Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read!, 8 Oct 2008
This is an exciting and well written children's book. My sister bought it for my non-fiction reading 9 year old son when we were in the States recently, and we all loved it - even I couldn't put it down towards the end! Four children, each with different talents, are brought together by the mysterious Mr Benedict in order to find out what is causing "the Emergency", and who is transmitting the voices that only Mr Benedict can hear on his specially designed equipment. It turns out to be oddly topical in these uncertain times! It would make a great Christmas present. And there's a sequel!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 12 Aug 2008
Reynard (or Reynie, as he prefers to be called) Muldoon is not your average eleven-year-old boy. First of all, he lives in an orphanage where he is constantly teased by all the other children. Then there's the fact that he's a genius. He's so smart that he needs his own tutor, Ms. Perumal, who is really more of a friend to him. It's because of Ms. Perumal that Reynie happened to be reading the newspaper that held a one-of-a-kind advertisement. "Are You a Gifted Child Looking for Special Opportunities?" Not only does this advertisement catch Reynie's eye, but that of many young children. All of these children enroll to take several tests consisting of many brain teasers. Out of all the children, though, only four succeed, with Reynie being one of the four.
The children are all immediately drawn to each other. Not just because of their exceptional mental abilities, but also because they are all alone. Reynie, Kate, and Constance are all orphans, and Sticky has run away from a miserable home life. When they all finish with their tests they are led to a mysterious old house where they are introduced to Mr. Benedict. Mr. Benedict is an intriguing and incredibly smart man who has a secret mission for the children that only they can complete.
To fulfill their mission, the children must go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Curtain, is up to no good, and it is up to the children to figure out what he is up to and hopefully stop him. It will be no easy feat, as the children will have to wrap their minds around puzzle after puzzle and face challenges that not even their wildest dreams could have ever created. With no choice but to turn to each other, the children embark on a journey that will forever change their lives.
I have heard nothing but good things about this book. Needless to say, I had high expectations for it. Overall, I really enjoyed THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, except I found that at times it was a bit lacking. First, I want to say that the author's writing style was marvelous. It definitely had the magic feeling that Roald Dahl put into his books that made them so wonderful. There was that extra umph to the book that made it quite enjoyable. Returning again to my reference of Roald Dahl, I felt like the adventure these kids went on was much like the adventure Charlie from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY went on, without the candy!
While the book is directed at a more middle grade audience, I still found myself enjoying the adventure and solving the riddles along with the children. Overall, I enjoyed the story and think it would be a great book for both reluctant readers and middle graders.
Reviewed by: Tasha
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Dahl but something new altogether, 16 Jan 2009
I loved this book, not least the quirky outer cover, it doesn't even open like a normal book. The previous reviewer has given such an excellent account of the storyline that I wont add to that. Everyone keeps talking about Roald Dahl (who I adore), it is not like Dahl in feel, yes it's about kids and good and bad adults but the feel is completely different, more like Pullman in its level of sophistication, tight plotting and characterisation and its ability to address issues of childhood loss and the importance of memory. My only complaint is the end which screamed sequel, but otherwise an involving unputdownable read about four extraordinary but believable children.
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