Monday, June 8, 2009

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

This is the second book of the Mysterious Benedict Society and I have to admit I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. I found the characters to be more endearing and the way that the previous information was presented to remind the reader didn't feel overly redundant or frustrating, as can sometimes be the case. The feel of excitement and adventure still rang true, with the necessity of the children to continue using their unusual talents to solve riddles and clues.

This time the children start out with a reunion from when they went their separate ways a year ago. Only, once they arrive at their first destination, they discover their beloved Mr. Benedict has gone missing, along with Number Two (his assistant) and they decide it is their responsibility to go save him. This journey takes them all over Europe and involves numerous different tricks and modes of transportation. And as I said, the action really is perfectly paced so the book truly doesn't feel long at all.

I think I liked this book better. There weren't as many side characters and the plot felt like it moved faster than the first. Again, this isn't a book for reclutant readers as it is long, but for kids who like to read, this is perfect. I have the third pre-ordered in my cart on Amazon :)

2 comments:

Harmony said...

Great! My boys and I are almost done reading the first one. We'll have to pick this up next!

Janet S. said...

I think Adam and Paula and some of their kids are reading it too. Noting like reading unity across the miles to keep a family close.