Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society is a book series for children 10 and up, and is written but Trenton Lee Stewart. It is also a television show, which started on June 25, 2021. The books follow the adventures of four orphans, Reynard Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire as they try to defeat the nefarious Ledroptha Curtain. They are helped along the way by the mysterious Mr.Benedict and his team of assistants. Through the books, the children struggle against both internal and external challenges.

Book 1: The Mysterious Benedict Society

This book showcases how the four orphans are brought together by Mr.Benedict through a series of challenging tests, through which they all succeed in their own unique ways. Mr.Benedict sends them to infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E) in hopes to discover who and what has caused the Emergency.

Book 2: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

After defeating Mr.Curtain (who has escaped arrest), the four orphans learn that he has captured Mr.Benedict and Number Two and they have just 10 days to retrieve the information he wants. They embark on a long journey across the world to find exactly where Mr.Benedict went, why, and how Mr.Curtain will use this to take control of the world once more. Along the way they face many dangers, from Executives to the new and lethal Ten Men.

Book 3: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

The story starts as the orphans and their families are stuck in Mr.Benedict’s house, which is guarded by the government’s security forces. They are hiding from the Ten Men and Mr.Curtain, who hunt for Curtain’s Whisperer, a device which almost let him take over the world, and which now resides in Mr.Benedict’s house. Everything changes when a businessman by the name of Mr.Pressius shows up claiming to be Constance’s long lost father. Constance runs away, and with everyone on Benedict’s team after her, leaves Curtain the perfect opportunity to take back the Whisperer.

My Thoughts

The books are very intriguing and contain thoughtful puzzles but I would not describe them as fast-paced. The books are about using wits to escape and defeat the “villains” of the books and the children rarely engage in violence themselves(with the occasional exception of Kate). I would recommend reading each book two or three times to truly appreciate how the resolution of the books are achieved. Try to also understand how each character feels when reading the book are the skills they each possess, allowing them to together defeat Ledroptha Curtain. Also, both a spinoff and a prequel book have been released, titled The Riddle of Ages and The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict respectively. You can also watch the new TV Show on Disney+ but I feel that it is harder to understand the true story and struggles through th TV show.