The name of the book I read is The Mysterious Benedict Society (book one), the book is by Trenton Lee Stewart. The book takes place in Stonetown (somewhere on the planet Earth), in present time. The main characters are Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate “The Great Kate Weather Machine” Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. The main problem is that they have to overcome their differences and learn to work together to save the world from Ledroptha Curtain, and his Whisperer machine before he makes the world his piece of paper.
“Sometimes, Reynie, trouble itself is the key.” – Mr. Benedict. The biggest turning point is when the characters (The Mysterious Benedict Society) worked together to shut down the Whisperer by confusing it. After bickering constantly about all the secrets and things they wouldn’t tell each other, they finally bonded together as a team and friends. Throughout the story an important decision is whether to cheat or not to cheat to get higher up in the ranks to become a messenger. Messengers go into the Whisperer and learn more about how Mr. Curtain is able to bend almost everyone’s minds. In the end the big problems do fade away but their shadows are still there.
This is a breathtaking book, and there are many examples as to why. But, for right now just three. The first example is that the characters are so relatable, a little bit of yourself is in every character. Constance is determined, stubborn, and very resistant to anything she doesn’t like. Reynie is the go to for puzzles, and problems guy. Kate is very resourceful, and adventurous. Finally, Sticky is the know-it-all. The second example is that the story was never boring, or dull, and it never made me want to do other things. The third example is that some of the many riddles and clever wordplay was easy to solve before the characters did, and other times you just have to go along with the book and the characters. The kind of reader that would enjoy this series is a reader that loves to think, and enjoys some mystery as well as action. The book gives you a lot of uncoded messages that you as well as the characters have to figure out. If I were to rate this book from 1 to 10 stars, I’d give it a full on 10. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
