Since I'm a nanny, I often spend time wandering the kid's section of the library. I happened to stumble upon the first book of the series, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and ended up LOVING it. I immediately got the next two books, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, and loved both as much as the first. Though they are aimed at older children, I think that any adult with an active inner child will love them as well.
The premise is simple enough. Four gifted children answer a strange ad in the newspaper promising special opportunities. After making it through riddles, tests, and various scenarios the children find themselves in the care of Mr. Benedict who needs them to stop the evil Mr. Curtain and his invention from taking over the world. Each child brings different abilities to the table and together they make a formidable team which just may be able to bring down Mr. Curtain.
The series originally reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but the difference quickly became apparent. A Series of Unfortunate Events is aimed at a slightly younger crowd, so although I liked the characters and the general atmosphere, the writing style and gags got old pretty quickly. With the Mysterious Benedict Society however, the plot is clever and the riddles, clues, and puzzles kept me guessing just as much the children. Overall, it is a series I highly recommend and I can't wait for the next installments.
5/5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment