The Mysterious Benedict Society

Well, this is my first official review, and I hope it's an informative and helpful one.

     The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart 

I had seen it at the bookstore pretty much every time I went there--and believe me, I go to bookstores a LOT. But, let's face it, the cover isn't exactly an eye-catching one, which is unfortunate since it's quite possibly one of the best stories I've read in a long time. (Let me state here that there is a reason I frequent bookstores so much. It's really something that can make a particular book stand out from ALL the others I've read.) Having dismissed it, mostly from the cover art, I was surprised when a friend recommended it to me. Now, this friend of mine has recommended quite a few books, movies, and music artists before, and I can't recall one time when I didn't enjoy whatever was recommended. So, naturally, I kept my eye out for it and purchased it. I put off reading it for a while, until, finally, picked it up to read.

The first few chapters were a little slow and the illustrations a bothersome, due to a slightly off perspective. It was a typical beginning really. An 11 year old, ordinary looking orphan who is much smarter than all the other children he knows, thus making him an outcast and friendless, sees a newspaper headline offering "special opportunities" for children just like him. He applies, along with tens of other children who all think they're special, and he's given a series of strange, confusing tests. Seemingly against all odds, he's the only child of his group to pass and is told to wait for the others. The others turn out to be a super smart nerdy boy, an energetic athletic girl, and a small cranky selfish girl who were the only ones of their group to pass.

As I said before, it started slow, but grabbed my attention when it's revealed that the children were chosen to form a team and go undercover to a school that's really a front for a madman's attempt to control the world. The more I read, the more I discovered that every single detail in Stewart's story is important. And I mean EVERYTHING. Things I thought were unimportant proved to be the key elements in the exciting climax. All of the characters are well thought out and three dimensional. Each of the children have their own strengths, quirks, and fears, all of which play an important role in the story. I'm always impressed when I find a story that has threads interwoven cleverly throughout the plot line, and this is one of the best examples I've seen so far. I couldn't put it down and even stayed up all night to finish reading it!

I can highly recommend this book, and am also happy to note that the book is very clean, with no inappropriate material or profanity. The Mysterious Benedict Society was a reminder for me not to "judge a book by its cover". This is definitely a must read for any story lover. :)