I read it!

When you read a raving review on someone's blog, a foaming-at-the-mouth you-MUST-read-this kind of write up, there's only one thing you can do. You keep telling them, "Yes, yes, I know. I'll definitely have to read that." And then they'll ask you if you've read it yet, and you'll feel like a dweeb for having to answer, "Not yet... I'm hoping to get to it soon..." And then, you'll realize that a break in the reading list will never just magically appear, and you simply must make the time to push the other books aside and take the plunge.


And then, you'll be in wonderment that you didn't take the advice sooner.

Carrie has made it glaringly clear that she is a fan of a certain series of books about four children who must work together using their unique and complementary gifts and skills to, well... to save the world. Yes, I've been caught in the web of the amazing The Mysterious Benedict Society! I wasn't aware of Carrie's review of the first book or her take on the second book, but when she kept talking about it on other 5M4B carnivals and finally went bonkers over the third book, I knew that was it. The time had come. Time for me to go bonkers, too. (And I mean going bonkers in the utmost respectful way, of course!)

Okay, I totally went bonkers. Here's what I had to say in my mini-reviews right after finishing them:

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
I'm thrilled beyond belief that I've finally read this book! My mind is abuzz with thoughts about these amazing children and the world within this story, such a very familiar feeling, one that I first experienced when I finished the first book that introduced Harry Potter to my reading world. Surely, a comparison between these two series is more than valid, although I don't think that takes anything away from either series as a result. The themes may be similar, and the characters certainly have much in common, but there's a distinctive feeling to this book that's different. Like I felt with HP, at first I found the oddities of the story entertaining and the reading went along in that manner, and suddenly I found my feelings darken and the nervousness that I had for these characters turned to palpable fear. However, unlike HP, this story holds much more realism, more likeness to the real world, which heightened the suspense even more for me. I truly loved everything about this book!

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
More adventure, additional puzzles to solve, the same four honest, brave, strong and amazing children. They're still motivated by love for Mr. Benedict and a desire to save the world from the evil of Mr. Curtain, and they put their lives on the line without hesitation once again. There's a deepening to the characters in this second book- individual struggles being waged and personal revelations happening that point to the fact that they are maturing and growing, gaining understanding of themselves and each other, and as a result, their friendships have become even greater and more central to their very existences. Can you tell that I LOVED this one, too??

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
Oh, the third book was as delightful as the previous two! There's so much to think about with these books, and I'm happy that they are written with an intensity level that my own 9 year old can handle, because there are powerful lessons in these pages. With their latest challenges and the need to once again work together, combining their individual skills to one group effort, the four children who make up the Mysterious Benedict Society also come to realize that not one of them is responsible for the entire group- they are all responsible for each other. With that realization, the guilt that accompanied their previous missteps suddenly dissolved. At every point, they did their best, and they always kept each others' welfare in mind. It's a good lesson for us all!

So, thank you, thank you, thank you Carrie!! Now, I'm feeling sad that I've reached the end of the series!! Could we beg Trenton Lee Stewart to bring on more adventures for Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance?!


Bowing down in literary gratitude,