The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

infobox Book |
name = The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey


image_caption =
author = Trenton Lee Stewart
illustrator = Diana Sudyka
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Children's
publisher = Little, Brown
pub_date = May 1, 2008
media_type =
pages = 448 pp
isbn = ISBN 978-0316057806
preceded_by = The Mysterious Benedict Society
followed_by =

"The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey" is a bestselling [] children's novel written by Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Diana Sudyka, published in 2008. It is the second book in the series, following "The Mysterious Benedict Society".

Plot summary

In this intriguing novel about four close friends, Reynie Muldoon, Kate Wetherall, Constance Contraire, and George “Sticky” Washington, who are on a quest to save their mentors, there are many settings. First of all, the children start out in their own homes, waiting to be reunited. Adventure and danger await the four onboard an unusual ship, at a castle in Portugal, in the Netherlands, and finally on a mysterious island. Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon is an eleven-year-old living with his tutor, Miss Perumal, who is teaching him Tamil. Exceptionally bright, Reynie looks between the lines, observing and questioning, and gets past most obstacles by finding the "puzzle" within the situation. Reynie is an especially average-looking boy with average brown hair, average pale complexion, average clothes, and average height. George "Sticky" Washington is also an eleven-year-old boy. He is characterized by his intelligence and ability to remember everything he reads—hence his nickname, for everything sticks in his mind. He strongly prefers this nickname to his given name, George Washington. Sticky ran away from his home after feeling that he is not wanted by his parents, but is now living in is home with his parents again. He has tea-colored skin and is bald because he uses hair remover to disguise himself. Sticky also has a bad habit of polishing his spectacles whenever he gets nervous. Kate Wetherall is an energetic twelve-year-old who became an orphan as a young child when her mother died and her father left her. She found out that Mr. Benedict’s spy, Milligan, is her father, and now lives with him on a farm. Kate finds any and all shortcuts in a conflict, and carries a red metal bucket which houses a great many things which she uses to overcome obstacles and evade capture. She is very physically capable and almost fearless, often rushing into things without giving them a second thought. She has long, golden-blonde hair and light blue eyes. Constance Contraire is the fourth child of the group. Though she at first does not appear to have any special abilities, her bravery and stubbornness ultimately prove to be a great asset because of her special attention to detail. Constance can detect patterns in things, and though it may seem like she is physic, Constance merely recognized patterns and unknowingly can predict the near future. She has wispy blonde hair and very clear blue eyes. Though the others don't at first realize it, Constance is just under three years old, which explains her frequent napping and obstinacy. Mr. Benedict is a middle-aged man who recruits the children that later call themselves the Mysterious Benedict Society. He is the one who discovered the plans of his twin brother, Ledroptha Curtain. However, none of colleagues believed him and called him crazy. Mr. Benedict suffers from narcolepsy, which causes him to fall asleep when experiencing strong emotions (usually laughter). Mr. Curtain is Mr. Benedict's twin brother, who has Kidnapped Mr. Benedict and Number Two in the attempt of taking over the world. He wears silver glasses and green plaid suits, and usually makes his way around in a motorized wheelchair. Like his brother, he suffers from narcolepsy, but his condition is triggered by anger as opposed to laughter. Number Two is Mr. Benedict's assistant and adopted daughter. She never sleeps, and as such needs a high food intake. Her name is never revealed. Milligan was a spy captured by Mr. Curtain. Though his memories were erased, he managed to escape and eventually became Mr. Benedict's bodyguard. However, when he sees Kate, his memory is triggered and he regains it; Kate is revealed to be his daughter.

Reception

In a starred review, "School Library Journal" described the book as "not just a rip-roaring adventure ... but also a warm and satisfying tale about friendship."cite web |url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6555446.html |title=The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2008-04-30 |publisher=School Library Journal] "Kirkus Reviews" was less positive, saying that the book "may wear down less patient readers", citing the prose and needless elaborations in several areas.cite web |url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Mysterious-Benedict-Society-and-the-Perilous-Journey/Trenton-Lee-Stewart/e/9780316057806 |title=Editorial Reviews, as archived on BarnesAndNoble.com |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2008-04-15 |publisher=Kirkus Reviews] "Horn Book Magazine" disagreed, saying that "Stewart keeps interest high throughout".cite web |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-34520927_ITM |title=Trenton Lee Stewart: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2008-05-01 |publisher=Horn Book Magazine] They especially praised the "first-rate brainteasers", with "School Library Journal" also commenting that it had "plenty of clever twists".

The beginning of the novel came in for particular criticism, with "Horn Book Magazine" complaining of "a few treacly initial scenes" and "School Library Journal" saying that " [t] he action takes a while to get going". However, comparing it overall to its predecessor, "Horn Book Magazine" felt that it was "a worthy successor" - although "Kirkus Reviews" said that it "has more of an air of trading on the previous one's cleverness than building on it."

References

External links

[http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780739373408 Publisher page]