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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Children You Must Not Come STOP. Dangerous", April 26, 2008
This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Hardcover)
The Mysterious Benedict Society, a group of four children created to thwart the plans of the evil genius Ledroptha Curtain, is fresh off their great victory. The "brainswept" are slowly having their memories returned and everything seems like it should be getting back to normal. It should be the perfect happy ending, yet happy endings are rarely so simple...
All is not well for the Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynie, still shaken by the previous adventures, finds himself having nightmares of being surrounded by snakes. A conversation with Mr. Benedict did little to ease his growing fears that wickedness is something to be generally expected of people. Kate has been living largely on her own wits for the past six months (Milligan largely off doing secret agent work) and Sticky has had trouble convincing his parents that he should be allowed to go to college. As for three-year-old Constance, she continues to struggle with being a young child genius, while the government refuses to even properly acknowledge her existence so she can be adopted by Mr. Benedict.
The group comes together again with the promise of experiencing a great surprise created by Mr. Benedict, but then learns something horrifying. Both Benedict and Number Two have captured by Curtain and his minions -- now going by the name "the Ten Man" -- for the ten different ways they have of torturing people. The only solution may be to follow through with Mr. Benedict's surprise -- an adventure he planned for them that may now be their only way to save him. So, once again, danger and thrills are promised, but also a great read and satisyfing adventure.
The book jacket states that the author, Trenton Lee Stewart, is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. If his works are any indication, then they may just have something special there. The jacket also offers a review comparing the style to that of Lemony Snicket -- but I never could quite bring myself to fully enjoy Snicket's mode of writing. This book, however, has been the most anticipated for me since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and I'm delighted to say that it satisfies. Pick up a copy for yourself and find out what adventures are in store for this intrepid quartet.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reading this book is not a Perilous Decision!, April 29, 2008
This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Hardcover)
For lovers of the first Mysterious Benedict Society novel, here comes another installment of mystery, puzzles and teamwork for your enjoyment.
I love the way Trenton Lee Stewart mentions things that others would leave out, like the varying strengths of children. Reynie is so good at interpreting other's most secret emotions, all by using his common sense and by watching facial expressions, and I've never read about that in a book before. In pointing out subtle strengths of the children, Trenton Lee Stewart makes sure Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance are all close to our hearts. Their ability to work together (and sometimes even the way they bicker) is so fun to read about and so realistic.
In this book, The Mysterious Benedict Society is about to have their one year reunion, and a party to celebrate at Mr. Benedict's house. But, upon their arrival, they discover that a sort of ransom note (sent by homing pigeon) has foiled their plans. Mr. Benedict and Number Two, his right hand woman, have been kidnapped! The children, always thoughtful and responsible, waver on whether they should disobey their loved ones to go on this "perilous journey," but alas, they must save their namesake, and go. On this journey, they encounter many puzzles, clues, and mysteries just as intriguing and fun as the first book. I'm so glad to have read another installment of the Mysterious Benedict Society, and I hope they keep coming!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Report by a 7th grader, February 22, 2009
This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Hardcover)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
by Trenton Lee Stewart
"*****"
I give this book 5 asterisks out of 5!
This book has engaging characters, imaginative settings, and an exciting plot. As the story evolves,the characters grow and change. Also, the plot has many, often unexpected, twists and turns, but not so many that the reader feels lost. This book is a sequel to "The Mysterious Benedict Society". The reader will not be lost if he/she had not read the first book, as this book has a new conflict. The only thing the reader will lose is a small amount of character development. My favorite part of the book is the climax when the villain, Mr. Curtain, tricks the four unsuspecting protagonists into a trap-you will have to read the book for the details. The book is 440 pages so a lengthy read but definitely worth your time. I would recommend this book to good readers between the ages of 9-14 who want a book with adventure but without sacrificing a strong message or characterization. Fans of the Alex Rider series might also enjoy this book.
In The Perilous Journey, the setting is the least important of the three narrative elements because, as the title suggests, it is a journey story. The most important of the many settings is the uninhabited, rocky island on which the climax takes place. Since it is not named in the book I will simply refer to it as "the island". The island is described with great detail multiple times, "a very large oblong land mass in the middle of a watery nowhere." and "that isolated, wind-blasted place." are just two examples of this desolate place. The largest effect of the setting is the feeling of isolation that it lends to the later part of the book, which subsequently affects the character's actions. For example, when they needed to escape the island, they had to bring in a boat and had nowhere to run until it arrived. Also, they could not bring in any help from the police because of the island's remote location close to Great Britain, in the cold northern Atlantic
This book contains a lot of direct and indirect characterization and the characters are continuously changing. The four main characters are Constance, a whiny, sleepy, uber smart three year old girl, who towards the end of the story has premonitions. Reynie is the most normal of the kids, although he has a heightened sense of logic. Sticky is unsure and shy and has an incredible memory. Kate is an ex-circus performer and an amazing athlete and an optimist. All four of them must use their gifts to solve the puzzles laid out for them by Mr. Benedict to help find him when he was kidnapped. During the story the characters all change and evolve as different situations confront them. Kate becomes more concerned when she worries about her father. Sticky realizes what he is capable of and gets braver. Reynie questions his own judge of character and Constance becomes more mature. These character's development make them dynamic and add to the depth and message of the story. Therefore, the settings greatest impact is its effect on the mood, making it more isolated, and on the plot.
"The Perilous Journey" has multiple conflicts but the overarching one is that of Mr. Curtain, Mr. Benedict's evil twin brother, who is searching for Duskwort, a powerful sleeping agent that Mr. Benedict doesn't want him to get a hold of. This would be categorized as Man vs Man. Another main conflict is when Mr. Curtain kidnapped Mr. Benedict and the kids mentioned in the previous paragraph, desperately wanted him back. This again would be Man vs. Man. There were also some internal conflicts; Constance struggling to contain her premonitions and Reynie second guessing his judge of character. All of these conflicts combine to create an exciting story that will teach the reader many lessons.
I rated this book 5 asterisks out of 5 because this book combines an action-packed conflict, a strong message, and dynamic characters into an entertaining and engrossing story. As I said in the beginning, I would recommend this book to an adventure seeking 9-14 year-old who is a proficient reader. Once I picked this book up I couldn't put it down until I read all 440 pages of it. It is well worth your valuable time.
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