The Mysterious Benedict Society

TL;DR – Great book, great set of characters. Suspense builds towards the end.

I remember picking this book up a year or so ago, but I never really got around to reading it – not because it was boring or anything, but because I'd totally forgotten about the book. I came across the eBook on my Kindle shelf while searching for a PDF document a couple of days ago, and I had made it a point to read the book soon.

The perfect opportunity arose a couple of days ago. It's currently the rainy season here, and it's been raining quite heavily – which does mean I can't go out and socialise when I'm free. I picked up the book on a bleak, gloomy, and overcast morning, and figured I'd be done before the end of the day.

The start is really good. Just about enough mystery about the entire situation to keep your curiosity piqued, and when that starts to fade, Stewart peppers the story with puzzles and riddles to keep your attention from waning.

The book has a great set of characters. The world building isn't as much evident – probably because it's still set in the 2000s of our current world – but how the author seemed to constrict the world to just two places while merely referencing the greater world in passing is brilliant. It helps keep the attention of the young readers on just the happenings on Nomansan Island and the mainland.

As the story progresses, the suspense increases gradually, and towards the end, it becomes more like a thriller and suspense novel than a mystery or fantasy novel. But that's not so bad. The author has a gift in capturing the readers' imagination and holding it for a long while after.

If you were looking for a quick read, but still something you want to remember down the lane, then The Mysterious Benedict Society is just for you! It might be a children's story, but as an adult, I had no issues enjoying the book thoroughly.