The Mysterious Benedict Society

By Marlow Tracy

For many of my elementary school years, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart was my absolute favorite book. It had everything: solvable puzzles, engaging narration, quirky characters, and an adventurous plotline. Recently, I gave the book a re-read to see if it actually lived up to my childhood self’s admiration. The answer is a definite yes.

The Mysterious Benedict Society begins when Reynie Muldoon, an orphan with a knack for solving puzzles, finds an advertisement in the newspaper that leads him to take a series of mind-boggling tests. Upon completion, he learns that he, along with four other children, has been recruited by a man called Mr. Benedict to infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, or L.I.V.E, an academic institute with seemingly sinister intent. He joins Sticky Washington, a runaway who remembers everything he reads, Kate Wetherall, an acrobat with a red bucket, and Constance contraire, a cranky poet with a sweet tooth, on a quest to put a stop to the Institute’s catastrophic worldwide message broadcasts before it’s too late.

The most engaging feature of this book, in my opinion, is the numerous puzzles the characters encounter along the way. Whether it’s Mr. Benedict’s testing, morse code broadcasts, hidden notes, or the mysterious purposes of the institute itself, readers will enjoy deciphering codes and solving mysteries alongside the main characters. The ingenious puzzles provide the book with a unique interactive element that makes it more appealing to younger readers and those who enjoy problem-solving.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is the kind of book that starts out confusing, but gets clearer as the story progresses, and usually ends chapters on some sort of surprising revelation. The reader gains a sense of satisfaction as all of the separate story elements come together to form a satisfying conclusion. Just like the smaller-scale puzzles, the plot almost acts as a huge puzzle that is assembled piece by piece as the characters find out more.

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed is the complex characters and character development. At the beginning, the four main characters are immediately labeled with defining traits: the brains (Sticky), the brawn (Kate), the cranky one (Constance), and the average one (Reynie). These categories make the characters more memorable and easier to keep track of, but the author quickly breaks down the linear character models once the reader becomes familiar with them. At different points in the book, each character is faced with situations outside of their comfort zone that allow them to overcome previous stereotypes set by the reader while still playing to their strengths and emphasizing their weaknesses. For example, at the beginning, the reader perceives Sticky as the weakest out of the four children, but he ends up proving himself to be stronger than any of them could have predicted (least of all himself!). I appreciate the author’s efforts to give the characters defining traits, and continuing to develop those traits while still exposing flaws and weaknesses.

In conclusion, The Mysterious Benedict Society is and will continue to be one of the best books I have ever read. It may be below my reading level, but it still holds a special, nostalgic place in my heart. If you have read this book as a kid (or recently), you probably feel the same way, and if not, you are missing out and should definitely give it a go. The Mysterious Benedict Society is an awesome, heart-touching tale of adventure that everyone should read at some point in their lives. I might be a bit biased, but 11/10 read this book (and all the sequels!!!).