Books by
Trenton Lee Stewart

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE PERILOUS JOURNEY

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE PERILOUS JOURNEY
by Trenton Lee Stewart
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316057806
Ages 8-12
448 pages

• Read an Excerpt
• MysteriousBenedictSociety.com


The four children who make up the Mysterious Benedict Society --- Reynie Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire --- might seem not to have much in common. Although they're all frighteningly intelligent in very individual ways, they all have their own very particular approaches to problem solving. But their personal skills, when united together in service of the Society, make for a very effective team indeed.

At the end of Trenton Lee Stewart's first novel, THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, all of the children had made important discoveries about their heritage, their history and/or themselves, all while saving the world from an evil mastermind and his hordes of henchpeople. Now, in the sequel, they have to figure out how to put together that new self-knowledge with what could be their most demanding assignment yet.

It seems like just an innocent reunion, as the four are called together six months after the completion of their last mission. But then Mr. Benedict and his right-hand woman, Number Two, disappear into the hands of his nemesis (and identical twin) Ledroptha Curtain, leaving only a trail of clues, scattered across continents. As the kids race against time, whether by train, bicycle, or the world's fastest cargo ship, they discover that their mission might have implications not only for Mr. Benedict but also for humankind. Can the intrepid foursome track down Mr. Benedict and rescue him before it's too late?

As with its predecessor, much of the delight of THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE PERILOUS JOURNEY lies in its puzzles and clues. Each of the kids has his or her own special talent or gift, and they're learning more about their individual powers all the time. With that in mind, the first two-thirds of the novel, which are set up much like an international scavenger hunt, race by at breakneck speed, as the youngsters discover and solve Mr. Benedict's clues, written especially for them.

Subtler, but no less engaging, than this hugely entertaining cross-country romp is the character development that Stewart has managed to integrate into what could have been just a light-hearted comic adventure. Reynie has to decide if his new knowledge of human evil can allow him to believe the best of people regardless. Sticky is learning to balance his thirst for attention with his regard for others. Kate must learn how to be the daughter of an international super spy. And all of them have to think differently about three-year-old Constance, who is still discovering her unusual powers with the assistance of Mr. Benedict.

Because the book's first two-thirds breeze along as rapidly as a high-speed cargo ship, the last hundred pages can seem overly long, despite plenty of action, mistaken identities, explosions and perilous predicaments. In addition, those who love the novel for the ways in which these four idiosyncratic geniuses solve problems might be frustrated that their unusual gifts actually play only small roles in the final drama. That being said, however, this second outing of The Mysterious Benedict Society will still delight readers who love a helping of postmodern silliness with their classic adventure stories.

    --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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