The Mysterious Benedict Society
posted in mystery, middle grades, book review, children's literature |
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (2007)
“Are You a Gifted Child looking for Special Opportunities?” reads the newspaper advertisement.
Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall (The Great Kate Weather Machine), Constance Contraire, and many other children answer “yes” to this ad and go to the specified location.
Once there they all embark on a series of bizarre tests from which only the four clever orphans–Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance–emerge successful. These four solve the exams using their own particular skills and talents. Reynie puzzles out the answers, Sticky uses his eidetic memory, Kate employs her physical and problem-solving prowess, and Constance, out of plain old stubbornness, just won’t give up.
So begins the “only you can save mankind” story of the four children in The Mysterious Benedict Society. Mr. Benedict, the genius behind the newspaper ad and the bizarre tests, sends these four heroic youngsters to L.I.V.E. (Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened). At L.I.V.E., they are on their own (except for Morse code messages back and forth with Mr. Benedict) where they must navigate the school’s abstruse rules and cruel punishments in order to hoodwink their opponents and uncover the truth behind the diabolical plan.
As the plan is brought to light, it becomes clear that foiling this take-over-the-world via mind control and memory sweeping plan will require that they employ their unique gifts to work as a team–the Mysterious Benedict Society. Mr. Benedict tells the children, “You are a team now. Whether you always agree is inconsequential, but you must take care of one another, must rely upon one another in all things. I don’t exaggerate when I say that every one of you is essential to the success of the team, and indeed, to the fate of us all. You must remember that.” He also reminds these orphans, “…family is often born of blood, but it doesn’t depend on blood…best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”
Many elements combine to make this book succeed as children’s literature—flawed heroes, difficult choices, fears, abandonment, absent parents, control, competence, secret signals, codes, mistaken identity, humor, friendship, and its multi-genre appeal (combining aspects of the adventure, science fiction, mystery, espionage, survival, suspense, gothic, humor, and school story, and happily ever after genres into a coherent whole).
Stewart includes many prevalent children’s literature themes. A group of loyal friends, absent parents, and a school setting (think J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone series, and, to some extent, Kirsten Miller’s Kiki Strike series), puzzles and wordplay (think Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer and Wright 3 and Peter Abrahams’ Echo Falls Mysteries), and unusual humor (think Lemony Snickett’s Series of Unfortunate Events, Louis Sachar’s Wayside School series, Deny Cazet’s Minnie and Moo series, and Roald Dahl’s oeuvre). Members of the Mysterious Benedict Society learn to value family and friends, teamwork, and facing one’s fears. The work even has a bit of 1984/Fahrenheit 451-like discourse regarding freedom, conformity, individuality, and government/corporate control of the masses.
While the ending may strike some as being a bit too expedient and neat, since everyone gets a separate happy ending, the happy ending is arguably deserved after the full book of struggle and real danger (being fond of happy endings myself, I overlooked the unlikelihood of some of the occurrences).
Ultimately, as a first novel for Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society will find many fans across ages and genres. Individuals learn that everyone has talents and choices and can make a difference in whatever society they are a part of—whether that be the Mysterious Benedict Society or otherwise.
My favorite passage from the book (context: one of the bad gals explaining the “logic” of the rules at L.I.V.E.):
“It sounds like there are no rules here at all,” Sticky said.
“That’s true, George,” said Jillson. “Virtually none, in fact. You can wear whatever you want, just so long as you have on trousers, shoes, and a shirt. You can bathe as often as you like or not at all, provided you’re clearn every day in class. You can eat wheatever and whenever you want, so long as it’s during meal hours in the cafeteria. You’re allowed to keep the lights on in your rooms as late as you wish until ten o’clock each night. And you can go wherever you want around the Institute, so long as you keep to the paths and the yellow tiled corridors.”
“Actually,” Reynie observed, “those all sound like rules.”
