The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma

The Mysterious Benedict Society and Prisoner's Dilemma:
Overall Rating - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.1/10 total.

Characters - 9
I live the character interaction in the series! Each of them is so unique individually but together they have such a great dynamic. :)

Atmosphere - 8
The main house has a very homey feel while the prison feels well, like a prison, but there isn't as much mention of the buildings as there is of dialogue in this one, I feel.

Writing - 9
Trenton Lee Stewart's descriptions are always so on point and enjoyable. The writing is always amazing and flows in a way that makes it fun to read.

Plot - 7
Suffice to say, it took forever to get to the main action. This book was a lot more character-based and it showed. The plot was alright but nowhere near the level of the first one.

Intrigue - 8
I was thoroughly intrigued as to how most of the problems were going to be solved but some seemed a bit obvious (more of the riddles rather than the fight scenes).

Logic - 8
It was pretty logical, but I think some of it could have been fleshed out more to really have the reader understand 100% of the situation, though I'm sure some of that was on purpose to throw in surprises.

Enjoyment - 8
I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the first two. That said, it was still epic, and I will be reading book 4 soon.

I posted a review of the series as a whole on my blog at http://bookwi.se/mysterious-benedict-society/

The later books were a bit more action/quest focused than the first. I think they were also not quite as dark. But they still were very character focused books and that is what I really liked about the series.

Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are once again pitted against the evil mastermind Ledroptha Curtain who of course just happens to be the twin brother of the benelovent Mr. Benedict. This tale is not quite as zippy as the preceding books but my two kids ate it up just as rabidly. As ever, Constance Contraire is a chief source of amusement, but the plot is harder to summarize. Basically Mr. Curtain wants to regain the Whisperer for his megalomanical plans. And Constance is developing some mental telepathy. Once again the kids would beg me to read more whenever I'd finish reading for the night. They love the Mysterious Benedict Society.