets going, however, there's way too much Evil Villains and Their Evil Plans Are Evil stuff going on. It's fairly yawn-inducing for anyone who's read anything like that before, and I've read lots. The ragtag assortment of child prodigies, despite being pretty awesome--especially Kate!--also take a frustratingly long time to figure out what's going on. I can totally understand why younger kids like these books, but I found the series lacks crossover appeal.

duriangrey's review

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

jvbook_reader's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

hirvimaki's review against another edition

4.0

Very fun out-loud read to my girls. Funny, witty, and with just the right amount of quirky action to make this a fast-paced story.