I LOVED this book! It has a bit of everything from mystery to lots of humor to action to an epic battle of good vs. evil. There's so much to like here, and so many ways for you to identify with so many characters, you'll find it hard to put down!

“Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules.” ~Constance Contrare

THE PLOT I loved the plot of The Mysterious Benedect Society! Plot-wise, it's got a little of everything - mystery, action, adventure, and an epic battle of good vs. evil.         

The story starts out excitingly with a newspaper article! But it's not just ANY newspaper article...

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

Hundreds of children arrive to take these challenging, mind-boggling tests - but, in the end, only four very extraordinary children succeed: Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire. And then they're sent on a mission - to stop the evil Mr. Curtain before he brainwashes the world!  But first, they have to go undercover at the "Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened" where the only rule is that there is no rules! (What a brilliant aspect for the story, Mr. Stewart!)

"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 clean every day in class. You can eat whatever 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."

Will they succeed...or will they be caught first?!?! THE WRITING

“Oh, here's a clever one,” Mr. Benedict told Reynie, scanning over Constance’s test. "Do you remember this question from the first test? It reads, What wrong with this statement?” Reynie nodded, vaguely remembering the question. “And do you know what Constance wrote in reply? She wrote, What's wrong with you?”

And in case you're wondering, the answer to that question - is, well - that it's not a statement - it's a question!

Not to disappoint, the writing in The Mysterious Benedict Society is downright amazing! In my opinion, the writing is as every bit as brilliant as the incredible plot - which surprised me immensely. Trenton Lee Stewart has an incredible prowess for writing. His sentences are brilliant; they definitely painted such a vivid image - or "screenplay" if you will - of the story in my head. His eloquence and descriptions were just so amazing!         

There are no unnecessary scenes - or even words in The Mysterious Benedict Society. Every single word has a purpose in the story - and it amazes me how tightly edited it is! I really enjoyed that aspect of the book!         

The pacing in The Mysterious Benedict Society does not disappoint - this is a fast paced, action-packed novel that you will simply devour! There is virtually non-stop action!

I say "virtually" because the pacing seems to slow down slightly when the children are trying to figure out a puzzle - and, you too, can figure it out alongside them! However, being the incredibly smart children they are, this never usually takes very long.

THE CHARACTERS Not to disappoint readers, the characters are phenomenal as well!         

Now, rest assured, these aren't just your stereotypical, underdeveloped "nerds."  They're more than that. They have such unbelievable depth and personality that they feel like actual people! This being said, it's incredibly easy to emotionally connect to them - easier than in most books - but it's beautiful characterization through and through! Even the supporting cast members are colorful and have back stories! Stewart gives each of the background characters a unique feature to help the reader remember them.         

Each of the four succeeding contestants (Reynie, Sticky, Kate & Constance) each have their different ways of solving each task that gets thrown at them - yet, in the end, they all answer correctly.

* Reynie uses his logic and puzzle-solving skills. * Sticky uses his high intellectual ability & photographic memory. * Kate uses her incredible athletic and agility skills. * Constance is too stubborn and grumpy to be asked to solve anything in the first place! Though, let me assure you, her grumpy disposition -though it can undeniably make things harder for the group - is eventually the key to the mission's success!

THE PUZZLES There are a multitude of puzzles plastered throughout the book - and I found it quite fun to quiz myself alongside our 4 protagonists! If you decide to read the book, I highly recommend solving (or at least trying to solve) the puzzles alongside Sticky, Reynie, Kate & Constance! :D All in all, this is one of my favorite books of all-time and I highly recommend it! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!